"So, you're new to Beacon Hills?" Rowan asked as they walked toward class.
"How'd you know?" Iván blinked, a bit surprised.
Rowan grinned. "Easy—I've just never seen your face around here before," he said, pushing open the classroom door.
"Oh, so you finally decided to show up," another voice called out from inside the classroom.
A girl with brown hair tied up in a ponytail sat casually on top of a desk, eyeing them.
"And that would be my nerdy friend, Charlotte," Rowan said, gesturing toward her with a smirk.
"Me? Nerdy? Please, you're one to talk," she shot back.
Hopping off the desk, she offered a friendly smile. "Anyway, let me properly introduce myself—Charlotte Jones. Nice to meet you. But you can just call me CJ."
"I'm Iván Vasilios," he said.
"Hey Iván, have you heard about the hiker found dead in the woods late yesterday?"
"CJ!" Rowan snapped at her.
"What?" she asked, tilting her head like she hadn't said anything wrong.
"A dead hiker?" Iván echoed.
Rowan sighed. "Yeah, it was all over the radio and the news. They're saying it was an animal attack—rare, but it does happen."
Ivan didn't know what to think, but for some reason, his mind kept drifting back to the red eyes he'd seen yesterday.
"But you should stay out of the woods," Rowan said, his tone hinting like he knew more about what was really behind the attack.
"Yeah, noted," Iván replied, remembering how that Chris guy had said the same thing—like the woods were hiding something.
"Hey, loser," someone said as he walked in, hands stuffed in his pockets and a grin on his face.
"Zack, what the hell do you want?" Rowan asked, clearly annoyed.
"Well, if my schedule's right, this is my homeroom. Lucky me—full of nerds," Zack said, then tilted his head when he noticed Iván. "Ah, you're the new kid. And you wear glasses? Another nerd."
"What is—" Iván started.
"Iván, don't mind him," Rowan cut in. "He talks like that, but he's actually a good guy not like that Jackson jerk."
Iván gave Zack a quick once-over, scanning him from head to toe. White hair, sharp blue eyes, and a wild grin that screamed trouble.
"Yeah, no need to butter me up, Rowan," Zack said, brushing past them. Hopping onto his desk, kicking his feet up, and settled in like he owned the place.
"Wow… he's something else," Iván muttered. "Are kids normally like this here?"
"Eh, not really," Rowan replied with a shrug.
Just then, more students began filing into the classroom, chatting and greeting each other as the room gradually filled with noise and energy.
The bell rang, but the chatter didn't stop—until the teacher walked in.
"Alright, students, settle down," Mr. Smith said, setting his bag on the desk. "I know it's the first day of school, and many of you have probably heard the news about a hiker found dead in the woods. But there's no need to worry—our sheriff is on it."
Just then, a new student walked into the room, and the class fell silent as every student turned to look at her.
She quickly tugged her hoodie up, trying to hide herself, clearly embarrassed by all the attention.
"You're late," Mr. Smith said.
"S-Sorry… I got lost," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Name?" Mr. Smith asked.
"Olivia Argent," she whispered, her eyes fixed on her shoes.
"Ah, Olivia. Yes, I spoke with your father. Take a seat," Mr. Smith said, gesturing toward the front row.
She gave a quick nod and hurried over, quietly settling into her seat.
Wow, Ivan thought. He'd never seen anyone so shy before.
Then he heard Rowan whisper to CJ, "Did she say Argent?"
"Yeah, I swear she did," CJ replied.
"Argent? Oh, then she must be his daughter. Well, once everyone finds out her dad's got guns, I doubt anyone's gonna mess with her."
"Now, since it's the first day, take out your notebooks and write down this table of contents," Mr. Smith said, turning on the projector to display his lesson plans for the first semester.
Once the bell rang, students began packing their things while the teacher reminded them textbook collection would start tomorrow.
As they filed out of the classroom, Ivan was about to check his schedule for his next class when he heard someone call his name.
"Yo, Ivan! Wanna hang out with us during lunch?" Rowan called out.
"Sure," he replied.
As he started to walk off, Ivan noticed Olivia standing by herself, glancing around with uncertainty. She clutched her schedule tightly, shoulders hunched, clearly unsure of where to go.
He hesitated, then walked over. "Hey, Olivia, right?" he asked gently.
She flinched slightly at the sound of her name and looked up through her lashes. "Y-Yeah…" she murmured, barely above a whisper.
"Do you need help finding your next class?"
She shook her head quickly, her voice barely audible. "N-No, it's okay. My sister was… supposed to help me…" Her eyes flicked anxiously toward the hallway, as if hoping someone would appear.
Ivan tilted his head and followed her gaze—just as a girl who looked a bit older, but clearly related, came hurrying toward them.
"Liv, I'm so sorry!" she said, slightly out of breath. Then her eyes landed on Ivan. "Oh— and you are?"
"I'm Ivan," he said with a small smile. "I was just offering to help her find her classroom."
"Well, actually… I'm kind of lost too," she admitted with a sheepish laugh. "But I've got a map of the school. I'm Allison, by the way—nice to meet you."
Then, suddenly, they were interrupted.
"Oh, if you need help, I can show you around," a new voice offered. "I'm a sophomore—I know my way around the school."
Ivan glanced at the newcomer and immediately recognized him from earlier. His eyes were fixed on Allison, practically googly-eyed. Yeah… he definitely likes her, Ivan thought.
He shrugged. "Well, it was nice meeting you," he said, giving a small wave. "I should head to class."