Chapter 1: Five Hours, One Room, Zero Patience
Saturday – 9:02 a.m.
The clock ticked louder than it should have in a school that was supposed to be asleep.
Lana sat at the far end of the room, notebook open, pen poised, not writing. Across from her, Aiden leaned back in his chair, spinning a pencil between his fingers like a basketball. The only sound other than the clock was the tapping of his foot against the desk leg—rhythmic, confident, like he belonged here.
Which, according to Noah, he kind of did.
Noah sat two seats away from Lana, hands folded neatly on the table in front of him, looking like he'd accidentally walked into detention on his way to a scholarship interview. His backpack was zipped, his books untouched. He stared ahead with that classic Noah focus, the kind that made teachers adore him and students resent him—except Lana. She kind of adored him too.
At the front of the room, their assigned teacher for the day, Ms. Calder, droned on. "You're here because you broke the rules. Whether it was for a good reason or not, today you're all the same: bored, stuck, and mine until 2 p.m."
From the doorway, Ethan shuffled in last—earbuds hanging around his neck, hoodie half-zipped, sheet music sticking out of his back pocket. He nodded silently at the group, then slid into a seat at the corner without a word.
"Late," Ms. Calder said without looking up.
"Early for a Saturday," Ethan mumbled back.
Aria entered quietly behind him, slipping through the door like a shadow. Her sketchbook was already in her hands. She chose the seat behind Lana and beside Aiden, avoiding her brother's glance. She didn't even look at him—not directly—but her eyes flicked once toward Aiden before quickly returning to her page.
Aiden caught it. Not that he said anything.
Five students. One room. Zero plans to get along.
Ms. Calder stood. "No phones. No sleeping. No talking. If I hear a single word for the next hour, I double your time."
Aiden's pencil stopped spinning.
Ethan rolled his eyes.
Aria's pen began to glide across her sketchbook, already building the lines of something—no one knew what.
Lana, though still pretending to write, glanced sideways at Noah, who hadn't moved in five minutes. Calm. Focused. Distant. He probably didn't even know she existed beyond science class and hallway hellos. Maybe this was her chance.
And Aiden? He let his chair drop forward onto all four legs, sighed, and looked over at Aria's notebook. "What're you drawing?"
"Mr. Rivera." Ms. Calder's voice was sharp. "One word. One more second."
Aiden raised his hands in surrender, lips twitching like he might laugh. Aria didn't even glance up—but her pencil didn't stop.
Ethan narrowed his eyes at Aiden from across the room.
Nine minutes down. Four hours and fifty-one to go.
This was going to be the longest Saturday of their lives.
Or the most important one.