"Leah!" Her mom's voice boomed through the house like a rock concert alarm clock, shattering whatever dreamland Leah was clinging to. Crickets. No response. Leah slept on, oblivious to the sun peeking through the blinds and the growing symphony of sizzling bacon downstairs. Forget Sleeping Beauty, Leah looked more like a zombie who forgot how to sleep for, like, forever.

Her mom groaned, the sound a mix of annoyance and amusement. A peek at the clock confirmed her worst fears - that giant hand was pointing a shiny finger right at nine. Yep, Leah was running fashionably late, as usual. With a sigh that could rival a deflating balloon, she abandoned the spatula by the stove and set off on a mission to rescue her daughter from the clutches of sleep.

The stairs creaked like a haunted house soundtrack as her mom climbed. Reaching Leah's room, she flung open the door with zero hesitation. Inside, the scene resembled a battlefield after a pillow fight. Papers, casualties of a late-night study session, were scattered across the floor like fallen soldiers. Blankets, twisted into a tangled fortress, completely swallowed Leah's sleeping form. Even in dreamland, the girl defied the laws of physics, sprawled out with limbs akimbo and her head buried somewhere deep in the land of pillow fluff.

"Leah Lockhart!" Her mom's voice boomed through the room, shattering Leah's dreams like a cymbal crash. Leah jolted, momentarily disoriented, then tried to burrow deeper under the mountain of blankets. Not this time.

"You're already an hour late! Wake up!"

Leah flinched, sleep evaporating faster than a drop of water on a hot pan. "Ugh, Mom!" she whined, momentarily forgetting the bigger problem.  Then, with a sigh that could rival a deflated balloon, her mom marched over and delivered a light swat to Leah's backside.

"Ow!" Leah yelped, finally surfacing from her slumber.  Her mom shoved the table clock right in her face.  The harsh red digits screamed back at her - 9:00 AM.

"Oh my god, I'm toast!" Leah shrieked, the disaster finally hitting her. Panic surged through her. Two weeks of rolling into Professor Brown's class late, and now this? Detention city, for sure.

Scrambling out of bed with all the grace of a newborn giraffe, Leah grabbed her toothbrush and bolted for the bathroom. Images of detention and Professor Brown's killer lectures flashed in her mind, fueling her desperate race against the clock.

Her mom sighed, shaking her head as she watched Leah's whirlwind exit from the bathroom. Out she flew, a hurricane of toothpaste foam and sleep-tousled hair.

"Shower?" her mom asked, eyebrow raised. Leah shook her head with a sheepish grin.

"After college, promise!" she chirped, already halfway out the door. Her mom's face fell into a classic "disappointed parent" expression.

"Sometimes I wonder..." her mom muttered, but a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It was a constant battle – her clean-freak tendencies versus Leah's, well, complete lack thereof.

"Don't worry, even if I'm disaster-daughter, I'm all you got," Leah said with a wink, leaning in for a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Love you, see you later!" she called over her shoulder as she bolted out the door.

Thankfully, college was only a half-mile sprint away.

~~

Leah screeched to a halt in front of the college building, her heart pounding like a jackhammer on high. A peek at her watch confirmed her deepest fear - fashionably late (again). Taking a shaky breath that did nothing to calm her nerves, she braced herself for Professor Brown's inevitable lecture-a-thon.

With a battle cry that would make a chihuahua proud, Leah marched towards her first class. Every step echoed the war raging inside her - fear of Professor Brown vs. the rebellious university student spirit. Reaching the classroom door, she froze. Images of Professor Brown's laser stare and his killer roasts replayed in her mind, briefly turning her into a statue.

But the memory of detention duty kicked her butt into gear. Steeling herself, Leah flung open the door... with a little too much enthusiasm. The heavy door slammed against the wall with a resounding "WHAM!" that sent textbooks flying and startled yelps echoing through the room.

Leah stood there, framed by the doorway, the embodiment of awkwardness personified. Nervous laughter bubbled up in her throat, erupting as a weak chuckle. Professor Brown, momentarily speechless, looked at her with a mix of disbelief and annoyance that could probably curdle milk.

"Sooo sorry!" Leah squeaked, her voice barely a whisper above a squeak. She couldn't look him in the eye, the professor's stare was like staring into the sun. Finally, Professor Brown cleared his throat, the sound sharper than a principal's whistle.

"And what brilliant excuse do we have today, Miss Lockhart?" he drawled, sarcasm dripping from his voice like syrup. Leah, clinging to a shred of hope, decided to play dumb.

"Excuse, sir?" she mumbled, batting her eyelashes innocently even though her cheeks burned with the fire of a thousand suns. Professor Brown raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge that made Leah want to melt into the floorboards.

"Uh, for being late, obviously?" Professor Brown said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Leah finally met his gaze. He was a short dude, maybe in his mid-forties, and unlike the other professors, Professor Brown was a total drill sergeant.  Super strict, short fuse – the whole package. Leah knew better than to mess with him.

"I, uh... overslept," Leah mumbled, the last word barely a whisper. Professor Brown sighed, a sound that could deflate a bouncy castle.

