Urban System in America

By the time Rex finally strolled into class, the clock was nudging one in the afternoon. Which was, of course, absurdly late. But he was relieved to see no lecture in progress. The room had that light chaos of downtime… clusters of students joking, tossing pens, trading memes and gossip. A few guys were cracking lame jokes in the back, others laughing louder than the punchline deserved. So when the door creaked and he slipped in, the ripple of attention was instant. A few heads turned, as they always did. Nothing dramatic, just that subtle awareness of his presence.

"Wow," someone at the back called out, "look who remembered he's enrolled!"

Someone at the back called out, "Look who finally decided to grace us with his royal presence!" Another chimed in, "Careful, Rex, your throne's been gathering dust."

He waved them off with his usual cheeky grin, tossing back a quip or two that got a ripple of laughter. It wasn't malicious, just the kind of harmless ribbing that passed for currency among classmates.

Rex just smirked, rolling with it. He had skin thicker than a rhino when it came to this sort of thing. Hands in his pockets, he swaggered down the aisle like he was on a catwalk instead of sneaking in half a day late.

As he made his way down the aisle, he passed the beauty trio. They were practically glued together, like some ornamental set piece the class wouldn't feel complete without.

And of course because they were impossible to miss… Daisy with her glossy hair and easygoing charm, Hanna with her sharp, witty eyes that always looked like she was judging you, and Hnnnah, the more playful one, who could laugh at just about anything. They were the unofficial celebrities of the department, the sort of girls everyone noticed even if they didn't want to admit it.

Sophie was the first to react, leaning back in her chair, lips curling into that mischievous smile of hers.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Punctual himself," she teased, voice lilting. "Did your alarm clock file a restraining order against you?"

A few students laughed, and Rex clutched his chest dramatically. "Ah, Sophie, always the one to stab a man where it hurts. Don't worry, I forgive you. My heart's big enough for that."

Daisy, sitting right beside her, tilted her head, eyes narrowing in exaggerated thought, almost like an anime character about to deliver a punchline. "Big heart, maybe. Big sense of time? Not so much. Do you even know what subject this is, Rex? Or are you just here to check attendance?"

Rex said, hand over his chest as if offended. "I'm the model student. Always on time, always attentive. Ask anyone."

That drew more laughter, Rex chuckling along as if the room was his stage.

Then there was Hannah, who didn't even look up from her notes. Her pen kept gliding across the page, her tone calm and clipped, like an office worker reading a memo. " "If by 'on time' you mean strutting in halfway through the day, then congrats you are on time. And If you're trying to set a new world record for tardiness, Rex, congratulations. You've already won."

He paused mid-step, throwing her a playful salute. "Appreciate the recognition, Hannah. I'll expect my medal in the mail."

Rex gave her a mock glare. "Wow, three greetings in and I'm already getting roasted alive. You ladies practicing to open a comedy club, or what?"

That earned a little ripple of laughter from the surrounding students too, the usual audience who enjoyed watching Rex and the trio trade words.

Finally, he reached his desk, plopping down next to Elara. Unlike the others, she didn't mock or tease him, though the corners of her lips tugged in the tiniest, rare smile. Who acknowledged him with a small nod and a faint smile, her voice softer than the others.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning," he echoed, settling in.

She gave the faintest shake of her head, going back to her notes. But Rex noticed her posture was less stiff now, more comfortable than before. Ever since they'd been put on the same project team and shared a few casual meals, she'd warmed up, little by little.

A little small talk followed, just enough to grease the wheels. Nothing dramatic, but enough for Rex to notice the difference. Ever since they ended up grouped for the project, the ice had been cracking bit by bit. It wasn't exactly friendship yet, but she wasn't putting up that distant, timid wall anymore.

Still, he couldn't help but grin at how differently each girl reacted to him, the teasing fire of Sophie, Daisy's sharp humor, Hannah's icy efficiency, and Elara's quiet acceptance. Somehow, he was juggling all four in one classroom without combusting.

Soon, the professor came, whos name he didn't even know and class started. The rest of class went by without much drama. A lecture, some half-hearted note-taking, the occasional whisper or stifled laugh from the back rows. For Rex, it was just another ordinary day at university... ordinary, that is, until the short break between classes rolled around.

Sophie was the first to swoop in, sliding into his desk's orbit with that practiced ease only she had. "Rex," she drawled, tapping her pen against his table like she was ringing a bell, "you haven't forgotten about our project, have you? We still have to compile everything and whatnot, and Hannah's threatening to strangle someone with her USB cable if we don't finish it on time."

"Correction," Hanna cut in, appearing right behind Sophie with her usual sharp tone, "I said I'd consider strangling someone. And only if Sophie keeps scrolling through social media instead of doing research."

"Agh! I don't wanna type anymore. I'm so tired from morning" Sophie gasped, putting a hand to her chest like she'd been mortally wounded.

Hnnah deadpanned, arms crossed. "Because we needed to see how real sets worked, not just read theory. And don't you dare complain, Sophie… you were the one begging to take selfies with the props."

"That was educational!" Sophie protested. "I was documenting. For research. On… lighting angles."

"Sure," Hannah muttered, flipping open her neatly tabbed folder. "Educational. Like the thirty minutes you spent chatting with the makeup artist about contouring."

Rex chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. You've made your point. You three did more legwork than half the department combined. I'm not blind."

Elara stayed quiet at his side, fiddling with the corner of her notebook. She never pushed herself into their circle, but Rex noticed the way her stomach growled faintly, the way she avoided looking at the vending machines outside. She probably hadn't eaten much all morning, again.

And that gave him an idea.

"Tell you what," Rex said suddenly, cutting through their squabble, "why don't I make it up to you three? Project work, my lateness, my general good looks being a distraction—take your pick. After class, food is on me. Consider it a thank you for the hard work so far."

Sophie's eyes sparkled instantly. "Ooooh, a treat? Now we're talking."

Daisy gave him a skeptical once-over, but her lips quirked upward all the same. "Trying to buy us off, huh?"

"Call it… damage control," Rex grinned.

Even Hannah, who rarely reacted to such things, closed her notebook with a faint hum. "You're just trying to butter us up so we keep doing the heavy lifting, aren't you?"

"Please," Rex grinned, "do I look like the type who bribes people with food?"

"Yes," Daisy, Hannah and Sophie said in perfect unison.

(End of Chapter)