Grace was sprawled out on her bed, a paperback novel in hand, enjoying the lazy comfort of a Saturday evening. The house was quiet, the kind of peaceful lull that always followed a hectic week. Leila had just gone home after spending most of the day hanging out, and Grace had settled into her usual routine—reading until something more interesting came along.

Her phone dinged, the notification lighting up the screen, and Grace frowned, her curiosity piqued. She wasn't expecting any messages, especially not so soon after Leila had left. Still lying on her bed, she reached over to the bedside table and grabbed her phone, unlocking it with a swipe of her thumb.

Her eyes went wide as she saw the message, the name on the screen sending a jolt of surprise through her. It was from an account named *R1CH_SC0LAR* on TikTok—a username she didn't recognize, but the message itself made it clear who it was.

"Heya! Leila is doing good, if that's what you mean lol, thanks for helping her by the way," Grace typed quickly, her fingers flying over the keypad. She hit send, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and curiosity. She watched the screen intently, waiting for the bubbles that would indicate Jesci was typing a response.

A few seconds later, they appeared, and Grace's anticipation grew. She couldn't believe it—Jesci was actually messaging her about Leila. This was a twist she hadn't seen coming.

*Yeah, Leila. That's good to hear. Do you by chance have her @?* the message read.

Grace let out a small, excited squeal, her mind racing with possibilities. Before she could type a response, her dad popped his head into the room, his brow furrowed with concern. "Everything okay in here?" he asked, his voice filled with the kind of parental suspicion that only years of experience could hone.

Grace quickly composed herself, giving him a bright smile. "Yeah, Dad, everything's fine. Just texting a friend."

He gave her a skeptical look but decided not to press the issue. "Alright, just checking." he said before closing the door behind him.

Grace's excitement buzzed through her fingers as she quickly typed out a response, her heart still racing from the unexpected turn of events.

*Sure thing! Her Insta is @leilaskye and she's on TikTok too—same handle. Can't believe you're actually asking, this is so exciting! She's gonna flip when she finds out, haha.*

She hit send, a wide grin spreading across her face. The idea that Jesci was interested in Leila felt like a victory, as if she was part of something secret and thrilling. Grace had always loved a good romance, and this felt like the start of one straight out of the novels she devoured.

A few moments passed before Jesci's response came through.

*Thanks, Grace. I appreciate it. I really enjoyed the time I spent with her, even if it was brief. Hope you didn't get into too much trouble after the party.*

Grace's grin softened into a thoughtful smile as she read his message. He was so different from what she'd imagined—more genuine, almost sweet. She quickly typed back.

*We were fine, just had to deal with my dad's usual lecture about being careful. But no big deal. Btw, I just realized I don't even know your real name, haha. Feels weird calling you by a username.*

The typing bubbles appeared almost immediately, and Grace felt a surge of curiosity about who Jesci really was. His response came quickly.

*Sorry about that. My name's Jesci. Nice to officially meet you, Grace.*

Grace couldn't help but laugh softly to herself as she read his message. *Nice to meet you too, Jesci. So, what's the plan? Are you gonna surprise Leila or just slide into her DMs?*

Jesci paused before replying, and when he did, his message carried a hint of hesitation. *Honestly, I'm not sure. Might just start with a message and see where it goes.*

Grace tilted her head, considering his words.

*I think that sounds perfect. She'll appreciate that. Just be yourself. She's been through a lot, so she's not really into the whole flashy thing anyway.*

Another pause, and then Jesci replied with a simple, *Thanks, Grace.*

Grace smiled, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction in having connected with Jesci on a more personal level. It wasn't just about Leila anymore; she felt like she was helping Jesci too, in a way.

*No problem. Let me know how it goes. And hey, if you need any advice, you know where to find me.*

She set her phone down beside her, a sense of excitement lingering in the air. Leila had no idea what was coming her way, and Grace couldn't wait to see how everything would unfold.

Jesci stared at his phone for what felt like an eternity, the conversation with Grace still fresh in his mind. He had Leila's social media tags now, just a few taps away from reaching out to her, yet his thumb hovered over the screen, indecisive. For someone who was usually so sure of himself, the idea of sending a simple message had him second-guessing everything.

*What should I say?* The thought looped in his mind, over and over. He didn't want to come across too strong, like some creep sliding into her DMs out of nowhere. But he also didn't want to seem uninterested—she might think he didn't care enough to follow up after their brief, yet memorable, interaction.

He sighed, rubbing his temples as he considered his options. He could start with something casual, a light comment or joke, maybe reference that night at the party when she fell into the pool. But was that too soon? Too familiar? Or should he go for something more straightforward, just a simple, "Hey, how are you?" that wouldn't be too overwhelming?

The thoughts swirled in his head, each idea battling for dominance, none of them feeling quite right. He didn't want to mess this up—not that there was much to mess up yet, but still, he felt like this was a chance to do something different, something better. Leila wasn't like the other girls he knew. There was something about her, something he couldn't quite place, that made him want to tread carefully.

With another heavy sigh, Jesci decided to put a pin in it. Maybe it wasn't the right time to send the message. Maybe he needed to think it over, give it some time to settle. After all, he wasn't in a rush, and he wanted to approach this the right way, not just jump into it headfirst without a plan.

He tossed his phone onto the bed and looked back at his computer, the unfinished essay glaring at him from the screen. The sight of it made his stomach turn, a mix of dread and frustration bubbling up inside him. He knew he had to finish it—there was no getting around that—but the weight of the task felt crushing, like a boulder pressing down on his chest.

The cursor blinked on the blank document, taunting him with every flash. He'd been staring at it for what felt like hours, and the words just wouldn't come. The subject—some legal case study—seemed so far removed from anything he cared about, yet here he was, trapped in this path that had been laid out for him since before he could remember.

With a groan, Jesci pushed himself up off the bed, his legs heavy as he made his way over to the desk. He sat down, the chair creaking under his weight, and rested his hands on the keyboard. He knew he had to do this, had to push through the mental block and get something—anything—written down. But the computer screen seemed to blur before his eyes, the words he was supposed to type just out of reach.

*This isn't what I want,* the thought echoed in his mind, but he quickly pushed it away. Want didn't matter. He had responsibilities, expectations to meet, a future that had been decided long before he had a say in it. He couldn't afford to think about what he wanted. Not now, not when there was work to be done.

With another sigh, deeper this time, Jesci cracked his knuckles and forced himself to start typing, each word feeling like a mountain he had to climb. He tried to push the thoughts of Leila out of his mind, to focus on the task at hand, but she lingered in the back of his mind, a distraction he couldn't quite shake.

The essay might get finished tonight, but the thoughts of her—the possibilities that came with knowing her name, knowing how to reach her—those would stay with him long after the words on the screen had faded into the background.