"I'm hungry."
Liam slammed his thick history book shut, startling Elian.
Elian blinked, looking up from his notes.
"Already? It's only 11:00 AM."
"Brains need fuel," Liam grumbled, standing up and adjusting his glasses.
"Come on. If I don't get coffee in the next five minutes, I will bite someone."
Elian hesitated. "The cafeteria? But... there are people there."
"There are people everywhere, Elian. Unless you want to live in a cave, you have to deal with them." Liam grabbed Elian's wrist—gentle but firm—and pulled him up.
"Let's go. I know a table where the idiots don't sit."
The Cafeteria
The university cafeteria was a warzone of noise, food smells, and social hierarchy.
When Elian walked in behind Liam, the noise dipped slightly. People were still not used to this new, soft, angelic version of the "Campus Clown."
Elian kept his head down, clutching his cream sweater sleeves. He felt like a bunny walking into a den of wolves.
Liam led him straight to a round table in the back corner near the windows. Two people were already sitting there, arguing loudly about a magazine.
"No, Chloe! You can't wear velvet in summer! It's a crime!"
"Shut up, Milo. Fashion has no seasons."
The boy, Milo, had messy blond hair and looked like an energetic golden retriever.
The girl, Chloe, looked like she owned the place, wearing a sharp blazer and perfect red lipstick.
Liam dropped his tray on the table. "Move over. I brought a stray."
Milo looked up, a fry hanging from his mouth. "A stray? Who—"
The fry fell from his mouth.
Chloe stopped applying her lipstick.
They both stared at Elian, who was standing awkwardly behind Liam, holding his lunch tray like a shield.
"Hi," Elian whispered, his violet eyes shifting nervously.
"Holy Chanel," Chloe gasped. She stood up and walked around the table, circling Elian like a shark inspecting prey.
Elian froze. Is she going to hit me? Did I wear something wrong?
Chloe stopped in front of him. She reached out... and poked his fluffy sweater.
"Cashmere," she declared. "Vintage cream. Oversized fit. And no neon green in sight."
She looked Elian in the eye and smirked. "Finally. You burned those hideous leather pants, didn't you?"
Elian blinked, then a small giggle escaped his lips. "I threw them in the trash."
"Good boy," Chloe nodded approvingly. "Sit down. You can sit with us."
Milo finally snapped out of his trance. "Wait! Wait! Is that Elian? The Elian? Why is he so... shiny?"
Milo leaned across the table, his eyes wide. "And your eyes! They are purple! Real purple! Why were you hiding these behind those creepy black lenses?"
"I... I thought they were weird," Elian admitted softly, taking a seat next to Liam.
"Weird?" Milo scoffed. "They are magical! You look like an anime character! Can I take a selfie with you?"
"No," Liam and Chloe said at the same time.
"Leave him alone, Milo," Liam said, opening his milk carton. "He's just trying to eat."
Elian looked at the three of them.
Liam, the grumpy genius.
Chloe, the scary fashion queen.
Milo, the loud puppy.
They weren't mocking him. They weren't scared of him. They were just... normal.
For the first time in his life, Elian felt a warm feeling in his chest that had nothing to do with the soup he was eating.
"So," Chloe flipped her hair, looking at Elian. "Are you going to the Sterling Gala this weekend?"
Elian choked on his water. Cough. Cough.
"The what?"
"The Sterling Annual Gala," Milo said, stealing a fry from Liam's plate. "Your family hosts it every year. It's on Saturday. Everyone who is anyone will be there."
Elian's face paled.
The Gala.
In the novel, the Gala was a disaster. It was where the original Elian got drunk, insulted the guests, and...
And it was where the Blackwood Twins made their first public appearance.
"I... I wasn't planning to go," Elian stammered. "I don't like parties."
"Too bad," Chloe said, checking her phone. "Because the invitation just went public. And the guest list includes the Blackwood Family."
Clang.
Elian dropped his spoon.
"The... The Blackwoods?" he squeaked.
"Yeah," Milo grinned. "The scary Twins are coming. Kieran and Kaelen. Rumor has it they are looking for a business partner... or a victim. Who knows?"
Elian felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
Rule #4: Avoid the Blackwood Twins.
"I'm not going," Elian decided firmly. "I will lock myself in my room and fake a fever."
Chloe looked at him with pity. "Honey, you're a Sterling. If you don't show up, your grandfather will drag you there by your ear."
Elian slumped in his chair. The delicious lunch suddenly tasted like ash.
The Gala was in three days.
Three days until he was in the same room as the villains.
Maybe if I hide behind the chocolate fountain, they won't see me? Elian thought desperately.
Little did he know, hiding would only make the hunt more fun for them.
Elian looked down at his plate. The cafeteria spaghetti looked like rubber bands and smelled like wet cardboard. He poked it with his fork, losing his appetite completely.
"I can't do this," Elian whispered to himself, pushing the tray away.
"The noise... the bad food... it's too much."
He made a silent vow right there. This would be his last time eating in this loud, chaotic cafeteria.
Tomorrow,
Elian decided, I will cook my own lunch. I'll make something delicious, put it in a bento box, and find the quietest, most hidden spot on campus where no one can find me.
He smiled at the thought of a peaceful lunch under a tree.
He didn't know yet that his "quiet spot" was already occupied by a silent sleeper, and his delicious food would attract the rest of his chaotic squad.