Chapter 3

Chapter 3: French Fries and New Faces

The cafeteria was chaos.

People yelling across tables, laughter bouncing off the walls, trays clattering, someone somewhere playing music from a Bluetooth speaker no one asked for.

Riri balanced her food like it was an Olympic sport — one plate stacked with fries, the other with nuggets. She narrowed her eyes at Lisa.

“I swear if you drop my food, I’ll sell your skincare to a twelve-year-old.”

Lisa grinned. “Please. Like I’d ever betray the sacred snack bond.”

They slid into their usual booth — corner table, right under the AC vent that never worked.

“I invited Isla and Jace, by the way,” Lisa added, biting into her sandwich.

“Who?”

“You’ve met them. Isla’s in our psych class — pink hair, always has stickers on her laptop. And Jace’s the tall, flirty one who keeps changing majors.”

“Ohhh. The bisexual menace and the future dropout. Got it.”

Riri loved making fun of people she liked. And she did like Isla and Jace — even though they were the kind of effortlessly cool that usually made her feel like background noise. But with Lisa around, she felt like she belonged.

A few minutes later, they showed up.

Isla sat beside Riri and instantly gasped. “You got curly fries?! I knew I loved you.”

“I don’t share food,” Riri warned, placing a protective hand over her tray.

Jace, tall with messy curls and a grin that screamed trouble, slid into the seat across from her.

“So,” he said, eyes sparkling, “rumor has it the new guy talked to you.”

Lisa almost choked on her drink. “HOW does everyone know already?!”

Jace shrugged. “I have ears. And drama radar.”

Riri rolled her eyes. “He picked up my lip gloss. That’s not flirting. That’s gravity.”

“But did your fingers touch?” Isla asked, wiggling her brows.

“No.”

“Did your eyes meet?”

“Briefly. He has the vibe of someone who listens to the sound of rain while reading Russian literature.”

Jace laughed. “That’s hot.”

“I’m not interested.”

They all gave her a look.

“Seriously!” Riri said, crossing her arms. “Guys don’t go for girls like me. I’m the bestie. The comic relief. The one who makes memes about being single until she dies under a pile of cats and cashback coupons.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Lisa muttered. “Also, kinda hot.”

Jace nodded. “I’d date you.”

“Shut up, you’d date a cheese stick.”

“Don’t disrespect cheese like that.”

They laughed and teased and shared fries — Riri even allowed two to be stolen in the name of friendship — and for a moment, she forgot about Aaron Thorne and his eyes like winter storms.

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Later that evening...

Aaron sat at the back corner of the library, hoodie up, music low in his ears. Lo-fi. No lyrics. Just beats and silence.

He liked the quiet.

He liked the stillness of books and the way people left him alone here. No noise, no pretending, no fake laughs or shallow stares.

He turned a page, but he wasn’t reading.

He was thinking about her.

Riri Winters.

Small. Sharp. Hilarious.

He hadn’t expected the lip gloss thing to matter. But it stayed in his mind all day. The way she’d looked at him — like he wasn’t intimidating or special. Just… a guy picking up something.

She hadn’t looked at his face with curiosity or awe. She looked him in the eyes. Spoke like she wasn’t trying to impress. Like she expected him to keep up with her.

He didn’t know why that stuck.

But it did.

And that laugh? He’d heard it from two rows away in class. Big, unapologetic, contagious.

He didn’t usually notice people. Not like this.

But he noticed her.

And maybe…

Maybe he wanted her to notice him too.

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End of Chapter 3

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