Between Class And Confession (Boys Love, #1 )

THE NEW SEATMATE

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break. Lance hurried back to class, taking his usual spot near the window. It was the best place to focus, with the gentle sunlight and a view of the school courtyard. Most of his classmates were still milling about in the hallway, laughing and chatting, but Lance had always preferred the quiet moments before class started.

He was about to open his notebook when Mrs. Castro entered the room, holding a piece of paper. “Alright, class, before we start with today's lesson, I have a surprise for you all—a new seating arrangement."

Lance's heart sank. A new seating arrangement? He had been perfectly content with his spot. Sitting alone at the back, away from any distractions, was how he liked it. But Mrs. Castro continued reading out the pairs, completely oblivious to his internal dread.

"Rivera and Santos."

Lance blinked. Santos? He turned his head, his eyes instantly landing on the most popular student in their class—Kai Santos. Of course. Why would it be anyone else?

Kai, who had been chatting with a group of friends by the door, shot Lance a lazy grin. “Looks like we’re partners now,” he said, winking before casually strolling over to his new seat beside Lance.

Lance tried his best to remain calm, but something about Kai's carefree attitude grated on his nerves. It wasn’t personal—Lance just knew that someone like Kai would be nothing but a distraction.

"Hey," Kai said as he plopped down into the seat next to Lance, tossing his bag onto the desk. "Guess we’re stuck together for a while. Hope you don’t mind."

Lance kept his face neutral. "No, it’s fine," he muttered, scribbling something in his notebook to avoid further conversation.

Kai leaned in a little, glancing at the notebook. "You take a lot of notes, huh? You must be one of those quiet geniuses.”

Lance stiffened. He didn’t like being labeled, especially by someone like Kai who barely knew him. "I just like keeping things organized."

Kai let out a low whistle, leaning back in his chair. "Must be nice. I can barely keep track of what day it is."

Silence hung between them for a few moments, and Lance was certain that would be the end of their interaction. But then, to his surprise, Kai spoke again.

“You know, I’ve seen you around. You’re always in the library after class,” Kai said casually. “You must really love studying."

Lance wasn’t sure where this was going. Was Kai mocking him, or was he genuinely curious? "I just like the quiet," Lance replied, his voice measured.

Kai chuckled softly. "Quiet, huh? That’s something I don’t get much of."

Lance wasn’t surprised. With all the attention Kai got, it was hard to imagine him ever having a moment to himself. Girls (and some guys) were always vying for his attention, and Kai always had a group of friends surrounding him.

But now, sitting next to him, Lance could feel the weight of Kai's gaze. For the first time, it seemed like someone was paying attention to him in a way that made him uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat.

“You know,” Kai began, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, “it gets tiring sometimes, being everyone’s favorite.”

Lance glanced up from his notebook, meeting Kai’s eyes for the first time. For a moment, he saw something different—something genuine, hidden beneath Kai’s playful exterior.

Before Lance could respond, Mrs. Castro started the lesson, and the moment passed. But even as he tried to focus on the board, Lance couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Kai Santos was far more complicated than he had originally thought.

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End of Episode 1.