crimson vow

Maya

Next day at school

The cafeteria felt louder than anywhere else in the school, like every voice in Black Hollow High had been crammed into the same four walls. Trays clattered, sneakers squeaked against the tile, and laughter ricocheted from table to table.

I stood frozen for a beat, gripping my lunch tray like a shield. Too many faces. Too many choices. My heart was already racing and my hands were starting to shake. I hated this type of settings.

Then I saw Sophie. She was waving from a corner table, her smile wide and warm like she'd been expecting me. Relief washed through me, and I hurried over without thinking too much about it, sliding into the seat across from her.

"Hey" I said, my voice almost shaking

"Hey yourself." She grinned. "I was starting to think you'd ditch me."

"Tempting" I muttered, eyeing the chaos.

Sophie laughed, the sound easy and genuine. "Yeah, this place can be...a lot. But don't worry, you'll get the hang of it." Sophie always looked happy and shiny, she had this radiance in her. Not like me who looks pale and anxious most of the times.

She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Okay, so, crash course in survival."

Her fork hovered as she gestured across the room. "That corner? Basketball guys. Loud, sweaty, and not half as funny as they think. Over there is debate club brains the size of planets, but you'll never win an argument with them. And then..." I didn't want to tell her the information was useless cause I plan on keeping to myself most of the time, but I couldn't shut her up, she sounded happy as she talked.

Her eyes slid toward the center of the cafeteria.

That's where the cheerleaders sat. Every one of them perfect hair glossy, uniforms hugging toned legs, laughter practiced like choreography. But they all orbited one person. A dark blonde girl who sat at the center of the table.

"Who is she?" I asked, suddenly interested

"Maya" she responded immediately

Even sitting, she radiated confidence. Her dark blonde hair caught the fluorescent light like silk, her posture straight as if she were always on stage. She didn't just sit at the head of the table, she commanded it.

"That's Maya's kingdom," Sophie whispered, her lips tightening. "She's the cheer captain. Half the school either wants to be her or date her."

As if sensing the attention, Maya's gaze lifted. Our eyes met for half a second, and I felt pinned, like I'd stepped into the beam of a spotlight.

Her smile curved, slow and deliberate. She was definitely used to the attention.

Before I could look away, she stood. The cafeteria noise softened around her, heads turning as

her heels clicked across the floor. I wonder how she did it so confidently without feeling like the place was closing in on her

Sophie groaned under her breath. "Here we go."

Maya stopped at our table, her perfume wrapping around us in a sharp-sweet cloud.

"You're new" she said smoothly, her eyes flicking over me like she was reading a label.

I nodded. "Yeah" at least my voice came out steady.

"I'm Maya." Her smile was bright but sharp. "We're always looking for fresh faces on the cheer squad. You should think about trying out, you've got the look."

The look. Whatever that meant. My throat tightened, but I forced a polite smile. "Thanks. I'll...think about it."

Maya tilted her head, her smile sharpening just slightly. "Do. It'd be fun having you around."

Her gaze lingered a second too long before she turned, but instead of going back to her table, she veered.

Straight toward him. I've been trying to avoid looking at his direction since I sat down

Kayden.

"She's so insufferable" Sophie said groaning.

He was impossible to miss, even in a crowd. He sat a few tables over, surrounded by a group of friends some loud, some joking but he wasn't laughing. He leaned back slightly, his dark hoodie loose on his frame, his golden eyes fixed on something invisible.

Even from across the room, he radiated a quiet kind of weight. Like he belonged, but apart.

The second Maya slid into the seat beside him, the group's energy shifted. Some of his friends grinned, nudging each other. Others fell silent, watching.

Kayden didn't move. Didn't look at her. His gaze stayed on the table, like she wasn't even there.

But when I risked another glance just a quick one his eyes weren't on the table anymore.

They were on me. Like he already noticed I was looking at him.

Dark, steady, unreadable.

My breath hitched, and I looked away so fast it almost hurt.

Sophie stabbed at her salad with unnecessary force. "She's shameless" she muttered.

I blinked. "Maya?"

"Who else? She and Kayden dated forever ago, but she's still obsessed. He doesn't bite, though trust me, she's tried." Sophie shook her head. "If she suddenly wants you on cheer, it's not because she thinks you can flip in the air. She just doesn't want anyone else on his radar."

The words settled heavy in my chest.

I also didn't want to be on his radar so she has nothing to worry about.

I told myself not to look again, but curiosity gnawed at me. The room around me blurred, but his presence was sharp, carved out of the noise like he existed in a different layer of reality.

"Kayden what?" I asked quietly, almost like I didn't want to know.

Sophie looked up from her tray. "Kayden Thorn. You'll hear the name a lot. The Thorn family owns this town, they're like royalty here and Kayden is their precious son. People talk about him."

The way she said it made me think people whispered more than they spoke.

Kayden Thorn. The syllables rolled heavy in my mind, settling there like they'd been waiting.

Across the cafeteria, Maya laughed at something, her hand brushing Kayden's arm. He didn't laugh. Didn't flinch. Didn't break his gaze.

And I couldn't shake the feeling that while everyone else treated him like a boy popular, mysterious, untouchable, what I'd just felt in that glance was something else.

Something darker.

And that's exactly what I'm running away from.