Bound by Moonlight

A New Normal

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Avery and Ailee walked together down the narrow hall, still adjusting to the icy air that seemed to follow them everywhere.

They stepped into their first class—a history class—and sat next to each other. Their desks were near the back of the room, offering them a good view of everyone. The teacher, a middle-aged woman with glasses perched on the end of her nose, started the lesson without much fanfare.

Avery couldn’t help but glance around. The other students, though friendly enough, didn’t seem to be all that interested in their new classmates. It was almost as if they’d been expecting them for a while. A lot of them stared at Avery and Ailee with curious eyes, but no one spoke much.

Avery’s thoughts drifted back to the conversation with Ella earlier. The fact that everyone seemed to know them, even before they arrived, was strange. It was as if the town had been waiting for them. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

During lunch, Avery and Ailee sat together at one of the cafeteria tables, eating quietly. Ella joined them with a tray of food, sitting down across from them with a knowing smile.

“I guess you guys are settling in,” Ella said. “But just so you know, things aren’t always what they seem around here.”

Avery raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s a small town, and things tend to stay… quiet. People here know each other’s business, even if they don’t talk about it. But you’ll see—everything has its reasons.” Ella’s smile deepened, and she winked at them both.

Before Avery could ask anything else, her attention was pulled by a pair of familiar faces across the room. Caden and Ethen stood at the food counter, talking casually. Caden, the taller one with dark hair and intense eyes, caught Avery’s gaze from across the room. His expression remained unreadable, but he didn’t look away. Avery quickly turned her gaze back to Ailee, but she noticed the way Ailee was watching Ethen, her eyes slightly more focused than usual.

“What’s going on with them?” Avery asked quietly, nodding towards the boys.

Ailee looked up, her face flushing slightly. “I don’t know… but I think... I think Ethen keeps looking at me.”

Avery smirked. “Really? Well, Caden keeps staring at me.”

Ailee’s face shifted to a more serious expression. “I don’t know. It’s like... they don’t know why they’re staring, but they can’t stop.”

“I know what you mean,” Avery murmured, glancing back at the two boys. Caden was still looking at her, and this time, it felt different. He looked almost... intrigued, like there was something about her he couldn’t quite place.

Just then, the boys started to walk over toward them, their steps confident. Ella smiled knowingly as she saw them approach. Avery felt her stomach flutter a bit. Ailee glanced up at the boys, her cheeks still tinged pink.

"Hey," Caden greeted, his deep voice pulling their attention. "I see you two are settling in."

Avery tried to play it cool, but there was an intensity in his eyes that made her feel uneasy, yet somehow intrigued. "Yeah, just getting used to things," she replied, offering him a small smile.

Ethen, who stood next to Caden, was the quieter one. He looked at Ailee, his dark brown eyes filled with curiosity. “It’s nice to meet you both,” he said, his voice softer than Caden’s.

Ailee smiled, though it was a little more cautious. "Yeah, it's... nice to meet you too."

Ella leaned forward, grinning. "You two are in the same classes, right? You’re going to love history. Caden and Ethen will be in your classes too." She gave them a knowing look, as if she were waiting for something to happen.

The boys didn’t seem to react, but Avery noticed the way Caden’s gaze lingered on her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Ailee, on the other hand, seemed far too distracted by Ethen to notice. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same for her—if Caden had noticed something about her, something she hadn’t figured out yet.

“Well,” Ella said, breaking the silence. “I’ll let you two get to your classes. But just so you know, those two are... well, they’re always around. And they’re not exactly like the other guys around here.”

“Noted,” Avery said, glancing back at Caden, who gave her one last lingering look before turning to follow Ethen out of the cafeteria.

As the boys disappeared, Avery and Ailee exchanged glances. “What do you think that was about?” Ailee asked, her voice filled with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“I don’t know,” Avery replied. “But I don’t think we’re the only ones who feel like this town’s got something going on.” She glanced back at the door where Caden and Ethen had gone. "And those two... I don’t know, but I feel like they’re tied to it somehow."

Ailee nodded, looking more serious now. “Yeah, me too. Something about them just doesn’t feel... normal.”

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and the girls gathered their things, heading to their next class. As they walked down the hall, they couldn’t shake the feeling that this small town—and the boys who seemed so curious about them—held secrets they were only beginning to uncover.