Sam's POV
The cafeteria smelled like burnt toast and plastic trays, a mixture of yesterday's leftovers and the anxiety of a hundred teenagers crammed into one room. I held my tray a little too tightly, balancing my apple and sandwich while scanning the crowded tables. My stomach felt empty, not from hunger but from tension — the argument with Liam still burned like a fresh wound.
I didn't want to sit alone, but the idea of running into him again made my chest tighten. I sighed, lowering my gaze. Somehow, it wasn't the lunch itself I dreaded. It was him.
"Hey, Sam! Over here!"
I looked up and saw Zoe waving enthusiastically from a corner table. I hadn't noticed her in the rush. She was already surrounded by a couple of other girls, but her smile widened when she saw me. I swallowed my pride and walked toward her.
"You actually came," she said, patting the seat beside her. "I thought you'd vanish like a ghost."
"I don't vanish," I muttered, sitting down cautiously.
"Not completely," Zoe teased. "Anyway, I figured it's better to sit here than eat alone… or next to your mortal enemy."
I glanced toward the other end of the cafeteria. Liam sat at a table with a few of his friends, but he kept looking over in our direction, his brow furrowed. My stomach twisted.
"Why does he look like he wants to kill me?" I whispered, more to myself than to Zoe.
She laughed softly. "Relax. He's probably just… figuring you out. He doesn't meet people like you every day."
"People like me?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Zoe leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You're quiet, observant… and you don't take his nonsense lying down. He likes that, even if he'd never admit it."
I felt heat rush to my cheeks. "I don't care what he thinks," I said quickly, though the truth echoed uncomfortably in my head.
Zoe tilted her head, studying me with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Uh-huh. Sure. And the fact that you just stormed out of class last period? That had nothing to do with him?"
I groaned, hiding my face behind my hands. "I can't… Zoe, it's complicated."
"You and him both," she said knowingly, waving her hand. "I can see it. The tension, the stares, the little explosions. Admit it — there's something there."
I peeked at her through my fingers. "Maybe there's nothing there."
"Yeah, sure," she said, rolling her eyes. "Totally believable."
I was about to snap back when she smiled softly and put a hand on my arm. "Look, I just want you to know something. I'm on your side. If anyone crosses you, I'll have your back. That's all."
I blinked at her, surprised. "Thanks… I guess."
Before I could say more, I felt a shadow fall across the table. My stomach dropped. Liam.
He stood there, tray in hand, looking down at us. He didn't smile — not exactly. But there was something unreadable in his expression, like he was trying to measure how much he should care.
"Mind if I join?" he asked, voice low.
I stiffened. "If you must," I muttered, trying to sound indifferent, though my pulse was racing.
He slid the tray onto the table and sat down without another word. Zoe's grin widened.
"Perfect timing," she said lightly. "You two can continue your… discussion from this morning."
Liam's eyes flicked to me. "Discussion?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow.
I folded my arms. "You know what I mean."
His lips twitched, almost like a smirk, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Right. I know exactly what you mean."
Silence settled over the table for a moment, heavy and charged. I felt my heart pounding in my ears. Zoe, sensing the tension, leaned back and smirked.
"So," she said brightly, "let's clear the air. Sam, you're new here. Liam, you're not as terrifying as everyone says… sometimes. Why don't we just start fresh?"
I wanted to glare at her, but Liam's glance stopped me. There was… something in his eyes — vulnerability, maybe. Or maybe it was curiosity.
"I don't do fresh starts," I said quietly.
"Yet," Liam muttered under his breath, and Zoe's eyes lit up like she'd just caught him admitting something.
I turned to glare at him. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing," he said, tone casual. But his smirk betrayed him. "Forget it."
Zoe clapped her hands. "Finally! Progress! You're both talking without throwing punches. I call that a win."
I sighed, unable to keep my irritation down. "It's not a win if I'm sitting here next to him."
"Rivera," Liam said softly, leaning just slightly toward me. "You're really stubborn."
"And Fernandez," I snapped back, "you're really irritating."
The cafeteria noise seemed to fade into the background. Our voices were low, tense, but filled with unspoken layers. I couldn't tell if it was anger, curiosity, or something else that made my chest tighten every time he spoke.
Zoe leaned back, watching us like a coach observing two star players. "You two are ridiculous," she said finally. "But I think… maybe this could work."
I glared at her, but couldn't deny the small, reluctant warmth in my chest.
Liam's POV
Why did she always manage to make me lose my cool? Sam Rivera — infuriating, stubborn, completely unpredictable — and yet… I couldn't stop thinking about her. Every glance, every word, every subtle movement. It was like she had some invisible tether pulling me in, whether I wanted it or not.
I knew I should leave her alone. I really did. My father, Victoria, the expectations of the Fernandez name — all of it reminded me that my life was complicated enough without being distracted by a girl who could make my pulse spike and my mind short-circuit.
But there she was, sitting at the table with that defiant little smirk, arms crossed, glaring at me like she could read my thoughts. And the funny thing? I wanted her to.
When Zoe pushed us together, I almost wanted to say no. Almost. But something told me — maybe it was instinct, maybe it was curiosity — that this was necessary.
I leaned slightly closer, careful, calculating, trying to hide the surge of emotions that I'd spent days denying. Every word we exchanged felt like a spark, tiny at first, then building into something I couldn't ignore.
And just when I thought I could maintain control, she snapped back at me — sharp, clever, frustrating. And I loved it.
Why did I even want to fight this?
Because if I let myself care… everything would change. And I wasn't ready for that.
Author's POV
It was a delicate dance, one neither of them fully understood. Words were weapons, shields, and bridges all at once. Each glance, each sigh, each sarcastic comment carried weight far beyond its sound.
Zoe watched them carefully — the new trio forming under her watchful eye. Sam, quiet and guarded, slowly opening to someone she shouldn't yet trust. Liam, arrogant and proud, beginning to realize that the walls around him might not be enough to keep her out.
And in the tension, in the simmering sparks between them, a bridge began to form — fragile, unsteady, but undeniable.
Yet barriers remained. Pride, guilt, and unspoken truths stood tall like walls neither wanted to scale. And as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, both Sam and Liam left the table, walking away in opposite directions, hearts racing, unspoken words tangled between them.
The storm had not yet broken.It was only beginning