(Noah's POV)
Westbridge High was loud that morning. Not in the way of slamming lockers or teachers shouting down hallways just buzzing. Rumors had a way of sticking to the walls of this place, like gum under a desk. Noah usually didn't notice. He stayed out of it, buried in textbooks and scholarship deadlines, floating just above the teenage nonsense that everyone else seemed addicted to. But that morning, the buzz had a new name. Axel Rowe. Noah didn't even look up at first. He was solving an equation in the margins of his notebook, waiting for the bell to ring and the day to begin. But when the classroom door opened, something shifted in the room. A tension, like the collective inhale of an audience waiting for the curtain to rise. Whispers followed. "That's him." "The new guy." "The one from Brookline." "Didn't he fight a teacher?" "Got expelled. Twice."
Noah finally glanced up. Axel walked in like he didn't hear any of it. Like none of it mattered. He wore a black hoodie, a backpack slung across one shoulder, and his brown, curly hair looked like he hadn't bothered to brush it on purpose. His eyes were half-lidded, bored, as if even existing here was beneath him. And then he sat down. Right behind Noah. Noah stiffened. He wasn't used to people choosing the seat behind him. Most people knew not to get in his space. He turned around, mostly to size this kid up. What kind of person strolls into a classroom like a ghost of chaos and sits directly behind someone who actually gives a damn? "You won't survive a day here," Noah said before he could stop himself. The words weren't a threat. More like a test. A warning. Axel didn't even blink. He just tilted his head and gave Noah a slow, tired smirk. "I'd love to prove you wrong." Noah stared at him, thrown. That wasn't the response he expected. And somehow, it stuck with him. That week, Axel became a walking headline. People made space for him in the halls, whispered about him between classes, speculated on his past like it was a group project. Noah tried not to care. But he watched.
From a distance. From behind books. From across the room. In the cafeteria, Axel didn't sit alone like Noah expected. Instead, he found himself at Jasmine's table the loud, chaotic group that always had stories to tell and drama to stir. Among them, Jasmine herself and Xavier-with-a-J seemed especially close to Axel. They shared inside jokes and laughs that felt too easy for someone supposedly so guarded. Noah watched Axel laugh. A real laugh. Head thrown back, hand over his mouth like he wasn't used to the sound. And something twisted in Noah's chest. He told himself it wasn't real. Just curiosity. But then came the party. Noah hadn't planned on drinking. He just wanted to fit in for once. But the buzz got ahead of him too many sips, too fast, too loud. And somewhere between bad decisions and the spinning floor, Axel was there. He remembered Axel's arm slipping under his to help him walk, remembered a car door slamming, and the way Axel muttered something to the driver. And then... A quiet cab ride. Noah half-asleep, leaning against Axel's shoulder without realizing it until Axel shifted slightly but didn't push him off. Noah had mumbled something then. He couldn't remember what. Maybe it was nonsense. Maybe it was honest. All he remembered was the feeling: safe. Warm. Like Axel wasn't as cold as he acted.
Noah had never let himself feel anything like that. Not for a boy like him. But that night lingered and then came classroom duty. Mr. Langford had read out the names that morning: "Axel Rowe. Noah Foster." Noah swore the universe was laughing at him. After school, he walked into Room 3B expecting the usual awkward silence. Instead, Axel was already there, tossing his bag into a corner. "Didn't think you'd show," Noah said, trying to sound bored. "I'm responsible now," Axel muttered. "Didn't you hear?" They cleaned in silence. Noah organized folders while Axel wiped down whiteboards. Every now and then, Noah glanced up, only to find Axel already watching him. Neither said anything about it. Then the paper ball flew through the door. Noah didn't even see it coming. Just a blur, and suddenly Axel was in front of him, arm across his chest, shielding him. They stumbled. Fell. The air whooshed out of Noah's lungs as he hit the floor Axel above him, one hand planted beside Noah's head. Their faces were inches apart. Noah froze. Axel didn't move. They stared. The world narrowed to a breath. Then Axel pushed himself up, face unreadable. "Sorry." Noah sat up slowly. "It's... fine."
But it wasn't. Nothing felt fine. Everything felt like static like something had short-circuited and was still sparking underneath. Later, Noah saw Axel with Nat, and even from across the hall, he noticed how red Axel's ears were. It made him smile. And that made everything worse. Because now, he couldn't lie to himself anymore. He was curious. He was interested. He was... afraid. Noah had plans. He had rules. He didn't have time to be confused about a boy who walked into school like a hurricane and made him feel things he wasn't ready to admit. But feelings didn't wait for permission. And Axel wasn't going anywhere.
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