Chapter Three

By the time lunchtime rolled around, I had managed to avoid Logan for most of the morning, though I could feel his presence looming every time I turned a corner. It didn't help that Tanya couldn't stop bringing him up, and I was more ready to focus on something—anything—other than him.

“So, Mal began, sliding into the seat next to me, a sly grin on her face. “Audrey, I gotta ask—what’s the change of heart?”

I raised an eyebrow, picking at my salad. “What are you talking about?”

Mal leaned closer, lowering her voice. “You know what I am talking about. Logan. I thought you had a crush on him. But now it is like you can't stand being around him.”

I froze, glancing at Tanya, who was busy scrolling through her phone. She didn't know. And she couldn't know.

I forced a laugh, playing it off. “A crush? On Logan? Please, Mal, that was ages ago. I am over it.”

Mal gave me a skeptical look, not buying my nonchalant act. “Uh-huh. You were practically swooning over him at the beginning of the year. Now you act like you’d rather jump out of a moving car than be in the same room with him.”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "It's complicated, okay? I just... don't feel that way anymore."

Mal studied my face for a moment, then leaned back, crossing her arms. "Is it because of his girlfriend? She's such a-"

"No," I interrupted, a bit too quickly. "It's not that. I just... grew up, I guess. Realized that Logan isn't all that special." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but I wasn't ready to explain the real reason. The reason that Logan's teasing wasn't just annoying was dangerous. If anyone found out about our family connection, my life at school would spiral into chaos.

Before Mal could probe any further, Tanya perked up, finally looking up from her phone. “Wait, what are you guys talking about?”

“Nothing important,” I said quickly, giving Mal a pointer look. “Just old news.”

Tanya raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. “Well, anyway, did you see that new guy? Everyone’s talking about him. He's some bad boy type. Kinda mysterious.”

I frowned, thinking back to the hallway this morning. “Yeah…… I saw him.”

Mal leaned forward, suddenly interested. “Wait, you saw him? What’s he like?”

I shrugged, trying to sound indifferent. “He didn't say anything. He just…….stared at me.”

Tanya’s eyes widened. “Stared at you? like, how?”

“I don't know. It was weird. Luke he was trying to figure me out or something,” I said shrugging as I recalled the intensity of the new guy's gaze. “It made me feel…. I don't know. Uneasy.”

Mal raised her eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Sounds like he's already got your attention.”

“Please,” I scoffed, shaking my head. “I barely know him. It’s just—he got this kind of look that made me wonder what he was thinking.”

Tanya leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspirational whisper. “Rumor has it he got kicked out of his last school. “No one knows why, but apparently, it wasn't for something minor. He's got a bit of a reputation.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Just what we need. Another bad boy at school.”

Mal smirked, nudging my arm. “Not that you mind bad boys, right?”

I shot her a look. “I am not interested in him okay? Let’s drop it.”

As we sat there, trying to shift the conversation to anything but Logan, the sound of laughter from the cafeteria entrance caught my attention. I glanced over, and of course, there he was Logan, arm draped casually around Madison, his girlfriend. She was all smiles, flipping her perfect blonde hair as they walked in like they owned the place.

Great. Just what I needed.

I quickly turned my head, hoping to avoid eye contact, but Mal caught on immediately.

"Speak of the devil," she muttered, smirking.

"Looks like your favorite person just walked in."

I scowled, keeping my eyes fixed on my tray.

"Can we please not?"

Mal chuckled under her breath but didn't push it further. Tanya, oblivious to my growing discomfort, glanced up and waved in their direction. "Madison looks so pretty today. Ugh, she's so lucky.

Lucky. Yeah, that wasn't quite how I'd describe it. Logan and Madison's picture-perfect relationship made them the envy of the school, but to me, it was just another reminder of how close he was—and how I had to keep my distance.

I kept my head down, pretending to be more interested in the limp salad in front of me.

Maybe if I focused hard enough, they'd pass right by without stopping.

Logan and Madison walked by without stopping at our table, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Finally, they were gone. I didn’t even realize how tense I had been until they were out of sight.

Mal noticed and gave me a teasing look. “Happy now?”

“Very,” I replied, still keeping my eyes on my tray.

Tanya didn’t seem to notice any of it. “Madison always looks so perfect, doesn’t she? I wonder how she does it.”

I nodded along, pretending to care, but inside, I was just glad Logan hadn’t stopped to talk to us. The last thing I needed was more awkward conversations with him and his girlfriend hanging on his arm. For now, at least, I could breathe easily.

As I tried to relax, I saw the new guy from this morning walking into the cafeteria. He looked around, his gaze landing on our table. My heart skipped a beat. Was he coming over here? What did he want?