Sarah stopped in front of Stan, smiled warmly, and said:
"Mind if I sit with you?"
"Sure." Stan shifted his tray to make room.
Sarah settled into the seat beside him with the easy comfort of someone who'd done this before, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched, relaxed enough that the gesture felt intimate without being performative.
Quinn Carter stood frozen in the exact spot where he'd been delivering his speech thirty seconds ago, mouth half-open, one hand still raised in a gesturing position that no longer had a purpose.
'What.'
'What is happening.'
He wasn't the only one staring. Half the cafeteria had gone quiet. Heads were turning. Forks were pausing mid-air. A few phones had materialized under tables, angled discreetly toward Stan and Sarah's table.
A campus belle, a genuine, certified, top-tier campus belle, had just walked into the most crowded room on campus and sat down next to Stan Harrison like it was the most natural thing in the world.
