Aria's POV
Break time felt like freedom.
The cafeteria buzzed with noise—chairs scraping the floor, students calling out to each other, laughter bouncing off the walls. The smell of food lingered in the air, warm and familiar.
Mia and I found a table near the windows, away from the loudest group but still close enough to feel part of everything. I placed my lunch in front of me, suddenly aware of how exposed I felt sitting in the open like this.
"Relax," Mia said, unwrapping her food. "No one's watching you that closely."
I wasn't so sure.
"So," she continued casually, "first impressions?"
"Overwhelming," I admitted. "But… not terrible."
She smiled. "That's a win."
We ate slowly, talking about teachers, classes, and how surprisingly fast the morning had gone. I was mid-sentence when Mia suddenly stopped chewing.
Her eyes flicked past me.
Oh no.
"Aria," she said quietly, "don't panic."
My heart dropped. "Why would I panic?"
"Because," she murmured, "one of them is walking over here."
I froze.
"Which one?" I whispered.
She didn't answer.
I felt it before I saw him—the shift in air, the sudden awareness that someone was standing too close.
"Mind if I sit?"
The voice was smooth. Confident. Too calm.
I looked up.
It was Noah.
Up close, he was even worse—relaxed posture, easy smile, eyes that looked like they already knew things about you. He pulled out the chair across from us and sat down without waiting for an answer.
Mia stared at him. "Actually, yes. We mind."
He chuckled. "Wow. Straight to the point."
Then his gaze shifted to me.
"And you must be Aria."
My stomach flipped.
"Yes," I said carefully.
He tilted his head slightly, studying me—not in a creepy way, but like he was curious. Like I was something new.
"Welcome to the school," he said. "Hope it's treating you well."
Mia crossed her arms. "What do you want, Noah?"
He leaned back, resting his elbows on the table. "Can't a guy be friendly?"
She scoffed.
I stayed quiet, gripping my fork, my pulse loud in my ears.
Noah glanced at my lunch. "You always eat this neat, or is today special?"
I blinked. "I—what?"
He smiled wider. "Just noticing."
That was when I realized something unsettling.
He was paying attention.
Mia shot me a look that clearly said don't fall for it.
"So," Noah continued, eyes still on me, "new school, new city… must be a lot."
"It is," I admitted before I could stop myself.
His expression softened slightly. "You're handling it well."
I didn't know what to say to that.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a few girls watching us openly now, whispers spreading. Heat crawled up my neck.
Mia cleared her throat loudly. "Okay, compliment session over. Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
Noah laughed, standing up. "I do."
Before leaving, he looked at me once more.
"See you around, Aria."
Then he walked away like he hadn't just turned my entire break upside down.
Mia immediately leaned in. "I warned you."
"I didn't do anything," I said quickly.
She sighed. "I know. But he noticed you."
I stared down at my food, no longer hungry.
And for the first time since starting this school, I had a feeling
This was not going to stay simple.
---
Noah's POV
I didn't look back when I left the cafeteria.
I didn't need to.
I already knew exactly what kind of chaos I'd caused.
Leo and Kai were leaning against the lockers near the science wing, exactly where they always were during break like they owned the place. Leo was scrolling through his phone, Kai watching the crowd pass with that unreadable expression he always wore.
Leo looked up first. "You took your time."
I smirked. "Worth it."
Kai's eyes flicked to me. "You talked to her."
Not a question.
"Sat with her," I corrected. "Up close."
Leo straightened. "And?"
I leaned back against the locker, folding my arms. "She's different."
Kai raised an eyebrow slightly. "They're all different at first."
"No," I said. "She didn't try to impress me. Didn't flirt. Barely looked at me."
Leo laughed. "That's new."
"That's exactly why," I continued, "she's interesting."
I could still see her face in my mind the way she froze for half a second, how her voice stayed calm even when her hands didn't. She wasn't rude. She wasn't eager.
She was cautious.
And that annoyed me more than I wanted to admit.
"So?" Leo said. "You think she'll fall for you first?"
I smiled slowly. "If this were about trying, maybe not."
Kai crossed his arms. "Then why sit with her?"
"Because," I said, "she reacted without pretending."
That was rare.
---
Leo glanced around before lowering his voice. "So we're doing this?"
Kai sighed. "You started it."
The bet.
It wasn't new. It was stupid, really. A game we'd played too many times to count.
"First one she falls for," Leo said, "gets whatever they want."
Kai looked at me. "And the other two pay up."
I nodded. "Simple."
But something in my chest tightened not excitement, not guilt. Something unfamiliar.
"She's not like the others," I said again, quieter this time.
Leo smirked. "They never are. At first."
---
I didn't grow up needing attention.
Attention had always come to me.
My family name carried weight too much of it. My father was one of the biggest investors this school had ever had. New buildings, better equipment, scholarship funds his signature was on all of it.
Teachers treated me carefully. Administrators smiled too much.
Rules bent when they involved me.
At home, it was different.
Big house. Quiet halls. Conversations that felt more like meetings. Expectations pressed into every word my father spoke.
Be confident.
Be seen.
Never look weak.
So yeah, I learned charm early. Learned how to talk, how to smile, how to leave before anything got real.
Girls were easy.
Feelings weren't.
Until Aria sat there, clutching her fork like it was grounding her to reality, looking at me like she was deciding whether I was worth trusting.
And that?
That was new.
Kai pushed off the locker. "Don't get sloppy."
I scoffed. "Relax. It's just a bet."
But even as I said it, I knew something had shifted.
Because for the first time, I wasn't wondering how fast she'd fall.
I was wondering why I cared how she reacted at all.