“F*ck. I swear someone must have pushed me!” Ivan raged, standing near the pool, water dripping from his clothes. “I was lucky I didn't have anything important on me. Seriously, who the f*ck was it? This is not funny!” His voice grew louder.

  “But why did you come here anyway?” Ryan asked, handing him a towel.

  “I don't know, to explore.” Ivan rolled his eyes, snatching the towel and wiping his face.

  From a distance, inside the restaurant, Noah watched the scene unfold. Ivan wasn’t entirely wrong, but he wasn’t completely right either. Someone had bumped into him—by accident. Noah could step in and clarify the situation… or simply enjoy the show. He chose the latter.

  His frail, pale figure made him stand out even from a mile away. That was one of the reasons he had grown introverted. He was different. Weak. Even as a child, his parents had been overly protective, never allowing him to play with other kids. That isolation shaped him into the detached person he had become.

  To make matters worse, Noah was far too trusting. He had lost count of how many times people had taken advantage of his kindness. And yet, despite it all, he still trusted. Almost blindly at times.

  High school had been nothing like he had expected. Not in the slightest. Everyone was consumed by their own drama, too infatuated with themselves to notice anyone else. Noah often felt invisible—and that was fine. He didn’t mind being the unnoticed kid in class.

  Then came Nathan Blake. A variable Noah couldn’t quite figure out. Nathan didn’t stand out much—he wasn’t the smartest. Noah could easily beat him in any subject. Nor was he the strongest. But if there was one thing Nathan excelled at, it was people. He wasn’t the kind to seek attention, nor did he try to control crowds, yet somehow, he knew everyone. The most popular kid. The guy who barely showed up to class. The quiet student most would ignore.

  To Noah, who had barely any friends, Nathan seemed like a genuinely nice guy. But experience had taught him not to expect too much. Become too clingy, and people avoided you. Become too distant, and they called you arrogant. Humans never seemed to know when to be satisfied.

  Noah chuckled to himself. He had agreed to share a room with Nathan. To study him. A week of observing how the guy lived might reveal something no one else had noticed. After all, nobody really knew who Nathan Blake was. No one knew his background. Yet, here he was, attending one of the most prestigious schools in the country. That had to mean something… right?

  Some might call it an obsession. But to Noah, it was curiosity. Or perhaps, deep down, he wanted to prove to himself that there was no such thing as kindness without an agenda.

  ~~~

  “Jenny!” Zoe called, poking her head through the doorway. “It's just breakfast, for god’s sake!” She rolled her eyes.

  “I know, I know,” Jenny muttered, checking herself in the mirror from every angle. Her palms were sweaty. She wasn’t sure why she was trying so hard to look perfect. But she had to. She had to be noticed.

  “Jen.” Zoe shot her a death glare from across the room. That was Jenny’s cue—if she didn’t move now, her funeral was in five minutes.

  Almost instinctively, Jenny turned and marched toward the door. “Yep. I'm coming.”

  “Seriously. What could you possibly be worried about to be this dramatic?” Zoe sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “I mean, you weren’t acting any different when it was about you know who.” Jenny pressed her lips together and gave Zoe a knowing look.

  “I thought we agreed not to bring that up again!” Zoe hissed, straightening up in offense.

  “No. I agreed not to say his name again.” Jenny smirked.

  “That’s the same thing!” Zoe huffed as they walked down the hallway toward the elevator, exchanging insults and regrettable memories of past romantic endeavors. The conversation distracted Zoe, and she didn’t notice the man approaching until she bumped into him.

  “Shit. I'm sorry. I wasn't looking.” Zoe winced at her carelessness.

  The man was… unusual. Blonde hair, emerald-green eyes—rare genetics around these parts. Especially the green eyes. But what stood out even more was his attire: a light peach trench coat, complementing his hair in an oddly deliberate way.

  He offered a warm smile. “That is quite alright.”

  Despite looking no older than his twenties, something about his demeanor felt… out of place. Too poised. Too controlled.

  “Happens to us all. And I'd say I’m more at fault than you.” His gaze shifted to Jenny as well. “I don't mean to trouble you, but have either of you seen a boy? Blonde. He’d be hard to miss.” His eyebrows lifted slightly, almost pleading.

  “No… We haven’t,” Jenny answered, wrapping a hand around Zoe’s arm. “Sorry.”

  “I see.” The man exhaled in disappointment. “Once again, I apologize for the intrusion.” With a slight nod, he continued down the hallway. Jenny and Zoe watched him disappear.

  “That… was weird,” Zoe muttered.

  “I know.” Jenny nodded. “Which proves my point—there’s something off about everyone.”

  “No. You do not get to use a random stranger to support your argument.” Zoe frowned.

  “Look, if you wanna waste your time with Blake, be my guest. Just don’t come crying to me when things go exactly as I predict.”

  “It won’t.” Jenny crossed her arms and pressed the elevator button. “Besides, I took karate classes after that incident. I’ll be fine.”

  “Girl…” Zoe gave her a once-over. “You’re delusional if you think you can overpower that man. Look at you.”

  “I’m not worried about Nathan trying anything like that,” Zoe added, her tone turning serious as the elevator doors slid open. They stepped inside.

  “There are rumors about him, Jenny. Bad ones. And rumors like that don’t start without a reason.”

  ~~~

  “You remember Celeste? From middle school?” Lacey asked, watching the numbers change on the elevator panel.

  “I guess. What about her?” Nathan tilted his head slightly, glancing at her.

  “We met recently. And, boy, she had some interesting things to say.” Lacey chuckled, but Nathan remained silent, his expression expectant.

  “She also mentioned you,” Lacey added, testing his reaction.

  “Like?” Nathan’s gaze flicked up to the elevator display.

  “Like what happened with Barry…” She paused, peeking at him, holding her breath. “She said you were involved.”

  Nathan remained silent for a moment.

  “I was involved with everyone, Lacey. And I knew what Barry was going through…” Nathan’s voice trailed off. He swallowed hard, his head turning away, fists clenching. “Maybe I should have done more… Maybe…” He exhaled sharply, turning back to her, his brows knitted together in pain. “Maybe I should have been held responsible for that tragedy.”

  Instinctively, Lacey cupped his face in her hands. “No. Nathan, I’m sorry. My peanut brain didn’t realize how painful it must have been.”

  “I could have stopped him…” His voice cracked. His hands found Lacey’s wrists, trembling as he held onto them. “I could have. But I was so caught up in my own drama. So self-centered, I neglected him.”

  Nathan turned away. “F*ck. I was supposed to be his friend.”