Chapter 2: Him

Until him.

Charles Warren.

If I’m being honest…

I didn’t notice him at first.

Not because he was invisible—no.

It was the opposite.

Everyone noticed him.

He had this way of walking into a room like he belonged everywhere… like the world adjusted itself for him.

And people let it.

Girls liked him.

Guys respected him.

Even the teachers didn’t bother him much.

And me?

I stayed out of his way.

Or at least… I tried to.

…

The first time he spoke to me, I thought he got the wrong person.

“Hey.”

I looked behind me.

No one.

“Yeah, you.”

I blinked, pointing at myself. “Me?”

He laughed softly. “Do you see anyone else?”

I frowned. “What do you want?”

“Ouch,” he said, placing a hand over his chest dramatically. “That’s how you talk to someone trying to be nice?”

“I’m not used to people ‘being nice’ for no reason,” I replied.

That seemed to amuse him.

“Charles,” he said, holding out his hand.

I stared at it for a second before reluctantly shaking it.

“Lily.”

“I know.”

That made me pause.

“You… know?”

“Hard not to,” he shrugged. “Top student. Quiet. Always alone.”

I pulled my hand back. “You’ve been observing me?”

“Maybe,” he said with a smirk.

I turned away. “That’s weird.”

“Or maybe…” he stepped closer, lowering his voice slightly,

“I’m just interested.”

My heart skipped.

And I hated that it did.

…

From that moment on…

He didn’t leave me alone.

At first, it was small things.

A seat taken beside me in class.

A casual “Hey, Lily” like we’d known each other for years.

The way he’d glance at me like he was trying to figure something out.

It was annoying.

Unnecessary.

Dangerous.

…

“Why do you sit alone all the time?”

I didn’t look up from my notebook. “Because I want to.”

“Or because no one sits with you?”

I paused.

“…Same thing.”

He hummed, unconvinced.

“I don’t believe that.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

He leaned back in his chair, studying me like I was some kind of experiment.

“You know,” he said, “people here are weird.”

“That’s the point,” I replied flatly. “It’s literally a school for outcasts.”

“Yeah… but even outcasts have groups.”

I didn’t respond.

Because he wasn’t wrong.

…

Lunch was worse.

I had just found my usual corner when—

“Move.”

I looked up.

Charles dropped his tray in front of me and sat down like it was already decided.

“You’re in my seat,” I said.

“No, I’m in our seat.”

“There is no ‘our.’”

“There is now.”

I sighed. “You’re exhausting.”

“And you’re interesting,” he shot back.

That again.

Interesting.

Like I was something to study… not someone to understand.

…

“You should stop following me.”

“I’m not following you.”

“You’re literally sitting in front of me.”

“Coincidence.”

I gave him a look.

He grinned.

“Okay, not a coincidence.”

…

Before I could respond, the cafeteria suddenly went quiet.

Not completely.

Just… enough to feel wrong.

I frowned slightly.

“Do you feel that?” I asked.

Charles didn’t answer immediately.

His expression changed—just for a second.

Like he noticed it too.

Then—

Everything went back to normal.

Noise. Voices. Movement.

Like nothing happened.

“…Weird,” I muttered.

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

But he wasn’t looking around like everyone else.

He was looking at me.

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