Chapter 3 - The Icebreaker
Aiden's POV
The invitation took me off guard.
After a long student council meeting, I was planning to head home and tackle my list of assignments. But as I left, Jay, a friend of Elias's I'd seen around a few times stopped me, waving me over with his easygoing grin.
"Hey, Aiden! You're working with Elias on that documentary project, right?" His tone was cheerful, casual. "Some of us are grabbing coffee at Luna's. You should join us!"
I hesitated, surprised. I wasn't one to hang out with people outside my usual circle, especially not with Elias's friends. They seemed like the kind of group that could laugh freely, be themselves, never needing to impress. They were so different from my usual friends, polished and driven, always with a purpose.
But curiosity got the best of me. Maybe I wanted to understand Elias more, to see a side of him outside the confines of our project. I could learn something he might not even realize about himself.
"Sure," I replied, though it came out more formal than I intended. "Lead the way."
Jay's face lit up, and he gave me a solid clap on the back. "Awesome! Elias will be glad you came."
As we walked to Luna's, I found myself feeling oddly tense. I was confident in most situations, but tonight I wasn't sure how well I'd fit in with Elias's crowd.
When we arrived, I saw Elias at a table in the back with two other friends. The café was dimly lit, with a warm, rustic vibe—the scent of coffee beans and cinnamon in the air. It was the kind of place where time felt like it moved slower.
Elias looked up as we approached, his eyes widening briefly when he saw me. He nodded in acknowledgment as I took the seat across from him, his expression caught somewhere between curiosity and indifference.
"Hey, Aiden," he said, his tone carefully neutral. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"Jay invited me," I replied, aiming for casual but feeling anything but. "Figured I'd see what you and your friends are up to in your free time."
Jay took the lead in introductions. "You already know Elias, of course. This here is Nina, our resident artist, and Carter, the genius behind our dumbest ideas."
Nina shot him a playful glare and gave him a light punch on the arm. Carter shrugged, grinning like it was true.
"So, Aiden," Carter leaned in, his expression gleaming with mischief. "Elias tells us you're this super-strict, council-president type. Is that all just a front?"
I forced a smile, leaning back. "I wouldn't call it a front. I just have… expectations to meet."
Nina nodded, seemingly understanding. "Sounds intense. But hey, it's coffee, not a board meeting. Relax."
I took a sip of my coffee, feeling how tense I was. This wasn't my usual setting, but their relaxed energy was infectious. They teased one another, laughed over inside jokes, Elias among them, looking freer than I'd ever seen him. Here, he was different, more at ease.
I realized I was staring when he looked over, raising a brow as if to say, What's your deal?
"Can I ask you something, Elias?" I found myself saying, almost surprising myself.
"Go ahead."
"What made you join the film club? Documentaries don't seem like your thing." It was a blunt question, but my curiosity got the best of me.
He paused, thinking. "I wanted to try something different. People… they're more than what you see at first glance. I thought maybe documentaries would help me see what others might miss." He shrugged, as if it were nothing, but his eyes held a flicker of passion.
The others quickly filled the conversation with stories and jokes. Eventually, Jay suggested playing a game of "One Truth and Two Lies" to help break the ice.
"All right, Aiden," Carter grinned, leaning forward. "You go first."
I shifted in my seat, not used to this kind of spotlight. "All right… one truth, two lies." I paused. "Let's see. I've never broken a rule in my life, I've been to six countries, and I've never had coffee until now."
Elias squinted at me. "Definitely not the coffee. I've seen you with to-go cups at school too many times."
Jay chuckled. "True. You basically mainline caffeine, don't you?"
I couldn't help smirking, letting my guard down a bit. "Fine, you got me there."
Nina drummed her fingers thoughtfully. "Six countries sounds like a stretch. I'm guessing you're more of a homebody."
Carter shook his head, grinning. "Nah, I bet he's been dragged to every fancy place on the map. My money's on the rule-breaking thing."
They turned to me expectantly, and I laughed, genuinely surprised by their interest. "Actually, the rule-breaking is the lie. I've broken a few rules… just maybe not the obvious ones."
Elias raised his eyebrows, clearly intrigued. "Breaking rules? Now that's something I'd like to hear about."
My face warmed a little. "Hey, just because I follow most of the rules doesn't mean I'm a complete saint."
They all laughed, and I found myself relaxing more. We continued around the table, learning that Nina had once dyed her hair pink on a dare, Carter had nearly been arrested for sneaking into a concert, and Jay confessed to a skateboarding accident that landed him in the ER.
When it was Elias's turn, he looked down, fidgeting with his coffee cup before speaking.
"All right. Let's see," he said, eyes glinting with a bit of challenge. "I once skipped school for a week, I've never kissed anyone, and I hate horror movies."
Nina raised an eyebrow. "Skipping school, yeah. But horror movies? You drag us to the worst ones."
Carter nodded. "Right? You never flinch during those."
I joined in, teasing. "And no kiss? Really, Elias?"
Elias only smiled, that quiet, knowing look of his hinting at mystery. "Guess you'll have to figure it out."
After we all tried to guess, he just smirked, leaving us in suspense.
When it was time to leave, Jay clapped my shoulder. "See? We're not that bad. You should join us again sometime."
"Maybe," I replied, meaning it more than I expected.
As I stood up to leave, Elias caught my eye, nodding. For once, there was no sarcasm, no guarded look. Just a silent understanding that made me feel unexpectedly welcome.
"See you at our next session?" he asked.
"Yeah. See you." I smiled faintly.
As I left Luna's, I realized that maybe, working with Elias wouldn't be as unbearable as I'd thought.
Elias's POV
Watching Aiden walk out, I felt a pang of something surprise, maybe? I'd never thought much of him beyond his council-president persona. All rules and polite smiles. But tonight, he'd seemed… different. Almost relaxed, like he'd let his guard down.
Jay nudged me, snapping me back. "Look at you, inviting new people. Didn't think I'd ever see that."
I rolled my eyes. "It's not a big deal. He's not that bad once he drops the attitude."
Nina shot me a sly smile. "Coming from you, that's high praise."
I shrugged it off, but they weren't wrong. Tonight, Aiden seemed real, not the closed-off, guarded guy I'd gotten used to. As we left Luna's, Carter grinned.
"Maybe this project won't be a total nightmare. Seems like you two might actually survive working together."
I scoffed, hands in my pockets. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. He's still Aiden."
Jay laughed. "People surprise you sometimes."
His words lingered, and as we walked into the cool night, I found myself replaying the evening in my mind catching glimpses of Aiden laughing, letting his armor slip. For a brief moment, it felt like I'd caught a glimpse of someone I'd never really known.