Chapter 12: The Actor in the Hallway
By the next morning, the school was still buzzing. Rumors spread faster than data in the Cloudnet. Everyone was talking about Jack Lee — not the movie star anymore, but the new transfer student.
Apparently, he'd been abroad, filming for years. Now, for some reason, he was back — at their school, of all places.
Kael slumped in his chair, head resting on his arms. "This can't be real," he muttered, watching the classroom fill with noise. "What's next? A pop star in chemistry class?"
Juno, sitting beside him, was sketching again — probably Jack's smile for the tenth time this morning. "You're just jealous," she teased without looking up. "If you'd worked on your jawline instead of your sarcasm, you could've been the one making headlines."
Kael gritted his teeth. "Damnation."
The door opened. Every head turned.
Jack Lee stepped inside, in the same sleek black uniform, sunlight catching his hair. The teacher smiled too brightly.
"Class, we have a new student joining us today. Please welcome Jack Lee."
The room erupted.
Jack gave a polite nod, eyes scanning the class. When they landed on Talia, his expression softened — the perfect blend of confidence and charm.
Talia blinked, startled. She hadn't seen that face since last summer's family gathering — the one her father kept secret until now. And when realization struck, her mouth went dry.
No way.
Jack gave her a small, knowing smile.
The teacher cleared his throat. "You can sit there — next to Talia."
Kael sat up so fast he almost broke the desk. "What?" he whispered sharply, but no one heard him except Juno — who immediately smirked.
"Oh, this is going to be good," she whispered, practically vibrating with gossip energy.
Jack walked over, his steps quiet but confident. "Hey, Talia," he said softly, that voice smooth enough to sell dreams.
Talia blinked again, trying to stay composed. "Jack? What are you doing here?"
He smiled. "Our parents thought it'd be a good idea. Something about… spending more time together."
Kael's fingers twitched. Oh, great. Parental matchmaking. Just what this school needed.
Throughout the day, Jack was… perfect. Too perfect. Teachers loved him. Students worshipped him. Talia laughed more than she had in weeks — even if she tried to hide it.
By lunch break, Kael's mood had hit rock bottom.
"Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath, stabbing his lunch with his fork like it owed him an apology.
Juno popped down beside him with her usual sunshine grin. "He's kinda nice though! Polite, humble — and did you see the way he helped Miss Caren carry those files?"
Kael snorted. "Yeah. Heroic. Truly. Maybe he'll cure world hunger next."
"Don't be bitter, grumpy-face. Talia introduced him to us, didn't she?"
Kael didn't answer. He just watched as Talia and Jack approached their table.
"Hey, guys," Talia said, voice casual but her smile too practiced. "You already know Jack."
"Yeah," Kael muttered, leaning back. "The entire planet knows Jack."
Jack extended a hand, friendly but careful. "Kael, right? I've heard a lot about you."
Kael looked at the hand, then at him. "Can't imagine from who." He finally shook it — firm, but not warm. "Welcome to chaos."
Jack chuckled lightly, pretending not to notice the edge in Kael's tone. Then he turned to Juno, and his smile actually reached his eyes. "You must be Juno. You draw, right?"
Her face lit up like a hologram. "You've seen my sketches?!"
"Talia showed me some. You're really good," Jack said sincerely.
"Oh my stars—" she mumbled, grinning ear to ear.
Kael sighed. Of course he likes Juno. Everyone likes Juno.
The conversation drifted — Talia talking softly, Jack laughing at Juno's wild stories, and Kael sitting there, chewing on his irritation.
He mumbled something under his breath — low, sharp. "Crap."
Nobody heard him.
But the strangest thing was, for the first time in days, Talia seemed… lighter. Like the shadows in her eyes had loosened their grip. And though it irritated Kael to the core, part of him couldn't deny it — maybe Jack Lee wasn't all bad.
Still, something in his gut whispered otherwise.