⸻

By lunch, Raine had almost successfully convinced himself that the night at Noah's apartment had been a temporary lapse in judgment. Three lapses. Technically. He did not need to think about that. The kisses had happened. Fine. They had both been stressed. Raine's life had been collapsing. Noah was offensively attractive. Things occurred. Science. Whatever. It did not mean anything.

Except Noah had been weird all morning. Not normal Noah weird. No stupid notes. No stolen fries. No Dracula comments. No tapping rhythms against desks. No sitting too close and pretending it was accidental.

Raine hated that more than he wanted to admit. He sat across from Maya in the cafeteria. She opened a container of pasta. Raine stared at his fries. Maya ate. Raine stabbed one with considerably more force than necessary. Maya continued eating. Raine stabbed another.

"You know," she said eventually, "the potato is already dead."

Raine looked up.

"What?"

"You're punishing it."

"I'm eating."

"You're conducting an interrogation."

He put the fork down.

"Happy?"

"Deeply."

Raine glanced toward the cafeteria entrance. Maya's eyes narrowed.

"Noah has class."

Raine immediately looked at her.

"I didn't ask."

"You were about to."

"I literally wasn't."

"Your face did."

"My face doesn't talk."

"Your face never shuts the fuck up."

Raine pointed at her.

"That was almost clever."

"Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"It is to me."

Raine leaned back. The cafeteria doors opened. He did not look. Maya looked. Then looked at him. Raine looked. Noah walked inside. Their eyes met again. Noah hesitated. Then changed direction. Not toward them. Away. Raine's expression hardened. Maya saw it.

"Okay."

"What?"

"That was weird."

Raine looked back at his food.

"Don't care."

"Lie."

"Maybe he finally realized I'm unbearable."

"No."

Raine glanced up. Maya shrugged.

"He likes unbearable."

Raine's mouth twitched. He stopped it.

"You're annoying."

"Family trait."

"We aren't related."

"Spiritually."

"Tragic."

Maya watched Noah sit at another table. Her expression changed. Small. Thoughtful. Raine noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're doing it."

"Doing what?"

"The creepy observation thing."

"I'm eating lunch."

"You're staring at Noah."

"So were you."

"Different."

"How?"

"I'm emotionally compromised."

Maya blinked. Raine froze. Fuck. She smiled very slowly.

"I meant—"

"No."

"Maya."

"No, no, continue."

"Shut up."

"You're emotionally compromised?"

"I will throw this fork at you."

"You admitted it."

"I admitted nothing."

Maya laughed. Raine hated that he was smiling too. Then his phone buzzed again.

MOM.

His smile disappeared.

Mom: 'Do not stay after school.'

Raine stared. Maya read his face.

"You want me to come home with you?"

He looked at her.

"What?"

"After school."

"No."

"Okay."

Too easy. Raine frowned.

"You're not going to argue?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No."

"Then no."

Raine looked back at his phone. His mother had spent years making home feel like somewhere he needed to survive rather than somewhere he belonged. Still. It was home. And lately, every time she texted him like this, some part of him expected to walk through the front door and discover— He stopped. No. She was alive. She had screamed at him yesterday. Cried. Called him— Monster. Raine's throat tightened. He locked his phone.

"Maybe."

Maya looked up.

"What?"

"Maybe come with me."

Her expression softened.

"Okay."

Then:

"Can I rob your pantry?"

Raine stared.

"There she is."

"I was worried about you for a second."

"Disgusting."

"Deeply."

Across the cafeteria, Noah looked at them. This time, Maya caught him. Noah immediately looked away. Maya frowned. Raine noticed. Again.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Stop saying nothing."

"You started it."

"Yeah, and I'm annoying."

"True."

Raine stole one of her breadsticks. Maya slapped his hand.

"Fuck off."

"There she is."