By lunchtime, Vivian was starving.
She followed the others toward the main cafeteria.
The room was filled up with students... both Sentinels and Guides.
Vivian collected her tray of food and looked around. There were no empty seats in sight. She let out a soft sigh. Great. She was just about to look for a quiet corner to stand in when a cheerful voice cut through the noise.
"Vivian!"
She looked over. Logan was sitting at a large corner table near the glass windows, waving at her. Her face immediately brightened up. She made her way toward him.
"Hey!" Logan grinned as she approached him. "Come over here."
Vivian smiled, walking over to him. Wyatt was sitting right beside Logan, silently eating his meal.
Up close, the sunlight spilling through the window was shimmering on his skin, his jawline and his hair. He had his black jacket over the back of his chair, leaving him in a fitted tank shirt that showed off his broad shoulders and muscular chest.
Okay, I hate him, Vivian admitted. I despise everything he stands for. But damn... the man is so attractive.
There was only one empty chair left at the table, and it was right beside him. Wyatt didn’t even look up as she hesitated. Fine. Mr. Personality could act like a statue all he wanted. She pulled out the chair and sat down.
"Hi," she said softly, setting her tray on the table.
Wyatt paused his fork. He slowly turned his head, meeting her eyes, giving her a nod. "Hi."
He actually spoke.
Logan let out a soft laugh. "How was your first class?"
"Confusing," Vivian said honestly, stabbing her fork into her food. "Very confusing. I understand the basic stuff, but there are so many classifications. Guides, Sentinels, ranks, compatibility, sensory overload..."
Logan nodded. "You’ll get used to it."
"Hopefully."
Suddenly, the man sitting on the other side of Logan smiled warmly. He had soft features and a relaxed expression. "Logan, is this the girl you told me about?"
Vivian froze. She looked at Logan, then at the handsome man, then back at Logan.
Logan smiled, wrapping his arm around the man’s shoulders. "Yeah." He gestured toward Vivian. "This is Vivian." Then he turned to the man beside him. "And this is my boyfriend, and guide. Adrian."
Vivian blinked. "Your boyfriend?"
The man laughed softly at her reaction. "Surprised?"
"A little," Vivian admitted, shifting in her seat. Vivian glanced between them, curiously. "Can Sentinels actually date their Guides?"
Logan burst out laughing, drawing a few glances from nearby tables. His boyfriend looked amused. "Of course we can."
"There isn’t a rule against it? It’s unprofessional."
"Nope." He shook his head gently. "A Sentinel and Guide can be romantically involved if both people consent. A Guide’s ability doesn’t automatically mean they’re romantically compatible with their Sentinel, though."
Logan nodded in agreement, as he looked at his partner. "Guiding and dating are two different things."
His boyfriend leaned closer across the table. "Although high compatibility can make things complicated. Especially when.." he smirked. "You would understand when you get a Sentinel. There’s this intimacy between.."
Logan gave him a warning look, though there was a smile hiding in his eyes. "Don’t start."
The man laughed, holding his hands up. "I’m just saying." He turned back to Vivian, offering a hand across the table. "I’m Adrian, by the way."
Vivian shook it. "Nice to meet you."
"I’m an A-Class Guide," Adrian added casually.
Vivian’s eyes widened. "Seriously? Wow."
"Unfortunately," Adrian joked, shaking his head.
Logan rolled his eyes playfully, and Adrian laughed. "If you ever need help understanding anything about your energy or classes, just ask me."
She smiled back at him. "Omg, thank you!"
Then, she noticed a strange sensation. She glanced sideways, out of the corner of her eye.
Wyatt was looking at her. Again.
Vivian frowned slightly and looked back down at her food. A few seconds later, she glanced at him again. He was still looking, focusing on her face. She couldn’t read his expression if he just admired her or just couldn’t stand her.
Why does he keep staring at me? Maybe there was something on her face. She raised her hand and wiped her cheek. She looked down at her uniform jacket.
"Vivian," she thought to herself, trying to ignore him. Maybe he’s just weird.
"Vivian."
This time, the deep baritone of his voice was right next to her ear. She snapped her head to look at Wyatt. Did he just called her name?
"Hmmm?"
Then, he slowly looked away. "Nothing."
She shook her head and returned to her food. But before she could even take another bite.
"Red!"
Her fork froze halfway to her mouth.
"Vivian!"
That nickname, that voice. Red. Only one person in the entire world had ever called her that.
It was a voice she had spent six years trying to forget. A face she had desperately waited for even while the world was ending.