Westridge University, Maple Valley
The Following Morning
The morning arrived quietly over Maple Valley.
Autumn sunlight slipped between the tall buildings of Westridge University, turning the old stone walls a soft golden brown. A thin layer of mist lingered over the grass, and the maple trees along the campus paths moved gently in the cool breeze.
Students slowly began filling the university.
Some rushed toward their first lecture.
Others stood outside the coffee shop, still half-asleep.
The campus was waking up.
But one person had arrived earlier than usual.
Austin Carter.
---
INT. BOYS' DORM — MORNING
Austin closed the door of his room behind him.
His backpack was already over his shoulder.
Kevin was still asleep.
Austin glanced at the clock.
He was early.
Very early.
Normally, he would have stayed in his room for another twenty minutes.
Today, he didn't.
He walked down the dormitory hallway.
As he reached the stairs, he briefly looked at his phone.
No messages.
He put it back into his pocket.
There was no particular reason for him to hurry.
At least...
That's what he told himself.
---
WESTRIDGE UNIVERSITY — COURTYARD
The old stone bench beneath the maple tree was almost completely empty.
Austin walked toward it.
He looked at the bench.
The same bench.
The same tree.
The same quiet corner of the university.
He sat down.
He placed his backpack beside him and opened his book.
But he didn't read.
Every few moments...
His eyes moved toward the main pathway.
Students passed.
One after another.
None of them were Lisa.
Austin checked the time.
8:17.
He looked toward the entrance again.
Nothing.
He tried reading.
A few minutes passed.
He turned another page.
Then looked up again.
Still nothing.
8:26.
Austin slowly closed the book.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't even disappointed at first.
Just...
Confused.
Yesterday, Lisa had asked him:
> "Tomorrow morning... do you sit on that bench?"
And he had answered:
> "Usually."
He hadn't expected anything.
At least that's what he had told himself.
Yet here he was.
He had arrived early.
He had chosen the same seat.
And now...
The bench beside him remained empty.
---
LISA'S POV
At almost the exact same time...
Lisa was walking across the opposite side of campus.
And she was smiling.
She had woken up earlier than usual too.
She had spent an unreasonable amount of time deciding what to wear.
Nothing special.
Just comfortable jeans, a light sweater and sneakers.
Still...
She had looked at herself in the mirror twice before leaving.
Sophie had noticed.
"Why are you smiling?"
Lisa had immediately answered:
"I'm not."
Sophie had smiled knowingly.
Lisa had grabbed her bag.
She knew exactly where she wanted to go.
The bench.
She wanted to sit beside Austin again.
Maybe talk.
Maybe tease him about something.
Maybe just sit there.
She didn't know.
She simply wanted to see him.
---
Lisa turned toward the courtyard.
She could already see the maple tree in the distance.
And beneath it—
The bench.
And then...
A familiar figure.
Austin.
Lisa's face brightened immediately.
She slowed down.
For a moment, she simply watched him from a distance.
He was sitting exactly where she expected.
Book in his hands.
Headphones around his neck.
Quiet.
Waiting.
Lisa smiled.
She was about to walk toward him.
"Austin!"
A voice interrupted her.
Lisa turned.
Ethan was walking toward her.
---
ETHAN
He had a bright smile on his face.
In one hand, he held two tickets.
"Morning."
Lisa smiled.
"Morning."
Ethan lifted the tickets.
"Remember the student concert I told you about?"
Lisa's eyes immediately widened.
"The concert?"
"Yeah."
He handed her one of the tickets.
"I got these."
Lisa looked at it.
Then looked back at him.
"Wait... seriously?"
"Seriously."
Her excitement was immediate.
She loved the idea.
Music.
Students.
An outdoor concert.
A night out.
It sounded perfect.
"Oh my God."
She laughed.
"This is going to be so much fun."
Ethan smiled.
"I knew you'd like it."
Lisa looked at the ticket again.
Then something caught her attention.
Only two tickets.
She looked at Ethan.
"Just two?"
"Yeah."
He smiled.
"I only booked two."
Lisa's expression remained cheerful.
But something inside her shifted.
Her eyes instinctively moved toward the courtyard.
Toward the bench.
Austin was still there.
Alone.
She looked back at Ethan.
He hadn't noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Lisa quickly smiled.
