"How much are you offering?"

Wyatt didn't spare her a single glance. It was as though she was invisible to him, just another insignificant presence in the room.

Kilin's heart sank, a mixture of hurt and frustration bubbling inside her. She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay focused on the task at hand. She passed by Ross's desk and to her surprise, he took the book from her hand and whispered a genuine "thank you." Kilin couldn't help but notice that Ross had been stealing glances at her for a while now. It was a small gesture, but it made her feel a little bit better.

However, as she moved past Lance's desk, her path was suddenly obstructed. Lance had deliberately placed his foot in her way. Kilin's heart skipped a beat as she stumbled, her body jolting to regain balance. Laughter erupted from Lance, Kigen, and Myan, who revelled in her momentary embarrassment. "Haha klutz," said Lance finding it very amusing messing with Kilin.

Gritting her teeth, Kilin suppressed her emotions threatening to erupt, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break. With every ounce of strength, she steadied herself and turned away from the mocking trio and continued with her task, refusing to let their taunts define her.

Though her nerves were frayed she finished distributing books to the rest of the class and sat down.

***

Since it was the first day of school, in the afternoon most students were free to do whatever they wanted. Keele glanced at her as she half lay on her desk looking dejected.

"Do you want to go out for ice cream? I heard about this new place that sells great pistachio ice cream," she said and Kilin shook her head.

"Nah, my mum is coming to pick me up today. Aren't you going to get measurements for your new uniform," said Kilin and Keele's eyes widened. She had already forgotten about it.

"Fudge, I hope they haven't closed the office yet. If I don't get it done my mum will kill me," she said frantically packing up her stuff.

Kilin half sat up and watched her scurrying out of class like she was on fire. "Call me when you get home," yelled Keele and Killin waved her away.

She glanced at the almost empty classroom before packing away her things. She decided to go to the gate and wait for pick up there. As she turned the corridor leading to the stairs her body jolted when she almost bumped into someone.

"Watch it," she said before pulling at the strap of her school bag and walking past them but they called her name.

"Kilin," he said and she turned around and found Ross standing there with his lips pursed. Unlike Wyatt, Ross was slightly shorter with a faded haircut and a surprisingly approachable face.

Kilin instantly went on the defence as she took a step back. Ross noticed her vigilance and took a step back creating some distance between them.

He pointed at the small cake box and said, "Um... hi, um," he stammered, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"I, uh, noticed that cake. Would you mind... maybe, uh, selling it to me? My sister likes cakes from that place and they are already sold out for today. Can I buy it from you?"

Confusion danced in Kilin's eyes as she tried to wrap her head around Ross's request. She hadn't expected anyone to show interest in the small cake more especially one of Wyatt's closest friends.

"Sure," she finally said. She was going to give the cake to her brother but now she could earn a little more pocket money. "How much are you offering?"

Relief flooded through Ross's veins as he realised Kilin seemed to believe his story. Flustered and fumbling for words, he blurted out, "I'll give you twenty dollars for it. Is that alright?"

Kilin nodded, "Deal. Do you have cash?" She had paid fifteen for it and now she got to sell it for more. This was probably the only good thing that happened to her today.

Ross shook his head. "No, but I can make a transfer. Would you mind giving me your number? I can transfer it to you now?"

Kilin didn't mind. She also rarely carried cash. She took out her phone and let him scan her QR code. She handed over the cake box before turning to leave.

While walking away she heard a soft chime coming from her phone. It was a notification to accept payment.

Once Kilin left, Ross stared at the phone number for a while. He wanted to look through her moments but resisted the urge.

***

North West of the private school was a lavish park where students hung out sometimes. It had trimmed hedges, standing tall and lush green lawns sprawling out.

Wandering along the winding stone pathways, you would encounter lavish park benches thoughtfully placed beneath towering trees. There were rare and exotic flowers blooming abundantly, offering their captivating scents to anyone fortunate enough to wander among them. The vibrant colours and floral diversity were a sight to behold.

Lance and Myan were sitting on one of the benches playing games when Ross showed up with the cake box. He knew that Wyatt wasn't with them thus he didn't see a problem with bringing the cake there.

Lance glanced at him taking his gaze away from his phone screen for a short while. "Hey... where have you been?" he asked and Ross opened up the box while responding casually.

"I had something to do. Aren't you two heading home yet? The campus is kind of boring." He took the dessert fork that came with the cake box and started to eat.

Myan who had lost a game she was playing groaned frustratedly before she noticed the delicate box and half-eaten cheesecake in front of Ross.

"Isn't that?" she asked but soon she was distracted when Kigen and Wyatt showed up holding drinks.

"Ah, you are a star. I was so thirsty," she said while taking her iced tea from Kigen.

Wyatt handed Ross flavoured sparkling water and his gaze happened to brush past the cake he was eating. A faint light flickered in his eyes but it soon disappeared while he twisted the cap open.

He drank more than half of the sparkling water. With every swallow, his throat moved gracefully, bobbing in a captivating rhythm. The sun's gentle rays reflected off the sparkling liquid, adding a mesmerizing gleam to his features. Myan's hazel eyes involuntarily gravitated towards him, finding themselves captivated by the sight of his throat gently undulating.

As the sparkling water cascaded down his throat, she couldn't help but stare, captivated by its elegant dance. Myan's heart fluttered with a familiar exhilarating sensation, her fascination growing with each sip he took. She liked Wyatt but who didn't in this school?

"Wah... so handsome," she said but Wyatt glanced at her briefly.