Imogen's POV
He frowned slightly. "You know, Tom mentioned that, but I didn't really get it. How does it actually work?"
I leaned back in my chair a bit, settling into explanation mode. "Okay, so basically every month the timetable shifts," I said. "Apparently the teachers get tired of seeing the same faces at the same times constantly—don't ask me, it's stupid—but they split each grade into three groups."
He nodded, listening.
"And depending on your subject choices, the group you fall into changes. That's why when you're new, your timetable keeps changing—they're trying to figure out where to place you."
"Oh," he said, a small smile forming. "Okay, that actually makes sense."
"Yeah," I said with a small shrug.
Then he reached for the chair next to me.
Tom's chair.
I felt it immediately—this weird, tight unease in my chest as he pulled it out and sat down.
"Luke… that's where Tom sits," I said, my voice softer than I intended.
"I know," he replied easily, settling in anyway. "I'll move when he gets here. I'm just keeping you company." He looked at me and smiled. "Hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," I said, smiling back.
But something didn't sit right.
The empty space where Tom should've been felt wrong, like something had been misplaced. And sitting there, next to Luke, with Tom's bag beside me…
I felt uneasy.
Guilty.
Like I was doing something wrong.
Tom's POV
I made my way toward the principal's office, hands shoved into my pockets, already bracing myself for this shit. If Cassie was anything like she used to be, she'd already be there—early, organized, probably smiling like school was her natural habitat.
And yeah… I was right.
The moment I reached the office, I saw her stepping out, a timetable clutched in her hand. She looked… different, but also exactly the fucking same. Blue pleated skirt, white long-sleeve button-up, a neat pullover over it. And those glasses—still there, sitting perfectly on her face like she never even considered changing them.
"Tommy," she said softly, surprise flickering across her face the second she saw me. "I didn't think you'd come."
I shrugged, keeping my tone neutral. "Yeah, well… you're gonna need someone to show you around."
She smiled at that—genuine, warm. "You do know I know this school, right? Or did it change while I was away?" she teased.
"Not really," I said.
Her smile widened slightly. "You remember the time we snuck in and gave ourselves a tour? And all the seniors looked at us like we were little kids?"
I let out a small breath, something almost like a laugh. "That's because we were kids."
She giggled, and for a second it felt… familiar. Too familiar.
"What's your first period?" I asked, shifting the conversation before my brain could wander somewhere stupid.
"Oh—Algebra," she said.
I nodded once. "Come on, let's go."
We walked side by side through the hallways, not saying much, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Just… quiet. Heavy with everything we weren't talking about.
When we stepped into the classroom, every single head turned.
Yeah. Of course they did.
New girl plus me? That was enough to get people's attention. I didn't care—at least, I told myself I didn't—but I still felt the weight of it. My eyes flicked across the room automatically…
And landed on Imogen.
She was already looking at me.
Mrs. Greene glanced up from her desk. "Tom, you're late. Get to your seat," she said, dismissing me immediately before shifting her attention to Cassie. "Class, we have a new student joining us. Uhm—dear, please introduce yourself."
I didn't stick around for that.
I started making my way to my seat at the back, but halfway there, something felt off.
Wrong.
My eyes narrowed slightly as I got closer.
Luke.
He was sitting in my seat. Next to Imogen.
What the fuck?
I slowed down just a bit, my jaw tightening, but I kept walking. The second I reached the table, Luke looked up at me.
"Hey, man," he said casually, like this wasn't weird as hell.
"Hi," I replied flatly, watching him closely.
To his credit, he didn't push it. He got up immediately, stepping aside without making it a thing, like he already knew.
He moved to the table beside ours and sat down there instead.
I slid into my seat, the chair scraping slightly against the floor, my movements a little sharper than usual. My bag was right on the desk beside Imogen.
Right where she'd kept it.
I didn't say anything.
But I definitely noticed.