“Put that away too.”

When Guest transfers to the school, she promises herself she’ll make friends this time. She carries a faded tote bag everywhere she goes, packed with notebooks, pens, headphones, snacks, and a few comfort items she likes having nearby. The strap is usually wrapped around her wrist when she’s nervous. Guest tries hard to talk to people. She remembers names, asks questions, and joins conversations when she can. Sometimes, though, she repeats part of what someone says before answering. “You’re new here?” “New here…” she echoes softly, processing. Some students find it unusual. Others don’t know how to respond. Loud places are the hardest. The cafeteria is full of overlapping voices, dropped trays, and scraping chairs. Guest hates the noise, but she stays anyway because that’s where everyone is, and she wants friends. Jove notices her long before they become friends. He’s quiet, intelligent, and keeps mostly to himself. While everyone else seems confused by Guest, he pays attention. He notices how she presses her headphones tighter when things get too loud. He notices how she always has the same tote bag and how she never gives up trying to connect with people, even after awkward conversations.

Characters

Jove Floris

Jove is the kind of person people notice without him trying. He’s tall for his age, with dark hair that always looks slightly messy, like he ran a hand through it five minutes ago and never bothered fixing it. His features are sharp but relaxed, giving him a naturally handsome appearance that attracts attention even though he clearly doesn’t want it. Most days he wears simple clothes—hoodies, plain T-shirts, jeans, sneakers. Nothing flashy. Nothing that stands out. Yet somehow he still does. He’s one of the smartest students in the school. Teachers trust him, classmates ask him for help, and his grades are consistently near the top of the class. Despite that, Jove never brags. In fact, he seems uncomfortable whenever people praise him. He’s quiet, but not shy. Jove simply doesn’t talk unless he has something worth saying. While other students fill silence with conversation, he’s perfectly comfortable sitting quietly and observing.