Riley's POV – Day Three
By the third day, Riley had learned that this school didn't change. Not in any obvious way.
The bells rang exactly when they were supposed to. Teachers rotated in and out like clockwork. Students walked the same paths, spoke the same way, laughed a little too loudly when they thought it made them belong.
But under the surface, it was off. She could feel it.
She kept to herself like always. Sat at the back of her classes. Eyes forward, but attention spread wide. No one really talked to her yet, and that was fine. She didn't want fake friendships or awkward welcomes. She just wanted to stay under the radar, observe, and keep her sense of control intact.
But today, something interestingly happened, It happened between classes, right outside the science wing in the hallway. Riley had sneaked out early to avoid the traffic, cutting through the quiet corridors by the back stairs. That's when she saw her....A girl. She wasn't exactly new, not really sure but seems she saw her the day before but hadn't gotten a good look. Today, though, they crossed paths. Close enough to register more than just features. Pale hair that catches the light too easily. Calm expression. The kind of calm that didn't come from nerves or confidence, but from knowing you didn't have to try. She moved like everything around her moved slower. Like she was in control of the space just by walking through it. Riley didn't stop walking, but her pace slowed. Just a little. Just enough to look without looking. Something about the girl feel off or it maybe something else. Not dangerous, Not threatening, But not ordinary.
Their eyes didn't meet. The girl didn't glance her way. Still, Riley felt that strange feeling again, like a light breeze had passed through her chest and left a shadow behind.Something she can't describe, not fear, nothing. Guess, It was curiosity. By her next class, Riley had mostly shaken the feeling, but the image stuck with her. Silver-blonde hair. Calm, careful steps. A stillness that didn't match anything else in this place. She sat by the window again during the last period. Notebook open, pen in hand, pretending to write something meaningful. Instead, she absently traced shapes into the margin. That same old symbol. Always the same one. Below, in the courtyard, she saw the quiet boy again. The one who always sat alone. Same hoodie. Same posture. Not slouched like he didn't care—but tense. Like he was trying to stay away, blending in the background, staying afloat from the activities around him.
He hadn't noticed her watching. No one really did. But she was starting to notice everyone. Because something here wasn't sitting right.And the edges of this place were beginning to feel too sharp.
Alex pov
Alex hated gym class. Not because he was out of shape, he wasn't. He'd been working out in secret for over a year now, sneaking into the orphanage's basement after hours or using the rusted pull-up bar near the basketball court when no one was looking. No, it wasn't the exercise that bugged him, It was the noise. The yelling, Shoes squeaking on the floor, the sound of the coach's whistle cutting through the air like a blade. It always made him feel like his nerves were one thread away from snapping. He kept his head down and did what he had to, no more, no less.
Today was no different. It was Dodgeball day. Because of course it was dodgeball, Alex stood in the back, hands on his hips, watching as the usual kids—loud, confident, oblivious took over the game like it meant something. He moved out of the way when the ball came near him, never quite letting it hit, but never catching it either. Just enough to stay away. Until one of them aimed straight for him on purpose.
"Hey, Reed!"
The ball came flying. Alex caught it without thinking. It surprised him more than anyone else. His hands burned from the impact, but he held on, facing the crowd. A couple people muttered something about luck. He didn't correct them, cos he thought so too.
The coach blew the whistle. "Nice hands."
Alex didn't respond. He tossed the ball toward the cart and went to grab water, feeling the buzz of adrenaline still clinging to his skin. He felt uneasy. Not in a paranoid way, more like… expectation. Like the air around him was waiting for something. He didn't like it.
After class, he sat on the bleachers by the edge of the field while others filtered back inside. His shirt clung to his back with sweat, and the sky above was that weird in-between gray, like it couldn't decide if it wanted to rain or not.
One of these days, he will stop being the laughing stock in the school. But not today, He picked up his backpack and headed back inside before anyone could call his name.