Lunchtime couldn't come soon enough.
Ryan moved quickly through the crowded hallway, ignoring the stares, the whispers, the not-so-subtle glances thrown his way. Everyone seemed to be talking — about him, about John, about the mysterious new teacher who spoke to him like an old family friend.
The pressure was building.
He needed air.
Slipping out the side door of the cafeteria, Ryan made his way to the back courtyard — to the quiet, overlooked part of the campus where an old marble fountain stood, its water trickling softly beneath the buzz of campus life. Here, in this pocket of stillness, he could think.
He sat on the edge of the fountain, unwrapped his bread, and took a swig of mineral water. For a moment, he allowed himself to breathe.
Then, a whisper brushed against his ear.
"How are you today?"
Ryan turned, startled.
There she was.
Lily.
Long black hair cascading over her blazer, eyes calm and confident, posture graceful even in stillness. The school beauty, the student council president, and the kind of person everyone admired from a distance but few dared to approach.
Except now, she was standing right behind him, smiling like they'd spoken a hundred times before.
"Lily?" he said, blinking.
She stepped beside him, hands behind her back. "Mind if I join you?"
He shook his head. "Not at all."
They sat in silence for a moment, the fountain's gentle sounds filling the space between them. It wasn't uncomfortable — it felt... peaceful.
"I always come here," Lily said softly, looking at the water. "It's the only place where I don't have to smile for anyone. No speeches. No perfect posture. No expectations."
Ryan glanced at her. "Even the strongest need to breathe."
She looked at him, a bit surprised by his words — and maybe, just maybe, impressed.
"I've seen you around," she said. "Quiet. Focused. You don't try to be noticed, but somehow… you are."
Ryan chuckled. "Not my intention. Just trying to make it through the day."
"Well," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "after what happened this morning — you and John walking together, and Miss Benedict calling you out — the whole school's spinning."
"I figured," Ryan muttered, sipping his water. "Guess I'm not very good at staying in the background."
"I don't think you were meant to be," she said with a smirk.
He looked at her, thoughtful. "You know, Lily… people look up to you. You've built something real here — respect, trust. You carry yourself like someone born to lead."
Her eyes softened. "Sometimes I don't feel like I am. But I try."
"You don't have to try," Ryan said. "You already are. And I think one day, you'll be a great leader — beyond this school."
Lily blushed slightly — a rare break in her composed armor — and smiled. "Thank you, Ryan. That means more than you know."
They sat quietly again, letting the world outside fade for just a little longer.
In that moment, Ryan wasn't the heir to a criminal empire.
He wasn't a target. He wasn't a name people whispered behind closed doors.
He was just Ryan — and Lily, just Lily.
Two students, sitting by a fountain, trading honesty in a world full of masks.