The festival pulsed with energy—bass shaking the ground, neon lights flashing across the sea of faces, laughter and shouts tangled in the air. Aurora walked alongside her friends, five girls weaving through the chaos, Zara glued to her phone with a grin. “He’s here,” Zara announced, glancing up from the screen. “Come on, Zack’s waiting.” They slipped out of the crowded street and into a quieter side road where the music dulled into background thumps. Zack was easy to spot, leaning against a railing with his usual air of confidence, four guys standing around him. That’s when Aurora noticed Jaden. He stood slightly apart, brunette hair cut into a low taper fade that looked both sharp and casual. His eyes—brown, but catching hints of blue under the streetlights—found hers almost instantly. He didn’t look away. Instead, he let a small, knowing smile curve his lips before Zack’s loud greeting to Zara broke the moment. Introductions blurred together. Aurora barely registered the other names because every time she dared another glance, Jaden’s eyes were already on her. The group eventually wandered toward a patch of grass at the edge of the park, away from the lights and noise. Someone dropped a blanket, bottles cracked open, and cigarettes passed around. Smoke curled into the night, softening the laughter that spilled between gulps of alcohol. Aurora sat cross-legged, slipping a cigarette from the pack one of her friends offered, lighting it with steady hands. She drew in the smoke, exhaling into the cool air, watching the others drink with flushed faces and loud voices. She didn’t touch the bottles, though. That wasn’t her. Across the circle, Jaden leaned back on his elbows, watching her through the haze. Every so often their eyes would meet, and that half-smile of his would return, like he was in on some secret only the two of them shared. Eventually, he shifted forward, passing the bottle off to the guy beside him before sliding closer to her side of the circle. “You don’t drink?” he asked, his voice low, just for her. Aurora lifted the cigarette slightly between her fingers. “I smoke.” A smirk tugged at his mouth. “So you’re picky about your poison.” She shrugged, blowing out smoke. “Something like that.” Jaden studied her for a moment, his brown-blue eyes catching in the dim light, curious and a little amused. “Good,” he said finally, his tone softer now. “Keeps you out of the real trouble.” Aurora arched a brow, matching his gaze. “And you? You look like you’ve already been there.” That grin widened, sharp and slow. “Maybe I have.” The circle around them stayed loud and chaotic, but Aurora barely noticed. All she could feel was the magnetic pull settling between her and Jaden, stronger with every stolen glance and every word.