Chapter 2: Project tension
The first week of had barely passed, and Nina was feeling the weight of the expectations placed on her. University wasn't as easy as it had seemed when start first decided to enroll-every step felt like an uphill battle, especially when it came to working with people like Damien Blackwood.
She sat down at the table in the university's library, her fingers tapping nervously against the surface. The group project was off to a rocky start, and she had a sinking feeling that things were only going to get worse. The topic was simple enough: wealth and inequality. But with Damien leading the charge, things never seemed simple.
He had been barely tolerating her presence since they were assigned to work together, his sharp eyes always scanning her, evaluating, judging. And Nina wasn't about to let him get away with it. She wasn't the type to back down from a challenge, no matter how much his attitude annoyed her.
"Are you going to stare at me all day?" she finally asked, her voice a mix of frustration and amusement.
Damien didn't flinch. He was sitting across from her, his posture straight and his eyes focused on his laptop. "I'm thinking," he simply said, his tone icy but controlled. "And you're wasting time."
Nina bit back retort. She was about to tell him to mind his on business when Leo Donovan, Damien's bestfriend slide into the seat next to her, grinning.
"Don't mind him," Leo said with a chuckle. "He's just annoyed that we're not all on the same page yet. But you know, It's not the end of the world. We'll figure it out." His relaxed demeanor was a sharp contrast to Damien's seriousness.
Iris Patel, Nina's best friend, sat down next to her too, offering a soft smile "We'll help. No one is doing this alone."
The tension in the air was palpable, but for a brief moment, it softened with the support of others. Sophie Daniels, the natural mediator of the group, gave a small wave from the door suggesting she'd be there shortly.
Damien, however, didn't seem to share the same optimism. He glanced at Leo and then Nina, his eyes narrowing slightly. "We don't have time to 'figuring it out.' This needs to be perfect. The professor's not going to accept anything less exceptional."
Nina's lips curved into a light smile. "Is that what you're worried about? Making everything look perfect for the professor? Maybe we should focus more on the actual topic-wealth and inequality. You know, the reason we're doing this project in the first place."
That seemed to hit a nerve with Damien. His jaw clenched for a moment, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned back to his laptop, ignoring the growing tension. The group's dynamic was already off-balance, and Nina knew it would only get worse before it got better.
But she was determined to not let him push her around.
The rest of the meeting passed silence, with everyone picking at their notes and occasionally glancing at each other. Damien was laser-focused on his laptop, tapping away at the keys as if the rest of the room didn't exist. Nina, on the other hand kept her eyes on him, noticing the way his brow furrowed when he didn't get the things exactly how he wanted. It was hard to ignore the quiet power he exuded, but Nina was determined not to let him intimidate her,
"Okay," she said after a long stretch of quiet," I think we should start by breaking the project into sections. I have some ideas on how to approach the research, but we need to decide who is doing what."
Damien looked up from the screen, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn't respond immediately. Leo nudged him with a grin. "You've got a better idea, man?"
Damien hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'll handle the research on the economic aspect. It's the most crucial part of the project."
Nina raised an eyebrow. "So you're deciding that for everyone? I thought we were supposed to collaborate."
There it was again- the spark of irritation in her voice. Damien's gaze turned cold as he met her challenging head-on. "I'm not deciding for everyone. I'm just saying the economy side is where we should start. The rest will follow. This Isn't a debate, Cruz."
"Right," Nina shot back, her voice a little sharper now, "because when it comes to wealth and inequality, the economics is the only part that matters, Isn't it? How typical."
The words hang in the air, heavy and biting. For a moment neither of the spoke, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Leo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly sensing the storm brewing between them. But Iris leaned forward, breaking the silence with a calm tone that seemed to cut through the anger.
"Let's try to focus on what we're here to do," Iris said, her voice soothing but firm. "We can't keep arguing who does what-this project needs all of us."
Sophie had quietly entered the library, her calm presence immediately diffusing some of the tension. She sat next to Leo and smiled gently. "I agree with Iris. If we're going to work together, we have to stop circling each other. We need to figure out our strengths and delegate accordingly."
Damien gave sharp nod, his jaw tight. "Fine. But if this project goes south don't say I didn't warn you."
Nina bit her lip, but she nodded too. "We'll see. But if we're going to tackle inequality we should make sure we're both on the same page about what we're trying to prove."
The group fell into a more structured discussion, splitting the project into sections. Damien's focus on the economic side, Nina on the social implication, and the others divided the workload on researching historical contexts and modern-day examples. Slowly but surely, they were piecing together the project- but Nina could still feel the cracking tension between her and Damien. It was clear that they were polar opposites, each unwilling to compromise on their stance.
As the meeting came to an end, the group agreed to meet again in a few days to review their progress, But even as Nina stood up to leave, she couldn't shake up the feeling that that things were far from settled.
"Don't forget," Damien called as she grabbed, his voice just loud enough to make her pause, "This Isn't just about proving a point. It's about doing the work. And doing it right.
Nina turned to face him , meeting hiss eyes for a long moment before responding, her voice measured. "I'm not here to prove a point, Blackwood. I'm here to make a difference."
Damien's eyes flickered and for a spit moment Nina thought she saw something shift behind his sharp exterior. But before she could dwell on it, he turned away, closing his laptop with a finality that sent a chill through the room.