18:25 — Outside the Main Hall, Post-Rank Update
The stairwell echoed with the rhythmic clink of Cade's boots as he descended, hoodie sleeves pushed halfway up his forearms, lollipop stick now tucked behind his ear like a lazy trademark. The boy had a kind of strut that wasn't arrogant—but definitely knew when eyes were on him. Which they were. Always.
And standing at the bottom of the staircase like some chaotic welcome party were the girls.
Zuri was mid-sentence with Tessa when she noticed him.
"Speak of the devil."
"And he appears," Alia muttered.
Cade spotted them instantly and offered the kind of smile that wasn't quite innocent and definitely not apologetic.
"Ladies," he said smoothly, drawing closer. "Heard there was a celebration happening around here."
Tessa beamed. Zuri crossed her arms.
"Do you know," Zuri said—pointing directly at him like she was accusing a suspect on trial—"that you jumped fifteen ranks this week? Fif-teen. Are you serious?"
Cade blinked. Blinked again.
Then smirked.
"No kidding?" he said, faux-surprised. "Huh. Guess the assessment gods were feeling generous."
"Oh please," Zuri scoffed. "You're not even trying to act humble about it."
"Should I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Seems like a lot of effort to pretend I wasn't built different."
Tessa squinted at him, clearly amused and mildly suspicious.
"You and Malik both shot up... except Malik acted like he didn't even study. You? You're giving... rizzed-up mid-villain arc."
Alia laughed under her breath, rocking back on her heels, arms folded.
"He's always like this," she said casually. "Let him cook."
Cade's eyes flicked to her. Just briefly. Long enough to clock the teasing glint in her eye and the way her smirk tilted slightly upward—like she wasn't trying to flirt, but accidentally was anyway.
"You did pretty good too," he said, nodding toward her. "Ranked up, didn't you?"
"Mmhmm," Alia said, sipping smugness like tea. "I'm coming for all of you. Just wait."
"Oh no," Cade chuckled. "Is that a threat?"
"A warning."
They locked eyes. It lasted less than two seconds but was loud enough to make Zuri groan dramatically beside them.
"Ugh, I can feel the tension from here," she muttered.
"They're not gonna kiss," Tessa whispered.
"They better not."
Cade clapped his hands together like he was done being charming for the day.
"Well, now that my rank's causing scandals and side-eyes, I should probably go find someone to gloat to."
"What, this wasn't enough?" Alia asked, raising a brow.
"Not even close." He grinned at her—just sharp enough to be trouble—and walked off with a lazy salute.
The girls stood in silence for a beat before Zuri sighed.
"Someone needs to knock that boy's ego back into orbit."
Tessa leaned over to Alia.
"You like him."
"I thought we were over this. No, I don't."
"You so do."
"I don't."
"Then why are you smiling?"
Alia blinked, caught. Then rolled her eyes and walked ahead.
"Y'all are insufferable."
"And you're in denial," Tessa sing-songed.
They broke into laughter and wandered toward the cafeteria, rank updates buzzing through everyone's screens—but nothing buzzing louder than the tension they weren't quite ready to admit.
---
18:49 — Northwest Girls' Housing, Common Room
It started with popcorn.
Always does.
The bowl was massive. Overflowing. Microwave-steamed and butter-drenched, sitting dangerously between Tessa and Zuri like neutral ground in a very pink war zone.
Alia was flopped sideways on the couch, hugging a pillow, watching them both like it was reality TV. Her tablet was open in front of her, the Rank board page still faintly glowing—but forgotten.
"You're blushing right now," Zuri accused, pointing a finger at Tessa, who was smiling like she swallowed a whole diary entry.
"I'm not blushing," Tessa said, flipping her braids over her shoulder. "I just—Malik's sweet. He's sweet."
"Sweet? The same guy who iced out half of House Argentum last term?" Zuri raised an eyebrow. "That boy is the color beige in human form."
"That beige boy ranked higher than you," Tessa said without missing a beat.
Alia snorted.
Zuri blinked, stunned. "Okay, that was rude."
Tessa grinned and shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth, chewing triumphantly.
"He's quiet," Tessa mumbled mid-chew, "but he listens. He remembers things I say."
"Like what?" Zuri challenged. "Your star sign? Your favorite lip gloss? Your hidden obsession with crime documentaries?"
"All three, actually."
Zuri groaned and threw a pillow at her.
