Celestial Guardians: Uniting Dimensions (Celestial Guardians Series, #1)

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Jamaica's POV

The cafeteria hummed with life, the clatter of trays and the chatter of students weaving into an oddly comforting symphony. I squinted hard enough that I almost felt like a typical college student.

I stirred the lukewarm soup on my tray absentmindedly. My eyes scanned the bustling room. Nel and Kevin were at the far end of the table, engaged in what appeared to be a heated debate about something—probably who'd finish the reading assignment faster.

I sighed, propping my chin on my hand. Normalcy wasn't as easy to fake as I'd hoped.

"So," Nel said, suddenly leaning closer to me, his tray clattering against the table. "Are you planning to eat that, or is the soup offended by your existence?"

I rolled my eyes, shoving the tray toward him. "Be my guest. I'm pretty sure it's just water pretending to be food."

Kevin chuckled, but there was something off about his laugh. Forced. Distracted. I glanced at him, catching the way his fingers fidgeted with the strap of his bag.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Fine," he said too quickly, avoiding my gaze.

Nel and I exchanged a look, but neither of us pressed further.

The truth was, we were all pretending and pretending to be expected. Pretending we didn't have a target painted on our backs. Pretending there wasn't a storm brewing just beyond the horizon.

It was exhausting.

"Hey, have you heard about the new guy?" a voice piped behind me. I turned to see Maggie sliding into the seat beside Kevin, her eyes sparkling with the excitement only gossip could bring.

"What new guy?" Nel asked, already intrigued.

"Transferred from some fancy private school," Maggie said. "His dad owns, like, half the city. He's loaded."

"Great," I muttered, stabbing a piece of bread with my fork. "Another rich kid to remind us how broke we are."

Maggie smirked. "Not just rich. Gorgeous. Like, 'walks out of a magazine cover' gorgeous."

"Sounds exhausting," I said, but my curiosity was piqued. I glanced around the cafeteria, half-expecting this mysterious new student to make a grand entrance.

"Speaking of exhausting," Kevin said, his voice low. "We have that group project in philosophy tomorrow. You two ready?"

"Define 'ready,'" Nel quipped, earning a laugh from Maggie.

But Kevin didn't laugh. He stared at his hands, his expression distant.

I nudged him. "Seriously, are you okay?"

He hesitated, then finally looked at me. "It's just... everything," he admitted. "Balancing this—" he gestured vaguely, "—with, you know, everything else. It's a lot."

I nodded, understanding more than I wished I did. "We'll figure it out, okay? We're here for you, Kev!" I said, my voice firm. "We always do."

He gave me a small, grateful smile, but the tension in his shoulders didn't ease.

Before anyone could say more, the cafeteria doors slammed open, and a hush fell over the room.

I turned, my eyes landing on a tall figure strolling in like he owned the place. He had the confidence that demanded attention, his sharp features framed by dark hair that fell across his forehead. His suit—a suit in a university cafeteria—fit him perfectly, as if he'd been born wearing it.