Being his luna

2

Chapter Two

The dining hall was a whirlwind of noise—laughter, clinking trays, and snippets of conversations floating through the air. I stood near the entrance, gripping my tray and scanning the sea of tables for a quiet spot. Most groups were already deep in conversation, and I didn’t recognize a single face.

I spotted a corner table near the windows and made a beeline for it, trying not to trip over my own feet. As I slid into the seat, I let out a small sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep up the whole new girl blending in act, but at least I’d found a safe haven for now.

Or so I thought.

I glanced up to check my surroundings, and that’s when I saw him.

Professor Black.

He was sitting alone at a small table across the room, his attention focused on a thick leather-bound book. Even in the chaos of the dining hall, he seemed completely composed, like the noise couldn’t touch him.

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Shouldn’t he be eating in a faculty lounge or something? Seeing him here, in this casual setting, was strange. But what was even stranger was the moment his gaze lifted and locked onto mine.

Gray eyes met hazel, and for a heartbeat, the world around us seemed to fade.

I panicked, doing the first thing that came to mind—I quickly tucked my hair behind my ears and looked down at my tray, pretending the pasta salad was the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen.

Great. Real smooth, Ella.

“Hey, new girl!”

The voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. I looked up to see a girl with bright red hair and a wide grin plop down across from me, her tray landing with a clatter.

“Mind if I sit here? You looked a little lonely.”

Before I could respond, she was already making herself comfortable, her energy filling the space around us.

“I’m Harper,” she said, leaning in conspiratorially. “President of the debate team, queen of caffeine addiction, and your new best friend. What’s your name?”

“Ella,” I said, smiling despite myself.

“Nice to meet you, Ella. So, what’s your deal? New to Crestwood? Shy genius? Secret rebel?”

“Um, just…new,” I said with a shrug.

“Well, lucky for you, you’ve found the perfect person to show you the ropes,” Harper declared. “Stick with me, and you’ll be fine.”

As she launched into a monologue about the best coffee spots on campus and the weird traditions of Crestwood’s debate team, I found myself relaxing for the first time all day.

But I couldn’t resist stealing one last glance at Professor Black. He was still there, still watching, his expression unreadable.

And in that moment, I knew my first day at Crestwood was going to be far more complicated than I’d expected.