"Such insincerity from the supposed star student," he boomed, his voice echoing through the classroom. He glared at Leah, disappointment etched on his face. "Potential wasted, that's what you are, Leah Lockhart. Detention for you."

Leah flinched, a wave of dread washing over her.  "Sorry, sir," she mumbled.

"Take a seat, Miss Lockhart," Professor Brown said dismissively.  Shoulders slumped, Leah shuffled toward her seat, which thankfully was right next to her best friend, Sean Philips. They'd been practically inseparable since childhood, going to the same schools and now ending up in the same college course.

"Overslept again?" Sean whispered, leaning over as Leah slumped into the seat beside him. Leah just offered a defeated nod, the weight of Professor Brown's detention looming large in her mind.

"Maybe I should become your human alarm clock," Sean suggested, a hint of amusement in his voice but genuine concern in his eyes.

"Seriously? You'd do that?" Leah perked up, a glimmer of hope sparking in her eyes.

"Hey, what are best friends for?" Sean grinned, earning a grateful smile from Leah.

The rest of the class passed in a blur. Leah diligently scribbled notes, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to absorb the lecture while simultaneously formulating a plan to avoid another detention. Meanwhile, Sean, ever the artist, doodled fantastical creatures in the margins of his notebook, occasionally letting out a snicker that sent shivers down Leah's spine – Professor Brown had a hawk-eye for disruptive behavior.

The lecture finally came to a halt, and Leah and Sean bolted out of the classroom like freed prisoners. Outside, their other best friend, Zoey Woods, practically vibrated with her usual morning energy.

"Good morning, hooman beans!" Zoey chirped, her voice a stark contrast to Leah's usual morning groan. Sean, ever the charmer, flashed a smile that could rival the summer sun. Actually, it seemed brighter than usual, even for him. Leah couldn't help but nudge him playfully, a silent question hanging in the air. Sean just chuckled nervously, his cheeks flushing a faint pink.

"Hey, good morning," Sean finally managed, stealing a glance at Zoey.  Leah winked, a mischievous glint in her eye. Maybe today was the day Sean would finally muster the courage to confess his feelings.

Wanting to give them some privacy – and maybe a little push – Leah decided to play wingman. "Uh, actually, I'm not that hungry," she mumbled, her stomach growling in protest at the lie. "Think I'll take a walk around campus. I will be back before lunch break ends, though!"

Sean gave her a questioning look, but Leah just offered a reassuring thumbs-up before waving goodbye and disappearing into the crowd. With a determined glint in her eye, Leah set off on her "walk," a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. Perhaps today would be interesting after all.

Leah ambled around the college gardens, the cool morning air brushing away the cobwebs of sleep. Lost in thought about Professor Brown's lecture (and how to avoid future detentions), she almost bumped right into a sleek black SUV parked on the side street.

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she watched as two tall men in sharp dark suits emerged from the car.  "Whoa, talk about tall, dark, and handsome," Leah muttered under her breath. One guy was a lanky beanpole, all lean muscle and sharp angles. The other guy was built like a brick wall, with broad shoulders that could probably support a small car.

But what truly stopped Leah in her tracks was the familiar figure standing beside them – her classmate, Mia Lee.  Confusion clouded Leah's mind. What in the world was Mia doing with these two strangers?

Leah watched, hidden by the leafy canopy of a nearby tree, as the men conversed with Mia in hushed tones. After a brief five-minute exchange, the two men hopped back into the SUV and sped away, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a bewildered Leah.

Ever the curious soul (and maybe a little nosy), Leah couldn't resist. She darted towards Mia, her mind racing with a million questions about those mysterious men. "Hey, Mia!" she called out, a hint of breathless urgency in her voice. "What was that all about? Who were those guys?"

"Guys? What guys?" Mia asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. Leah blinked, thrown off guard.

"The two guys in suits!" Leah blurted, frustration bubbling up. "The tall one, all lanky, and the other with shoulders wider than Texas? You were just talking to them!"

Mia shook her head, her expression sincere. "Leah, I have no clue what you're talking about. I've been here alone this whole time." Leah stared at her classmate, a knot of suspicion tightening in her gut. Was Mia lying? Was she that good of an actress?

Or maybe... maybe Leah had imagined the whole thing? Sleep deprivation messes with your head, right? But the image of the two men, the hushed conversation – it felt so real.

"Oh, right! Classes," Mia chimed, glancing at her watch. Relief flickered across her face, a little too quickly in Leah's opinion. Mia gave a final, seemingly carefree wave before heading back towards the college building.

Leah stood there, rooted to the spot, a million questions swirling in her head. Had she witnessed something she wasn't supposed to? Or was it all just a figment of her sleep-deprived imagination?  With a frustrated sigh, Leah decided to follow Mia, the mystery of the two men gnawing at her curiosity. It was going to be a long day, one filled with detention worries, a potential confession between friends, and now, this strange encounter with Mia.

Hello! So this is the first chapter of "The Gloom & The Gleam"! I hope you have enjoyed reading it♡

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