The bell chimed.
Jake didn't speak immediately.
That alone was suspicious.
Raxian slid into the booth, lighter than he'd been since sunday. Steadier.
Tess noticed first.
Bruce noticed second.
Ava noticed instantly.
Logan lifted one eyebrow.
Marcus leaned back slowly.
"…What happened," Marcus said lazily.
Raxian blinked. "What?"
Jake didn't look at anyone.
Bruce tilted his head. "You're not vibrating with rage."
Tess sipped her drink. "And Jake's not narrating the morning."
Jake shot her a look.
"I narrate responsibly."
Marcus smirked. "You're quiet."
"I'm thinking," Jake replied.
That was worse.
Raxian frowned slightly. "About?"
Jake finally looked at him.
Nothing dramatic, just assessing.
"Nothing."
Marcus leaned forward slightly.
"Oh no."
Jake straightened.
"It's Wednesday."
No one responded.
"Which means," he continued confidently, "I have three days."
"…Three days for what?" Bruce asked.
Jake grinned.
"By Friday, Quiet talks to me."
Tess blinked. "Quiet?"
"The transfer," Jake clarified. "Green tie. Silent assassin."
Marcus laughed. "No chance."
"No way," Tess added.
Bruce patted his shoulder gently. "You're chasing the impossible."
Jake pointed at them. "Doubt fuels me."
Ava said nothing.
Logan flipped a page.
Raxian rolled his eyes.
"You're insane."
Jake leaned back smugly.
"Watch me."
-
Jake intercepting Sable in the hallway.
"Hey Quiet—"
She walks past him.
-
Jake sliding into the seat across from her in class.
"So what do you think about—"
She opens her notebook.
Doesn't look up.
-
Jake trying again after school.
"Okay but hypothetically—"
She closes her locker.
Leaves.
No reaction, no acknowledgment.
It was like hitting on air.
-
By Thursday afternoon, Jake's grin had tightened slightly at the edges.
Raxian didn't comment.
He didn't need to.
-
Bruce stabbed his fork into something unidentifiable.
"So," he said casually, "have you given up yet?"
Jake glared at him.
"Absolutely not."
Tess raised an eyebrow. "She hasn't said a single word to you."
"That's strategy."
Marcus smirked. "Whose?"
Jake ignored him.
Raxian's gaze drifted past the cafeteria windows.
Upward.
The rooftop access door had a habit of not closing fully.
Most people didn't bother climbing up there.
Too much effort.
Too little audience.
But he'd seen her go up there twice this week.
Alone.
Now, through the high window near the ceiling, he could just barely see the edge of movement.
Green tie.
Dark silhouette against sky.
Sable sat on the rooftop ledge, one knee drawn up.
Existing above the noise.
Jake followed Raxian's line of sight.
Then looked back at him.
That moment from Tuesday replayed in his head.
The hallway.
The way she stopped.
The way she spoke to Rax.
The way Rax didn't brush her off.
That wasn't random.
That wasn't nothing.
No.
That didn't sit right.
Jake pushed his tray forward abruptly.
"Gym."
Bruce blinked. "We still have ten minutes."
"Perfect."
Tess narrowed her eyes slightly.
Marcus leaned back slowly, interest sharpening.
Raxian didn't look away from the rooftop.
He already knew.
Jake wasn't done.
-
Bright lights.
Polished floor.
Half the class half-trying.
The teacher blew a whistle.
Jake stretched theatrically.
Then turned toward Raxian.
"Race."
Raxian blinked. "What?"
"Across the court. Full sprint. Touch the wall. Back."
"That's not even a real—"
"In front of everyone," Jake added loudly.
Some heads turned.
Including—
Sable's.
She didn't move.
Just looked over briefly.
Jake pointed subtly.
"If I win, she talks to me."
Raxian stared at him.
"That's not how that works."
"Are you scared?"
That word again.
Raxian's eyes narrowed.
Before he could answer—
"I'll run."
Logan.
The entire gym paused.
Bruce choked on air from the sidelines.
"You?"
Tess blinked. "You don't ever participate voluntarily."
Ava didn't react.
She already knew.
Logan stepped forward calmly.
Pulled off his headset.
Set it aside.
Jake laughed. "Okay, sure. Make it interesting."
Three at the line.
Jake.
Raxian.
Logan.
Whistle.
Jake exploded forward.
Raxian matched him.
Logan—
Didn't look fast.
Until he moved.
Silent acceleration.
Effortless.
By the halfway mark, he was already ahead.
By the wall—
It wasn't close.
He touched, turned finished.
Several steps ahead.
No heavy breathing, just calm.
The gym erupted in confused noise.
Jake stared.
"What."
Bruce clapped slowly.
"Well. That was humbling."
Tess crossed her arms. "He doesn't seem like the physical type, does he?"
Ava finally spoke.
"You don't know Logan."
Logan picked up his headset.
Looked at Jake once.
Then at Raxian.
Then walked back to the sidelines.
Sable had already looked away.
Like none of it mattered.
Jake stood there.
Processing.
Raxian exhaled through his nose.
For once—
He wasn't the one being challenged.
And for once—
The center of attention wasn't on either of them.