Kaius Cole
"Pah!" Kai shoots off an imaginary shot as the university students enter, one by one. "Another broken heart over summer."
"How do you know that?" his seatmate asks with stars in his eyes.
He raises a confident brow, more than willing to elaborate to his brand new acquaintance turned follower. "Those bags under his eyes aren't from studying. The semester just started, after all."
More bodies fill the room, and he points to a pair three rows behind them. His friend leans closer to see his mark. "And these two will be dating before the end of the week."
"Whoa..."
"Hm, scratch that. Before the end of the day. But he's gonna blow it by trying to get in her pants later." Too bad, dude.
A final small crowd pushes in just as the professor enters the room. One boy in particular roughly elbows his way past the mass of bodies. Now here was a face not prepared for the day. Talk about gloomy.
Ah, wait, it's that kid. The one who hates me for no reason. Kai thought for sure he'd graduated. Sure, they've never spoken, but he sure can glare when he thinks he's not looking. Judgmental bastard.
He's always looked a little stressed around the edges. It made Kai want to take a kneading hand to the front of his face. Today, he looks like a man on the verge of death. He hasn't eaten; he looks even skinnier than he normally does.
"Poor dolt get dumped?"
Kai glances at his seatmate, surprised he noticed the kid. "Maybe, maybe not." He turns once more as the boy takes a seat in the back of the lecture hall. "One thing's certain. Something or someone tore that kid's heart to shreds."
He continues to observe as a smaller boy runs up to the kid before the professor begins the class. He's seen him around campus, too. He thinks his name is Greyson.
"Brody! I missed you!" The boy named Brody ignores his supposed friend, but the other boy is oblivious. "If I'd known you would be taking classes over the summer, I wouldn't have gone home for three months! And every time you came to visit, you only wanted to see Shane."
Brody's head snaps up, and his eyes fill with light before it quickly disappears, replaced by regret.
Kai's hand falls flat on the desk. Wait a damn minute.
"I thought you two were an item, but now that Zach's back-"
"What? Who's Zach? No, I don't care. Just shut up and leave me alone."
"Aw, don't be like that!"
"Just stop talking about him."
"Heyy! Mauricio!" the boy calls, already distracted and moving on from the conversation. He leaves Brody with a deeper scowl.
Did Kai have the wrong idea about him? Suddenly, he can't look away.
This boy who had looked at him with disgust since day one...
He smiles, despite himself.
...could it be he has a secret to hide? Biting his pencil and glancing at his nails, he says aloud, "I think I just found a new game to play."