Chapter Text
Luis Madrigal sat stiffly in the chair across from the principal’s desk, shoulders squared like he’d been trained to hold himself together no matter what room he walked into. His hands were folded neatly in his lap, fingers laced tight enough to keep them from fidgeting. He’d gotten used to first days—new schools, new people, new expectations—but that didn’t mean he liked them.
“I’ll be with you in a moment.”
Principal Uma didn’t look up. Her fingers moved quickly across her laptop keyboard, nails painted a sharp, glossy purple that caught the light every time they tapped against the keys. The office was quiet except for that steady clicking and the low hum of the air conditioner.
Click. Click. Click.
Luis let his gaze drift for a second, taking in the room, the polished desk, the framed certificates on the wall. Same as always. Different place, same feeling.
“So…” she said at last, still typing. “Luis Madrigal. Nine different schools in ten years.”
She paused, then finally looked up at him, one eyebrow lifting slightly.
“That is a lot.”
Luis straightened a little more, offering a polite nod. “My mom is in the army, so we move around a—”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she cut in flatly, already bored with the explanation. “You’ll find Auradon Prep is just like your old school.”
Luis pressed his lips together, choosing not to argue. Experience told him there was no point.
Before he could say anything else, something hit the window with a loud smack.
Both of them turned instinctively.
A clump of dirt slid slowly down the glass, leaving a muddy streak behind.
Principal Uma’s expression darkened immediately. “Same little impudent rats everywhere,” she muttered under her breath, irritation sharp and familiar.
Luis blinked, caught off guard. “…Um. Excuse me?”
But she was already moving on, grabbing a printed schedule and shoving it across the desk toward him.
“Here. Your classes. Now get out of my office.”
“Oh—yes. Thank you.” Luis stood quickly, taking the paper, already stepping backward toward the door.
He turned—
—and walked straight into someone.
The impact was solid, but Luis barely moved.
The other boy did.
Just half a step—subtle, but enough to register.
Luis looked down slightly this time.
The boy in front of him was dressed almost entirely in black and deep purple, like he’d stepped out of a different world entirely. His clothes had that sharp, intentional edge to them, layered and styled in a way that looked effortless but definitely wasn’t. His straight black hair fell neatly, broken only by streaks of purple that caught the light just enough to stand out.
His expression, though—
That was what stuck.
Bored. Completely, utterly bored. Like nothing in the room, or maybe the entire school, was worth his time.
Luis swallowed.
The boy’s light brown eyes flicked up to meet his for half a second—just enough to acknowledge him—before dismissing him entirely.
“Maximus Hatter,” Principal Uma called from behind, her tone shifting into something more tired than annoyed. “Come in.”
Max didn’t respond. Didn’t nod. Didn’t slow down.
He just walked past Luis like he wasn’t even there.
Luis stayed still for a second longer than necessary, then exhaled quietly, adjusting his grip on his schedule.
Well.
That was… something.
“Hello, Madrigal.”
Luis turned at the sound of his name to find a boy already smiling at him like they’d been friends for years. He had a relaxed stance, hands easy at his sides, but there was something sharp behind his eyes—something observant.
“I’m supposed to show you around,” he said, extending his hand.
Luis shook it. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“Robbie Hood,” he introduced himself, then immediately glanced down at the paper in his hand. “Right, so… Luis Madrigal?”
Luis nodded. “That’s me.”
“Great.” Robbie clapped once, like he was starting a presentation. “Let me give you a quick breakdown of the social ecosystem before you accidentally ruin your life.”
Luis raised an eyebrow slightly, already intrigued.
Robbie gestured dramatically across the courtyard as they stepped outside.
“Over there—” he pointed to a group of impossibly attractive students lounging like they belonged in a magazine shoot, “—we have the standard beautiful people.”
Luis followed his gaze.
“…Okay.”
“Rule number one,” Robbie continued, holding up a finger. “Unless they talk to you first, do not speak to them. Don’t even look at them.”
“…Noted,” Luis said, though his tone suggested he wasn’t fully convinced.
“Good.” Robbie nodded approvingly. “Next—jocks.” He pointed to a group yelling over a game. “Drama kids—” a cluster nearby dramatically collapsed into each other mid-scene. “And the Ivy Leaguers—”
He waved toward a group of students buried in books, completely disconnected from everything else.
“Hi, guys!” Robbie called brightly.
They ignored him.
He sighed, looking back at Luis. “Yesterday, I was their god.”
Luis blinked. “What happened?”
“Someone started a rumor that my GPA dropped below 3.5.”
Luis frowned. “So they kicked you out?”
“Hostile takeover,” Robbie said solemnly. Then, after a beat, his expression shifted—something more mischievous, more dangerous slipping through. “But don’t worry. I’ll recover.”
Luis studied him for a moment.
Yeah. I’m going to like this guy.
And then—
Luis’s attention drifted.
Not because Robbie stopped talking.
But because something—someone—pulled his focus like gravity.
Across the courtyard stood a girl.
Time didn’t slow.
It stopped.
She stood surrounded by people, but somehow still separate from them, like the center of everything without trying to be. Her posture was effortless, confident without being forced. Black and red clothes, sharp and bold, matched the streaks of red running through her dark hair.
And her eyes—
Even from a distance, he could see the way they caught the light. Greenish-brown, bright, alive, like they held ten different thoughts at once and dared anyone to keep up.
“Oh my God,” Luis whispered under his breath.
“What group is she in?” he asked, not taking his eyes off her.
Robbie followed his gaze.
“…Oh,” he said, already knowing where this was going.
He sighed.
“That,” he said carefully, “is the ‘absolutely not’ category.”
Luis didn’t hear him.
“Red of Hearts,” Robbie went on anyway. “Senior. Student council president. Basically runs this place. If Auradon Prep had a monarchy, she’d already be queen.”
As if on cue, Red laughed at something someone beside her said.
The sound carried just enough to reach Luis.
It hit him like a punch.
His breath caught.
“I burn,” Luis murmured, completely serious. “I pine. I perish.”
“Yeah, you and everyone else,” Robbie muttered.
He crossed his arms. “Here’s the problem. Her mom? Terrifying. Strict. Controlling. Red doesn’t date.”
Luis finally blinked, processing that.
“…Doesn’t date?”
“Not unless her best friend does first,” Robbie added. “And her best friend—”
Luis tore his gaze away for the first time. “Who?”
Robbie pointed.
Not far from Red stood another girl, talking animatedly with a small group. She wore blue—almost entirely blue—and somehow made it look effortless instead of forced. Her curly brown hair framed her face, and her expression was focused but warm, like she actually listened when people spoke.
“Chloe Charming,” Robbie said. “Top of the class. Doesn’t get in trouble. Doesn’t date. Doesn’t even look at people like that.”
Luis glanced between the two girls.
“…So Red is stuck.”
“Exactly.”
Luis looked back at Red.
She had turned slightly, now facing someone else—
And for a split second—
Her eyes met his.
It wasn’t soft.
It wasn’t shy.
It was sharp. Assessing. Curious for half a second before she looked away like he hadn’t earned the attention.
Luis felt his stomach drop.
Yeah.
Everything had just gotten a lot more complicated.
“Come on,” Robbie said, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him toward the building. “You’ve got class before you decide to ruin your life chasing an impossible girl.”
Luis let himself be dragged this time.
But he looked back once more.
At Red of Hearts.
And somewhere, deep down—
He already knew.
He wasn’t letting that go.