Ivey's Pov
The day was finally over. I was heading home.
Until I wasn't.
I hadn't planned to talk to him. I really hadn't. But there he was — standing alone by the lockers, backpack slung over one shoulder, like he had all the time in the world.
And before I could stop myself, my feet moved.
Stop! I told myself.
But I didn't.
He looked up.
"Hey," he said, voice lower than I expected. Calm. Like we already knew each other.
I froze for half a second. "Hey," I echoed, a little breathless.
Lucas's Pov
There she was.
I thought she was going to walk past me — maybe that would've been easier. But she stopped.
Right in front of me.
My mind emptied.
Say something normal.
"I'm Lucas," I said, trying not to sound too eager. "Figured since we keep ending up near each other,we should probably know each other's names.."
Ivey's Pov
"Ivey," I said, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "I… figured that too."
God, that sounded awkward.
But he smiled, like it wasn't. Like he didn't mind.
Lucas's Pov
She was nervous.
She was nervous — not in a bad way, just… uncertain. Like she wasn't sure what to do with her hands. It made her feel more real than I expected. Not untouchable. Not distant. Just real.
"You from around here?" I asked.
Ivey's Pov
"No, I moved here last year," I said. "You?"
He paused. "Kinda everywhere."
I wasn't sure what that meant, but I didn't ask. Something about him said: don't push. And I didn't want him to regret talking to me.
Lucas's Pov
Her voice. That was the thing I'd been wondering about. And now that I'd heard it… I wanted to hear more.
"History's kind of brutal this year," I said, nodding toward the direction of class. "But at least the company's not bad."
Her eyes met mine. For real this time.
She smiled. "Yeah… not bad."
Ivey's Pov
A pause stretched between us. Not uncomfortable — just quiet. Like neither of us wanted to leave, but didn't know what came next.
I shifted on my feet. "So… are you settling in okay?"
He shrugged, the kind of shrug that said he wasn't really answering. "Trying to."
That seemed like he was honest but guarded. I respected it.
"Well," I said, "if you ever need someone to show you where the vending machines are… I know a guy."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You know a guy?"
I smiled. "A really cool guy. Kind of a vending machine expert, honestly."
Lucas's Pov
She was teasing. I liked that. It wasn't forced — it just felt easy.
"Alright," I said, playing along. "Put me in touch. I'm in desperate need of vending wisdom."
She laughed, not loud, but it reached her eyes. I caught myself staring again. Pulled my gaze away just in time.
"You look like a Sour Patch Kids guy," she asked.
"Wrong," I said. "Swedish Fish."
She looked fake-offended. "You're seriously a Swedish Fish guy?"
I nodded and shook my head "No shame."
Ivey's Pov
He was actually funny — not trying too hard. Just being… him.
"Okay, well… if we're being honest," I said, "I judge people by their candy choices."
His smirk widened. "Then I guess I failed."
I looked down at my shoes, smiling before I looked back up. "Not totally."
Something shifted. We were still standing there, still talking — long after we needed to.
Lucas's Pov
She glanced toward the school exit. "I should probably go."
"Yeah," I said, but I didn't really want her to.
She stepped back, hesitating just a beat longer than she had to.
"It was nice meeting you, Lucas."
"Ivey," I said, like I was testing how her name sounded in my mouth. "Yeah. You too."
And then she walked away.
And I stood there, knowing something had started — even if I didn't know what it was yet.