Tessa ducked, laughing.
"You're just mad because you don't believe in love," Tessa said, dramatically hand-on-chest. "You're emotionally constipated, Zuri Takemura. Admit it."
"I believe in vetting people before catching feelings," Zuri replied coolly. "And y'all out here trusting bare minimum boys because they remember your coffee order."
Alia stirred on the couch.
"Cade remembered mine actually," she mumbled into her sleeve. Quiet. Too quiet.
The room froze for a second.
Tessa blinked.
"He what?"
Alia rolled her eyes, sitting up slightly. "Ugh—nothing. He just… noticed. It wasn't a big deal."
Zuri slowly turned toward her.
"Hold up. Are you seriously catching feelings for Cade?"
Alia fumbled, tugging her pillow to her chest. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't not say that," Zuri shot back. "Girl, no."
Tessa looked between them. "Wait... again? I thought you said you weren't interested after the arcade."
"I wasn't. I mean, I'm still not—" Alia paused, frowning. "It's complicated."
Zuri crossed her arms, frown sharpening.
"Complicated as in 'he almost kissed me twice and I'm spiraling' or complicated as in 'he gives off maybe-just-maybe sociopath vibes and I'm into it'?"
"You're being dramatic."
"You're being reckless," Zuri snapped. "Cade's my friend, yeah, but he's... shady. You don't know him, Alia."
That shut the room up.
Alia looked down at her tablet.
"I don't know anyone here," she muttered. "Not really."
There was a pause. The room cooled.
Tessa reached over and handed her the popcorn bowl like a peace treaty.
"Still," she said gently, "maybe just... be careful. We just got through assessment week. You're climbing, babe. Don't let a boy mess with your headspace."
Alia nodded once.
Then again.
She grabbed a handful of popcorn, shoved it in her mouth, and mumbled, "I hate how normal this feels."
Zuri snorted.
"You're spiraling. I like this version of you."
"Thanks," Alia said, mouth full. "Love that for me."
---
22:27 — Southwest Boy's Housing, Level C
The door slid open with a quiet beep.
Alia didn't knock.
Ajax was already at his console, shirt half-buttoned, reading files on a split screen with a protein bar in his mouth and several notifications pinging behind him. He looked like a mid-level executive drowning in top-secret stress.
"You're bleeding on my floor again," he muttered without turning.
Alia stepped in barefoot, hoodie half-zipped. Her head was still buzzing from drills, assessments, and whatever ghost memories had been haunting her since the stimulation.
"Am I?" she asked, unfazed. "Oops."
Ajax looked up. The way her hoodie sleeve was rolled up and her posture was hunched from muscle aches. He sighed the way only older brothers do—like her chaos personally added weight to his spine.
"Let me guess. You got into a fistfight with your own thoughts again?"
"...You seen the ranks?"
"I skim." A pause. "Also, one of your instructors messaged me about your cortisol levels."
"Oh my god, snitching on me now?"
"Your brain is overcooked. That simulation wasn't meant to be that intense."
Alia grumbled into a throw pillow. "I passed though."
Ajax stared.
Hard.
They sat in a silence that was weirdly comfortable, the kind that smelled like exhaustion and unspoken affection. Alia curled deeper into his couch. Her eyes flicked toward the screens.
"You still stalk students through these files?"
Ajax gave her a side-eye. "Monitoring. For safety."
"Suuure."
She swiped his tablet anyway, thumb-scrolling through encrypted names.
Cade's name lit her eyes up.
Ajax didn't stop her. Just watched her expression.
"Kenzie told me Cade's not what he seems," she said absently. "And Zuri said something about him getting timed out by you last term."
"Hm."
"Hm?? That's it???"
"He's trouble. But not stupid."
A beat.
"Keep your distance."
"Like, metaphorical? Emotional? Respiratory?"
"Alia."
"Okay, okay."
Another silence.
Then—like it was pulled from the depths of nowhere—she sat up, stared at him and blurted:
"Do you think Carmen likes me?"
Ajax blinked.
Then groaned and slammed his head back into his chair.
"Oh my god."
"I'm serious!"
"You're spiraling."
"I like spiraling!"
He rubbed his temples. "Go to bed."
"Not until you tell me!"
"You're worse than mom."
"That woman is a diva—"
"Go. To. Bed."
"Fine. But I'm taking your protein bars."
"Not the vanilla ones."
"Especially the vanilla ones.