By the third day of school, Eden had somehow become the unofficial king of Cedar Heights Academy. Everyone wanted a piece of him—well, except me, of course. I totally wasn't obsessing over him. Nope. Not at all.
During lunch, I was busy pretending my sandwich was a gourmet meal and not stale cafeteria bread, when he appeared. Out of nowhere, he slid into the seat across from me.
"Hi," he said, calm as ever.
"Uh… hi," I squeaked, spilling a tiny bit of my drink because my nerves were apparently allergic to Eden.
"I noticed you're… interesting," he said, tilting his head. "You laugh at Stella and her crew like they're a sitcom."
"Interesting? That's… generous," I said, flipping my hair dramatically like a soap opera star. "I'm basically hilarious, obviously."
He smiled. Not mocking. Not patronizing. Just… slight, amused, like he'd discovered a rare species and was taking careful notes.
"I like honesty," he said. "Even when it's sarcastic. You're… not like everyone else here."
Okay, pause. Did he just compliment me? My brain decided it was a good time to crash. "Thanks," I said, blushing like a tomato. "You're… uh… not like everyone else either." Smooth, Aisha. Very smooth.
And that's when it happened. My faith friend—my lifeline in this mess—walked past and whispered, "Don't let him intimidate you. Just… be you."
I nodded, though "be me" was currently juggling sarcasm, embarrassment, and a sudden desire to impress Eden without looking desperate. Good luck, Aisha.
The thing about Eden was… there was something heavier beneath the quiet confidence. I couldn't put my finger on it yet, but there was a shadow. A subtle tension in the way he sometimes stared into the distance, like he was carrying more than just high school drama. And honestly… that scared me a little.
Later that afternoon, during photography class (my kingdom), I caught him looking at me again. He didn't smile this time—just… observed. And I realized: I was curious. Terrifyingly curious.
"Why are you so… mysterious?" I asked him during break, trying to sound casual but probably failing spectacularly.
He looked at me, eyes sharp, voice calm. "Mysterious? I don't know what you mean."
"Uh-huh," I said, pointing at him dramatically. "I totally believe you. Not a bit mysterious. Definitely not someone whose family could, I don't know… secretly run half the city or anything."
Eden didn't flinch. He just raised an eyebrow and said, "You talk too much."
I laughed nervously. "And you talk too little. Perfect balance."
But the joke was mine. Because deep down, I knew there was something dangerous lurking around him, and somehow… I wanted to know it all. Even if it meant getting myself tangled in things way bigger than a high school rivalry.
And that, my dear diary, is how my life started spiraling into chaos. Funny chaos. Emotional chaos. Dangerous chaos. And maybe… just maybe… a little bit of love chaos too.