The hallway outside Mr. Davies's classroom was a throng of students heading to their next periods. Louisa and Ellie navigated the crowd, their shoulders brushing against the crisp blazers of their classmates.
"Well," Ellie said, a wry smile on her face, "that was… enlightening."
Louisa nodded, still feeling the sting of Serena's note. "Understatement. 'Special admissions'? Really?"
"Oh, honey, that's just the warm-up," Ellie said knowingly. "Get ready for a whole symphony of subtle shade."
"And Cassia's little 'I doubt you'd understand' comment?" Louisa added, rolling her eyes. "So welcoming."
"Hey," Ellie bumped Louisa's shoulder playfully, "at least we got a semi-helpful note from our mysterious admirer, Scarlet."
"Yeah," Louisa agreed, a small smile touching her lips. "That was… unexpected. She seems nice."
"Nice and observant," Ellie added. "She clocked those mean girls pretty quickly."
As they walked, they noticed Jayden and his usual entourage heading in the opposite direction, engaged in a boisterous conversation. Jayden's eyes flickered towards Louisa briefly, a neutral expression on his face, before he turned back to his friends.
Suddenly, Mateo Williams appeared beside Louisa, his smile warm and genuine.
"Louisa, right? That was a thoughtful point you were making about the poem."
Louisa blinked, slightly surprised. "Oh, um, I didn't actually say anything."
Mateo chuckled. "No, but I saw you thinking. You had that look." He gestured vaguely at his forehead. "The gears turning. I was going to say something similar about the isolation, actually."
Ellie raised a subtle eyebrow at Louisa, a playful smirk on her face.
"Oh," Louisa said, feeling a slight blush creep up her cheeks. "Well, it's… interesting."
"It is," Mateo agreed. "Charterhouse can be a bit… much sometimes. Especially at the start." He glanced pointedly in the direction Jayden had gone. "Some people here think they own the place."
"Seems that way," Ellie chimed in, unable to resist.
Mateo laughed. "You two are quick studies. Listen, if you need any help finding your way around, or just want a friendly face in the chaos, let me know. I've been navigating this jungle for a while now." He offered Louisa a direct, engaging look.
Before Louisa could respond, a voice, sharp and laced with annoyance, cut through the air. "Mateo! What are you doing?"
Cassia Blackwood stood a few feet away, her arms crossed, her expression decidedly unfriendly. Thea Devereux and Marcus Adino stood slightly behind her, echoing her disapproval.
Mateo sighed, a hint of resignation in his eyes. "Just being welcoming, Cassia."
"We have calculus in two minutes," Cassia said pointedly, her gaze flicking dismissively over Louisa and Ellie. "Unless you've suddenly decided your academic rivals are more interesting?"
Mateo's jaw tightened slightly. "I can talk and walk at the same time, Cassia."
"Clearly," Cassia said icily. "But perhaps you should prioritize." She turned to Louisa and Ellie, her smile tight. "Try not to get lost. Again." With that, she turned and walked away, Thea and Marcus trailing behind her.
Mateo rolled his eyes. "Sorry about that. Cassia can be… territorial." He gave Louisa and Ellie a wry smile. "Calculus awaits. But seriously, if you need anything…" He scribbled something on a corner of his notebook and tore it off, handing it to Louisa.
"My number. Don't hesitate."
With a final nod, he hurried off in the direction Cassia had gone.
Louisa looked down at the small piece of paper in her hand, Mateo's number neatly written on it. She exchanged a surprised glance with Ellie.
"Well," Ellie said, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Looks like we have our first admirer… and our first ice queen."
Louisa chuckled, a bit of the earlier tension easing. "Maybe navigating this jungle won't be so bad after all."