Chapter Two: Warnings and Encounters

Eli could still feel the weight of that gaze on him, even as he tried his best to ignore it. His fingers fidgeted with the hem of his sweater, his mind racing. Why was he staring? Did I do something wrong?

Before he could spiral further, a voice cut through his thoughts.

"Hey, the teacher told me to give you a school tour."

Eli turned, relieved to see a boy with thick glasses standing beside him, his expression neutral but not unfriendly. Without hesitation, Eli grabbed the chance to escape the classroom, mumbling a quick "Thanks," before following the guy out in a hurry.

As they walked through the hallways, the boy introduced himself. "I’m Noah. Second-year. Not much of a tour guide, but I’ll do my best."

Eli nodded, grateful for the distraction. Noah started explaining things—class schedules, the library, where to avoid during free periods—but Eli wasn’t really paying attention. He just let the words wash over him as he focused on calming his nerves. He had barely been here a day, and already, things felt... off.

Then Noah fell silent. The air grew thick with awkwardness.

Eli bit his lip. Say something. Anything.

“…Uh, so… about my deskmate.” He hesitated. “Who is he?”

Noah adjusted his glasses, exhaling as if he had expected this question. “Jaxon Reed,” he said, voice lower than before. “And if you’re smart, you’ll stay away from him.”

Eli blinked. “Why?”

“He’s not the kind of guy you want to be around,” Noah muttered. “He doesn’t care about rules, does whatever he wants, and people who get too close to him… well, let’s just say it never ends well.” He gave Eli a meaningful look. “Avoid him as much as possible.”

Eli swallowed. Great. Just my luck to be stuck with someone like that.

As they continued walking, Noah’s voice dropped even further. “Look, I don’t know why he was staring at you earlier, but if I were you, I wouldn’t think too much about it. Jaxon doesn’t just stare at people for no reason. If he’s interested in you, that’s probably not a good thing.”

Eli felt a chill crawl up his spine. Interested in me? That sounded way worse than just casual curiosity.

By the time they reached the cafeteria, Eli felt lighter. The crowd of students, the sound of chatter—it was comforting in a way. Normal. He grabbed his tray of food and sat across from Noah, finally allowing himself to relax.

But then—a hand landed on his shoulder. Firm. Unignorable.

Eli stiffened.

“Don’t you think deskmates should have lunch together?”

That voice—low, smooth, and dangerously amused—sent a shiver down his spine.

Eli turned slowly, meeting those same piercing blue eyes from earlier. Jaxon Reed stood behind him, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other stuffed casually into his pocket. His posture was relaxed, but there was something in his gaze—something unreadable, almost calculating.

But what made Eli's stomach churn was the look Jaxon gave Noah—a sharp, warning glare that sent an unspoken message.

Noah tensed beside him. His fingers gripped his fork a little tighter, his expression carefully blank.

A slow smirk curled at the corner of Jaxon’s lips. “What’s wrong? You’re not avoiding me already, are you?”

Eli swallowed hard. He suddenly had the feeling that staying away from Jaxon Reed wasn’t going to be as easy as Noah had .

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