Celestial: Fallen

Chapter 6-A Lunch Invitation and Unlikely Attention

"Hi! Is this seat taken?"

I turned my head, and there he was—Clayton, the university's golden boy, standing right in front of us. My heart skipped a beat. Did he really just ask to sit with us? I quickly glanced at Joshua and Leroy, both of whom seemed as shocked as I was.

"Oh, that seat's not taken," Joshua responded, recovering faster than me. "But I can't quite recall us sharing lunch before, Mr. MVP." His voice held a teasing edge as he flashed a cheeky smile.

"Sorry, forgot my manners!" Clayton laughed, his eyes settling on me for a moment, sending a wave of nerves coursing through me.

"I'm Clayton. I believe we're in the same year," he said, extending a hand to Joshua.

"Nice to finally meet you, Clayton! I'm Josh, and these are Leroy and Arwen." Joshua grinned widely, gesturing toward each of us.

"Hey!" Leroy added with a smile, clearly enjoying the surprise of having Clayton join us.

Clayton turned to Leroy. "Wait, I know you! Aren't you the one competing internationally in archery?" he asked, offering a handshake.

"Yeah, that's me," Leroy replied, clearly pleased to be recognized.

As they chatted, I felt increasingly out of place, like a wallflower sitting among social butterflies. My friends had always been popular, while I... well, I was just me. Good at blending into the background, struggling through math, and wondering why I was here in the first place.

"Hi, I'm Clayton," he said, turning his attention to me, hand extended.

I blinked and took his hand nervously. "Hi... I'm Arwen," I stammered, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks.

"Mind if I sit beside you?" Clayton asked with a disarming smile.

I nodded, quickly moving my tray to give him room. My heart raced for no reason. I didn't even have a crush on him—so why was I so flustered? I focused on my food, trying to calm my nerves, but I could feel Clayton's eyes on me.

"By the way, Clayton," Joshua said, breaking the silence, "I don't want to sound rude, but what's up? You usually hang with the varsity guys. Need something from us?"

"Hmmm... Not really," Clayton replied casually, his smile still in place. "I just wanted to get to know you guys better."

"Oh, is it me you're after?" Joshua teased, leaning in playfully.

Clayton chuckled, but his gaze shifted back to me. "Actually, I wanted to get to know Arwen a bit better. I've seen her around but never had the guts to talk to her until now."

I blinked again, completely taken aback. Did Clayton just admit that he noticed me?

Joshua, ever the mischief-maker, leaned in. "Oh boy! So what made you think Nick is no longer with Arwen?" His tone was dripping with amusement.

I quickly chimed in, not wanting this misunderstanding to go any further. "Nick is my brother," I said, taking a bite of my sandwich to cover the awkwardness.

"Your brother? Really?" Clayton seemed genuinely relieved, and I caught a subtle shift in his expression.

"So why did you want to get to know Arwen?" Joshua pressed, not letting up.

"I just thought it'd be cool to hang out sometime," Clayton replied, locking eyes with me again.

I felt my pulse quicken. "Uhmm..."

Joshua leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying every second. "Interesting!"

Leroy grinned as he munched on his fries, enjoying the unfolding drama without saying much.

Clayton's smile didn't waver. "Would you like to come watch our practice game this Friday?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

"Uhmm..." I glanced at Joshua, who gave me an enthusiastic nod. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Great! I'll see you there," Clayton said, standing up to leave. Before he walked away, he surprised me by taking my hand and lightly kissing it. "Thanks, Arwen."

I froze, utterly stunned by the gesture.

"I'll go ahead. See you around," Clayton said, giving a small wave before heading out.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Joshua's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I cannot wait to see Nick's reaction when he hears about this!"

I shot him a glare, my mind racing with everything that had just happened.

Later, in Trigonometry class, I was relieved to see Joshua already sitting there. But then I spotted Jaimes. To my surprise, he and Joshua seemed to be getting along, which was a bit unsettling.

"Hmm... babe, you didn't tell me you were partnered with Jaimes," Joshua said, pouting dramatically.

I shot him a look. "I didn't think it was important, and besides, you weren't here last class."

Jaimes chuckled softly from his seat, catching my attention. "What's so funny?" I asked, feeling slightly defensive.

"Nothing," he said with a smirk. "Just didn't know you had such a temper."

Joshua laughed loudly, drawing the attention of a few other students. "Oh, Arwen, I pity Clayton now."

Jaimes raised an eyebrow. "Why? What does the MVP have to do with this?" he asked, suddenly serious.

"Well, Clayton asked Arwen to come watch their practice game this Friday," Joshua replied, clearly enjoying stirring the pot.

Jaimes turned to me, his expression sharp. "Are we talking about the Clayton?"

I sighed, exasperated. "Why are you looking at me like that? You don't actually think Clayton asked me out, do you?"

Jaimes didn't answer right away, just stared at me for a long moment. Then, without warning, he said, "I'll pick you up after your last class on Friday."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

But before I could press further, Mrs. Duevan walked into the room to start class, leaving me to grapple with my racing thoughts as Joshua shot me a knowing grin.

Whatever!