Chapter 5

HENRY

“Miss Ella, who is he?” one of the students asked.

We all had our suspicions, but we still wanted confirmation. After all, how could someone this hot suddenly show up in our class?

Focus, Henry! I lightly smacked my forehead in warning.

Everyone turned to Miss Ella. Thankfully, she didn’t drag things out.

“This is Maverick Tun, your new classmate,” she said with a smile, though it didn’t quite reach us.

Our ears perked up instantly. So he really was joining us.

“Alright everyone, make sure you take good care of him,” she added, her voice softer than usual.

I blinked. Was I seeing things, or was Miss Ella… blushing? I swear I saw a hint of red near her ear. But just for a second.

Most students didn’t notice; they were too busy staring at the new guy like they were meeting their celebrity crush. A few bold girls were even winking at him, some blowing kisses. The boys caught onto it quickly, scoffing and turning away.

“Everyone, welcome your new classmate!” Miss Ella’s voice rose, snapping the room back to order.

I scoffed under my breath.

“Welcome, Maverick!” everyone chorused, some sincerely, others not so much.

He responded with a small, indifferent nod, which somehow made the girls gasp even louder.

“Uhm, Maverick, you can sit over there,” Miss Ella said, pointing to a seat in another row, not far from mine.

“Thank you, Miss,” he replied.

And just like that, another round of dreamy sighs erupted from the girls.

“Why is his voice so deep?” someone muttered, and the room fell silent.

We all nodded in agreement.

To be honest, his voice hit me too, something I couldn’t quite explain. It made me uncomfortable.

Miss Ella cleared her throat with a light cough. “Alright, let’s continue,” she said, beaming at him again.

I wasn’t confused anymore. Miss Ella definitely had a crush on him, just like half the class. She was known for being strict and composed, never showing her soft side, especially since a lot of students crushed on her.

So why was she suddenly acting different?

When class finally ended, we all made our way outside.

I had barely stepped out the door when I felt a hand drape over my shoulder.

I turned and rolled my eyes at David. “Take your clingy hand off me.”

Yes, I’m bisexual, but I have standards. I’ve never seen any of my friends in that way, and I’m proud of it.

Jay grinned from the side. “So, do you have a crush on the new guy?”

I stopped walking and swallowed hard. “What are you talking about?”

“We saw that dreamy look in your eyes,” Arda added. “Don’t tell us he’s already stealing you away.”

“No, I don’t,” I said firmly.

And I meant it. Just because I felt something weird for a moment didn’t mean anything. I’d just gotten over Danny, I wasn’t about to get involved with someone new. I needed to focus on my studies and basketball.

Danny’s ignorance toward me then had already distracted me enough, Uncle Kay even pointed it out.

“Good,” my roommates said in relief, swaying happily.

“We should head to the field. Coach Steve wants to see us,” David said, eyes on his phone as he read the message.

We rushed to the field right on time, only to find Coach Steve flirting with a staff member I didn’t recognize. She definitely wasn’t from our building, probably from the junior section.

We cleared our throats loudly to let them know we were there.

Coach Steve just laughed, completely unbothered. “Oh, you guys are here. Meet one of the junior teachers,” he said, confirming my guess.

Before any of us could say a word, the woman’s face turned bright red and she hurried away.

We burst into laughter at how embarrassed she looked.

When she was out of sight, we turned to Coach. “You never change. Why’d you make her feel embarrassed like that?”

Coach Steve shrugged. “Me? You think I embarrassed her? It was you guys.”

We stared at him, confused.

“We didn’t even say anything,” I pointed out.

“She likes one of you,” he said casually, walking toward the basketball court. “Seeing us like that made her shy.”

“Oh,” we muttered, trailing after him.

We trained the whole afternoon. When we finished, we chatted for a bit before Coach left. Then Arda and the others returned to the dorms. Only Jay stayed behind, he said he had somewhere to visit and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow.

Feeling hungry, I headed to the cafeteria for a snack. Since the school was quieter at that hour, I walked through one of the less crowded paths.

I had just reached the cafeteria when I realized I needed the restroom. I paid for my snack first, then rushed to the boys’ bathroom.

As soon as I pushed the door open, a low, breathy moan reached my ears.

I frowned. Was I hearing things? No, the sound came again, soft but clear.

It was coming from one of the stalls.

Curiosity tugged at me. I tried to ignore it long enough to use a free stall, but when I finished, the urge to check got the best of me.

Just a quick peek, then I’d leave without getting noticed, I told myself.

I quietly pushed the stall door open a little.

And froze.

It was our new classmate. Maverick.

His clothes were tossed aside, and he was sitting with his legs apart, his hand working on himself.

I blinked several times, hoping I was imagining it. I wasn’t.

Maverick’s gaze snapped to mine, his expression cold for a split second before turning intoanger.

“You’re peeping?”

His voice boomed like thunder, and I swear my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.