Boys Like Him

I hated it

The cafeteria smelled like hot oil, burnt bread, and the faint tang of cheap sanitizer. I slid into the booth with Mariah and her boyfriend Nate, careful not to let my tray wobble. Mariah was already halfway through her salad, laughing at something Nate said.

I nibbled at a piece of sandwich, pretending not to notice the dozens of eyes that occasionally flicked our way. Cafeterias had a way of turning the mundane into theater.

"So," Mariah broke the silence, leaning back, "how were your classes today, kitchen witch?"

I snorted, careful not to choke. "Barely scaled through."

Mariah laughed, and Nate shook his head. "She's humble, isn't she?"

"Yeah, right," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Nate grinned. "That's Nyelle-speak for 'aced everything.'"

I kicked him lightly under the table. "Shut up."

I picked at my sandwich, trying not to notice the way other students seemed to drift closer to the center of the room, voices tilting upward.

"Mind if I join?"

I froze mid-bite, fork paused halfway to my mouth, and when I looked up... he was sliding into the booth.

Students paused mid-chew, trays suspended in mid-air. Conversations stalled, and a hush threaded through the hum of chatter.

Mariah's salad fork clattered onto her plate. Nate blinked at him as he'd just materialized from thin air.

"Uh..." Mariah's voice wavered, half-shock, half-wonder.

He leaned back casually, elbows on the table. "Hi."

My chest thumped like a drumline. "H-hi," I stuttered. I drummed nervously against the table.

"You always invite yourself to lunch, or is this a special occasion?"Mariah's voice cut through.

He turned. "Special occasion," he answered. "Saw Nyelle from across the room. Figured I'd save you from dying of boredom."

"Damn. Confidence on ten."Mariah responded.

Lloyd shrugged, stealing a fry from my tray like we'd been sharing food for years.

His fingers brushed mine when he took the fry. I swallowed. "You could've asked."

"Could've," he agreed, popping the fry in his mouth, eyes never leaving mine. "But you would've said yes anyway."

Heat rushed to my face. Cocky bastard.

Nate cleared his throat, amused. "So... This is the neighbor guy, right, my love?"

"Neighbor guy," Lloyd confirmed, leaning back but somehow still crowding my space. His arm stretched along the back of the booth behind me, close enough that I felt the warmth. "Though I'm thinking we should upgrade that title soon."

Mariah choked on her latte. "Oh, this I gotta hear."

I shot her a look. Traitor.

I swallowed hard. "Upgrading? To what?"

His grin deepened. "You tell me..."

Heat exploded in my cheeks. I wanted to shove him away, tell him to stop turning everything into a game. But part of me, the stupid, reckless part, leaned into it, craving the way his attention made the world sharpen.

The sandwich I had been holding suddenly felt heavy.

And I hated it.

I hated how alive it made me feel, how suddenly aware I was of every inch of myself, every heartbeat, and intake of air. And the worst part? I knew I wouldn't stop noticing him, not if he kept leaning in, enough to make the world feel too small. Mariah tried to fill the silence with nervous chatter, tossing glances between us, but it felt like static compared to the pulse of his presence.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I fished it out with shaky fingers, expecting a notification from Mariah. But it was him.

"Stop biting your lip. It's distracting. You really need to relax, cherry, we're just sharing fries...for now."

I froze. For now? My brain scrambled. Did that mean he planned to linger? Did he actually think this was casual?

I looked up. He was watching me with an innocent expression, except for the heat in his eyes.

I typed under the table. Then stop staring.

Can't. You're in my line of sight.

You chose the seat.

Best decision I made all day.

I pressed my lips together to hide the smile threatening to break free. Damn it.

Mariah leaned across the table, voice teasing. "You two texting each other? While sitting right next to each other? That's next-level."

I exhaled sharply, trying to mask the heat crawling up my neck. I put the phone down, trying to focus on my sandwich again, but the bite felt dry. I chewed slowly, painfully aware of the way he was leaning in slightly, elbow braced on the table, eyes flicking toward me now and then.

Lloyd chuckled. "You're cute when you're flustered," he said casually.

I wanted to argue, to tell him to sit back in his bubble of arrogance, but my voice caught in my throat. So I just stared down at my tray, heart hammering, wishing for the floor to swallow me whole.

The bell rang across the cafeteria, snapping the moment. He gave me a sidelong glance, that infuriating, knowing look, and stood up before anyone else could react.

"Hey," he called out, voice low but carrying over just enough to catch my attention. "You got a ride home today?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Mariah beat me to it. "Nope, she doesn't." She tossed me a grin like it was no big deal.

Lloyd's smirk widened, that infuriating tilt of his head that made my stomach flutter and my hands itch. "Sweet. I'll be waiting for you at the parking lot then."

The words were casual. Almost too casual. But the undertone made my pulse stutter.

Before I could respond, he tossed a wink in my direction. "Got some stuff to do. See you later." And just like that, he was gone, threading through the crowd with that effortless swagger that drew glances like magnets.

I lifted my hand automatically, giving a mechanical wave. My eyes tracked him until he disappeared through the double doors, and then, on instinct, I flicked my gaze back to the cafeteria.

A girl sitting two tables away, dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail, had her eyes fixed on me like daggers. Every line of her posture screamed irritation. My heart skipped a beat, confusion twisting low in my stomach.

I blinked. She was glaring at me. Why? My shoulders tensed, and for a moment I just stared, trying to find a reason in her expression.

I forced myself to look away, focusing on my tray, pretending not to feel the weight of it, but curiosity gnawed at me. Why was she glaring?

I chewed my sandwich slowly, glancing up discreetly every few seconds, half expecting her to get up and confront me. But she didn't. She just stayed there, silent, eyes like twin sparks of hostility, and I realized, with a sinking feeling, that I had no idea what I'd done to catch her attention.