Max

With unshakable confidence, Adam kept walking up the steps in the general direction of Devon and me. He wasn’t beelining toward us, but with the way his eyes kept finding mine, I couldn’t help but feel like he was intentionally making his presence known.

As Adam was brushing by, I offered him only the tilt of my chin.

Adam smiled. “Way to roll out the red carpet, Max,” he said. “I feel all warm and cuddly.”

“’Cause you aren’t welcome,” Devon interjected before I could say anything. Most of my interactions with Devon made me want to give him a quick down boy like he was an out-of-control dog.

“Aw, Dev. Feeling threatened?” Adam asked, not missing a beat.

I smiled inwardly. That was the kind of precision that I’d come to expect from Adam.

It was impossible to take my eyes off of him. I kept staring at him like he was some kind of specimen I was studying. I was fascinated by his demeanor, his squared shoulders, the small smirk that always seemed to be at his lips. He always looked like he was up for the challenge.

I remembered that about him at our competitions, too. There were so many different ways people would look before a debate: scared, nervous, physically ill. But never Adam. He always had this defiant, almost playful expression in his eye. He was hard to forget because of that. It had scared the shit out of me to see someone who seemed so sure of himself.

And now, it seemed very apparent that it wasn’t just a performance for the debate team. He truly just was that self-assured.

It was magnetic.

“Not at all,” I said quickly, before Devon could say anything to get himself into hot water with Adam. I had a feeling Adam had the ability to spar all day if he found someone willing to go head-to-head with him. Devon was a good debater but was more bark than bite in his personal communications. I had a feeling Adam would eat him alive if given the chance.

I stood up, showing off the few inches I had over Adam. I stepped forward and offered my hand. Adam seemed pleased to see that I wasn’t being shy.

“Let me make it official for you. Welcome to Cypress Prep,” I said. When Adam took my hand to shake it, I was startled by how warm it was. We shook and then pulled away. His touch lingered on my palm afterward, and I was suddenly so wildly aware of the way my hand felt.

“Not what either of us wanted,” Adam said. “But I’m all for making the best of it, if you are.”

“Agreed,” I said. “Debate tryouts are this afternoon. I expect to see you there.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. I felt a small rush of satisfaction at knowing I’d been able to actually catch him off-guard. I had a feeling it didn’t happen often; he had a stellar poker face.

“You want me to try out?” he asked.

“Is that a problem?” Devon asked snarkily.

“All new students try out—makes for a level playing field,” I said.

Adam smirked. “Okay, I’d be happy to level your playing field.”

***

Adam

The bell rang, interrupting our conversation. Devon stood up, looking me up and down in a way I was sure he intended to be intimidating. I wasn’t scared of him. There wasn’t a single thing about him that made me nervous.

Max was maybe a different story.

I wasn’t so much rattled by him or even that nervous around him. There was just something about him that made me feel like I had to be on my toes.

“Where’s the headmaster’s office?” I asked, looking pointedly at Max to avoid Devon thinking he had any space to contribute.

“I can just take you. It’s easier,” Max said. “This school can be kind of a maze.”

“Great,” I said.

We walked together, side-by-side, matching each other’s pace as we walked through the crowded hallway. As time passed and students found where they were supposed to be going, the hallway became increasingly less crowded. But no matter how many students were in the hallway, it was obvious just how many people were staring at us.

Max was greeted around nearly every corner, as if he were some kind of local politician.

“And I’m just the new kid,” I said jokingly to anyone who also acknowledged me and didn’t just look at Max.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” Max said after the third time I’d said it.

“What?”

“Announce that you’re the new kid. Most of us have been in school together since kindergarten. Everyone knows that you’re new.”

I shrugged. “And now they know I’m okay with that. I don’t want anyone to think I don’t know what they’re thinking,” I said.

“Which is?”

“I’m the senior scholarship kid,” I said matter-of-factly and meant it that way. I didn’t have a chip on my shoulder or a complex about it; it just simply was what it was. I couldn’t change the facts, so I wasn’t going to run from them.

“And that means…?” Max asked. He seemed to genuinely be asking, his questions coming out curious and almost a little defensive. It was like he was offended on my behalf that I felt the need to acknowledge the situation.

“I’m fine with being an outsider. I knew what I signed myself up for when I came here,” I said. I turned my head to look at him, caught off guard by how genuinely attractive he was. It was almost startling to see so up close and so casually.

We soon stopped at a door labeled Headmaster Whiggins Office.

“What do you have after this?” Max asked.

I pulled out my phone to check my schedule. I’d tried to memorize it, but now that I was physically in the school, I felt completely turned around. “AP Lit,” I said.

Max pointed down the hall. “Third door on the left. I’ll see you there.”

“Oh, okay,” I said. It hadn’t set in just how much I’d been hoping I’d have Max in at least one of my classes until now. “Cool.”

Max locked eyes with me again before heading off without a word.

I watched him go.

“Nice to see you too, Max Rhodes,” I mumbled.

***

“You must be Adam,” the secretary said as soon as I walked into the room. I was caught off guard at first until I realized she was probably able to tell—just like everyone else—that I was just the new kid. “Right this way. The headmaster is expecting you.”

The secretary walked me over toward an office, where she tapped her knuckles against the door. “Headmaster Whiggins, Adam is here for you,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, come in!” the headmaster said and stood up. He was an older man that looked like every classic college professor from a movie: thick, stylish glasses, nicely fitted clothes, white hair. “Adam, it’s great to meet you.”

“You too,” I said and walked in.

The secretary left the room, leaving just the headmaster and me.

“You seem to be making your mark on Cypress already,” he said, gesturing to my uniform.

“I’ve never been much on blending in,” I explained politely.

“Which is what brought you to our attention in the first place. As you know, Cypress Prep offers a full scholarship to a graduating senior from a local high school who has shown themselves to be an exemplary scholar. It’s our hope that we at Cypress can help springboard you into a top-notch university and an exciting future.”

I nodded my head and smiled like I was supposed to, but internally, all I could think about was how strange of an implication that was. Did he really think that my future would be less than exciting if I hadn’t come to Cypress? I found that hard to believe, knowing me. I was confident no matter what high school I went to; I’d be able to make it work. I’d been just fine at Woodlands High. In fact, I’d been better than fine.

But I kept those feelings to myself. I knew that the headmaster probably got on believing he was changing my life.

Old snob.

“I hope that you will take full advantage of everything Cypress has to offer,” Whiggins said.

“Yes, sir. That’s the plan.”

He clapped me on the back. “Good, good. That’s what I like to hear. And Cypress plans on taking full advantage of you as well. I suppose you’ve heard that debate tryouts are this afternoon. You will be a great asset to the team,” he said with a smile. I could see his eyes twinkling, probably very proud of himself for securing yet another student who would make the school look spectacularly good. I wasn’t too proud to be a charity case to this school, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.

“I sure hope so,” I said diplomatically.

“I look forward to what you and Max Rhodes will accomplish together,” he said.