CYANIDE - THE ACADEMY

KOTA AND LUKE

"Who's brother?" I hear an interested voice contribute to the conversation. Slightly startled, I look up from my great view of Nathan's face and see a man with hunter-green eyes, a matching green dress shirt, and khakis. He has black Converse on, white socks peeking out from within them, and an easygoing air about him that seems to immediately lighten the atmosphere.

Nathan grins, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "You, numb nuts. Jess loves Criminal Minds." The green-eyed man chuckles, his eyes sparkling even more at the mention of his sister.

"Very true. Sorry about intruding on your conversation. I'm Dakota Lee..." He extends a hand, his voice warm and inviting.

Giving the man a nod, I shake his hand, feeling a bit flustered. "Sabine. Uh— Sorenson."

Dakota nods back, a soft smile spreading across his lips. "Nice to meet you, Sabine."

"Same goes to you." I offer a smile of my own. "So, you have a sister?"

"Yeah, younger, though." His response makes me grin, and I feel a little more at ease. There's something calming about Dakota's presence.

"Same here," I say, a sense of camaraderie blooming between us. But before I can say more, a familiar voice cuts in.

"Sabby, Karen is bullying me."

I roll my eyes, already feeling the exasperation building. "Speak of the devil... How so? She isn't even in our class?"

"Through the phone!" comes the dramatic response.

"Then stop looking at your damn- darn phone!" I snap, my patience wearing thin.

"But I'm watching cute animal TikToks!" she protests, her voice tinged with a childish whine.

"Not my dam- SHI- freaking... problem!" I blurt out, stumbling over my words as I try to maintain some semblance of decorum. Slowly, my brain registers the laughter bubbling up around us. I turn away from my idiot sister, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"God, is that how we look when we argue?" one of the boys asks, his voice filled with mirth.

"Eh," another replies, "we aren't as cute." The group bursts into laughter again, and despite myself, I can't help but join in, albeit quietly, the tension dissolving in the warmth of the moment.

"Hey! I'm cute!" another unfamiliar voice chimes in, brimming with playful energy. "Also, what are we laughing about? I want to laugh, too!"

I turn toward the voice and find myself staring into a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes, framed by long, beachy blond hair. The eyes draw me in—not just because of their striking color, but because they hold an intriguing mix of joy, discomfort, and sadness, all swirling together like waves beneath the surface.

Realizing there were more than just the boys present, the blond turns toward me with a shocked expression. His eyes glaze over for a moment, as if lost in a daydream, before he snaps back to reality, blinking rapidly. "I-I'm so sorry—"

"Hey!" I interrupt, flashing a reassuring smile. "It's alright! You're always welcome to join in on the fun." I gesture toward my sister. "I'm Sabine, and that copycat over there is my twin, Sang."

He blushes, still clearly flustered, but manages a shy smile. "Luke... Nice to meet you, Sabine."

A brief, almost comfortable silence hangs between us before Nathan jumps in to fill it. "We were laughing at her and her twin," he explains, jerking a thumb in our direction. "They remind us of how we are when we argue."

Luke's smile widens as he glances between me and Sang. "Oh, well then, I agree. We definitely aren't as cute!" he says, laughter bubbling up in his voice, making the group break into chuckles again.

"Alright class," Mr. Toma announces, standing up from his office chair to commence homeroom. "Please be seated so I can start roll call." He smiles at us. It's fake, but it does the job just fine.

Everyone proceeds to sit, the new boys I just met surrounding me. I smile to myself: maybe this will lead to something good. A nice change of pace.

"Great, thank you everyone. Now, I'm Mr. Toma, it is lovely to meet all of you. I will be your homeroom teacher for this year." He slowly begins to go over expectations this year for home room, such as remaining respectful of oneself and peers, turning in assignments on time, etcetera. My mind begins to wander as I watch him continue to scribble on the board. 

Searching for something to distract myself with, I start gauging the men I recently met. I peer across Nathan, seeing Kota's hunter green eyes scan the board and follow Mr. Toma's movements intently. He appears to be mouthing something to himself that I can't quite decipher. The pen in his hand was shaking rapidly as he processes the material we were being given. 

Then, I look at Nathan. His icy blue eyes are distant as he leans back into his chair. He is seemingly already bored out of his mind, much like me, and I feel butterflies in my stomach. I can't help but feel a connection to the red head, even though we had just met. 

And although I couldn't see him because he was behind me, I sense Luke's presence. I can also feel his hands twiddling with the bits of my hair that reach his desk. I turn to face him slightly, and he blushes, caught in the act. He looks me in my eyes momentarily, and I give him a nod, allowing him to play with my hair. Like a kid in a candy store, he grins, his hands digging back into my hair and twirling the strands.

Mr. Toma begins calling names, his voice carrying a sense of authority that pulls me back to the present moment. 

After a few names, I hear, "Sabine Sorenson?"

"Here," I answer, straightening up slightly. Sang gives a halfhearted "Here" right after me without even lifting her head.

The roll call continues, and I find myself glancing around the room. The boys I've just met, Dakota, Nathan, and Luke, seem to have settled in, but there's still that nervous energy buzzing between us, the remnants of our earlier exchange. I can tell they're curious about Sang and me.

And honestly? I'm curious about them too.