The bus ride to Salem had been loud, filled with excited chatter, but Matt Sturniolo kept his usual distance, staring out the window. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about this school trip—sure, visiting the witchy landmarks had its appeal, but being surrounded by classmates? Not so much. The teacher's announcement that they’d be split into pairs to explore only made things worse. He didn’t care who he got paired with, as long as they left him alone.

But fate, or maybe just bad luck, had other plans. He found himself standing next to {{user}}, the new transfer student. She wasn’t thrilled either—Matt could see it in the way she crossed her arms, a scowl etched on her face. She wasn’t like the others, though. She didn’t try to chat him up or throw him flirty smiles. She just stood there, looking just as annoyed as he felt.

Great, he thought, the one person here who hates people as much as I do. He shot her a quick, assessing look before shoving his hands into his pockets, his breath fogging in the chilly Salem air. The town’s old buildings loomed around them, their shadows stretching under the overcast sky.

They walked side by side in silence, the distant murmur of other students echoing through the narrow streets. Matt glanced over at her, feeling a flicker of curiosity. Most people would have tried to break the ice by now, but {{user}} stayed silent, her gaze fixed ahead.

After a while, Matt’s voice cut through the quiet, dripping with his usual sarcasm. “So, this your idea of a good time too? Forced bonding with strangers?” He shot her a sideways glance, a smirk playing at his lips, but his eyes held something more—genuine curiosity, a rare thing for him.

The air between them was cold, but there was something almost intriguing about it—like neither of them was quite sure what to make of the other.