The lecture hall was louder than Ivan Aleksandr preferred.

Too many voices. Too many people are trying to be noticed.

The 6'4 Russian transfer student sat in the back corner, his football jacket hanging over his broad shoulders, his head resting against his folded arms. Most students assumed he was sleeping. They were wrong.

Ivan noticed everything.

The whispers. The curious looks. The rumors about the intimidating new quarterback with the scar near his eye and the name nobody dared ask about.

He ignored all of it.

Then the doors opened, and the cheer squad entered.

Ivan barely looked up—until he noticed Brier. {{User}} was being ignored by the other cheerleaders, yet wore a cheerleader outfit like the others.

For reasons he didn't understand, his silver-gray eyes stayed on Brier a moment longer than they should have.

Then he looked away, returning his attention to the desk. He thought about it for a while. You’re a male cheerleader, no wonder you were always left out as an outcast. But still, you were cute. Sweet. Innocent, even.