Number one and only. [Nicholas &team]

Chapter 10 - The Invitation

By Friday morning, Northbridge High felt like it was buzzing on an electric current. The girls’ basketball championship trophy had only been won a week ago, but Maki had decided the celebration couldn’t wait any longer.
A winning party — his own vacation house as the venue, a sprawling glass-walled property overlooking the coast. The date was set for Sunday. Drinks, DJ, food, the works. From champagne to whiskey, from a packed dance floor to the glittering pool outside — everything would be there.
And everyone was invited.
Hallways pulsed with chatter. Girls leaned against lockers, whispering about how “romantic” it was that Maki was throwing the party for Ava. “That’s real boyfriend material,” someone sighed near the lockers.
Harua nearly bounced down the corridor when he spotted Nicholas at his locker. “Bro! You’re coming to the party, right?”
Nicholas didn’t even glance up from the book he was sliding into his bag. “No. I don’t have time for this.”
Harua stopped mid-step. “Wait, what? It’s a party, man! Free food, free music, the whole school will be there—”
“No,” Nicholas repeated, shutting his locker with a quiet click.
What he didn’t notice was that, a few feet down, Ava had heard every word.

Later, during recess, Nicholas slipped into an empty classroom to escape the noise of the hallway. He set his notebook on a desk, flipping through the pages.
The door swung open behind him.
Ava stepped inside, shutting it with a soft thud.
He looked up, faintly surprised. “What—”
“You’re coming to the party,” she said, cutting him off.
He raised an eyebrow. “I already said I’m not.”
She moved closer, leaning one hand on the desk between them. “I chose Sunday for a reason, Nicholas.”
He blinked slowly. “What reason?”
Her smile was small but certain. “Because Sunday’s your day off here. No café shift, no excuses. Which means you can come.”
He didn’t answer immediately, his expression unreadable as her words hung between them.
“Seven p.m.,” she said, straightening up. “Don’t be late.”
Without waiting for his reply, she headed for the door. The faint scent of her perfume lingered in the air long after she’d gone.
Nicholas stayed where he was, staring at the space she’d just left, his fingers tapping lightly against the desk.