Ruling silverlake High

The fourteen table

The hum of the espresso machine and the sizzling sound of burgers on the flat-top grill usually brought me comfort. The local diner, The Greasy Spoon, was loud, smelled of maple syrup and cheap grease, and was entirely devoid of Silverlake Prep’s toxic atmosphere. Here, I wasn’t a "freak scholarship kid." I was just Aria, the fastest waitress on the evening shift.After the suffocating tension of my first day, I needed this. I needed to work until my feet ached just to wash the memory of Zander Sterling’s ice-gray eyes out of my head."Table fourteen needs a refill on coffee, Aria," Marge, the head cook, called out, sliding a fresh pot onto the counter."On it," I said, grabbing the pot and a clean rag.I smoothed down my faded apron, plastered on my best customer-service smile, and turned around toward the back booth. Table fourteen was tucked away in the corner, partially hidden by a plastic partition.But as I stepped closer, my customer-service smile completely froze.Sitting in the vinyl booth, looking entirely out of place beneath the flickering neon lights of the diner, were three boys in Silverlake varsity jackets. Landon Chase was casually flipping through a laminated menu, and another player I didn't know was scrolling on his phone.And right in the middle, slouching back with his long legs stretched out under the table, was Zander.He had changed out of his school uniform shirt, now wearing a simple black t-shirt that made his broad shoulders look even wider, but his varsity jacket was still slung carelessly over the back of the seat. He was slowly spinning a sugar shaker between his fingers, his eyes fixed on the door. But the moment I approached, his gaze snapped directly to me.A slow, victorious smirk spread across his handsome face."Well, well," Zander murmured, his voice cutting through the clatter of the diner. "Look who it is."

My grip tightened on the handle of the coffee pot so hard my knuckles turned white. My first instinct was to turn around and walk away, but I couldn't risk losing my job. I needed this paycheck.I forced myself to take three steps forward, stopping right at the edge of their table. "What are you doing here, Zander?""I'm a paying customer, sweetheart," Zander said smoothly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the sticky table. His gray eyes raked over my faded apron, my tied-back hair, and the cheap nametag pinned to my chest. "Is that any way to treat the elite?""The elite usually don't hang out in places where a meal costs less than their socks," I shot back, keeping my voice low so my manager wouldn't hear. "What do you want?"Landon looked up from his menu, giving me an apologetic, slightly amused smile. "Honestly, Aria, Zander dragged us across town. He claimed this place had the best fries in the state. I didn't realize you worked here.""He knew," I muttered, glaring at Zander."I have no idea what you're talking about," Zander said, his tone dripping with mock innocence. He tapped the rim of his empty ceramic mug. "I'd like a black coffee. And keep it coming. I plan on staying a while."I inhaled a sharp breath through my nose, fighting the urge to dump the boiling contents of the pot right into his lap. Instead, I leaned in slightly, tilting the pot. "You think you can intimidate me by showing up at my job? This isn't Silverlake, Zander. You don't own this block.""I don't need to own the block to own you, Montgomery," Zander whispered, his voice suddenly dropping its playful edge. The dark, possessive intensity from the classroom was back, flashing brightly in his eyes. He leaned closer, so close I could smell that same expensive mint and leather scent cutting through the diner's smell of grease. "I told you. I'm going to be everywhere you look."Before I could reply, a loud laugh erupted from the front door.

A group of three girls walked in, giggling loudly. At the front was toxic royalty personified: Chloe’s worst nightmare, Tiffany Vance, the captain of the cheer squad and Zander’s notoriously cruel ex-girlfriend. She was wearing a designer leather jacket and holding a tiny, expensive handbag. She scanned the diner with a look of pure disgust—until her eyes landed on the varsity jackets in the back corner."Zander!" Tiffany squealed, her expression instantly shifting into a bright, sugary sweet smile. She marched right over to the booth, completely ignoring me as she slid into the seat right next to Zander, pressing her shoulder against his. "What are you guys doing in a dump like this? I saw your Jeep outside."Zander didn't look at her. His eyes remained locked on me, his smirk returning. "Just checking out the local service, Tiff."Tiffany finally flicked her eyes toward me, her smile instantly vanishing into a cold, elitist sneer as she noticed my Silverlake nametag. "Oh. You're that new charity-case girl from AP English, aren't you? The one who didn't know her place."She reached out, casually knocking over the sugar shaker Zander had been spinning. It shattered against the floor, spilling white crystals everywhere right at my feet."Oops," Tiffany purred, looking up at me with fake sympathy. "Clean that up, will you, scholarship girl? And bring me a diet soda while you're down there."The entire back section of the diner went quiet. Landon stopped smiling, looking slightly uncomfortable. Zander just watched me, his gray eyes unreadable, waiting to see what I would do.I looked down at the spilled sugar, then back up at Tiffany’s smug face, and finally at Zander. They thought they could humiliate me on my own turf.I slowly set the coffee pot down on a nearby tray, looking Tiffany dead in the eye."The janitor at Silverlake might clean up after your messes, Tiffany," I said, my voice echoing clearly through the booth. "But here, if you drop it, you kick it. Or better yet..." I picked up the rag from my shoulder, casually tossing it right into the middle of their table, landing squarely in front of her. "...you can clean it up yourself. I don't get paid enough to deal with trash."Tiffany’s jaw dropped in absolute shock. Landon let out a low, muffled whistle.But it was Zander's reaction that made my heart skip a beat. He didn't look angry. Instead, a dark, dangerous, and utterly fascinated laugh rumbled in his chest as he stared up at me."Careful, Aria," Zander whispered, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying new fire. "You're playing with fire. And you're about to get burned."