Chapter Text
Daniela Wytte slipped through the front gates of the High with her earbuds in, the morning sun warm against her skin and her bag bouncing lightly against her hip. A sleepy pop song drifted through her ears, but the light beat couldn’t drown out the buzz of student chatter, lockers slamming, and sneakers squeaking on the hallway floors.
She hummed along as she turned the corner and nearly jumped when she spotted Nico leaning against her locker like he owned it.
“You’re late,” he said, arms crossed, a knowing smirk pulling at his lips.
Dani pulled one earbud out. “No, I’m not. Homeroom starts in ten minutes.”
Nico shrugged. “Any time you come in after me counts as late.”
She rolled her eyes and opened her locker. “Then maybe you should stop showing up so early like some kind of academic nightowl.”
“I like watching the halls fill up. Gives me time to guess who forgot their homework and who’s trying to pretend they didn’t cry over summer math packets.”
“Let me guess. You’re in the second category?”
He gasped dramatically. “I am offended, Dory.”
She laughed, nudging him with her shoulder as she dropped a notebook into her bag. “You know, for someone whos supposed to be all teasing and stuff, you’re kind of a nerd.”
“And you’re kind of late,” he said again, grinning.
They shared a quiet moment before the crowd of students thickened. Dani turned back to her locker to grab a few more things when two more voices approached.
“Hey,” Dorian said as he walked up beside Monica. “Morning.”
“Morning!” Dani said cheerfully, closing her locker door. “Where were you this morning? I thought you got kidnapped.”
“Student council meeting,” Dorian replied. “It was an early one. Budget talk. Thrilling stuff.”
“I would’ve come to rescue you,” Dani teased. “But I was too busy not being late.”
Nico raised a brow. “Debatable.”
Monica leaned in and wrapped Dani in a brief, tight hug. “You missed absolutely nothing. Unless you count new posters about water conservation.”
“Oh, the thrilling mysteries of high school,” Dani said, giggling.
“Also,” Monica said as she pulled back and looked Dani in the eyes, “Locker decor emergency. Should I go with floral or strips?”
“Definitely floral,” Dani said.
“Thank you. I needed a certified opinion.” Monica turned to Dorian. “Told you she’d say floral.”
“You bribed the witness,” Dorian muttered.
They laughed as the bell rang in the distance.
“Off to homeroom,” Monica sighed. “The kingdom of boredom awaits.”
“See you guys later!” Dani called as Monica and Dorian disappeared into the crowd. Dani and Dorian had different homerooms, but they usually caught up by third period.
Nico and Dani started walking down the hall together.
“I forgot how loud the hallways are the first week,” she said.
“Everyone’s trying to look cool while not getting lost,” Nico said. “It’s a dance of pride and panic.”
Dani chuckled. “Speaking of panic, my reports didn’t look so good last semester. What about yours?”
“Mine were ok. Definitely better than yours,” Nico replied.
“Hey!”
After a few more passed sentences, they reached Dani’s homeroom. Nico tapped the doorframe. “Later, nerd.”
“Later, weirdo.”
Elsewhere in the building, Monica was arranging her desk with gentle precision. She pulled out a small mirror from her bag and set it up on the inside of her locker, humming quietly. Dorian stood beside her, flipping through his schedule.
“You always decorate so fast,” he said.
“Years of practice,” Monica replied. “Want help with yours?”
“I don’t think a floral mirror suits me,” he said.
“Challenge accepted,” she replied, grinning.
He gave her a quiet and suspicious look, and she giggled in return. “You know I’m joking right?”
“Yeah,”
Later in the day, lunchtime arrived like a reward. Dani arrived with Nico and found a spot near the window.
Mark Evans was already at the table, half-lounging across a bench like it was a couch. Dani recognized him immediately. He’d been in a few of her classes last year, but they’d never really spoken. Still, she had to admit he had a kind
of easy confidence, like he wasn’t trying too hard to look cool-he just was.
“Hey,” Nico said, sittimg down
Mark gave him a nod, then turned to Dani. “You’re Dani, right?”
She blinked. “Yeah. Hi.”
“I’ve seen you around. Didn’t think you would hang out with this guy.” He pointed his thumb toward Nico.
“Unfortunately, we share a sense of humour,” she said, smiling.
Mark chuckled. “Brutal.”
Aisha slid into the seat beside Mark, placing her tray down with a light thunk. Her short curly hair bounced as she moved, and she gave the group a nod.
“Hey,” she said, grabbing a water bottle.
“New year, new arguments?” Nico teased.
“No arguments today,” Aisha said, opening her bottle. “I didn’t even have a chance to talk to Mark today until 5 minutes ago.”
“You wanted a chance?” Mark teased, then immediately made a face showing that he regretted it.
“What? No.”
“My bad. Uh, nice haircut,” Mark said to change the subject.
Aisha coughed and took another sip from her bottle, averting her eyes. “Thanks.”
A moment of awkward silence passed, and Nico whispered, “They’re not arguing. Are we in a parallel dimension?”
Dani tried not to laugh. She glanced at Monica and Dorian, who were walking past with their trays, deep in conversation. They paused when they spotted the group.
Monica sat beside Dani, resting her chin on her hand. “Everyone surviving the chaos so far?”
“Barely,” Dani whined. “I’ve already been accused of being late twice.”
“Only once by me,” Nico said. “So technically that’s fifty percent truth.”
She laughed. “Yours did NOT count.”
Lunch passed with idle conversation and teasing, and the tension of the first day began to loosen its grip.
By the time final period ended, students streamed through the halls like a tide escaping the shore. Outside the building, William and Damien stood near the bike racks.
“Thought you’d left already,” William said, adjusting his backpack.
“I don’t leave until I know no one’s going to follow me,” Damien replied, his tone dry.
William tilted his head. “Paranoia or instinct?”
Damien’s gaze flicked to a group of freshmen squealing over their class photos. “Both.”
They stood in silence for a few moments.
“Are you coming tomorrow?” William asked casually.
“To school? Tragically, yes.”
“To the music room. After classes.”
Damien didn’t reply for a moment. Then, finally, “We’ll see.”
It wasn’t a yes. But it wasn’t a no either.
Back at her locker, Dani sorted through her notes. Nico leaned against the adjacent one, still mid-rant about a math teacher who assigned homework on the first day.
“It’s psychological warfare,” he said.
She nodded, smiling. “I think she just wants to make sure you don’t coast.”
He gave her a mock-wounded look. “Et tu, Dani?”
“I’m just being realistic. Besides, you’ll manage.”
He grinned. “You always say that.”
“Because it’s always true.”
The bell rang for the last time, and students spilled into the halls for the journey home.
As she shut her locker and turned to Nico, Dani smiled. “Same time tomorrow?”
“Only if you’re not late.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He snorted. “See you.”
“Bye, Nico.”
Dani turned down the hall, her earbuds already back in. The music started again—something upbeat, full of promise. She smiled to herself.
Junior year had officially begun.
And maybe,just maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad.