During lunch, I head down to the cafeteria, where Tanner is already sitting at a table with Rory. I glance at Noah; he's walking a little behind, engrossed in something on his phone. Then he turns and leaves, answering a call. For some reason, his departure makes me feel both relieved and disappointed. I'm starting to get tired of these weird things...

To ground myself, I focus on the familiar and sit down opposite Tanner at the table.

"Did you go to all your classes, nerd?" Tanner mocks. This feels truly familiar and doesn't stir any emotions. Good.

"You wanted to talk about business?" I ask, brushing off his teasing. Tanner glances sideways at Rory, and I understand that Tanner doesn't want to share with the others. So this might be some particularly lousy shit...

"Get some food, your head looks swollen," Tanner laughs.

Without objection, I start eating my lunch - a couple of sandwiches and a bottle of juice. Noah returns to the cafeteria, and with him, so does my internal tension. It intensifies when Rory points at Noah and tells Tanner, "The dude from Detroit. Noah, I think... Said he likes to stare at the stars." They both grin.

"Can I sit here?" Suddenly, Noah's voice comes from behind me. A piece of the sandwich gets stuck in my throat. But Tanner's face breaks into his signature smile, and he easily says, "Take a seat, Starboy."

Noah sits next to me, placing his tray on the table.

"Detroit, huh?" Tanner continues without changing his expression. "Big city."

Noah shrugs, "Not really."

"Bigger than ours, at least," Tanner sizes Noah up as if searching for signs of hidden wealth. But neither Noah's tray with little food nor his clothes suggest he has anything Tanner could profit from. However, Tanner always finds a way to get something. "So, what's your deal, Noah?" Tanner tilts his head. Noah watches him silently, a question in his blue eyes. "Are you a smart guy? A fun guy? A nice guy?"

Noah smiles as he exhales, "I'm just a guy," he says.

"Oh, a modest one?" Tanner replies theatrically.

"No," Noah objects. "Just a guy." There's firmness in his voice, though his face remains friendly.

I'm pretty sure Tanner noticed this too, but with the same derisive air, he depicts the inscription above Noah's head. "Noah... just a guy... who looks at the stars!" Tanner proclaims dramatically, smirking along with Rory. But he doesn't dwell on it for long; he clearly isn't done trying to pry information out of Noah yet.

"I'd go with 'smart', if I were you," Rory suddenly chimes in. "Cruz couldn't stop praising your idea with the egg."

Tanner grins, "What?"

"Well, so the bucket doesn't crush it," Rory explains. "Leighton made it."

Tanner laughs. "Are you kidding me? This is a task for preschoolers!" Rory joins in the laughter, but I don't react, and Tanner turns to me. "Leighton, are you a physicist now? Should I call you Einstein instead of Scarface from now on? Or... eggsaver?"

"What's wrong with his name?" Noah asks, sounding completely artless. Rory casts a quick, slightly surprised sideways glance at Tanner and seems barely able to stop himself from whistling. Either Noah is very naive or... I look at him, but I'm more concerned about Tanner's reaction. For a moment, Tanner's eyes narrow, and his mouth forms a thin, straight line. But before he can say anything, Tricia jumps into his lap, and Liam sits down next to Rory. Liam looks questioningly at Noah, then at me. I can't believe I have to do introductions now. But that doesn't happen, because after breaking the kiss with Tricia, Tanner says, "It's a guy from Detroit, Noah."

Liam nods vaguely, not grasping the context.

"Ah, you're the new guy on the track and field team?" Tricia asks.

"They just asked me to join," Noah answers hesitantly. "They said they didn't have enough people."

Tanner gasps, "Leighton, did you hear that? This guy steals your spot!"

"This is not my spot," I say.

Noah turns to me, "You were on the team?"

"I dropped out."

"Why?" Noah persists.

I shrug.

"Pity," he says. "I think we would've made a good team."

The guys exchange amused looks as if they've just witnessed a love confession. Even though I know that's not what Noah meant, it's not the kind of thing we usually say around here. That's why Noah's words feel somehow... special. And this once again stirs up some mixed emotions in me.

Before I even begin to sort them out, Tanner says, grinning broadly, "I thought we should throw a big welcome party for the new guy from the big city." We all understand where he's going with this. Everyone except Noah, I think.

"That's not necessary," Noah replies calmly.

"Oh, come on," Tanner perks up. "It'll be cool. Staring at the stars might be... I have no fucking idea how. But I can arrange for you to touch these stars with your hands," he says, flashing a grin.

"This guy sure knows how to party," Tricia says. "We have this cool spot," she says, turning to Tanner. "You're taking him there, right?"

"Exactly, baby. The best place in the world. Second only to your mouth," Tanner says. Liam rolls his eyes, pretending to gag, and Tricia slaps Tanner on the shoulder, looking pleased. Tanner then looks at Noah. "So come on over. Leighton knows where it is," he says, glancing at me. I keep chewing my sandwich, hoping my face doesn't betray any emotion. As usual. But something feels off now.

"I don't think I can," Noah replies. "But thanks for the invitation."

Tanner's eyes narrow again. I know his patience is wearing thin. That's never been my problem. It shouldn't be my problem now but for some reason...

As Noah gets up from his seat, I notice Tanner looks like he's about to say something. I deliberately raise my voice to draw his attention. "Come on already. My mother asked me to come home early. If you want to talk about anything, let's do it now."

I must have done something out of character because all four pairs of eyes turn to me. I realize my skin isn't as thick as I thought. But it works. Tanner gently pushes Tricia off his lap.

"What about the Winter Formal?" Tricia asks, wrapping her arms around his neck. It's clear Tanner doesn't want to argue with her now.

"A little later, baby," he says softly. "I'm preparing a surprise for you."

Tricia breaks into a smile. "It better be a good one!"

"Only the best for you," Tanner chuckles as Liam gags. Tricia leaves, and I get up from my seat with the firm intention of pulling Tanner away so he would forget about Noah. Fortunately, Tanner follows me out onto the street.