NOAH
The headmaster's voice crackled over the speakers, dismissing us for advisory period.
Marcus grabbed my arm before I could move. "She's in your advisory. Advanced Studies. Do not talk to her. Do not look at her. Just keep your head down and survive the next forty minutes."
"Got it," I muttered, even though my pulse was already betraying me.
The classroom was smaller than I expected—more like a sleek lounge than a regular advisory room. Fifteen elite students sprawled across plush seats with the lazy confidence of people who had never once worried about fitting in.
My eyes found her instantly.
Seraphina Voss sat near the tall windows, legs elegantly crossed, sunlight turning her dark hair into liquid obsidian. She twirled a strand around her finger while scrolling on her phone, completely unbothered by the world around her. The light kissed her cheekbones like it was asking permission.
The second I stepped through the door, her gaze snapped up.
Emerald eyes—sharp, assessing, dangerously amused—locked onto mine. A slow, wicked smirk curved her lips, as if she'd already sized me up and found me mildly entertaining. Prey that might be worth toying with.
Then she looked away with a casual flick of her hair, dismissing me like I was nothing.
Heat flooded my neck. I slipped into the very back seat, heart hammering against my ribs.
Don't think about her. Don't even look.
Mrs. Hart walked in a moment later, her voice cutting through the low chatter. "Good morning, everyone. We have a new student joining us today. Mr. Callaghan, please stand and introduce yourself."
My stomach dropped straight through the floor.
Every head turned.
I rose on stiff legs, suddenly aware of how cheap my shoes looked against the polished hardwood. "Uh… I'm Noah Callaghan. I transferred from Riverside High on scholarship. I'm interested in finance and literature."
My voice cracked on the last word. Humiliating.
I forced my eyes up anyway.
Seraphina was watching me again.
Not bored this time. Those piercing green eyes studied me with slow, deliberate curiosity, her head slightly tilted. She twirled that strand of hair between her fingers, the faint smirk still playing on her full lips like she was already imagining how this story might unfold.
For one breathless second, it felt like she saw *me*—not just the scholarship kid, not just the outsider. Like I was a puzzle she might actually enjoy breaking apart.
Then she glanced back down at her phone, the moment gone.
I sank into my seat, face burning, pulse roaring in my ears.
The rest of advisory blurred—announcements, schedules, rules I barely heard. All I could feel was the ghost of her gaze on my skin.
When the bell finally rang, I bolted from the room like it was on fire.
Marcus was already waiting by the lockers, arms crossed. "How bad was it?"
"Fine," I lied.
As we walked to our next class, his voice faded into background noise. I nodded at the right moments, but my mind was somewhere else entirely.
All I could think about were those emerald eyes.
The way they had lingered.
The way they had seen me.
And the dangerous little smirk that said she just might decide I was worth burning.
Stay away, I told myself again.
But even as the warning echoed in my head, I already knew the truth.
I wasn't sure I could.