Lunch break buzzed with its usual chaos—chairs scraping, laughter spilling over, cards slapping against desks. Blue sat with Elise and Asha, watching a group of boys at the back arguing loudly over a game of Uno.
"Don't stack on me," Mavin protested.
"You stacked on me first," Paul shot back.
A new voice cut in.
Blue looked up.
A boy she hadn't seen before stood near the back desks, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed. He had an easy smile—the kind that looked like it came naturally, not practiced. A few heads turned.
"That's Adrian," Asha whispered. "The new guy. From class B."
Adrian pulled a chair closer and sat with the boys as if he'd always been there. "So… who's winning?"
"No one," Mavin said. "Because they keep cheating."
"I'm not cheating," Paul replied. "I'm just strategic."
Adrian laughed. "That already sounds suspicious."
A few rounds later, Paul glanced toward Blue. "Hey, isn't she good at this?"
Blue blinked. "At what?"
"Uno," Elise said. "She never loses."
"That's exaggerated," Blue muttered.
"Not really," Asha added. "She's terrifying."
Adrian turned to her. "Is that true?"
Blue shrugged. "I just pay attention."
"Well," Paul said, sliding a chair out, "we need help. Join us."
Blue hesitated for half a second, then stood and moved closer. "Fine. But don't cry when you lose."
Adrian grinned. "Confident. I like that."
They exchanged a quick glance.
"I'm Adrian," he said. "Nice to finally meet you."
"Blue," she replied.
As she sat, Adrian tilted his head slightly. "Can I?" he asked, gesturing toward her glasses.
Before she could answer, he gently lifted them off her face and put them on himself.
"Hey—" Blue reached for them, startled.
He blinked once. Then twice. "Wow. Everything is… aggressively clear."
"They're not that strong," she said, trying again to take them back.
He leaned away, smiling. "No, they are. How do you function?"
"I manage," she replied, amused despite herself.
He carefully took them off and placed them back on her face, adjusting them slightly. "There. Much better."
Blue froze for a second, caught off guard.
"Thanks," she said quietly, then smiled.
"Anytime," Adrian replied easily.
"Okay," Mavin interrupted. "Less flirting, more playing."
"That wasn't flirting," Blue said quickly.
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Was it not?"
She rolled her eyes. "Deal the cards."
They played.
And Blue won.
Again.
"And again," Elise said, laughing. "I told you."
"This is unfair," Paul complained as Blue dropped her last card. "There's no way."
Adrian leaned back in his chair. "I refuse to believe this is luck."
"It's not," Blue said simply.
Another round. Another win.
"Okay, no," Asha said, standing. "I'm out."
Mavin followed. "I value my dignity."
Paul groaned. "This game is cursed."
Adrian stared at his cards, then at Blue. "You didn't even hesitate."
She smiled, bright and genuine. "You'll learn."
He laughed. "I hope we end up in the same class someday."
Blue paused—but only briefly. "Maybe."
The bell rang, ending lunch.
As everyone packed up, Adrian stood. "Nice meeting you, Blue."
"You too," she replied.
As he walked away, Elise leaned in. "So… him?"
Blue shook her head, still smiling. "He's just… new and all."
**************
By the next morning, the air at school felt different.
Blue noticed it the moment she walked through the gates. The glances weren't sharp anymore. They weren't curious in the same way. Instead of lingering looks filled with speculation, there were quick double-takes—followed by whispers that faded as soon as she drew closer.
Elise leaned toward her as they walked. "Something's changed."
Blue frowned slightly. "What do you mean?".
Asha lowered her voice. "People aren't talking about the twins anymore."
Blue stopped walking. "They're not?"
"Nope," Elise said. "Guess who they're talking about now."
Blue didn't like the way her stomach dropped. "Who?"
Asha smiled slowly. " The new guy."
Blue blinked. "Adrian?"
"Apparently," Elise replied.
At lunch, the art section girls sat unusually quiet. One of them stared openly at Adrian as he laughed with his classmates, then glanced toward Blue—expression unreadable.
Fred noticed first.
"Well," he said under his breath, leaning back on the bench, "that's new."
Roger didn't respond immediately.
Blue hadn't looked at him once. Not because she couldn't—but because she didn't need to. She felt the weight of attention shift off her shoulders in one direction and settle heavily in another.
Adrian walked over casually, holding a juice box. "You people act like Uno is a competitive sport."
"It is," Blue replied dryly.
He grinned. "Figures."
Later that day, Elise cornered her near the lockers. "You okay?"
Blue nodded. "More than okay."
The classroom was unusually quiet.
Sunlight filtered through the windows, dust drifting lazily in the air. Lunch break had already started, and most students had rushed out, voices echoing down the hall. Blue had gone back inside to grab her notebook when she stopped just short of the doorway.
Roger was still there.
He stood near the desk at the front, laughing softly with a girl from his class. Their conversation was low, casual—too casual . Hand linked together. The girl leaned in slightly as she spoke, then gave him a quick peck. Her posture familiar in a way that didn't sit right with Blue.
Blue didn't move.
She didn't interrupt. She didn't cough to announce herself. She simply stood there for a moment longer than necessary, taking in the scene without drama. Then she turned and walked out.
But the unease followed her.
The whispers she'd heard earlier that week came back to her with sharp clarity. Two girls. A fight. Raised voices near the art block. One of them upset because Roger had been with the other. It had sounded exaggerated at first—typical school noise.
Now, it didn't.
Now, it fit too easily.
By the time Blue reached the courtyard, the pieces had arranged themselves into something disturbingly familiar. Not proof. Not certainty. But enough of a pattern to recognize.
I've seen this before, she thought. I know how it starts.
She didn't confront him at school. She didn't ask questions that would lead to half-truths. Instead, she let the day pass. Classes resumed. Bells rang. Faces blurred together.