Ring!
The bell rang out, cutting off Mrs. Phoebe, the English teacher, who was still rambling about stress and the syllabus. Knowing it was time for lunch break, she picked up her bag and notepad, dismissing the class with a trailing farewell as she exited:
"That's all for today. Enjoy your lunch break,We'll meet again tomorrow."
Lockers clanged open and slammed shut, the hallway flooding with voices, laughter, and the squeak of shoes on polished floors.
Max stepped out of his classroom with the kind of slow confidence that made heads turn without him even trying.
He adjusted the straps of his backpack lazily and caught the eye of a girl across the hall, flashing a grin that made her giggle and nudge her friend.
"Nice to meet you too," he murmured under his breath, already sauntering past.
A group of seniors caught up to him in seconds, tossing greetings and questions like candy.
"Dude, you really from Cali?"
"Do you surf?"
"Is Jeremy Blackwood really your cousin? He never mentioned you."
Max leaned casually against a locker, arms crossed.
"Yeah, I'm from L.A. No, I don't surf—too much sand in awkward places. And yeah, Jeremy and I are family. Clearly, he's been keeping secrets." He smirked.
Just then, a familiar voice cut through the chatter.
"When did you get here?"
Jeremy stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, brows raised like he'd just spotted a ghost in sneakers.
Max's face lit up.
"Ay, look who's still rocking the brooding loner vibe. What's up, lover boy?"
Jeremy rolled his eyes and stepped closer.
"You didn't say you were enrolling. You said holidays."
"Change of plans." Max clapped him on the shoulder. "Surprise."
They started walking down the hallway together toward the cafeteria, weaving through the crowd. Max glanced around, taking in the energy.
"This school's got potential, man. And the girls? Very friendly."
Jeremy scoffed. "Don't get expelled in your first week."
"No promises." Max grinned. "But I'll try to keep the flirting PG-13."
Jeremy just shook his head with a half-smile as they pushed open the doors and stepped into the noisy, bustling cafeteria.
The cafeteria doors swung open, and for a second, it felt like the noise dipped to a murmur.
All eyes shifted. Max and Jeremy stepped in like two characters from completely different books—
Max radiating charisma and effortless charm, Jeremy trailing beside him with a cool detachment that somehow made people stare even harder.
A few guys from Max's new class tagged along, joking loudly, but it was clear who the attention was drawn to.
Whispers flew.
"Who's the new guy?"
"Wait, isn't that Jeremy Blackwood with him?"
"They actually kind of look alike…"
Max caught a few stares and smirks thrown his way and returned them generously. His walk was slow, casual, deliberate. Like he already knew he didn't have to try.
A group of girls intercepted them halfway in.
"Hey, you're Max, right?" one of them asked, bouncing on her heels. "From California?"
Another chimed in, "Is it true you lived near Hollywood? Like, actual movie stars?"
Max flashed his grin. "L.A., yeah. The stars? Sometimes. But they're kinda boring in person."
A ripple of laughter spread, and a few more girls leaned in, tossing questions and compliments in quick bursts.
"You're Jeremy's cousin?"
"No way—he never talks to anyone. But you're so different!"
Max leaned back against the wall, folding his arms, clearly enjoying the attention. "What can I say? Balance, ladies."
The group erupted into more giggles.
Jeremy, meanwhile, gave Max a flat look and slipped away from the crowd without a word, heading toward a seat by the windows. He didn't bother to look back.
Mid-conversation Max's eyes trailed him instinctively—just to check on his cousin. But then he noticed something.
Jeremy had found a seat, his tray mostly untouched, elbow on the table and his chin resting on one hand.
His eyes weren't on the food .They were locked somewhere else. Focused. Still
Max followed his gaze.
And that's when he saw her.
Jenny.
Max's brow rose slightly, his hands sliding into the pockets of his pants, eyes narrowing just a little—like he was analyzing a clue.
His gaze lingered.
Chestnut-brown hair, tucked neatly behind one ear, catching the cafeteria lights just right.
A notebook balanced on her lap, and a pencil.
She was oblivious to everything else.
Max leaned a bit closer, his voice low in soliloquy.
"Hmm… she's not flashy. Not loud at all, at least not from what I'm seeing…" He tilted his head. "She's beautiful."
He gave a quiet, amused breath through his nose, lips curving slightly.
"Didn't peg Jeremy for the artsy-type girl, but hey… I get it."
Max leaned back a little, one corner of his mouth lifting in amusement.
"Interesting," he muttered under his breath.
Max leaned back a little, one corner of his mouth lifting in amusement.
"Interesting," he muttered under his breath.
A tug on his sleeve pulled him back to the moment. One of the girls he'd been chatting with earlier leaned in again.
"So, Max... you got a girlfriend back in L.A., or are you, like, totally single?"
Another giggled. "Or are we wasting our time here?"
Max chuckled lightly and straightened up.
"Nah, not wasting time," he said with a playful shrug.
"But I've got a lot to take in today. New school, new faces… Let's pick this up later, yeah?"
He gave them a charming smile, just enough to soften the dismissal—then stepped away before they could trap him in another round of flirty questions.
Just then, a flicker of movement snagged his attention.
Ashley.
She walked in like she owned the air around her, ponytail swishing with practiced precision.
The moment she spotted Jeremy, she made a beeline toward him.
With her shoes squeaking on the marble floor and her hips swaying like a model in the next top American model show.
She held a little smile which tugged at her lips, walking with so much confidence.
Max straightened a bit, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
Ashley slid into the seat beside Jeremy without asking, her arm casually draped across the back of his chair.
"Hey, J," she said sweetly. "You didn't wait for me."
Jeremy blinked.
His eyes flicked from Jenny , still quietly sketching in her notebook, to Ashley, now practically glued to his side.
He didn't respond right away.
Ashley, unfazed, leaned closer and brushed a strand of his hair back.
"You already started lunch without me? That's cold."
Jeremy shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable, but didn't push her away.
No reaction. No welcome either.
Max watched in silence, one brow slowly arching.
His gaze moved from Ashley to Jenny, and he spotted out a difference.
Jenny, still immersed in her own world, hadn't even looked up.
Completely unaware of everything playing out around her.
Ashley, on the other hand, was loud, clingy, and fully aware of her audience.
Max's lips pressed into a thoughtful line.
So… which one is it? he wondered, watching the tight set of Jeremy's jaw, the tension gathering in his shoulders.
The clingy one, or the girl who doesn't even know she's being watched?
Then, with a quiet exhale and the return of his amused grin, Max shook his head slightly.
"This is gonna be fun," he murmured under his breath.