Sophia Appears & The Detention
The fountain's steady rhythm still echoed in Ava's ears as she and Lina entered the student café. The warm lights, smell of roasted coffee, and hum of music softened the edges of her earlier thoughts — almost.
She was still thinking about Ryan.
Not because she wanted to. But because she couldn't shake that look on his face — quiet, unreadable, not the usual smug boy she'd labeled as "enemy number one."
She sighed. "Why am I even thinking about him?"
Lina, balancing two cups of iced lattes, chuckled. "Because he's annoying and confusing, and that combination is basically brain poison."
Ava laughed, but her smile faded the moment she spotted a familiar dark-haired figure across the café.
Ryan Blake.
He sat with Ethan and Noah at a corner table, surrounded by students — mostly girls, perfectly styled, all hanging on his every word.
Of course he was here.
Music pulsed through the speakers — a soft pop rhythm — and the crowd buzzed with weekend energy. Ryan leaned back in his seat, grin lazy, eyes half-lidded as a blonde girl leaned close to whisper something in his ear. He laughed.
That laugh — careless, charming — twisted something unpleasant inside Ava.
"Seriously?" she muttered.
Lina followed her gaze. "Oh. Him. Wow, he moves fast."
Ava rolled her eyes. "Typical. Probably thinks every girl on campus is just another accessory."
"Mm-hmm," Lina said, sipping her drink. "Except the one who kicked him in front of half the sports club."
Ava snorted. "He deserved it."
Still, she couldn't help noticing how easily he smiled, how the light caught in his hair, how he seemed perfectly comfortable while she — who'd worked so hard to prove herself — suddenly felt like she didn't belong again.
And then, as if the universe wanted to mess with her, Ryan looked up.
Their eyes met — just for a second — but it was enough.
He didn't smirk or scowl. Instead, his expression was almost… amused. Then, slowly, deliberately, he turned back to the girl beside him and whispered something that made her laugh.
Ava's fingers tightened around her straw.
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Don't give him the satisfaction."
"I'm not," Ava said tightly. "I just—he's ridiculous."
"Uh-huh. Totally not bothered."
Ava sighed, looking away. "Fine. Maybe a little."
But when Ryan got up and walked to the mini dance floor in the center of the café, the irritation grew sharper. The blonde girl followed, laughing as he spun her. The crowd clapped along to the beat, phones flashing for videos.
He looked every bit the golden boy — confident, untouchable.
Yet even as he danced, Ava noticed it.
The side glances.
Every few beats, his gaze flicked toward her table — just a flicker, a spark — before he turned away again, pretending not to notice.
Lina whispered, "He's looking at you."
"No, he's not."
"He so is. Wow, the tension in this café could cook popcorn."
Ava huffed. "Please. He's probably just making sure I don't throw another kick at him."
But when she finally met his gaze across the room again, his lips curved — that maddening half-smile. Not mockery. Challenge.
She turned away first, heart racing in frustration.
---
Monday came fast, dragging the buzz of the weekend into the shadows of reality.
Ava told herself she was over it. Over the café. Over the stupid looks Ryan kept throwing her way.
But then she walked into class — and froze.
Someone new stood at the front of the lecture hall, chatting easily with Ryan, hand resting lightly on his arm.
The girl was striking — chestnut hair perfectly waved, expensive perfume that carried even across the room, a flawless uniform that looked like it had been tailored.
Lina leaned close. "Who's that?"
A nearby student whispered, "That's Sophia Hale. Ryan's childhood friend. She's back from Paris."
Ava's stomach sank.
Sophia Hale. The name carried weight — daughter of a tech billionaire, queen of the "Golden Society," Starlight's most exclusive student club.
And from the way she stood beside Ryan, laughing softly while his friends greeted her, Ava knew immediately — she was trouble.
"Figures," Lina murmured. "A rich princess for the rich prince."
Sophia glanced across the room — her sharp eyes landing directly on Ava. Her smile didn't falter, but her gaze changed. Cold. Assessing.
Then she turned back to Ryan and said something in his ear that made him laugh.
Ava looked away, heat rising to her cheeks.
"Let it go," Lina whispered. "Girls like her live for drama."
"I know," Ava said, forcing herself to open her notebook. "But I have work to do."
Still, she could feel Sophia's gaze burning holes through her back.
---
After class, as Ava packed her books, Sophia's voice floated across the room.
"So, you're Ava Thompson."
Ava looked up. "Yes?"
Sophia smiled sweetly — too sweetly. "I've heard so much about you."
"Oh?" Ava said cautiously.
"Yes," Sophia continued, flipping her hair. "Word is you're quite… bold. Kicking Ryan Blake? That's one way to make an entrance."
