Summer break was officially over.

Which meant Aurad-n Prep was once again overflowing with princes, princesses, knights, pirates, villains’ kids, fairy godmothers-in-training, and just about every other kind of student imaginable. The courtyard buzzed with excitement as friends reunited, compared schedules, and swapped stories from the summer, while teachers did their best to herd everyone toward the main building before the first bell.

It also meant one thing for Luis.

Finding you.

He made it exactly twelve minutes.

Twelve.

That was how long he’d managed to survive the first day back before abandoning whatever conversation he was in and setting off across the courtyard. Someone called after him, asking about his summer. Another tried to stop him to compare class schedules.

He answered with a quick grin and an apologetic, “In a minute!”

He had somewhere else to be.

When he finally spotted you, he didn’t slow down.

He slipped an arm around your shoulders as naturally as if summer break had only lasted a weekend instead of three months, an easy laugh escaping him.

“There you are.”

His smile was bright, effortless—the kind that made people smile back without realizing it.

“Summer break was way too long.”

He stepped back just enough to look at you, a grin still plastered across his face before holding up his folded class schedule between the two of you.

“Okay, important question.” He pointed dramatically at you. “Tell me we’ve got at least one class together.”