The door swung open with a creak, drawing everyone's attention to the two figures who casually strode into the room. Sarah felt the air in the classroom shift as if a cold breeze had just blown through. The first boy was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair that seemed to absorb the light, his grey eyes sharp and piercing. Beside him, another boy, just as tall but with a softer demeanour, had a mop of blonde hair that fell slightly over his forehead, and blue eyes that sparkled with a mischievous glint.
Sarah immediately felt a wave of discomfort as the dark-haired boy's gaze swept across the room, landing on her for a moment longer than necessary. His stare was intense, almost as if he could see right through her, and it sent an uneasy shiver down her spine. The other boy, in contrast, had a lightness about him that made it easier for her to breathe.
The two boys walked to the back of the room without a word, but before they could take their seats, Dr. Chris Heart's voice cut through the silence like a whip.
"Ethan. Liam," he said, his tone laced with authority and a hint of something else—something colder. "Care to explain why you're late to my class?"
Liam, the blonde one, flashed a grin, but it was Ethan who spoke, his voice as cold as his gaze. "Got held up," he said dismissively, as if Dr. Chris didn't deserve more than that.
Dr. Chris narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? And what could be more important than Calculus?"
Ethan's expression darkened, and the room seemed to hold its breath. "Life, I suppose," he replied coolly, meeting Dr. Chris's eyes with a challenge. There was a tension between them that the rest of the class couldn't quite place, but it was palpable, heavy like a storm about to break.
"Careful, Ethan," Dr. Chris warned, his voice low but dangerous. "Arrogance doesn't suit anyone, no matter how privileged they are."
Liam quickly intervened, sensing the brewing storm. "Come on, Dr. Heart," he said with a light laugh, "you know us—always running late because of some ridiculous debate. I promise we'll be early next time. Besides, you wouldn't want us to miss your thrilling lesson on trigonometric identities, would you?"
The class erupted in laughter, and for a moment, the tension eased. Even Dr. Chris's stern expression softened just slightly, though his gaze lingered on Ethan, who hadn't cracked a smile.
"Just take your seats," Dr. Chris finally said, turning back to the board.
As they made their way to the back of the room, Ethan's eyes flicked back to Sarah, and this time, his stare felt even colder, more calculating. Sarah quickly looked away, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She didn't know what she had done to earn such a look from him, but it made her heart race with a mixture of fear and something else she couldn't quite identify.
Liam, on the other hand, plopped down into his seat with a carefree attitude, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Sarah. He gave her a wink, as if to reassure her that everything was fine. "You know," he said loud enough for everyone to hear, "if trigonometry had a personality, it'd be a lot like Ethan—sharp, mysterious, and probably impossible to get along with."
The class burst into laughter again, but Sarah noticed that Ethan didn't even flinch. He remained cold, distant, his eyes never leaving the front of the room. It was as if Liam's jokes and the world around him were beneath his notice.
But Sarah couldn't help but feel that there was more to Ethan than what met the eye—something deeper, darker, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it was. Liam's light-heartedness was a welcome distraction, but even as she laughed along with the class, she couldn't shake the unease that Ethan's presence had stirred within her.
As the lesson continued, Sarah found it hard to focus. Ethan's cold demeanour and piercing stares made her feel as if she were being scrutinized, judged. Yet, there was something about Liam's easygoing nature that kept her grounded, that made the situation bearable.
The contrast between the two boys was striking. Liam was like a ray of sunshine in the otherwise tense atmosphere, but Ethan… Ethan was a storm on the horizon, and Sarah could sense that his arrival had changed something in the air—something she couldn't quite put her finger on but knew she would have to face eventually.