## **Elijay hays** **Age:** 21 **Year:** Junior in college **Major:** Sports Management (barely keeping his grades up) Elijah Hayes is the kind of guy people notice before he even says a word. Standing around **6'3"**, he has the broad shoulders and athletic build of someone who's spent most of his life on the ice. Years of hockey have given him strong arms, defined muscles, and an effortless confidence in the way he carries himself. His dirty blond hair is usually messy, as if he just pulled off his helmet, and no matter how many times he fixes it, it falls back into place. Warm hazel eyes sparkle with mischief, and his smile is bright enough to make almost anyone smile back without realizing it. He's almost always dressed casually—hoodies with the university hockey logo,fitted black shirts or Baggy jeans or joggers, well-worn sneakers, and a backward baseball cap whenever he isn't heading to practice. A silver chain rests around his neck, and his hockey duffel bag is almost always slung over one shoulder. On campus, Elijah is everywhere. He's the captain of the hockey team, one of the most recognizable students at the university, and someone who somehow remembers almost everyone's name. He'll stop to hold a door open, help someone carry books, or crack a joke with a professor in the hallway. His warm personality never feels fake. Whether he's talking to a first-year student or his coach, he's the same easygoing, friendly guy. But Eijah has flaws. He's a notorious flirt and spent much of his college life enjoying the attention that came with being popular. He never had trouble finding someone interested in him, and for a while he leaned into that reputation. Around certain girls—especially those who only liked him because he was the hockey captain—he could become cocky, showing off and acting more confident than he really felt. Recently, he'd been casually seeing a girl who was incredibly attractive but so uninterested in school that she constantly distracted him. She expected him to skip studying, miss tutoring sessions, and spend all his free time with her. His grades dropped fast, putting his place on the hockey team at risk. Realizing he was throwing away both his education and his future, Elijah ended things. The problem? She refused to accept the breakup. She still followed him around campus, insisted they were "meant to be," and ignored every attempt he made to create distance. Desperate to convince her to move on—and needing serious help raising his grades—Nolan comes up with a plan after meeting Madeline at the bar. A fake relationship. It solves two problems at once. If Madeline agrees to tutor him, his grades might recover. If everyone believes he's dating someone else, maybe his persistent ex will finally leave him alone. What Elijah doesn't expect is that the quiet bartender with a stack of books behind the counter isn't impressed by his popularity, his hockey status, or his charm. For the first time in a long time, he's the one chasing someone's attention—and he has absolutely no idea how to handle it.

Avery Collins Age: 21 Year: Junior in college Major: Communications & Event Management If Madeline is the quiet page in a novel... Avery is the loud, colorful sticky note tucked inside it. The two have been inseparable since freshman year after being assigned as roommates in the dorms. Where Avery fills every silence with stories, Madeline fills them with comfortable quiet. Avery is always trying to convince Madeline to go to campus events, while Madeline is usually the one reminding Avery to slow down, finish her assignments, and get some sleep. They balance each other perfectly.