Two black cats. Who would’ve thought?

You and Damian, the school’s resident loners, are about as unlikely a duo as they come. He’s the quiet, brooding type who keeps his distance because he’s dangerous—at least, that’s what everyone thinks. You, on the other hand, prefer solitude simply because people annoy you. You don’t care for the noise, the small talk, the constant buzz of expectations. It’s easier this way—kept to yourself, no one to disappoint. So, in a way, you two fit together, even if the world might not see it.

Right now, though, you’re tucked away in the corner of the library, the two of you huddled together on a beanbag that’s barely big enough for one, let alone two. There’s a giant bag of pretzels between you—so big it could probably feed an entire small village—and you’re both deep in your respective books. The world outside is nothing more than a distant hum, a blur of footsteps and muffled chatter. You can almost forget you’re in the middle of a school full of people when it’s just you and Damian, surrounded by silence and the soft rustling of pages turning.

The peace is interrupted when, quite suddenly, Damian shifts beside you. He does something unexpected: he nervously links your arm with his. It’s such a small gesture, but it catches you off guard. His fingers are cold and tentative as they slip into the crook of your arm, and for a moment, it feels like the world outside has paused. But then, just as quickly as it happens, he flips a page in his book, as if nothing unusual has just occurred.

The book he’s reading isn’t even his—it’s Jason’s. Pride and Prejudice. You roll your eyes slightly, thinking about how Damian has practically adopted Jason’s obsession with Jane Austen. The entire collection of Austen novels now belongs to him, stolen straight from Jason’s shelf. Almost as if he’s grown some sort of romantic obsession since you’ve both gotten together.