Rose And Aaron : Shadows Of Rosewood

Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

Rosewood High buzzed with its typical Monday morning energy—a chaotic symphony of chattering students, slamming lockers, and the occasional shrill laughter echoing down the halls. Amid the clamor, Rose Graham, the school's soccer team captain and academic superstar, navigated the busy corridors with the grace of someone used to being at the top of her game.

She smiled and exchanged greetings with classmates, her confidence radiating as she moved. "Morning, Rose!" called out a junior from the soccer team, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Hey, keep working on those passes," Rose replied with a wink, her stride never faltering.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast, Aaron Martinez slipped through the same crowded halls like a shadow. The school’s resident computer whiz, he was more comfortable with code than with conversations. With his hoodie pulled up and his eyes glued to his phone, he wove through the throngs of students, practically invisible.

“Watch it, techie!” a jock barked as Aaron narrowly avoided a collision.

“Yeah, yeah,” Aaron muttered under his breath, not bothering to look up. His mind was already lost in the intricacies of a new program he was developing.

As fate would have it, their paths converged at the intersection of two particularly crowded corridors. Rose, engrossed in a conversation with her best friend Emily about the upcoming soccer tournament, didn’t notice Aaron until it was almost too late.

“Watch out!” Rose exclaimed, sidestepping just in time to avoid a full-on collision with Aaron.

Aaron looked up, startled. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t see you there,” he said, his tone more distracted than apologetic.

Rose raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. “Clearly. What’s so fascinating that you can’t look where you’re going?”

Aaron glanced at his phone, then back at her. “Just... stuff. You wouldn’t be interested.”

Rose crossed her arms, her eyes twinkling with playful challenge. “Try me. I might surprise you.”

Aaron hesitated, caught off guard by her unexpected interest. “Uh, it’s just a coding project. Nothing exciting.”

Rose rolled her eyes, but her smile softened. “You know, not everyone finds coding boring. Just because I’m all about soccer and school doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a good tech challenge.”

Aaron blinked, a bit taken aback. “Really? You code?”

Rose laughed, shaking her head. “Not really. But I’m not completely clueless either. My brother’s a software engineer. I’ve picked up a thing or two.”

Aaron’s curiosity was piqued despite himself. “Well, in that case, maybe you’ll get it. I’m working on an AI algorithm that can predict—”

“Whoa, hold up,” Rose interrupted, holding up a hand. “Maybe save the tech talk for after I’ve had my morning coffee?”

Aaron chuckled, a rare smile breaking through his usual serious demeanor. “Fair enough.”

Emily, who had been watching the exchange with amused interest, finally chimed in. “Well, this is a new development. Rose Graham, talking to Aaron Martinez about something other than school or soccer.”

Rose shrugged, her gaze still locked on Aaron. “What can I say? I like to keep things interesting.”

Aaron shook his head, still somewhat bemused by the turn of events. “Guess I’ll see you around, then.”

Rose nodded. “Count on it.”

As Aaron walked away, Rose felt a strange flutter in her chest—something she couldn’t quite place. She watched him disappear into the crowd, her thoughts lingering on their brief, unexpected connection.

“Interesting guy,” she murmured to herself.

Emily nudged her playfully. “Since when are you interested in techies?”

Rose laughed, shrugging off the comment. “Hey, everyone’s got their hidden talents. Besides, it’s good to know people outside our usual circle. Makes life more interesting.”

The bell rang, signaling the start of the first period. Rose and Emily hurried to their classes, their conversation drifting back to the usual topics of schoolwork and soccer. But in the back of her mind, Rose couldn’t shake the image of Aaron’s shy smile and the spark of curiosity in his eyes.

Across the school, Aaron settled into his usual seat in the computer lab, his thoughts inexplicably drawn back to Rose. It wasn’t every day that someone showed genuine interest in his world of code and algorithms—especially someone like Rose Graham.

As the morning classes dragged on, both Rose and Aaron found their minds wandering, replaying their brief encounter in the hallway. It was a small moment in the grand scheme of things, but it felt significant, a ripple in the otherwise predictable routine of their school lives.

By lunchtime, the school cafeteria was bustling with activity. Rose grabbed her tray and made her way to the usual table where her friends were already seated. She glanced around the room and spotted Aaron at a corner table, alone with his laptop.

“Hey, guys, I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” Rose said, her eyes fixed on Aaron.

Emily raised an eyebrow. “Going to fraternize with the techie again?”

Rose grinned. “Something like that.”

She made her way over to Aaron’s table, her footsteps light but purposeful. Aaron looked up as she approached, surprise flickering across his face.

“Mind if I join you?” Rose asked, not waiting for an answer before sitting down.

Aaron closed his laptop, a curious look in his eyes. “What brings you to the geek corner?”

Rose shrugged, taking a bite of her sandwich. “Just wanted to see what you’re working on. Plus, the conversation was getting a little too ‘soccer tournament’ for my taste.”

Aaron laughed, a genuine, warm sound that caught Rose off guard. “I get that. So, what do you want to know?”

Rose leaned in, her eyes sparkling with interest. “Tell me about this AI project of yours. In terms I can understand, please.”

Aaron launched into an explanation, his passion for the subject shining through. Rose listened intently, asking questions and making the occasional sarcastic remark to keep things light. The more they talked, the more they realized how much they enjoyed each other’s company.

By the end of lunch, a new, unexpected friendship had begun to form—a connection that felt natural despite their different worlds.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Rose stood up, smiling at Aaron. “This was fun. We should do it again sometime.”

Aaron nodded, his heart lighter than it had been in a while. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Rose walked away, her thoughts a whirlwind of excitement and curiosity. Aaron watched her go, feeling a strange sense of anticipation for the days to come.

Little did they know, their budding friendship was about to be tested in ways they couldn’t imagine. For now, though, they had each found something unexpected—a spark of connection in the calm before the storm.

_________________________________________

Author's Note : There might be changing in SoME names or there might be another few mistakes and I'm really sorry for that but I'll revise the story later😶😶😶. IF YOU guys find the plot hole please don't hesitate to tell me in the comments.
THANK YOU !!!