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Luis' POV

As soon as I understood the direction I wanted the painting to go, I immediately ran back to the art room to continue.

However, it was occupied, leaving me no choice but to pick up my canvas and paint and return to my new favorite spot—the rooftop.

Or so I thought.

The moment I stepped onto the rooftop, expecting solitude, I realized I wasn’t alone. Someone was already there.

A loud gamer who didn’t even try to keep his voice down.

He sat cross-legged on the floor, back against the railing, his phone in hand and headphones around his neck as he shouted at his screen. His voice carried over the open air, clear and uninhibited. There was only one plastic chair nearby, which he hadn’t bothered to use.

For a second, I hesitated, debating whether to turn around. But he noticed me first.

“Yo,” he greeted without looking up.

I blinked. “Uh, hey.”

“Didn’t mean to hog the place. It’s usually empty.” He glanced at me this time, tilting his head slightly. “You here to clear your mind too?”

I nodded, not sure what else to say. He had a striking presence—dark eyeliner, silver earrings, and dyed streaks in his undercut. He looked effortlessly cool, but not in the polished way of the popular kids. There was something different about him.

“I can share,” he said, gesturing to the spot beside him.

I hesitated but eventually sat down, placing my canvas carefully beside me.

For a while, we just existed in the same space—him playing his game, me staring at my unfinished painting. His energy was oddly calming, despite his occasional outbursts at the game.

Then, without looking up, he asked, “You’re Luis, right?”

I stiffened. “Yeah.”

“I thought so. I’ve seen you around. Kind of hard not to when your name’s been in everyone’s mouth lately.” His voice held no malice, just an easy bluntness.

I exhaled sharply, half-expecting him to bring up the rumors. Instead, he grinned. “Anyway, I’m Rose.”

“Rose?” I repeated, a little thrown off.

“They/Them,” they added casually.

“Oh.” I blinked. “Nice to meet you.”

They hummed, returning their attention to their game. “You know, for someone who seems so lost, you sure have people looking at you a lot.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You might think no one wants to be around you, but the actual truth is that you’re not putting yourself out there. You don’t notice people.”

I let out a small, humorless chuckle. “The me from four years ago—who was an extrovert—would be sad to hear that.”

Rose snorted. “Yeah, well, trauma does that to people. Can’t fix that for you, but I can beat you in a game. And if you want, you can join my stream.”

“Stream?” I looked at them properly now, the realization dawning on me. “Wait… you’re that Rose?”

They smirked. “Oh? You’ve heard of me?”

I blinked in disbelief. Rose had a whole fanbase online—a mini-celebrity in the gaming world. And yet, they were here, sitting on a rooftop with me, talking like it was no big deal.

I exhaled, feeling lighter for the first time all day. “This is insane.”

“You’ll live,” they said, standing up and stretching. “So, what’s the deal? You joining or what?”

Before I could answer, the rooftop door creaked open. My shoulders tensed instinctively.

Garber.

I recognized his footsteps before I even looked up. He stopped at the entrance, eyes flicking from me to Rose.

I immediately dropped my gaze.

Why did he look upset? Was it because of me?

A second later, another set of footsteps followed. Rolland.

Great. Just great.

I didn’t know what was about to happen, but I could already tell—I wouldn’t be walking away from this without some kind of confrontation.

And I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.