The things we almost were

We slipped into class through the back door like we were sneaking into a movie halfway through. 

The room was quiet except for Mr. Bates's monotone voice, which could probably make caffeine yawn. We moved quietly to the back seats, trying not to draw attention.

To my surprise and a bit of my horror - Kaelin and Elian were sitting right in front of us. Of course.

"They'll ignore us anyway," Ronald muttered under his breath when I suggested we say hi. He wasn't wrong, but still... I wanted to try.

Mr. Bates was already deep into whatever boring topic he'd picked for the day, his words blending into a low hum. 

Meanwhile, Kaelin and Elian were in their own little world, whispering and laughing quietly like the rest of us didn't exist. 

Kaelin had one arm lazily slung around Elian's shoulder, pulling him close as they joked about something. 

The sight made my stomach twist - not with jealousy exactly, but something close enough that I didn't want to name it.

Ronald lasted all of five minutes before his head hit the desk. I swear, that man could fall asleep during a thunderstorm. 

With him out cold and Mr. Bates still droning on, I gave up on pretending to take notes and ended up watching Elian instead.

He looked... gentle and kind. His hair fell in soft brown waves that brushed just above his eyes - the kind of hair you want to touch without realizing it. 

There was a tiny necklace resting against his neck, catching the classroom light just enough to draw your eye. 

Everything about him looked gentle - warm, put-together, soft. Even his lips were this natural shade of pink-red that would've made any girl jealous. 

Ronald had once joked that Elian had "lipstick lips," and I'd laughed. but sitting here, I kind of saw what he meant. Not that I'd admit that out loud.

Then there was Kaelin - the complete opposite.

If Elian was sunlight, Kaelin was the storm.

His dark hair was buzzed clean on the sides, the top slightly tousled in a way that made it look effortlessly cool. 

A silver cross earring dangled from one ear, glinting every time he moved. Tattoos climbed along his arms, just visible beneath his rolled-up sleeves. 

Even sitting still, he had this untouchable energy - confident, sharp, almost dangerous. The kind of guy who could make a room go quiet just by walking in.

And yet... next to Elian, he was soft. His fingers brushed through Elian's hair as he fixed a messy strand, then ruffled it again just to mess it up. 

I couldn't help smiling. he looked so annoyingly charming when he did that.

For a split second, I imagined reaching out, running my fingers through that same soft hair - and immediately snapped myself out of it.

What the hell, Liv!.

My thoughts were cut short by Kaelin's voice, low but perfectly audible.

"So what's with the hard-on?"

I froze. My brain short-circuited.

Elian, without missing a beat, grinned. "I'm watching porn," he said, half-whisper, half-giggle.

My mouth literally fell open. I wanted to melt into the floor. Did they not care that they were in the middle of class?

They laughed quietly between themselves, totally unbothered.

"Oh my God," I muttered under my breath and quickly shoved my earbuds in, pretending to listen to music even though I didn't hit play. 

I told myself I wasn't eavesdropping... I was just stuck here. Yeah. That was it.

Kaelin leaned closer to Elian, his voice teasing, almost smug. 

"You want me to help you out? I give a mean hand job."

Elian said something I couldn't hear, but Kaelin chuckled, low and quiet - the kind of laugh that made my heart skip for reasons I didn't want to unpack.

After that, I started noticing every little thing - the way Kaelin's hand rested on Elian's back, how he traced lazy circles with his fingers, how Elian leaned into it like it was natural. 

I wasn't sure if I felt envious, awkward, or just fascinated. Probably all three.

I tried focusing on the board, but my eyes kept drifting back to them. My mind was a mess of thoughts - about Kaelin, about Elian, about how unfair it felt that people like them seemed to exist in a world completely separate from mine.

I shifted in my seat to shake the feeling off, but my chair creaked - loud enough for both of them to turn around.

Elian blinked in surprise and his initial shock melted into relief. Kaelin didn't even bother looking at first, just glanced back lazily after a second, his expression unreadable.

I gave them the world's most awkward smile and a tiny wave. They stared for a heartbeat too long then turned back around like I wasn't even there.

