Avery's POV
Biology wasn't usually my favorite subject, but today felt… different. Mr. Axel had a meeting, leaving Miss Selena to cover the class. She moved with quiet confidence between the lab tables, adjusting microscopes and checking slides.
"Do you want me to show you how to adjust the focus?" she asked, leaning slightly over my station.
"Sure," I replied casually, moving my slide as she guided my hands.
It was simple. Easy. Normal. Nothing to overthink.
Throughout the class, she walked between tables, offering small bits of advice and encouragement. Jude struggled with his microscope, and she patiently corrected him without raising her voice. Thomas muttered under his breath about a mislabeled sample, and she quietly nudged him back on track.
I noticed how she handled each student differently—firm when needed, patient and lighthearted when the situation allowed. It was effortless, but nothing that seemed threatening or unusual.
After class, I stayed behind to organize my notebook. Miss Selena approached, holding a small stack of lab assignments.
"You want help with the report?" she asked.
"Uh… maybe just one thing," I replied.
We worked side by side quietly, exchanging small talk. Nothing serious. She mentioned a new lab schedule, an upcoming IT project, and even joked lightly about one of the students misplacing his slides.
By the end of the day, I had realized how easy it was to talk to her. It was comfortable. No pressure, no tension. Just… a normal interaction between two people who shared a common space.
After Biology, Spanish came next. Ms. Isabella guided us through a challenging set of verb conjugations. Avery's best friend Lila leaned over.
"You're quiet today," Lila whispered.
"I'm fine," I replied, glancing at the board.
Selena had mentioned something about checking another lab, so she wasn't in this class. It was just normal school—students talking, laughing quietly, correcting each other's mistakes.
History followed, and Mr. Liam had the class doing group exercises. I was paired with Jude and Thomas.
"Why do we even need to know this?" Jude groaned.
"Because it's history," I said dryly, trying to concentrate on the assignment.
We exchanged quiet laughs, and it felt… ordinary.
Even IT class, where Mr. Axel arrived later than usual, had a smooth rhythm. Students tapped at keyboards, code running across screens. Axel moved between tables, correcting syntax errors and explaining loops.
Miss Selena's earlier influence lingered in my notes, making it easier to organize my tasks. I hadn't realized how much I had already started to trust her guidance.
Gym was next. The field was noisy with students jogging, stretching, and trying to avoid Mr. Liam's strict gaze. Lila complained nonstop, while Jude attempted to sneak a break, only to be immediately called back.
I laughed quietly, shaking my head at their antics. Selena was nowhere to be seen—she had left for her next assignment—but her calm presence earlier in the day had made the chaotic rhythm of school feel slightly more manageable.
By the end of the school day, I was gathering my things when Miss Selena returned briefly to the lab to retrieve her folder.
"You did well today," she said softly, handing me a corrected lab report.
"Thanks," I replied, smiling faintly.
She offered a brief laugh at a comment I made about Thomas's mix-up earlier. It was light, easy, natural.
We walked toward the gate together, exchanging polite conversation about minor school matters. I didn't think much of it—just normal, friendly interaction.
From the staffroom, Axel watched silently. Every smile, every small laugh shared between Avery and Selena caught his attention. His jaw tightened. Austin leaned beside him, arms crossed.
"She's getting close," Austin whispered.
"I know," Axel muttered, tone sharp, eyes never leaving the two.
It wasn't just the small talk that made Axel uneasy. It was the ease. The way Avery's attention drifted naturally to Selena, the casual way she listened and laughed. To him, it was a subtle threat he couldn't yet define.
But Avery remained blissfully unaware. To her, it was just school. Just friendship. Nothing more.
As she waved goodbye to Selena at the gate, a gentle smile on her face, she had no idea that Axel's quiet unease and Austin's whispered warnings foreshadowed a storm slowly gathering in the background.
It was the beginning of something new—a friendship that felt normal, harmless, and light.
And yet, for Axel, every small gesture, every shared laugh between them felt like a crack forming in the careful balance of his world.