Chapter 5: The Breaking of Silence
The scratching of pens and the drone of Mrs. Walker’s lecture on The Great Gatsby became a background hum. Noah leaned slightly toward Katherine, his voice a vibration that barely disturbed the air.
"Hello," he whispered.
Katherine flinched, startled by the velvet quality of his voice. She turned to him, her brown eyes wide. "Hi," she whispered back, a small, tentative smile forming on her lips. "Are you the new kid everyone has been buzzing about?"
Noah’s lips quirked into a ghost of a smile. "Is there a buzz? I thought I was being subtle."
"In Covington? Subtlety doesn't exist," Katherine giggled softly, her nerves beginning to thaw. "I’m Katherine. But you probably heard that."
"Noah Riley," he replied. "The pleasure is all mine, Katherine."
The way he said her name—with a slight, old-world formalness—made her breath catch.
"Excuse me?"
The voice of Mrs. Walker cut through the air like a guillotine. The classroom went silent. Every head turned. Mrs. Walker was standing at the front of the room, her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed behind her spectacles.
"Are we interrupting you two lovebirds?" she asked, her voice dripping with academic sarcasm.
Katherine felt the heat climb up her neck, her Agnes skin turning a dusty rose. "No, ma'am," she stammered, letting out a nervous, awkward laugh.
"Do I need to separate you two on the first day?" Mrs. Walker stepped closer, her shadow falling over their desks. "Because I have no problem moving Mr. Riley near my desk where I can keep an eye on him."
"No," Katherine said quickly, shaking her head. "I... I was confused about the assignment. He was just explaining the symbolism of the green light."
It was a weak lie, and Mrs. Walker knew it. She lingered for a moment, her gaze darting between Katherine’s flustered face and Noah’s unnervingly calm expression.
"If you have a question, Katherine, you raise your hand and ask me. That is what I am paid for. Am I clear?"
"Of course, Mrs. Walker," Katherine murmured, looking down at her notebook.
"Eyes up here. Both of you."
As Mrs. Walker returned to the board, Noah didn't look away immediately. He caught Katherine’s eye one last time. He didn't look embarrassed; he looked intrigued. For a second, the predator was gone, replaced by something that looked almost humanly curious.
Katherine looked back at her paper, but she didn't see the words. All she could feel was the cold, magnetic presence of Noah Riley, and the terrifying realization that for the first time in her life, she didn't want the "nothing" of Covington to stay the same.