My smile dropped instantly. I could almost feel my blood pressure rise.

Seriously? Not even a hi?

I sank back into my chair with a huff. "Unbelievable," I whispered under my breath.

Ronald stirred beside me, half-awake. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I muttered, glaring at the back of Kaelin's stupid, perfect head.

"Just realized they really are snobbish jerks."

He grinned sleepily, "Told you."

I sighed, resting my chin on my palm as Mr. Bates kept rambling on.

Still... as much as I wanted to stay mad, I couldn't stop sneaking glances at the two of them.

Because even if they were jerks - they were interesting jerks.

And for some reason, that made me want to understand them even more.

**********

Elian's POV 

Rewrite the text to focus on Elian's perspective, maintaining the same events and themes as in the previous chapter.

As soon as I slipped into the classroom, my eyes automatically scanned the rows-yeah, I was looking for her. The new girl. 

I wasn't even sure why, but ever since she caught me staring earlier, I hadn't been able to shake her from my head. 

The way she looked back-half curious, half amused, had been burned into my memory.

A few people turned when Kaelin and I walked in, whispering and trying not to be obvious about it. Typical. 

But Kae didn't care; he just looked as unimpressed as ever, sliding into his seat beside me like the world owed him a nap.

Mr. Bates was already mid-lecture, droning in that flat, soul-sucking tone of his. I swear the man could make fireworks sound boring.

"It's kind of a talent," Kaelin muttered, his lips twitching. "Being able to talk for hours while no one gives a damn."

I snorted, biting back a laugh. Half the class was on their phones, the other half pretending to take notes. The "nerds," as I liked to call them, were the only ones actually paying attention.

Kaelin leaned closer. "Bet he practices this at home."

That did it-I lost it. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud.

Then, out of nowhere, a chill ran through me. The air conditioner must've been cranked up too high again. 

Kaelin noticed instantly-he always did-and without a word, he shifted closer and wrapped his arm around me. Warmth flooded through my body, and I hated how much I liked it.

"Better?" he asked quietly, his voice low against my ear.

I just nodded, smiling despite myself.

Then he started playing with my hair-messing it up, smoothing it back, and then messing it up again. 

It was annoying, but also... not. Every little touch was familiar, comforting in a way that made my chest feel weirdly full. It felt good.

He could never just sit still. Every few minutes, he'd poke me, nudge me, or whisper something ridiculous just to get my attention. 

And then-of course-he said something completely out of pocket.

"What's with the hard-on?" he asked casually, like he was commenting on the weather.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm watching porn," I shot back, keeping a straight face just to mess with him.

He smirked. "Oh yeah? Want me to help out? I give great hand jobs."

I turned red instantly. "Fuck your uncle," I hissed, trying not to laugh, but he just grinned wider, clearly enjoying how flustered I was.

For a few minutes, we sat in a kind of easy silence. He scrolled through his phone, and I just... existed next to him, listening to the faint hum of the AC and the scratching of pens from the front row. 

Then, when he noticed I was zoning out, he reached out again-this time tracing lazy shapes down my neck and along my back.

It was stupidly ticklish, but also kind of nice.

"You really have nothing better to do, huh?" I teased, turning my head a little.

He smiled without looking at me. "You've got cute dimples."

I groaned and slapped his hand away. "You just noticed? You've known me forever, Kae."

He shrugged, unfazed. "Guess I was too distracted by your bad jokes."

Before I could come up with a comeback, I heard a quiet sound behind us-a groan, maybe? I twisted in my seat and froze.

The new girl.

She was sitting just a few desks back, earplugs in, eyes slightly narrowed like she was lost in thought. 

Her friend was slumped beside her, completely knocked out. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Thank God. If she'd heard any of that... I'd never live it down.

But still... there was this weird look on her face. A small, secret kind of smile.

I turned back around quickly, pretending to focus on my notes, but my head was spinning. Why did it suddenly feel like I wanted her to notice me?

 I couldn't help but wonder why she was smiling so. As I faced forward, my thoughts buzzed with curiosity.