The library was too quiet for someone like Brielle Kingsley. But here she was, tapping her nails on the wooden desk while Elijah Carter scribbled something in his notebook like the world depended on it.
She rolled her eyes. "Do you even blink?"
"No," he muttered without looking up. "I'm trying to focus. You should try it sometime."
Before she could snap back, loud laughter echoed from the entrance.
A group of boys strolled in, uniforms perfectly pressed, smugness worn like a second skin. Brian, the ringleader, spotted Elijah and smirked.
"Well, well. If it isn't our resident charity case," he sneered. "Still trying to tutor your way into the big leagues?"
Elijah stiffened but didn't respond. Brielle noticed his grip on the pen tighten.
"Must be fun being everyone's pity project," Brian continued. "Do they pay you in leftover lunch or just good ol' sympathy?"
"Back off," Brielle said sharply, standing up.
The laughter paused. Brian raised an eyebrow. "Relax, princess. Thought you liked chaos."
"I do," she said, flipping her hair. "But I prefer when it's not coming from insecure little brats with daddy's money and zero originality."
The room fell silent. Even Elijah looked up, startled.
Brian scoffed. "Wow. You defending him now? Didn't know you adopted strays."
Brielle stepped closer, eyes glittering. "Didn't know you still relied on playground-level insults."
Brian's smug face cracked. He muttered something under his breath and walked off, his crew following.
Once the tension faded, Elijah looked at her. "You didn't have to do that."
"I know," Brielle replied, sliding back into her seat. "But I hate bullies."
Elijah didn't respond right away. He just stared at her like she was a puzzle missing a few pieces.
And maybe she was.
She gave him a crooked smile. "Don't expect me to start singing kumbaya or whatever. I just don't like idiots with loud mouths."
Elijah chuckled softly, surprising even himself. "Noted."
But something had shifted. Neither of them said it, but they both felt it, unspoken, uncertain, undeniable.
And maybe, just maybe, they weren't as different as they thought.