(The car slams into a streetlight. The impact is violent. Glass shatters. The airbag explodes into Liam’s chest, knocking the breath out of him.)
(For a moment, everything is still. Then—)
(A knock on the driver’s side window. A blur of dark hair.)
(Through the cracked glass, LIAM sees her. The girl from campus. Up close for the first time. But her expression isn’t dreamy or soft—it’s a mix of shock and annoyance.)
Mia wood
(muffled, through the window, frustrated)
Are you insane?!
(LIAM winces, pushing the door open. The cold air rushes in as he stumbles out, his body aching. He barely registers the pain—his heart is still racing from the near miss.)
Liam North
(dazed, voice rough)
What… what were you doing in the middle of the road?
(The girl crosses her arms, unimpressed.)
Mia wood
(deadpan)
Excuse me? You almost ran me over!
(LIAM exhales, Running a hand through his hair. This is not how he imagined their first conversation going.)
Liam North
(gritted teeth)
I didn’t see you.
Mia wood
(sarcastic, gesturing to the wrecked car)
Yeah, I noticed.
(A beat. The adrenaline is fading, replaced by the heavy silence of the night. Liam looks at her—really looks at her. She’s just as he remembers from campus. Except now, she’s standing in front of him, real, angry, and completely unaware that he has spent the last semester watching her from a distance.)
Mia wood
(sighing, softer now)
Are you hurt?
(LIAM blinks. He wasn’t expecting that.)
Liam North
(shaking his head)
I’m fine.
(Her eyes flick to the totaled car, then back at him, clearly not convinced.)
Mia wood
(deadpan)
Right. Because crashing into a pole is totally normal behavior
(LIAM almost laughs. Almost. But then, he remembers who he is, what he’s running from. His face hardens.)
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