The bell for recess rang out, sharp and liberating, drowning the teacher's words and the low murmur of the classroom. Chairs scraped back, voices rose in a sudden rush, and students spilled toward the door like water breaking free.
Damian zipped his backpack slowly, buying himself a few extra seconds to steady the nervous flutter in his stomach. He'd barely paid attention to the last half of the lesson, his mind kept circling back to Mr. Hargrove's words "Damian, you'll show Ethan around during recess."
A shadow fell across his desk.
"Hey, tour guide." Ethan's voice was warm, teasing just enough to make Damian look up. The new boy stood there with his backpack slung over one shoulder, that easy smile already in place. "Ready when you are."
Damian felt heat creep up his neck. He'd been thinking about this moment since first period, half dreading it, half hoping it would feel… normal. He wanted to believe he'd be able to make a new friend, to be normal. But he knew it was just a matter of time. The only reason Ethan wasn't shoving him into lockers yet was simply because he had just transferred. It wouldn't be long before he joined the rest of the class to treat him like he wasn't a real human being.
"Yeah," he said, managing a small smile. "Let's go."
They stepped into the hallway together. Amanda caught his eye from a few desks back, gave an exaggerated wink, and mouthed "You got this!" with two enthusiastic thumbs-up. Damian rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the tiny grin that tugged at his lips.
He led Ethan through the main corridor first, pointing out the office, the guidance counselor's room, the notoriously broken vending machine that ate quarters like candy. Ethan listened attentively, asked questions when he should, and seemed like he was genuinely enjoying this little tour.
Damian had gotten a bit comfortable too. He didn't exactly know how this little tour would have gone, but so far Ethan had been a great company. He hadn't asked him any stupid question yet, hadn't made any inappropriate remarks about him. And best of all, he seemed to be enjoying this little activity of theirs.
Once Damian was done with touring inside the building, they moved outside next, cutting across the quad toward the sports grounds.
Damian's gaze drifted automatically to the far curve. He was supposed to focus solely on his tour, but it wouldn't hurt to catch a sneak, right?
Amd as expected, there he was. Zayn Hale, in full navy and silver track suit, hair damp with sweat, skin gleaming under the weak sun. Mid-lap, he glanced toward the fence line, eyes scanning the crowd of students milling near the bleachers.
Their gazes locked. Zayn's expression softened instantly. He hadn't exactly expected to see Damian back on the first day of school, but it was great to see him, and with a friend too. He lifted a hand in a small wave.
Damian's heart stuttered. He raised his own hand, returning the wave before he could overthink it.
A soft throat-clearing sound pulled him back. Ethan was watching him with raised brows, amusement dancing in his hazel eyes. "Friend of yours?"
Damian's cheeks burned. "Uh—yeah. That's Zayn. He's… president of the Run A Marathon club. Captain of the track team. Basically the guy everyone knows."
Ethan nodded slowly, lips twitching like he was holding back a bigger grin. "Right… The guy who just smiled at you like you hung the moon."
Before Damian could stammer out a denial, movement caught his eye.
A trio of girls approached from the direction of the bleachers, walking with the kind of synchronized confidence that only came from years of being untouchable. At the center was Selene Harper, long honey-blonde hair swinging with every step, cheer uniform pristine even on a regular school day, lips painted a glossy pink. The school's undisputed It girl. Behind her trailed her two closest friends, mirroring her posture like backup dancers.
Selene's eyes slid right past Damian as if he weren't there.
She stopped in front of Ethan, tilting her head with a slow, appraising smile.
"New boy," she said, voice sweet and deliberate. "I'm Selene Harper. Welcome to Redwood."
Her friends giggled softly on cue.
Ethan blinked once, polite but unreadable. "Ethan Brown. Thanks."
Selene stepped a fraction closer, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "I didn't see you at orientation last week. Shame. I could've shown you around properly."
Damian didn't say a word. He knew Selene all too well even though they weren't exactly in the same class. She was probably even more known than the principal, and it didn't help that she was notorious for throwing herself at every boy she found remotely attractive.
Ethan glanced sideways at him, then back to Selene. His smile stayed perfectly friendly, then he crossed his hand around Damian's neck.
"Actually," he said smoothly, "Damian's already doing a great job. He's been showing me everything I need to see."
Selene's gaze finally flicked to Damian dismissively, like swatting a fly. "Oh. Right." She turned back to Ethan, smile widening. "Well, if you ever want a real tour, I'll be more than happy to show you around."
She gave a little finger-wave and sashayed off, her friends falling in step behind her.
The silence that followed was thick.
Ethan exhaled through his nose, shaking his head once. "Wow."
Damian stared at the ground, suddenly fascinated by a crack in the pavement. "Yeah. That's… Selene."
Ethan bumped his shoulder lightly, gentle and deliberate. "She's missing out. You're a way better guide."
Damian looked up, startled. Ethan's eyes were steady, kind. No pity. Just honesty.
"Come on," he said, nodding toward the track where Zayn was now stretching near the fence, still glancing their way every few seconds. "Show me the rest. I want to see where the good people hang out."
Damian let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He had thought for sure that Ethan would leave with Selene and her crew. He wouldn't blame him if he did, Selene was gorgeous, and every guy would definitely love to be her friend.
Damian managed a shy smile, fighting hard to conceal his emotions. Maybe he was wrong, Ethan might just be different from the rest. And if that was the case, then he might have just made himself a new friend.