A few students nearby snickered.
Ava straightened. "I don't care what people say."
Sophia's smile widened. "Oh, you should. Around here, reputation matters. You might want to be careful who you embarrass. Some people have… long memories."
Her tone was sugar and threat wrapped together.
Ryan, who'd been standing a few feet away, frowned. "Sophia, don't—"
She turned, her charm snapping back instantly. "Relax, Ry. I'm just making conversation."
Then she left — her heels clicking against the floor like punctuation marks of victory.
Lina muttered, "Well. The queen just declared war."
Ava exhaled slowly. "Then I'll just have to survive her kingdom."
---
Two days later, the tension finally exploded.
It started with something small — an in-class group debate. Dr. Carter assigned teams to discuss literature and social identity. By pure, cruel chance, Ava and Ryan ended up on opposite sides.
The topic? Privilege and Merit.
Of course.
Ryan argued first. "It's not wrong to be privileged. People shouldn't be blamed for being born into opportunity — it's what you do with it that counts."
He was calm, confident, words smooth and practiced.
Then Ava stood, her pulse steady but fire building in her chest.
"I agree that being born into privilege isn't a crime," she began. "But pretending it doesn't affect opportunity is dishonest. Some people have to climb ten times higher just to stand where others start."
A murmur ran through the class.
Ryan's eyes locked on hers. "Are you implying hard work doesn't exist for the rich?"
"I'm implying you don't understand what real struggle looks like," Ava shot back.
The room went still.
Even Dr. Carter looked intrigued. "Careful, both of you. Debate, not duel."
But neither heard him.
Ryan's jaw tightened. "Maybe if you stopped acting like a victim, you'd see that effort—"
"Maybe if you stopped being arrogant, you'd realize not everything is handed to everyone on a gold platter," Ava interrupted.
The class gasped.
Dr. Carter sighed. "That's enough. Both of you — detention. Tonight. Five p.m. Library archives. You'll work together cataloguing the old manuscripts."
Ryan groaned. "Seriously?"
Ava crossed her arms. "Fine."
Sophia, seated nearby, smirked like the universe had just gifted her entertainment.
---
That evening, the library was nearly empty. Golden light from the tall windows filtered through dust, and the smell of old books filled the air.
Ava was already there when Ryan arrived — late, again.
He leaned against the doorframe. "So, we meet again, Miss Genius."
She didn't look up from the stack of papers she was sorting. "You're late, Mr. Entitled."
He chuckled softly, walking closer. "Still mad about class?"
"I'm not mad," she said sharply. "I just don't like people who talk without understanding."
Ryan picked up a book and flipped it open. "You think you've got me figured out?"
"Pretty much."
He set the book down. "Funny. You don't strike me as someone who judges easily."
Ava finally looked up. His tone wasn't mocking this time — quiet, curious.
"Then maybe you shouldn't act like someone worth judging," she said.
He smiled faintly, but it wasn't his usual smirk. "Touché."
They worked in silence for a while. The only sounds were pages turning and the faint ticking of the clock.
At one point, Ava climbed a ladder to shelve a thick book, and Ryan instinctively stepped closer, ready to steady it when it wobbled slightly.
She caught his hand before he could. "I don't need your help."
"Didn't say you did."
Their eyes met — close enough that she could see the flecks of gold in his irises.
For a heartbeat, the air shifted.
Then Ava broke it, climbing down quickly. "Let's just finish this."
Ryan nodded, voice low. "Sure."
---
By the time they were done, the sky outside had turned deep violet.
Ava stretched her sore arms. "Finally."
Ryan leaned on a desk, watching her. "You know… you're not what I expected."
She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know," he said honestly. "You're stubborn. But smart. Brave, too. Most people here just smile and play nice."
Ava hesitated, unsure what to say. "Well, I'm not most people."
"I noticed."
Their eyes held — the tension different now, charged but not angry.
Then the library door creaked open, breaking the spell.
Sophia's voice floated in. "Oh. There you are."
Ryan straightened instantly. "Sophia, what are you doing here?"
She smiled, eyes flicking between them. "Just checking if you survived detention. Didn't realize it was a… private study date."
Ava rolled her eyes. "It's not."
Sophia's gaze sharpened. "Of course not."
She turned on her heel and left, perfume lingering like poison in the air.
Ryan sighed. "She's going to twist this into something, isn't she?"
Ava gathered her books. "Let her. I've got bigger things to worry about."
He watched her go, a small smile tugging at his lips.
For the first time since he'd met her, Ryan Blake didn't feel amused or angry — he just felt curious.
And that scared him more than he wanted to admit.