By the time lunch rolled around, I was exhausted.
Not physically—Royal Crest wasn't exactly demanding on the first day—but mentally. Every glance, every whisper, every subtle shift in people's expressions when they realized who I was… it all added up.
And walking through the halls with Felix?
That didn't exactly help me stay unnoticed.
"You look like you're about to run away," Lila said, nudging me lightly as we stepped into the cafeteria.
"I might," I admitted.
She laughed. "Don't. You'll miss the show."
"The show?"
Lila didn't answer right away. Instead, she guided me forward, weaving effortlessly through the crowded room like she'd done it a thousand times before.
The cafeteria was… overwhelming.
High ceilings, glass walls, sunlight spilling over polished tables. Students sat in carefully arranged groups—like invisible lines separated them into categories I didn't fully understand yet.
Popular. Academic. Athletes. Socialites.
And then there was the table.
I noticed it instantly.
It sat slightly elevated—just enough to make a statement without being obvious. The people seated there looked like they belonged on magazine covers, not in a school cafeteria.
"That," Lila said, following my gaze, "is where Felix usually sits."
Of course it was.
"And I'm guessing we're not going there," I said.
"Oh, we could," she replied casually. "You've already got an invite whether you realize it or not."
I stopped walking. "Absolutely not."
Lila turned to me, amused. "Why not?"
"Because I don't want to spend lunch being judged by people who probably own islands."
"Fair."
She grinned. "Then we'll sit somewhere better."
"Better?"
"Less suffocating."
I let out a breath of relief as she led me to a table near the windows. It wasn't empty, but it felt… normal. A few students glanced up, then went back to their conversations without much interest.
Perfect.
I sat down, grateful for the temporary invisibility.
For about five seconds.
"Well, well," a voice drawled. "The mystery girl."
I looked up.
Jasper.
Of course.
He dropped into the seat across from me without hesitation, flashing that same easy grin.
"You're everywhere today," he added.
"I could say the same about you," I replied.
"Difference is," he said, leaning back, "I belong everywhere."
I raised an eyebrow. "Confident."
"Accurate."
Lila snorted beside me. "Ignore him. Jasper thinks charisma is a personality."
"It is a personality," he shot back.
Before their banter could continue—
The room shifted.
Again.
I didn't need to look to know why.
But I did anyway.
Felix had entered the cafeteria.
And just like earlier, attention followed him effortlessly. Conversations paused, eyes tracked his movement, and the energy in the room changed in a way I still couldn't fully explain.
He was heading toward his usual table.
But then—
He stopped.
My stomach dropped.
Because he turned.
Toward me.
"Oh, this is going to be good," Jasper muttered under his breath.
"Don't," I whispered. "Please don't narrate."
Too late.
Felix walked over, calm and unhurried, like he had all the time in the world.
Like this wasn't a big deal.
Like my heart wasn't suddenly racing for no reason.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
The question was directed at the table—but his eyes were on me.
Lila kicked me lightly under the table.
"Of course," she said before I could respond. "We love unexpected guests."
Traitor.
Felix sat down beside me.
Not across. Not at the end.
Beside me.
Close enough that I was suddenly very aware of everything—how straight I was sitting, where my hands were, how steady my breathing sounded.
Or didn't.
"You didn't come sit at your table," I said, nodding toward the elevated group.
"I noticed," he replied.
"That's your spot, isn't it?"
"It's a spot," he said. "Not the only one."
Jasper smirked. "He's branching out. It's a historic moment."
Felix ignored him.
"Are you settling in?" he asked me.
"Trying to," I said. "Still figuring things out."
"You will."
"Eventually," I added.
He studied me for a moment—not in a way that felt uncomfortable, but not entirely comfortable either. Just… focused.
Like he was paying attention to more than I was saying.
Before I could question it—
A chair scraped loudly nearby.
"Felix," a sharp voice called.
I turned.
A girl stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her expression perfectly composed—but her eyes said something else entirely.
Annoyance.
Possessiveness.
Curiosity.
All directed at me.
"You're not sitting over there?" she asked, gesturing toward the elevated table.
"Not today," Felix said simply.
Her gaze shifted to me again, slower this time.
Assessing.
"Oh," she said. "I see."
I didn't like the way she said that.
"Do you?" Felix replied, his tone calm but edged.
A brief pause.
Then she smiled—a polished, practiced smile.
"Enjoy your lunch," she said, before turning and walking away.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"Who was that?" I asked quietly.
"Someone who's not used to change," Lila said before Felix could answer.
"That's one way to put it," Jasper added.
I glanced at Felix, but he didn't elaborate.
Instead, he leaned slightly closer.
"Don't worry about it," he said.
Easy for him to say.
"I think I already am," I admitted.
His expression softened—just a little.
"You don't have to let this place get to you," he said.
"This place is… a lot," I replied.
"Only if you let it be."
I hesitated.
"Is that how you handle it?" I asked. "Just… decide it doesn't matter?"
"Something like that."
I studied him for a moment.
"You make it look easy."
"It's not always."
That caught me off guard.
Before I could ask more—
"Hey."
A quieter voice cut in.
I turned.
And for the first time that day—
Everything felt different.
He stood a few steps away from the table, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed but guarded at the same time.
Dark hair, slightly messy. Eyes that didn't linger on crowds—but seemed to notice everything anyway.
He wasn't looking at Felix.
He was looking at me.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked.
For a second, no one spoke.
Not Lila. Not Jasper.
Not even Felix.
And somehow, the air felt heavier than before.
"No," I said finally, my voice softer than I intended.
He nodded once and pulled out a chair.
Not close like Felix.
Not distant either.
Just… enough.
Different.
And for reasons I couldn't explain—
That difference mattered.
A lot.
I glanced between them—Felix on one side, the boy on the other.
Two completely different energies.
Two completely different worlds.
And somehow—
I was sitting right in the middle of both.
My chest tightened slightly.
Because something told me this wasn't just coincidence.
This wasn't just lunch.
Something more complicated.
And as I sat there, caught between Felix and the boy, one thought settled quietly in my mind.
This was exactly the kind of situation I should stay away from.