CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Three

And soon, it was recess. Students buzzed around, buying snacks and junk food, chatting, laughing, and causing the usual lunchtime chaos. The air was loud and full of teenage energy.

Clara and Aurelia found a quiet spot under the shade beside the cafeteria window. Chloe joined them a few minutes later, balancing a tray full of fries and soda.

"I enjoyed today. The first days aren't really bad," Aurelia said as she munched a hot dog, brushing a few crumbs from her lap.

"Who told you it was bad, girlll? Todayyyy was funnnn! I enjoyed every bit of it, especially the chemistry class. Mrs. Puff is so funny!" Clara laughed out loud, nearly choking on her drink.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I found today really boring."

Clara and Aurelia exchanged glances, then broke into little giggles.

The three of them had been close friends since elementary school. They had grown up together, laughed together, and had each other’s backs through awkward school dances and failed math tests. They were more like sisters than friends.

Suddenly, the noisy cafeteria grew quiet. Like really quiet. All the laughter, the gossip, the crunching of chips—everything stopped. Students stared in the same direction, as if something, or someone, had entered and sucked the sound out of the room.

A boy had just walked in.

Caelum.

He was tall. His skin light but glowing like it held secrets. His hair—jet black, like it was painted from shadows. Those piercing blue eyes. That jawline, sharp enough to cut through glass. His body was lean, broad-shouldered, strong. He had this dark, quiet confidence, like he belonged in a different world.

He walked in slowly, scanning the room. His gaze didn't meet anyone's for too long. He walked to an empty desk at the far end, sat down, and lowered his eyes to the floor. But it was too late—every eye in the cafeteria was already on him.

"Who’s that guy?" Clara whispered, nudging Aurelia.

Aurelia shrugged, chewing slower now.

"Damn," Clara added, still staring. "He’s fine. Like, fine-fine."

But while the girls whispered and giggled about the mystery boy, Aurelia felt something different.

A wave of nausea hit her. Her stomach twisted in a strange way, like something deep inside her was reacting to him. Her chest felt tight, her fingers curled unconsciously into her palm.

"He’s so cute. So everything I wanted in a man," Chloe whispered dramatically, sipping her soda like she was watching a movie.

Clara and Chloe leaned toward each other, chatting and giggling like typical teenage girls. But Aurelia just sat there, frozen. She wasn't drooling over him. She wasn't even excited. She was... unsettled.

The way he walked, the energy he carried, it felt... familiar.

Recess ended, and students began to file into classrooms again. The bell rang overhead, breaking the tension in the air.

Everyone settled into their seats.

Mr. Smith walked into the classroom a few minutes later, and right behind him was Caelum.

All heads turned. Whispering started again. Girls whispered to one another, leaning forward, fixing their hair.

Caelum kept his gaze low. He didn't smile. He didn’t even look curious. Just calm, unreadable.

"This is Caelum," Mr. Smith began. "He just transferred here from Ottawa, Canada. I expect you all to welcome him with kindness and respect."

Before Mr. Smith could finish, a loud voice from the back of the classroom yelled, "I’m straight but damnnnnn."

It was Nicole, the class clown. Everyone burst into laughter.

Mr. Smith glared. "Silence!"

Clara leaned toward Aurelia, whispering with a dreamy sigh, "Wow. Caelum. Such a nice name."

Aurelia gave a little smirk but didn’t say anything.

Caelum still didn’t speak. He walked to the only empty desk in the middle row and sat quietly. Not even a glance at anyone. No greeting. No reaction to the attention he was clearly getting.

He knew the effect he had. And that made it worse.

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The day moved quickly after that, and soon enough, the final bell rang. School was over.

Students rushed out, some heading to buses, others to waiting cars. The school grounds were loud again.

"He’s so cute, I think I found my missing part," Clara said, hugging her backpack like she was hugging a crush.

"No, Clara. He’s mine," Chloe argued, fluffing her hair and pretending to pose.

"I don't even find him attractive. He just looks... weird. And cold. I don't know," Aurelia muttered.

Both girls gasped.

"Whataaaaast?!" they said in unison, then burst into loud laughter.

Aurelia smiled a little, but she still couldn’t shake off the weird feeling in her gut. It wasn’t jealousy. It wasn’t even dislike. It was more like...

Recognition.

Like she'd seen him before. Not in dreams. Not in real life. But somewhere else.

The bus pulled up and honked twice. They all waved goodbye and parted ways.

As Aurelia climbed onto her bus, she turned for one last glance at the school building. Caelum was still outside, standing under the tree, staring at the sky.

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