Secrets

Chapter 2 - Coincidence

Sunlight filtered weakly through the blinds, casting pale streaks across the walls. The warmth did little to comfort Mia as she stirred awake. Her head throbbed from a restless night, her mind an endless loop of fragmented memories from the previous evening. The stranger's voice, calm yet commanding, echoed in her thoughts.

Mia groaned, dragging herself out of bed. She shuffled to the window and pulled the blinds open. The sky was a dull gray, thick with clouds that threatened rain. The sun, though present, barely made an impact, its light muted and uninspiring.

Her morning routine was automatic: brushing her teeth, tying her hair into a loose ponytail, and throwing on the first comfortable outfit she could find. Yet her mind was far from idle. She couldn't shake the events of last night—the fear, the tension, and above all, the boy who had appeared out of nowhere to save her.

Who was he? Why had he helped her? And why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

Mia shook her head, forcing herself to focus. It's over. I'm safe.

Dwelling on it wouldn't change anything. She grabbed her bag and headed out, determined to bury her unease beneath the monotony of another school day.

The wind tugged at her hair as Mia walked through the school gates. Students milled about, chatting, laughing, lost in their morning routines. She tightened her grip on her bag and kept her head down—until something made her look up.

Her heart skipped a beat.

There, walking out of one of the administrative offices, was him. Or at least, it looked like him.

His hair, a deep raven color, was styled differently, and he wore the standard school uniform with an air of indifference.

Mia's steps faltered. Was it really him? A new student?

She had never seen him around before, but maybe that explained why she hadn't recognized him last night.

Her thoughts swirled with questions, but they would have to wait. She continued toward her classroom, her curiosity simmering just below the surface.

Mia's heart raced as she entered her first-period class. Her gaze instinctively swept the room—and there he was, sitting in the very back corner, half-hidden in the shadows. His posture was relaxed, one hand propping up his chin as the other scrolled through his phone.

His expression was distant, as if he were a world away from the mundane hum of the classroom.

Mia's stomach twisted in knots. Is it really him?

She took her usual seat, but her focus was shot. Her eyes kept drifting to the back of the room, stealing glances at him. He didn't seem to notice—or care.

Her thoughts spiraled. Am I imagining things? Could it just be a coincidence?

But deep down, she knew. There was something unmistakable about him, something that had etched itself into her memory.

The chatter of students faded as the teacher walked in, attendance sheet in hand. Mia held her breath, waiting for confirmation. She didn't know what she expected, but surely hearing his name would settle the unease gnawing at her.

Yet as the roll call began, his name never came.

Mia frowned, her fingers drumming lightly on her desk. She scanned the room again, watching as the boy leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed. It was as if he existed just outside the boundaries of the classroom, present but unacknowledged.

The teacher continued with the lesson, oblivious, but Mia couldn't shake the growing sense of unease. Her curiosity burned brighter with each passing second. Who was this boy? How could someone so noticeable go unnoticed by everyone else?