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The bell rang, signaling the start of the first class of the day. I lingered outside the classroom, my hands wrapped tightly around the straps of my backpack as I watched the students flood in. I felt like I was in the middle of a whirlwind, surrounded by people who all seemed to know exactly where they were going. And then there was me—lost in the middle of it all.
As I stood there, debating whether to head in or just skip class and find a quiet corner, a familiar voice broke through the noise. "You're here early."
I turned around to see Mia standing behind me, her arms folded as she leaned casually against the locker beside the door. She wasn't looking at me, though; her gaze was focused ahead, her eyes distant. She was once again a picture of calm, as if nothing in the world could ruffle her.
"Guess I got lost," I said, forcing a half-smile. I didn't know why I felt so nervous around her. It wasn't like we knew each other. But still, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about her that was... magnetic. I didn't have a word for it, but it made me feel both drawn to and out of place around her.
Mia glanced over at me, her expression unreadable. "Don't worry. It's easy to get turned around here. This place is like a maze."
I nodded, unsure of what else to say. I didn't exactly have much in common with her. I wasn't a perfect student, I didn't participate in every school event, and I wasn't as confident as she seemed. Still, there was something comforting in her presence. Maybe it was just the fact that she was the student council president and everyone else seemed to defer to her. Either way, it felt nice to be acknowledged, even if it was just for a moment.
Just as the awkward silence was starting to feel unbearable, the door to the classroom opened, and a few students began filing in. I quickly followed, grateful for the distraction.
The classroom was nearly full when I took my seat at the back, trying to make myself as small as possible. I wasn't exactly looking for attention, especially not on my first day. As I unpacked my things, I felt a shift in the air—a tension that wasn't there before. I glanced up and saw Cole slipping into the room, his usual careless swagger in full display. His eyes swept across the class before landing on me. For a moment, I thought I might melt into the floor. His gaze was intense, and I wasn't sure if it was curiosity or something else.
He didn't acknowledge me. Instead, he dropped into the seat next to Mia—of course, she was sitting in the front. The two exchanged a brief, loaded glance, and then Cole slouched in his seat, clearly uninterested in the lecture about to begin.
I stared at them, feeling something tighten in my chest. It wasn't jealousy, exactly. It was… something else. Something uncomfortable. The way they exchanged those glances—something about it felt personal, as if they shared a secret that no one else was allowed to know. My heart raced, and I quickly looked away, suddenly too aware of how much I didn't belong in this world they seemed to inhabit so easily.
My eyes flicked back to them, unable to resist. Mia leaned over slightly, whispering something to Cole. His lips quirked up in a half-smirk—that smirk. The one that said he knew something no one else did. And Mia… she smiled back at him, not the kind of polite smile she gave everyone else, but one that was softer, almost intimate. The same smile I'd caught a glimpse of when they first exchanged that look earlier.
A wave of irritation flared inside me. I tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't go away. Why did it bother me so much? It wasn't like I knew Cole, or even Mia for that matter. But that smile—there was something about it that made my chest tighten. Why did it feel like they had something that I didn't? A bond I could never be part of, no matter how much I tried.
Class started, but I couldn't focus on the lesson. My mind kept drifting back to Mia and Cole. The way their words seemed to pass between them effortlessly. The way Mia's eyes softened when Cole leaned in close to her, the tiny spark of something unspoken passing between them. It made my stomach churn with a mixture of jealousy and longing. I hated that feeling. I didn't even know why I cared, but I couldn't help it.
Cole's easy confidence, his disregard for the rules, it made him stand out. He didn't try to be perfect like Mia. He didn't have to. He was the kind of guy people noticed, the kind of guy people either loved or hated. And Mia? Mia was the girl everyone looked up to—the perfect student council president, the girl everyone thought had it all. The way she carried herself, how she made everything look so easy, so effortless, it made me feel… invisible.
I felt a pang of frustration in my chest. What was I even doing here? Why did I keep feeling like I was on the outside of everything, looking in? Like I didn't belong in this school, this world. It wasn't just Cole and Mia—it was the whole atmosphere. Everyone here was so sure of who they were, while I was still trying to figure it out.
The bell rang, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. I grabbed my things quickly, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the classroom. But as I stood, ready to leave, I heard a voice behind me.
"Lila, right?"
I turned to see Mia standing just behind me, a faint smile on her face. My heart skipped a beat, and I nodded, surprised that she remembered my name. "Yeah, that's me."
"You're coming to the student council meeting after school, right?" she asked casually, though there was a slight edge to her tone. It was almost as if she was expecting me to say yes.
I blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… I wasn't planning to."
Mia's smile didn't falter, but her eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly, as if she was sizing me up. "You should. It's a good way to get involved. And if you need any help adjusting to the school, we could use more people like you in the council."
Her words were polite, even encouraging, but something about the way she said it made me feel like I didn't have much of a choice. "I'll think about it," I said, not quite ready to commit. I wasn't sure I even belonged in a place like that, surrounded by people who knew exactly who they were.
Mia gave me a nod, as if she expected that answer. "Just let me know if you change your mind," she said before turning to walk away.
I stood there for a moment, feeling more conflicted than ever. It wasn't like I had any desire to join the student council. But something about the way Mia had asked me made it hard to say no. Maybe it was the pressure of her position, or maybe it was the way she always seemed so composed and sure of herself. But now I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it—more to Mia's interest in me, more to the way she'd practically commanded me to consider it.
And then there was Cole. Was I imagining it, or had I seen a flicker of something in his eyes when I'd spoken to Mia? It was like he was watching us, even if it was just for a moment. I couldn't help but wonder—did he care?
I walked to my next class, my mind tangled in a web of confusion. Mia, Cole… what was I getting myself into? My feelings were starting to spiral out of control, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep trying to figure them out—or if I should just let them be.
But the truth was, I couldn't stop thinking about them. About them.
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