Silence & Smoke

Silence was never empty for Adrian Reyes. It was peace. It was control. It was enough. The morning air was sharp as he walked toward South Crest High — unbothered by the fact that the bell would ring any second. His strides were calm. Measured. Rules didn’t scare him. People didn’t either. He wasn’t late because he was careless — he was late because he moved at his own pace. Adrian adjusted the strap of his backpack as he neared the school gate A sudden collision. Soft. Quick. He stepped back, steady as ever, his hand automatically catching the girl's elbow before she could lose her balance. She looked up — startled eyes meeting his. “Shoot— I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you—” Adrian released her arm the second she stood straight. His face stayed unreadable — not cold — just quiet. “You should watch where you’re going,” he said, voice low but even. She blinked. Then — surprisingly — smiled. “Noted,” she replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You from here?” Adrian gave a small nod. “Cool. I’m new. Transfer student. Clearly starting off strong by bumping into people.” He didn’t respond right away — his dark eyes briefly scanning her. New face. Not from around here. Confident enough to talk. He respected that. “What’s your name?” she asked, genuine curiosity in her tone. Most people didn’t ask him things like that. They didn’t bother. But she did. “Adrian.” “Sienna,” she grinned. “Sienna Velasquez.” He gave the smallest tilt of his head — almost like a nod of acknowledgment — before walking past her. But for a split second — he caught her glancing back. And for the first time that morning — silence didn’t feel so empty.