Aria's POV
By the time Friday finally ended, I felt like I had lived an entire month in one week.
Kingsford Academy had a way of exhausting you not physically, but mentally. The whispers, the stares, the knowing looks. Even when no one said anything directly, I could feel it. Like eyes clung to me wherever I went. By the time the weekend arrived, I was more than grateful for the break.
Saturday morning was quiet.
Too quiet.
I was in the kitchen, half-awake, when my mom walked in already dressed, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor as she grabbed her keys.
"Aria," she said casually, "I need you to help me run an errand."
I looked up. "What kind?"
"There's a supermarket I saw on my way back from work yesterday," she replied, pouring herself some water. "It's very big. Very fancy. I liked it. I want us to start shopping there."
I blinked. "Fancy?"
She smiled. "Yes. I'll describe the road for you."
And she did slowly, carefully mentioning landmarks, turns, and a long stretch of road I wasn't very familiar with. I listened, nodding, already mentally preparing myself.
She handed me a short list. "Just restocking. The basics."
I glanced at it. Rice. Milk. Fruits. Cleaning supplies.
"Don't get distracted," she added pointedly.
I smiled innocently. "I won't."
I lied.
---
The supermarket was… breathtaking.
Glass doors slid open smoothly, cool air brushing my skin as I stepped inside. The place smelled clean fresh bread, polished floors, and something floral I couldn't quite name. Everything looked expensive. Shelves were neatly arranged, lights bright but soft, carts rolling quietly across the floor.
I stood there for a moment, just staring.
So this is what she meant.
I grabbed a cart and started down the aisles, reminding myself to stick to the list. At first, I did. Rice. Milk. Fruits. Easy.
Then I saw things we didn't need.
Imported snacks. Fancy cereals. Candles. Kitchen organizers we'd survive without. I picked one up… then another. My cart slowly betrayed me.
I was reaching for a box of chocolate biscuits definitely not on the list when my elbow knocked into someone's arm.
Hard.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry..."
I turned quickly, heart jumping, apology spilling out before I even finished looking up.
And then I froze.
It was him.
Kai.
One of them.
I recognized him immediately not because he was loud or dramatic like Noah, but because Kai had a presence that was… easy. Relaxed. He wasn't intimidating. He wasn't trying to be seen. He just was.
He looked down at me, surprise flashing briefly across his face before a small smile curved his lips.
"It's okay," he said calmly. "No damage done."
I nodded quickly, gripping the handle of my cart like it was my lifeline. "I wasn't paying attention."
"That makes two of us," he replied lightly, glancing at the item in my hand. "Those biscuits are dangerous. Once you pick them up, you've already lost."
I blinked, then laughed before I could stop myself.
I immediately stopped.
Why did I laugh?
I straightened, suddenly aware of myself again. "Um..sorry. I should… I should go."
I tried to push my cart past him, intent on escaping before anything could be misunderstood. I had already learned my lesson. Attention came with consequences.
But Kai simply stepped aside, hands raised slightly in surrender.
"No worries," he said. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
That made me pause.
Most people didn't notice discomfort. Or they ignored it.
"I just don't want trouble," I admitted quietly, more to myself than him.
Kai studied me for a second not intensely, not rudely. Just thoughtfully.
"You're Aria, right?"
My heart skipped.
"Yes," I answered cautiously.
He nodded once. "I thought so. We go to the same school."
Of course we do.
"I'm Kai," he added. "In case you were wondering."
"I wasn't," I said quickly then winced. "I mean...sorry. That came out wrong."
To my surprise, he laughed. Not mocking. Not amused in a cruel way. Just… genuine.
"You're fine," he said. "You're refreshingly honest."
That didn't feel like a compliment I knew how to accept.
"I should finish my shopping," I said, already pushing my cart again. "My mom is strict about lists."
Kai glanced at my cart, then raised an eyebrow. "Judging by those biscuits, I'd say the list is already offended."
I smiled despite myself.
"I'll survive," I said.
"Good," he replied easily. "Kingsford students usually do."
That made me look at him again.
There was something in his tone like he knew exactly what kind of survival I needed.
Before I could ask anything, he nodded politely and turned down another aisle, hands in his pockets, completely unbothered.
No drama.
No lingering.
No pressure.
I stood there for a second, heart oddly steady, then exhaled.
That… wasn't what I expected.
As I continued shopping, I couldn't help thinking about it.
Kai hadn't stared.
He hadn't teased.
He hadn't pushed.
And somehow, that made him more memorable than I wanted to admit.
---
Kai's POV
I hadn't planned to be in the supermarket that morning.
I rarely planned anything these days.
The place was already open when I arrived, lights bright, shelves stocked, staff moving around with the efficiency of people who knew this space belonged to them. In a way, it did. My mother owned it one of many businesses she had picked up over the years like accessories she changed when she got bored.
Being the owner's son came with privileges. I could roam anywhere I liked. No one questioned me. No one told me to stop. They greeted me politely, sometimes nervously, sometimes with forced smiles. I hated that part.
I walked slowly through the aisles, hands in my pockets, not looking for anything in particular. I didn't need groceries. I didn't need company. I just needed space somewhere quiet enough to think without people asking me questions about school, grades, or my future.
My mother liked busy places. I liked corners.
She was a complicated woman.
Hopelessly romantic. Dangerously so.
Husband number four had moved in barely a year ago, and already the signs were there the tension, the fake smiles, the late-night arguments she thought I couldn't hear. Every time she fell in love, she believed it was the one. Every time it fell apart, she pretended it didn't hurt.
I stopped believing in "the one" a long time ago.
I didn't even know who my father really was.
He died when I was young too young for memories to stick. All I had were stories that changed depending on my mother's mood. Sometimes he was gentle. Sometimes ambitious. Sometimes reckless. Sometimes perfect.
Sometimes I wondered if she even knew who he really was.
That thought followed me as I turned into the snacks aisle.
And that's when it happened.
Someone bumped into me.
Not lightly.
I looked down, already ready to dismiss it, when I saw her.
Aria.
She looked startled, eyes wide, apology spilling out before she even processed who she had run into. There was no arrogance in her. No practiced confidence. Just sincerity.
I recognized her instantly.
Not because of Noah. Not because of school gossip.
But because she looked… normal.
Normal in a world where everyone was performing.
She apologized like she meant it, then tried to escape immediately as if proximity itself was dangerous. That caught my attention more than anything else. Most people leaned in when they recognized me. Or Noah. Or our circle.
She leaned away.
I let her.
I joked lightly not to impress her, not to test her but because it felt natural. And when she laughed, surprised herself by it, then immediately pulled back… I understood something important.
She was cautious.
Not shy.
Not weak.
Careful.
When she said she didn't want trouble, I believed her. There was no hidden agenda in her voice. No flirtation. No expectation.
That was rare.
I told her my name. She didn't react like it meant anything.
Even rarer.
When she walked away, pushing her cart like she was determined to finish her mission and disappear, I watched her go not because I was interested in chasing her, but because something about her presence stayed behind.
Quiet. Unassuming. Untouched by games.
I exhaled slowly.
This was exactly why I avoided people.
Everyone wanted something.
And when they didn't, they got pulled into things they never asked for.
I leaned against a shelf, staring down the aisle she had disappeared into.
Kingsford Academy was small in its own way. Paths crossed whether you wanted them to or not.
I had a feeling this wasn't the last time I'd see her.
And for once, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a dangerous one.