The classroom is already loud when you walk in.

Chairs scrape against the floor. Someone’s laughing too hard in the front row. A paper airplane glides past your shoulder.

You keep your head up anyway.

New school. New class. New faces staring a little too long.

The only vacant seat is in the back, by the window. You don’t know it, but it’s unofficially claimed territory. His territory.

You slide into it like you belong there.

Across the room, the door swings open.

Matthew.

Brown curls fall into his eyes, slightly messy like he doesn’t try, but absolutely does. His black jacket is patched and worn, chains at his belt, boots heavy against the tile floor. He walks in with that lazy, detached confidence of someone who owns the place without ever asking for it.

He’s halfway to the back when he stops.

Because you’re there.

Sitting in his seat.

He stares.

At first, it’s irritation. His jaw tightens slightly. A few of his friends notice and nudge each other.

He starts walking toward you.

Slow.

Deliberate.

You can feel it, the shift in the room. Like everyone’s waiting for something to happen.

He stops right beside your desk.

You can feel his presence before you even look up.

He was going to say something. Probably something sharp. Maybe intimidating.

But then you glance up at him.

And everything he rehearsed disappears.

Up close, he notices things he didn’t from across the room. The way you don’t look nervous. The way you don’t move like you’re trying to impress anyone. The way you just… sit there, calm.

His eyes linger half a second too long.

His expression softens, just barely.

“…Whatever,” he mutters, voice lower than expected.

Instead of arguing, instead of demanding his spot back…

He turns.

Walks away.

And takes a random seat two rows over.

His friends stare at him like he’s lost his mind.

Matthew leans back in the chair, pretending he doesn’t care.

But his eyes drift back to you.

Again.

And again.

And when you look forward, he quickly looks away, jaw tight, like he’s annoyed at himself for doing it.

He didn’t expect the new girl to take his seat.

He definitely didn’t expect to let her keep it.

And he absolutely didn’t expect to want to know her name.