The afternoon sunlight slanted through the tall classroom windows, turning the air golden. Eli sat at his desk, pen twirling between his fingers, trying to focus on the blackboard. But he could feel it again — that quiet awareness at his back.
Riven.
It wasn't loud, wasn't obvious, but it was constant. The faint scrape of his chair when he shifted. The almost-imperceptible pause before he followed along in his notebook. Like Riven was mapping every move Eli made, memorizing him in silence.
Eli's shoulders tensed. He didn't turn around. He didn't have to.
When Mr. Han assigned the day's group work, the room broke into the usual shuffle of scraping chairs and rustling books.
"Eli, Kael — you two can work together," Mr. Han called out.
Eli's stomach dipped. He felt the flicker of Riven's gaze — sharp, immediate, like a thread pulled taut.
Across the room, Lena — the girl with dark hair like silk and a smile she wore like perfume — was told to partner with Riven. She didn't look disappointed.
Kael dropped into the seat beside Eli with an easy grin. "Guess we're stuck with each other again," he said, leaning close enough for Eli to catch the faint scent of peppermint gum.
They bent over their notes, Kael occasionally brushing shoulders with him under the guise of pointing something out. It wasn't pushy, but it was deliberate — a casual familiarity, like Kael was already claiming space that wasn't his.
Eli tried to focus, but his eyes drifted once — just once — toward Riven.
He was leaning back in his chair, one hand on the desk, listening to Lena. Or pretending to. His gaze was elsewhere — locked on Eli. His expression unreadable, but his jaw was tight, a muscle ticking there like the slow pull of a trigger.
Lena's voice was low and lilting, and she leaned in when she spoke, her fingers brushing Riven's arm in what was clearly not an accident. He didn't move away, but his eyes didn't leave Eli either.
It was like watching a scene unfold from the outside — except Eli was inside it, and the air felt too thin.
"Eli," Kael said suddenly, dragging him back to the page. "You're spacing out."
"Sorry," Eli murmured, tucking his head down, cheeks warm. But his pulse was loud in his ears.
When the bell finally rang, Kael stretched with an easy smile. "I'll walk you home."
Eli opened his mouth to answer, but a shadow fell across the desk.
Riven.
"I need to talk to you," he said to Eli, voice low enough to vibrate in the chest. He didn't even glance at Kael.
Kael's smile didn't fade, but something sharpened behind it — a flicker of challenge.
"Was just telling Eli I could walk him home," Kael said lightly.
Riven didn't rise to it. Instead, he leaned one hand against Eli's desk, casual but close enough to block Kael's view.
"Actually," Riven said, glancing over his shoulder at Lena, who was hovering a few steps away, "I was thinking… maybe the four of us could meet after school. Go over today's lesson together. Share ideas."
Lena's eyes lit up immediately. "That sounds great. We could grab a table at that café near the park."
Kael raised a brow, clearly not expecting the suggestion. He glanced at Eli. "Up to you."
Eli hesitated. There was something in Riven's tone — not quite possessive, not quite protective. But it pressed against him like a hand on his chest.
"Sure," he said finally.
"Perfect," Lena chimed in, stepping up beside Riven, her arm brushing his.
Riven's gaze slid back to Eli, holding it for a second too long.
"After last bell," he said, and then he walked out, Lena trailing him like a shadow.
Kael leaned closer, voice low. "Guess we'll see how good your new friend is at group work." His smile was easy, but Eli caught the edge beneath it — the warning.
By the time Eli left the classroom, the air between all four of them was already charged — a tangle of interest, competition, and something heavier he couldn't quite name.
Something that felt like a storm waiting to break.