The Student Council meeting had finally ended.
One by one, the members shuffled out of the hall until the room gradually fell silent.
Eventually, only two remained.
Colton and Kaiden.
Kaiden was still seated, casually going through a few documents from the meeting. His expression was as unreadable as ever.
Colton, on the other hand, hadn't moved.
He sat across from him with his arms folded, the faint remnants of anger and frustration still lingering around him.
Kaiden glanced up.
"You're unusually quiet."
Colton scoffed.
"I'm thinking."
"That explains the expression."
"What expression?"
Kaiden looked at him for a moment.
"Like you're about to argue with someone."
Colton's eyes narrowed.
"I wasn't going to argue."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
Kaiden returned his attention to the papers.
A few seconds passed.
Then Colton suddenly spoke.
"So you're really going to pretend you didn't notice?"
Kaiden didn't look up.
"Notice what?"
"Kim."
That got his attention.
Kaiden raised his eyes.
"What about her?"
Colton leaned back.
"Nothing."
Kaiden stared at him.
Colton sighed.
"Fine. Maybe something."
"You're jealous."
Colton's face immediately tightened.
"I'm not jealous."
"You are."
"Of what?"
Kaiden's expression remained completely calm.
"Lynn."
Colton's eyes widened.
"Why would I be jealous of Lynn?"
"Because Kim was spending more time with her than she was with you."
Colton opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Kaiden's lips curved faintly.
"Oh."
"Don't."
"You're jealous."
"I said don't."
Kaiden leaned back slightly.
"This is interesting."
"What's interesting?"
"You."
Colton frowned.
"What about me?"
"You've been trying to get closer to Kim for weeks."
"So?"
"And now Lynn is suddenly spending time with her."
"So?"
"And you're upset."
Colton rubbed his forehead.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"A little."
Colton stared at him.
"You know what? Fine. Maybe I am jealous."
Kaiden nodded.
"Good."
"Good?"
"At least you admit it."
Colton muttered something under his breath.
Then Kaiden added casually,
"Although, if we're being honest, you do have a bit of competition."
Colton looked at him.
"What competition?"
Kaiden's expression remained perfectly straight.
"Lynn."
"She's her friend."
"Exactly."
"That's not competition."
"Then there's nothing to worry about."
Colton frowned.
"Wait."
Kaiden looked at him.
"What?"
"You're actually teasing me."
"No."
"You are."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Colton shook his head.
"You're terrible."
Kaiden's faint smile remained.
Then Colton suddenly pointed at him.
"Wait a second."
Kaiden's expression returned to normal.
"What?"
"You're enjoying this because you're not the one involved."
"Correct."
Colton narrowed his eyes.
"Easy for you to say."
Kaiden said nothing.
Colton sighed.
"Kim probably doesn't even realize what's happening."
"That's possible."
"And Lynn…"
He paused.
"She seems really attached to her now."
Kaiden nodded.
"She does."
Colton's expression darkened slightly.
"And you know what else?"
"What?"
"Kaitlyn."
Kaiden's eyes shifted toward him.
Colton noticed immediately.
"She was different today."
Kaiden said nothing.
"Not completely different," Colton continued. "She still had that face."
"What face?"
"That look she always has."
Kaiden understood.
The observant one.
The expression that made it seem as though Kaitlyn was quietly taking in everything around her.
"But it wasn't as strong today," Colton said. "She was actually smiling."
Kaiden's gaze lowered slightly.
"She smiled yesterday too."
"Not like today."
Colton leaned back.
"She looked… comfortable."
Kaiden was silent.
"Even around everyone," Colton continued. "Usually, she looks like she's analyzing the entire room."
"She probably is."
Colton laughed.
"That's exactly what I mean."
His smile faded.
"But today she seemed genuinely happy."
Kaiden's fingers stopped moving against the paper.
"She said she was meeting her friends."
Colton looked at him.
"Yeah."
A quiet moment passed.
Then Colton grinned.
"You're thinking about her again."
Kaiden looked at him.
"No."
"You are."
"No."
"Sure."
Kaiden ignored him.
Colton chuckled before his expression became serious again.
"Anyway, we can't keep wasting time."
Kaiden nodded.
"I know."
He placed the papers together and set them aside.
"We have enough to begin."
Colton's expression sharpened.
"Then we move forward."
"Carefully."
"Exactly."
They both knew what that meant.
Money and plans could only take them so far.
If they wanted the foundation to become something real, they would need the right circumstances and a few reliable people.
People they could trust.
People with different skills.
People who wouldn't collapse the moment pressure was applied.
"And we need somewhere to operate from," Colton added.
Kaiden nodded.
"Eventually."
"Not just a temporary room."
"No."
Colton stood and stretched.
"So our first priorities?"
Kaiden considered it for a moment.
"Start looking for the right people."
Colton nodded.
"And find somewhere suitable."
"Then see where it goes from there."
Colton smiled.
"Sounds simple."
Kaiden looked at him.
"It won't be."
"I know."
Colton picked up his bag and headed toward the door.
Then he stopped.
"Oh."
Kaiden looked up.
"What?"
Colton grinned.
"Good luck with Kaitlyn."
Kaiden's expression immediately flattened.
"Get out."
Colton laughed as he walked through the doorway.
"You're welcome."
Kaiden watched him leave.
For several seconds, the room remained silent.
Then he looked down at the papers again.
The foundation.
The people.
The place.
And, somewhere in the middle of all those uncertain plans, Kaitlyn Woods had somehow become another question he hadn't yet figured out how to answer.