"All right," he muttered under his breath. "Let see who she really thinks she is." Ayana turned a corner, disappearing into the crowd. Carter's eyes gleamed with challenge. And from that moment on, he decided he would expose whatever truth the new girl was hiding.
The cafeteria at Silver Ridge roared like a stadium at lunchtime. Trays clattering, chairs scraping, conversations blending into one chaotic hum. But as Ayana stepped inside with her lunch, the noise seemed to shift, bending in subtle waves around her presence. She didn't look left or right. She simply scanned the room once quietly like she was calculating distances rather than searching for a place to sit.
Mila, a soft-spoken girl from Ayana's home room, waved her over. "You can sit with me," she said hesitantly. Ayana nodded, offering a polite, almost guarded smile before sitting down. "That tiny display of normaly, didn't last long. From the far table, the table everyone avoided unless they wanted trouble," Carter spotted her.
His smirk returned instantly. There she is, he said, lifting his chin. Little miss secret agent, Logan laughed. Bro, relax. She's literally eating a sandwich.
Yeah, Bryce added. And ignoring you again. That was the trigger Carter's ego never survived being ignored twice. He grabbed his metal spoon and started tapping it rhythmically against his water bottle. Clang, clang, clang.
The sound sliced through the cafeteria noise like a blade. Heads turned, students went silent one by one, knowing that whenever Carter demanded attention, chaos usually followed. Ayana didn't look up. That alone made Carter slam the spoon harder. "Hey," he called loudly, voice dripping mockery.
"Ayana, right? Our new K9 queen," Mila stiffened beside her. "You can just ignore them," she whispered. I know, Ayana murmured calmly, taking a bite of her sandwich. But Carter wasn't done.
Yo, new girl, he shouted again. Since you love dogs so much, should we bring you some kibble? Maybe a chew toy, or do you need a collar first? Laughter erupted around the room. Logan cracked up.
Bryce tried to hide his grin, but failed. Ayana didn't flinch. Her silence wasn't fear. It was precision. Mila noticed the way her jaw remained relaxed, the way her eyes stayed steady.
This wasn't someone who shut down. This was someone who chose restraint deliberately, and that restraint infuriated Carter. What? You too good to answer? He taunted.
Or is playing with dogs more your thing? Ayana slowly placed her sandwich down, wiped her fingers with a napkin, and looked up not at Carter, but past him through him like he was background noise. That expression, calm, cutting, unbothered, lit a fuse inside him. "Oh, hell no," Carter muttered, pushing away from the table. "She's not walking around with that attitude."
He stormed across the cafeteria, Logan and Bryce following behind like eager hyenas. Mila stood up. "Leave her alone," she protested, but Carter brushed past her. He reached out and snatched Ayana's backpack right off the bench. Ayana reacted instantly, her hand shot forward to grab the strap, but Carter yanked harder, pulling it out of her reach.
For a moment, their eyes locked, his filled with challenge, hers with a cold warning. He flipped the bag open. "Let's see what secrets our dog trainers hiding." He rummaged inside pencils, a notebook, some folded clothes. Then he froze.