Several students were already seated, chatting quietly or reviewing notes.
Alaric stepped through the doorway—
"Alaric!"
He turned, blinking in genuine surprise.
"Oliver?"
"Who else?" Oliver grinned, spreading his arms wide.
Alaric stared, genuinely baffled.
Someone like him? Here?
Oliver was good, competent, even talented in some areas. But from what Alaric remembered, he wasn't great. Certainly not Silver Crown material. He'd been middle-of-the-pack in their shared classes, occasionally showing flashes of skill but nothing extraordinary.
And now the way he carried himself, confident, relaxed.
What happened to him?
Oliver hadn't been like this before. He'd been the kind of person who stayed in the background, avoided drawing attention.
Oliver approached, giving Alaric's arm a light smack.
Alaric's mind raced. Did his crush reject him or something? Some kind of dramatic personal transformation over the break?
