Chapter 6: It Felt Familiar

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. I gathered my things slowly, trying to process what had just happened. Jake, of all people, wanted to be my partner. And now I'd have to spend even more time with him. Great.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way to the next class, trying not to think about it too much. The next classroom was bigger, designed for lectures with a larger group. It had plenty of empty seats scattered throughout, so I figured this time, I could at least sit by myself.

Finding a spot near the back, I settled into my seat and placed my bag on the desk beside me, making it clear I didn't want company. I pulled out my notebook and pretended to be engrossed in my notes.

But, of course, peace wasn't in the cards for me.

A shadow loomed over my desk, and I looked up to see Jake standing there with that same infuriating smirk.

"You don't mind, right?" he said casually, pulling out the chair beside me before I could respond.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already sitting down, dropping his bag onto the floor and stretching out like he owned the place.

"You know," I said, giving him a flat look, "there are plenty of other seats in this room."

"Yeah, but this one's the best," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "Good view, quiet corner, and, well, you're here."

I blinked at him, unsure whether to be flattered or annoyed. "You're unbelievable."

He chuckled, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at me. "You're just fun to mess with."

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to my notebook, ignoring him as best as I could. But it was hard to concentrate with him sitting so close, his presence practically radiating warmth.

As the room filled with students, I noticed a few glances in our direction. Some of Jake's admirers from earlier were clearly still upset that he'd chosen to sit with me.

Jake didn't seem to care. He leaned over slightly, peeking at my notes. "What are you writing?"

"Nothing that concerns you," I muttered, shifting my notebook away from him.

He laughed softly, and for a moment, I caught a glimpse of those dimples again. It was maddening how effortlessly charming he was.

The professor walked in, and the class settled down. I tried to focus on the lecture, but I could feel Jake's presence beside me the entire time. And for some reason, it was both irritating and oddly comforting.

The lecture ended, and as I gathered my things, I noticed Jake standing up at the same time. He stretched lazily and looked in my direction, clearly planning to follow me.

I sighed. "You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"

"Nope," he said, grinning as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

I didn't bother arguing. It wasn't worth the energy. Instead, I walked toward the cafeteria, and, as expected, he followed right behind me, his footsteps echoing mine.

The cafeteria was buzzing with activity, the air filled with the scent of freshly cooked meals and the sound of overlapping conversations. I headed to the food counter, grabbed a tray, and started picking out my usual choices.

Jake stood beside me, scanning the options. "What's good here?"

I glanced at him. "Depends on what you like."

He smirked. "What are you having?"

"Fried chicken, fries and salad," I replied curtly, hoping to keep the conversation short.

"Sounds good. I'll have the same," he said, grabbing the exact same meal and placing it on his tray.

I paid for my food and made my way toward my usual table, where my group of friends was already sitting. Jake followed silently, his tray balanced in one hand.

As I approached the table, my friends looked up. Claire was the first to speak. "Aiden, you're late! Oh..." Her eyes flicked to Jake, and her tone shifted to curiosity. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is..." I started, but Jake cut me off.

"I'm Jake Callister," he said smoothly, setting his tray down on the table. "Aiden's classmate. Mind if I join you?"

My friends exchanged curious glances but didn't say no. Claire, ever the social butterfly, quickly warmed up to him. "Sure! I'm Claire, and that's Marco and Ethan."

Marco gave a polite nod, while Ethan just offered a half-smile.

Jake sat down beside me, his presence once again impossible to ignore. As we started eating, the conversation naturally turned to the usual topics... classes, professors, and random school gossip. Jake joined in seamlessly, his charm making him an instant hit with my friends.

Meanwhile, I ate in relative silence, occasionally nodding or adding a comment here and there. It was strange having Jake here, but at least he wasn't being overly annoying... for now.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder why he was so intent on sticking close to me. Whatever his reasons were, I had a feeling I'd find out sooner or later.

As the conversation carried on, Nathan leaned closer to me, his voice barely above a whisper. "Hey… isn't he the transfer student everyone was talking about earlier?"

I glanced at Jake, who was in the middle of charming Claire with a funny story about his old school. "Yeah," I muttered. "That's him."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. "So why's he sitting with us? And why does he seem so… attached to you?"

I sighed, pushing a piece of chicken around on my plate. "We're… sort of living together," I admitted reluctantly.

Nathan's eyes widened, and he nearly choked on his drink. "What? Seriously?"

"Keep your voice down," I hissed, glancing around to make sure Jake didn't hear.

"How did that even happen?" Nathan asked, still keeping his voice low but clearly intrigued.

"It's a long story," I replied, not wanting to dive into the details right now. "My dad called last night and said Jake's dad and him are friends. Now Jake's staying at my place. That's it."

Nathan leaned back in his seat, processing what I'd just told him. "Wow. So, he's like… your new roommate?"

I nodded, stuffing a bite of rice into my mouth to avoid saying more.

Nathan smirked, his gaze flicking between me and Jake. "Interesting."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Nothing," he said, shrugging innocently. "Just… you're not exactly the 'roommate' type, you know? This should be fun to watch."

I groaned, shaking my head. "Please don't make this weird."

Nathan chuckled but didn't press further.

Jake must've noticed our hushed exchange, because he suddenly turned toward me, his dimples showing as he smiled. "What are you two whispering about over there?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, avoiding his gaze.

Jake tilted his head, his smile turning playful. "You sure about that?"

"Positive," I replied, stuffing another bite of food into my mouth and praying for the conversation to move on.

If this was how things were going to be from now on, I was in for one hell of a ride.

The conversation shifted again, this time to a more personal subject. Claire, leaning in with curiosity, asked, "So, Jake, do you have a girlfriend?"

Jake blinked at the question, clearly taken off guard. For a moment, he didn't say anything, as if he had to think about it. Then, with a casual shrug, he answered, "No, I don't have one."

The table fell into stunned silence.

"What? Really?" Marco asked, clearly shocked. "You're like, the perfect guy. How does someone like you not have a girlfriend?"

Jake chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I've just been focusing on other things."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You mean you've just been too busy? Or maybe no one caught your eye?"

Jake's eyes seemed to drift for a moment, as if lost in thought. "Well… there was someone I liked before, a long time ago," he said, his voice quieter now. "But… I never really got the chance to ask them their name. We just… spent time together, and then I had to leave."

There was a moment of silence as everyone at the table processed Jake's words. A sense of longing seemed to hang in the air, but no one dared to ask more.

Meanwhile, I felt something shift inside me. The way Jake spoke about that person he liked... it struck a chord deep within me. It felt… familiar. Too familiar. My chest tightened, and I tried to shake off the feeling, but it lingered, crawling under my skin like a memory I couldn't reach.

Why did it feel like I knew exactly what he was talking about?

I forced myself to look away, focusing on the food in front of me, but my mind kept circling back to those words. Someone he liked, but never had the chance to know their name. It felt like a strange echo, one that resonated within me in a way I couldn't explain.

Jake continued talking, but I was barely listening anymore. My mind was racing, the sensation growing stronger with each passing second. There was something in the air between us, something unspoken, and I couldn't shake the feeling that our paths had crossed before. But how?

Before I could dwell on it further, Claire snapped me out of my thoughts. "Aiden, you okay?" she asked, noticing the distant look in my eyes.

"Yeah," I muttered, blinking quickly. "Just… tired, I guess."

But deep down, I knew that wasn't it. Something about Jake's words had hit me harder than I wanted to admit, and I had a feeling this wasn't the last time I'd find myself questioning why.

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