It all started with the new seating chart.
Mr. Rao was tired of the noise from our row, so he shuffled a few of us around. That's how Kairen—a transfer from another section—ended up beside me.
Kairen was the opposite of Peryn. Where Peryn was loud and teasing, Kairen was calm, soft-spoken, the type to actually ask if he could borrow a pen instead of just stealing it. And the worst part? He was… nice.
Too nice.
By the second day, he was already leaning in to explain sums during math, sliding his notebook closer so I could copy. Once, when I dropped my ruler, he picked it up before I even bent down.
"Here," he said with an easy smile.
"Thanks," I replied, matching his politeness.
It should've been nothing. But I didn't miss the way Peryn's eyes narrowed from the back row, his pen tapping the desk like a warning drumbeat.
At lunch, it got worse.
Kairen plopped down across from me, unwrapping his sandwich. "You like banana bread, right? My mom makes it—want some?"
Before I could answer, Peryn appeared out of nowhere, sliding into the seat beside me like it was his birthright.
"She already has food," he said, smirking but sharp. "Don't try to steal her stomach, bro."
Kairen chuckled, unfazed. "Relax, man. Just offering."
I chewed slowly, pretending not to notice the invisible sparks flying between them. Inside, though, I was nearly laughing. Silent treatment: 1. Peryn: 0.
The real blow came during science. The class was supposed to mix solutions in pairs, and before Peryn could swoop in, Kairen had already claimed the spot next to me.
"You pour, I'll stir," he offered.
As we leaned over the beakers, I could feel Peryn watching. His jaw tight, his eyes fixed on us instead of his own experiment. And when a drop of liquid splashed too close to my wrist, Kairen instinctively grabbed my hand to move it away.
It lasted only a second—but that was all it took.
Across the room, Peryn slammed his beaker down so hard the teacher snapped at him.
I pretended not to notice, heart racing with a mix of triumph and guilt.
Because maybe… just maybe… I wanted him to break.