Nathan's POV
The cafeteria buzzes with the chaos of lunch hour-students shouting, trays clattering, and the constant hum of chatter blending into a messy symphony of noise. I lounge back in my chair, lazily stirring my soda with a straw while the others argue about what went down at the Halloween house party last month.
Aiden leans forward, his face turning beet red. "For the last time, I wasn't simping, okay? She was standing in my way!"
Jaxon bursts into laughter, nearly choking on his fries. "Oh, really? That's what we're calling it now? 'Standing in your way' while you brought her a drink, complimented her costume, and followed her around like a lost puppy?"
The table erupts in laughter, including me. Aiden's pathetic attempts to defend himself only make it worse. I smirk, leaning into the moment. "Face it, man. You were down bad. Next time, try not to drool while offering to hold her purse."
As if on cue, the girl in question-Lexi Saunders-walks past our table, her short skirt swaying with her every step. Aiden immediately ducks his head, refusing to make eye contact. The rest of us exchange amused looks.
"Hey, Lexi!" Jaxon calls out, his voice dripping with mock enthusiasm. Lexi tosses a glance over her shoulder but doesn't stop walking.
Aiden glares at us once she's out of earshot. "You guys are assholes."
"Only because you make it so easy," I shoot back, still grinning.
For a split second, the energy shifts. The laughter dies down, and the guys fidget awkwardly, their gazes darting around the crowded room. The mood's souring, and I hate it when things get too serious. It's my cue to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Alright, enough of that," I say, draining the last of my soda. "How about we go find Billy? I'm in the mood for some entertainment."
At the mention of Billy, Jaxon perks up, and Aiden's smirk returns. Billy is our go-to target whenever the day gets too boring. The poor guy's practically a magnet for trouble, his soft demeanor and chubby frame making him an easy victim.
"You read my mind," Aiden says, already shoving his tray aside.
It doesn't take long to spot Billy. He's seated at the far end of the cafeteria, hunched over a sandwich and a thick textbook. The guy looks so absorbed in whatever he's reading that he doesn't even notice us approaching.
"Hey, Billy boy!" Aiden's voice cuts through the din like a whip. Billy flinches, his wide eyes snapping up to meet ours.
"N-Nathan," he stammers, clutching his book like it's some kind of shield. "What do you want?"
"What do you think we want?" I reply, my tone light and casual, as though we're old friends.
Before he can answer, Jaxon grabs him by the collar and hauls him to his feet. A few heads in the cafeteria turn our way, but most people are smart enough to look away quickly. No one wants to get involved.
"Let's take this somewhere private," Aiden suggests, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
We lead Billy out of the cafeteria, past the main hallway, and toward a secluded spot near the library. It's quieter here, the noise of the school fading into a distant hum.
"Guys, come on," Billy pleads, his voice trembling. "I didn't do anything to you!"
"And yet, here we are," I say, shoving my hands into my pockets as I lean against the brick wall. "Life's funny like that, huh?"
Jaxon grabs the book from Billy's hands and flips through it mockingly. "What's this, homework? Trying to make us all look bad, nerd?"
Billy lunges for the book, but Jaxon holds it out of reach, laughing as Billy's face turns red. Aiden steps in, giving Billy a light shove that sends him stumbling backward.
"You've gotta hit the gym, Billy," Aiden taunts. "Or at least stop eating your weight in snacks."
I watch the scene unfold, my amusement fading slightly. There's an art to bullying-just enough pressure to get a reaction, but not enough to cross a line. Aiden and Jaxon don't always know where that line is.
"Alright, that's enough," I say, straightening up. "Let's not traumatize the guy."
But before I can say more, a sudden *thud* breaks through the air-a book hitting the floor nearby.
All of us freeze, our heads snapping toward the noise. The sound came from behind a stack of bookshelves near the library entrance.
"Stay here," Aiden whispers, his voice tinged with excitement as though this is all part of the game. He creeps toward the source of the noise, his footsteps barely making a sound on the tiled floor.
The rest of us wait in tense silence. Billy looks like he's about to bolt, but Jaxon keeps a firm grip on his arm.
Aiden disappears behind the shelves, and for a moment, there's nothing but quiet. Then he reappears, dragging someone into view.
It's Abigail.
My stomach twists into a knot at the sight of her. Her eyes are wide, her lips slightly parted as if she's about to say something but thinks better of it. Her gaze darts between me and the others, lingering on Billy before finally settling on me.
For a moment, everything else fades-the snickering, the tension, the awkward shuffling of feet. It's just me and her, locked in this unspoken standoff.
Her expression is hard to read, a mix of defiance and something softer, something vulnerable. It's the same look she gave me that first night when I came home drunk and she tried to help me.
I should say something-anything-to break the silence. But the words don't come.
Look what I found," Aiden says, shoving her forward slightly. "She was hiding behind the shelves."
"I wasn't hiding," Abigail says quickly, her voice steady despite the situation. "I was just...reading."
"Reading?" Jaxon repeats, his tone mocking. "Yeah, sure. And I'm a straight-A student."
Abigail ignores him, her gaze locking onto mine.
For a moment, the world falls away. The mocking voices, the tension in the air, even Billy's trembling-it all fades into the background.
It's just me and her, staring at each other in a silent standoff.
Her eyes are defiant, challenging me to make the next move. But there's something else there, too-something softer, something I can't quite put into words.