The cafeteria buzzed with energy. Trays clattered, laughter echoed, and students gathered in familiar circles. Ryan walked in with his lunch, scanning the room for an open seat.
He spotted a half-empty table near the windows and made his way over, but before he could sit down, one of the guys already there looked up.
"This table's not for new guys," the guy said with a smirk, nudging his friend.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, shifting the tray in his hand. He was about to say something—maybe something sharp, maybe something that would start his first fight in Rosehill High—but then he heard a voice behind him.
"You can sit with me."
Ryan turned around.
At a table near the corner, one guy sat alone, his feet up on the opposite chair, picking at a sandwich. Messy hair, sarcastic grin—he waved Ryan over casually.
Ben.
Ryan stared for a moment, then walked over and took the seat across from him. He didn't say thanks, but Ben didn't seem to expect one.
"They're just insecure," Ben said, taking a bite of his sandwich. "New people freak them out. Especially ones that look like they don't care."
Ryan smirked a little. "Is that your way of saying I look like a jerk?"
Ben shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying—mystery's a vibe."
They sat in silence for a second, the kind that wasn't awkward. Just easy.
"I'm Ben, by the way," he added. "Resident comic nerd, future billionaire, and the guy who sits alone because he actually enjoys it."
"Ryan."
"I figured," Ben said, grinning. "Word travels fast around here. California, right?"
"Yeah."
Ben nodded. "So, what do you do when you're not staring at people like you're plotting their downfall?"
Ryan let out a quiet laugh. Just one breath. "Basketball."
Ben raised his eyebrows. "Alright, you're officially the most interesting thing to happen to this school since Mrs. Kline's cat got stuck in the vending machine."
Ryan looked at him, unsure if he was serious. He wasn't. But he liked that.
For the first time that day, lunch didn't feel like something Ryan just had to survive.