Logan arrived at the café a little earlier than usual.
The morning air still carried that faint cold that lingered before the sun fully rose. Second Shift was already open, the windows glowing softly against the gray morning.
He stepped inside.
Marcus was already there.
Leaning against the counter while talking to Tess.
But the two seats near the window were empty.
Logan glanced at them briefly.
Still no Raxian and Sable.
Typical.
Sable was supposedly still recovering from being sick.
Logan didn't question it out loud, but something about it felt strange.
Raxian insisted she just needed rest.
But he wasn't sure if he believed that.
Still.
If Raxian said she was fine, Logan trusted that.
He sat down and ordered a drink.
Ava wasn't there either.
Not unusual.
She had cram school before classes started.
Logan rested his elbow on the table, absentmindedly turning his cup slightly.
He admired that about her.
She tried harder than anyone.
-
Later that morning, when Logan arrived at school, he didn't go straight to his classroom.
Instead he walked down the hallway toward Ava's.
The classroom door was open.
Inside, the room was almost empty.
Ava sat near the window with her notebook open in front of her.
Of course.
She was always the last one to leave.
Probably reviewing her notes again.
Logan leaned against the doorframe.
She noticed him almost immediately.
Her eyes lifted.
For a moment she simply looked at him.
Then she calmly closed her notebook.
Packed her bag.
And stood up.
Like it had been expected.
They left the classroom together.
The hallway buzzed faintly with the usual morning noise. Lockers opening, students talking, footsteps echoing across the floor.
Logan glanced sideways at her.
"How was cram?"
Ava shrugged slightly.
"They started advanced math."
Logan blinked.
"…already?"
She nodded.
"Mm."
Logan let out a small breath.
Yeah.
No.
He was one of the stronger students in school. Teachers often said he had a natural understanding for things. Information just stuck when he heard it.
But that didn't mean he was enthusiastic about it.
He studied enough to pass.
Sometimes more than enough.
But he rarely tried very hard.
Ava was the opposite.
She consistently ranked among the top students.
And Logan knew exactly why.
She wasn't doing it for recognition.
She was doing it for her future.
For her younger brother.
One day, when she had a stable career and a place of her own, she planned to bring him with her.
Away from their parents.
Logan never pressed her about it.
But he understood enough.
Her parents weren't exactly… safe.
At least verbally abusive.
And she suspected it could become worse eventually.
So Ava worked.
Harder than anyone.
Logan respected that.
They continued walking down the hallway.
For a moment Logan studied her quietly.
Her hair caught his attention today.
The purple color always stood out slightly under the school lights.
Usually it looked almost perfectly neat.
Like every strand had been placed deliberately.
Precise.
Careful.
But today he noticed something small.
A few shorter strands near the front.
Slightly uneven.
Almost like a crack in the otherwise perfect line of her bangs.
He found himself staring at them.
Almost absently.
Just as he thought that—
Ava lifted her hand and adjusted her bangs.
The strands settled back into place.
Logan kept staring.
He didn't really know why.
Ava slowed slightly.
Then she looked at him.
"What?"
Logan blinked.
Right.
He had been staring.
He shrugged.
"You had something on your face."
Ava immediately stopped walking.
"…what?"
She reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a small mirror.
Logan watched as she checked her reflection carefully.
Her expression focused.
Observant.
Precise.
Logan noticed small things.
The way she held her books against her chest.
The steady rhythm of her steps.
The way her gaze quietly scanned the hallway without looking nervous.
Always aware.
Always observing.
Calm.
Reserved.
She lowered the mirror.
"There's nothing there."
Logan shrugged again.
"Guess I imagined it."
Ava gave him a slightly suspicious look.
Then put the mirror away.
They continued walking.
Everything felt normal.
Exactly the same as always.
Yet Logan couldn't stop noticing things.
Small things.
The quiet sound of her footsteps beside him.
The way she adjusted her sleeve slightly when it slipped down her wrist.
The faint scent of shampoo when she moved closer.
Logan stared forward for a moment.
Then a strange thought crossed his mind.
It arrived so quietly he almost missed it.
Wait.
Does he actually…
Logan frowned slightly.
He glanced at her again.
Ava walked beside him like she always did.
Calm.
Focused.
Reliable.
And suddenly the realization felt uncomfortable.
Logan looked forward again.
He didn't say anything.
But the thought lingered in the back of his mind.
He didn't just like being around her.
He liked her.