"It's perfect."
Ethan nodded.
"Good."
He started walking beside her.
"So it's a date."
Lisa laughed lightly.
"A date?"
"You can call it whatever you want."
He grinned.
Lisa rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
"I've been told."
She laughed again.
But the smile wasn't quite the same.
---
THE DISTANCE
Lisa walked beside Ethan.
The two tickets remained in her hand.
She looked at them again.
Two.
Only two.
She didn't know why that bothered her.
It shouldn't.
She and Ethan were friends.
The concert sounded fun.
There was nothing wrong with going.
Yet...
Her eyes kept returning to the courtyard.
Austin was still sitting beneath the maple tree.
She could see him from between the passing students.
For one brief moment—
Their eyes met.
Austin saw Lisa.
He saw Ethan beside her.
He saw the tickets in her hand.
Lisa smiled at him.
Austin gave a small nod.
Nothing more.
Then he looked away.
Lisa's smile faded for just a second.
Ethan didn't notice.
---
AUSTIN'S POV
Austin watched them walk away.
He didn't know what the tickets were for.
He didn't need to know.
He looked down at his book.
The words on the page blurred together.
He closed it.
Yesterday...
He hadn't thought about seeing Lisa the next morning.
Or maybe he had.
He simply hadn't admitted it.
But today...
He had come early.
He had waited.
And she hadn't come.
She had been coming toward him.
He knew that now.
He had seen her.
Then Ethan appeared.
Austin looked toward the pathway again.
Lisa was already disappearing into the crowd.
He lowered his eyes.
A strange heaviness settled in his chest.
Not anger.
Not jealousy.
Something quieter.
Disappointment.
He picked up his backpack.
The bench suddenly felt too empty.
---
CAFETERIA
Later that morning, Lisa sat with Sophie.
The concert ticket rested on the table.
Sophie immediately noticed.
"What is that?"
Lisa smiled.
"Concert."
"Concert?"
"Ethan got two tickets."
Sophie looked at Lisa.
"Two?"
Lisa nodded.
"Just two."
Sophie studied her face.
"You okay?"
"Of course."
Lisa took a sip of coffee.
"It's going to be fun."
Sophie didn't answer immediately.
She knew Lisa well enough to recognize when something was being left unsaid.
But she didn't push.
Instead, she smiled.
"Then have fun."
Lisa nodded.
"Definitely."
She looked down at the ticket.
Her excitement returned slightly.
But beneath it...
There was still another thought.
A thought she couldn't explain.
Austin was waiting.
She didn't know why that mattered so much.
---
HALLWAY — LATER
Lisa walked toward her next class.
Ethan caught up beside her.
"Excited?"
She smiled.
"Yeah."
"Good."
He walked beside her.
"I'll pick you up Friday."
Lisa nodded.
"Okay."
Then she noticed Austin standing farther down the hallway.
He was talking to no one.
As usual.
Their eyes met.
Lisa smiled.
Austin looked at her.
For a second, it seemed like he might say something.
Instead...
He simply nodded.
Lisa nodded back.
Then Ethan called her name.
She turned.
By the time she looked back—
Austin was gone.
---
FINAL SCENE
That evening...
Austin returned to his dorm.
He placed his books on the desk.
Removed his watch.
Dropped his keys beside his phone.
Everything returned to its usual place.
He sat down.
For several seconds, he stared at the empty chair opposite him.
Then he looked toward the window.
Maple Valley was glowing outside.
He remembered Lisa's words from yesterday.
> "Tomorrow morning..."
Austin smiled faintly at the memory.
Then the smile disappeared.
He opened his finance textbook.
This time...
He actually began reading.
---
Across campus...
Lisa sat on her bed.
The concert ticket lay beside her.
She picked it up.
Looked at it.
Then placed it down.
Her eyes moved toward the window.
She thought about the bench.
About Austin sitting there alone.
About how excited she had been to see him.
And for the first time...
Lisa wondered why missing one quiet morning with someone she barely knew had affected her at all.
She shook her head.
"You're overthinking again."
She turned off the light.
But even in the darkness...
One thought remained.
Tomorrow, she wanted to see Austin.
And somewhere across Westridge...
Austin was beginning to wonder whether she would.
TO BE CONTINUED...