The next morning, Steve didn't have to work; he was just covering a night shift for another officer. After dropping Aiden off in the school parking lot, he told him he'd have to walk home or catch a ride later.
A pale blanket of clouds stretched across the sky as Aiden weaved between cars, heading for the stairs that led up to the main campus. His eyes caught sight of a few unfamiliar vehicles—three expensive-looking cars that hadn't been there the day before. A custom silver Volvo S60R, a white Jeep Wrangler, and a red BMW convertible, all parked perfectly. He guessed some wealthy family had decided to settle in this quiet town, but dismissed the thought and climbed the stairs toward his first class, gym.
The class passed much like the day before, minus the showboating and hostility. They played a few games, shooting hoops until the bell. Aiden kept to himself, passing the ball around without drawing attention. Still, he caught the sharp stares of Ben and Connor, like they were daring him to start something. He ignored them.
Next class was quiet—just a review of yesterday's material. Aiden noticed Jessica, the curly-haired girl with the bright smile, sitting beside him. No assigned seats, so it wasn't a surprise.
She was smart, taking charge of the backlog and leading the discussion with ease. Aiden didn't say much, letting her cover most of it.
"Hey, you okay? You didn't really join the conversation," she said, concern flickering in her voice.
"Yeah, I didn't have much to add. You hit all the points, so it worked out," he said, packing up his things.
"Me and some of the guys are heading to the coffee shop after school to study. Wanna come?"
"What do you need to study? You seem to know this stuff."
"I'm no valedictorian. Eric is the smart one. I need help in chemistry," she shrugged.
"Who's going?"
"Me, Angela, Mike, Eric, Tyler, Ben…" she listed before Aiden interrupted.
"Nah, I'm good." He really didn't want to get caught up in high school drama.
"What, come on! It'll be fun. We'll sit around a big couch, drink coffee, talk about nothing important." She grinned.
Aiden smiled, "Sounds like a high school musical scene."
Jessica hit him lightly on the arm, but it barely hurt. He laughed.
"Fine, but I'm making no promises. I'm more of a 'living single' type anyway."
His next class was a history quiz showdown—a cage match between the teacher and a peculiar student. The guy answered every question on American battles perfectly, leaving the class stunned. Applause broke out when it was over.
The mysterious student didn't stick around. He slipped out without looking back, his pale skin almost ghostly under the classroom lights. His deep reddish-brown hair stood out, and Aiden wondered if it was makeup or something else.
Outside, the hall was crowded. Aiden caught sight of a stunning olive-skinned girl with curly hair, eyes fixed on him like he was prey. She was held firmly by a taller, handsome, black-haired guy. His grip on her waist was tight, like he was holding her back from something.
Aiden ignored them and moved on to his next class—cooking.
In culinary class, they learned how to prepare healthy Italian dishes, focusing on no-meat options and separating ingredients. It annoyed Aiden, but he buried his frustration, slipping on his headphones and tuning into a playlist that drifted from old-school NAS to smooth R&B.