4. New Friends

In a bustling college yard, Calvin and Amity crossed paths once more. Calvin, hearing Amity's name again, couldn't resist calling out to her. Amity, equally surprised, turned to see the young man she had met by chance not long ago.

"Hi! What was your name again?" Amity greeted, her eyes lighting up with recognition.

"Calvin!" he replied, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Yes, Calvin! So you've been sitting here all along?" Amity asked, her tone a mix of surprise and delight.

"Yeah, just relaxing," Calvin replied, holding up the novel he had been reading.

"I'm relaxing too," Amity said, gesturing toward the painting she was working on.

"Wow, your painting is beautiful," Calvin said, leaning in to take a closer look.

"Don't make fun of me," Amity replied, chuckling. "I'm not a naturalist painter. I just mix colors and smear them onto the canvas."

"But I think it's beautiful! Picasso didn’t need to paint realistically to create masterpieces, right?" Calvin countered.

"Fair point," Amity agreed with a grin. "But mine’s just abstract art. Look, I doubt you'd even guess this is supposed to be the schoolyard."

"Can I try guessing?" Calvin asked, intrigued.

"Go ahead," Amity replied, clearly amused.

Calvin moved closer and studied the painting, tilting his head as if trying to decipher its meaning. "These are garden lights, and those must be flowers over there," he guessed, pointing.

Amity burst into laughter. "No! That’s a path, and that over there is a trash can."

"Oh, oops!" Calvin said, scratching his head. "I guess I’m terrible at art."

"Don’t worry," Amity reassured him, still laughing. "At least you said it was good. That’s enough to make me happy."

"Honestly, I like your painting. If I were rich, I’d buy it at a high price," Calvin said sincerely.

"Really? Well, too bad you're not rich!" Amity teased.

"Yeah, a shame," Calvin admitted, grinning. "But your painting is great. I mean it."

"Alright then, when I finish this, I'll give it to you," Amity declared with a playful confidence.

"Are you serious?" Calvin asked, surprised.

"Sure, why not?" Amity said with a shrug.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud voice calling Amity from across the yard. "Amity! Get in here! You’re going to fail TomTom’s class!" a girl shouted.

"Yes, Your Majesty Princess Clarisa! Your loyal servant is coming!" Amity called back, her tone dripping with mockery.

"TomTom? Who’s that?" Calvin asked, amused.

"Thomas. He’s our Building Science lecturer," Amity explained, rolling her eyes. "Strict but incredibly boring. I skip his class whenever I can."

"And how’s that working out for you?" Calvin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not great," Amity admitted sheepishly. "If I skip one more time, I’m getting a D."

"Then maybe you should stop skipping," Calvin suggested with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, Calvin, see you later!" Amity said, grabbing her things.

"See you!" Calvin waved as she hurried off.

Watching her go, Calvin muttered to himself, "Studying architecture actually seems kind of fun." His thoughts briefly wandered to his own classmates, who were often more arrogant than approachable.

The rest of the day passed quickly. After classes, Calvin headed to his part-time job as a waiter at a local Chinese restaurant. Despite being new, he had quickly gained a reputation for being diligent and reliable.

"Calvin, do you have plans this weekend?" Jin Hai, the restaurant manager, asked as Calvin cleared a table.

"Not really. Why?" Calvin replied.

“There’s a party at a wealthy family’s house,” Jin Hai explained. “We’re providing catering, and I’ll need extra hands. Can you join us? I’m sure there’ll be a lot of guests."

"Of course! I’d be happy to help," Calvin agreed without hesitation.

"Great! Be here early, and we’ll head over together," Jin Hai instructed.

"Got it," Calvin said, feeling satisfied. Working on the weekend meant he’d earn a bonus, and every little bit helped ease his financial worries.

What Calvin didn’t know, however, was that the party in question was none other than William’s birthday celebration. The same party his classmates had been buzzing about—the mayor’s son’s grand event, where the city’s elite would gather. While Calvin saw it as just another opportunity to work, it might very well turn into something far more complicated.