THE ROSE

Chapter 2: Unspoken Tensions

The sun hung high in the sky as lunchtime arrived, and Tyra found herself slipping out of her last class, her mind still racing from the morning's events. She had done her best to focus, but Luka's unexpected glances had left her shaken. She wasn't used to attention from guys like him, or really, anyone outside her small circle of friends.As she made her way toward the courtyard where she usually sat with Peter, Sarah, and sometimes her brother Tygga, she couldn't shake the feeling of eyes following her. Paranoia was a constant companion, but she was convinced that today, it wasn't just her imagination."Tyra, over here!" Sarah's voice cut through the noise of the busy lunch crowd.Tyra spotted Sarah and Peter sitting under their usual tree. Peter was lazily leaning against the trunk, tossing a soccer ball in the air, while Sarah animatedly recounted something from class. Tyra smiled to herself-Sarah was always the life of their little trio, bringing energy where Tyra's shyness left silence.But as Tyra approached, she noticed someone else standing near their usual spot. Luka Whitaker. He was leaning against the tree too, laughing at something Peter had said. Her stomach dropped. Luka never sat with them.Peter spotted her first, lifting his hand in a casual wave. "Hey, Tyra! Come join us.""Y-Yeah," she stammered, trying to play it cool as she approached. Her heart hammered in her chest as she sat down beside Sarah, doing her best to avoid eye contact with Luka.Sarah nudged her shoulder, grinning. "Guess who decided to join us today?"Tyra didn't have to guess. She could feel Luka's presence like an electric current in the air. "Yeah, I see."Luka finally turned his gaze toward her, the same unreadable look in his eyes. "Hey, Tyra."She swallowed hard, trying to act normal. "Hi."Peter seemed completely oblivious to the tension that crackled in the air. "So, Luka's thinking of joining the soccer team," he said, tossing the ball at Luka's chest. Luka caught it effortlessly, spinning it in his hands. "Think you can handle it?"Luka smirked, the kind of grin that sent whispers down the halls. "I guess we'll see.""Oh, you'll definitely handle it," Sarah chimed in, her voice a little too eager. Tyra shot her a look, but Sarah either didn't notice or didn't care. She had been crushing on Luka since he'd arrived, and it showed.Tyra glanced at Peter, who rolled his eyes as if to say, here we go again. But Peter had never minded Sarah's obsession with Luka, not outwardly. He just seemed to find it amusing.The conversation flowed around Tyra as she sat quietly, her mind wandering to the previous year. She remembered when Luka had first arrived-mysterious, aloof, and instantly popular. It had been Peter who had first befriended him, despite the rivalry on the soccer field. Now, they seemed like unlikely allies."So, Tyra," Luka's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to find him staring directly at her again. "What do you do around here?"Tyra blinked, caught off guard. "Me?"He nodded, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah, you.""I-uh-I don't really do much," she admitted, her cheeks heating up. She wasn't like Sarah, who thrived in social settings. She preferred the quiet, the peace of staying unnoticed."C'mon, you're selling yourself short," Peter chimed in. "Tyra's amazing at art. You should see her sketches. She draws people and stuff."Tyra's eyes widened, feeling a rush of embarrassment. "Peter!"But Luka seemed intrigued. "You draw?""Yeah, just... sometimes," she mumbled, wishing Peter hadn't brought it up."You should show me sometime," Luka said, his tone casual but his eyes never leaving hers.Sarah, sensing the shift in attention, jumped in. "Tyra's really talented. I keep telling her she should enter that art competition next month."Tyra felt the heat rise to her face. Sarah was trying to help, but she hated being the center of attention. Especially in front of Luka.The lunch bell rang, and Tyra felt a wave of relief wash over her. "I should head to class," she said quickly, standing up and grabbing her backpack."We all should," Luka said, pushing off from the tree. Tyra didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on her as she started to walk away, and her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure what game he was playing, but she didn't know if she could handle it.As they walked back toward the school, Sarah fell in step beside her. "He totally likes you," she whispered in Tyra's ear.Tyra almost tripped over her feet. "What?""Luka. He was staring at you the entire time." Sarah wiggled her eyebrows, a mischievous grin on her face.Tyra shook her head furiously. "No, he wasn't. He was just being... polite.""Polite, my foot. I know what a guy looks like when he's interested. And Luka is definitely interested."Tyra's mind raced, trying to process Sarah's words. Luka couldn't possibly like her. He was Luka Whitaker-rich, confident, and way out of her league. But then again... he had been staring at her. And the way he looked at her made her stomach flip in a way she hadn't felt before.As they parted ways for their next class, Tyra couldn't shake the unease that settled over her. Sarah's words echoed in her head, mixing with her own doubts. Luka liking her? It didn't seem possible.And yet, for the rest of the day, whenever she passed him in the halls, she felt his eyes on her. That electric connection buzzed between them, unseen but impossible to ignore.But liking Luka wasn't something she could afford to entertain. Not with all the complications that came with him. His wealthy background, his overbearing parents, and the fact that Sarah, her best friend, was in love with him too.By the time the final bell rang, Tyra was exhausted. She had survived another day at Crestview, but she couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated.As she packed her things and headed out to meet her brother Tygga, who was waiting by their dad's truck, she caught one last glimpse of Luka in the parking lot, leaning against his expensive car, talking to a group of students.And for a brief moment, Luka's eyes met hers again. This time, Tyra didn't look away.