...Characters: ...

Character 1: Hunter González (MC 1)

...Hunter is 17 years old. He is the black cat in this story and gives off bad boy vibes. His birthday is on June 12 but never really celebrates it. Hunter is a quiet and closed off boy. He often rathers being alone than speaking or spending time with friends. He is closed off and introverted....

Character 2: Conner Louis (MC 2)

...Conner is 16 years old. He is the golden retriever in this story. He is a soft boy and a cheerful person. He is outgoing and extroverted. He loves talking and being around his friends. His birthday is on October 25. ...

Character 3: Nicholas González

...Nicholas is 13 years old and the younger brother of Hunter. He is very quiet but loud boy. He loves going out with friends and going out skating with them on his skateboard. His birthday is on January 29. ...

Character 4: Isaiah Miller

...Isaiah is the first side character but also Hunter’s best friend. He is 17 years old. He gets along with Hunter very well but sometimes it’s complicated. He is outgoing but is sometimes quiet. He has a girlfriend named Veena and a sister named Jordan. His birthday is on July 20. ...

Character 5: Samuel Rouh

...Samuel is the second side character and also a friend of Conner’s. He is 16 years old. He is mostly an extroverted and fun character. His birthday is on February 28. ...

Character 6: Veena López

...Veena is 16 years old. She is the third side character in the story. She is the girlfriend of Isaiah. She is optimistic and enjoys being around her friends. She’s a very bubbly and outgoing girl. Her birthday is on September 26. ...

Character 7: Jazzy Ruth

...Jazzy is 17 years old. She is the fourth side character in the story. She is friends with Hunter and Veena. She is a curiousis and optimistic character when it comes to being with friends. Her birthday is on October 2. ...

Character 8: Jordan Miller

...Jordan is 16 years old. She is the fifth side character in the story. She doesn’t like being around the typical girls in school. She likes being around the outsiders of the school. She is a fun and friendly character. Her birthday is on March 18. ...

...Sports/Hobbies:...

Hunter: Ice Hockey

Conner: Soccer/ book club/ going to the library

Nicholas: Baseball

Isaiah: Basketball

Samuel: Soccer

Veena: Cheer/ Dance team

Jazzy: Cheer

Jordan: Lacrosse

...Disclaimer and Author message!...

This story has the following: Nudity, inappropriate language, strong language, graphic descriptions, sexual descriptions, 18+ content.

Have fun reading this story and be sure to comment or request any other information or stories you’d like for me to write about!

Thank you so much for all the support you’ve all given me and i’m so excited to be writing for all of you guys again!

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The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow across my messy room. I let out a deep sigh as I forced myself out of bed, my feet hitting the cold wooden floor.

The prospect of another day at school was not exciting me, especially with the thought of dealing with my friends and their never-ending cheerfulness.

I stumbled towards the bathroom, running a hand through my unruly dark hair. The person who stared back at me from the mirror was not a morning person - dark circles under my eyes, a permanent scowl etched on my face.

I splashed some cold water on my face, hoping to wake myself up, but all it did was make my already grumpy expression more pronounced. I reluctantly got ready for school, throwing on my usual outfit of jeans and a black hoodie.

I didn’t see the point in trying to look good for school - it’s not like anyone would notice anyway. As I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door, I couldn’t help but let out another deep sigh. This day was already shaping up to be as unpleasant as they come.

As I made my way to school, I tried to mentally prepare myself for the barrage of happy faces and positive vibes that awaited me.

My friends were always so cheerful and enthusiastic about everything, while I couldn’t help being the grumpy one in the group. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate them, but their constant optimism grated on my nerves sometimes.

As I walked down the hallway, my friend Isaiah suddenly appeared beside me, a wide grin on his face.

“Hey, Hunter! Guess what?” I raised an eyebrow, bracing myself for some obnoxiously cheerful news. “What?”

“There’s a new kid in our grade today!” I rolled my eyes, not really caring about the new addition to our class. “And I’m supposed to care because...?”

Isaiah slapped my shoulder, completely unfazed by my grumpy attitude. “Come on, man. Lighten up! It’s exciting! You know how I feel about meeting new people.”

I sighed, knowing that it was pointless to argue with Isaiah when he was in his cheerful mood “Alright, fine. Tell me about this new kid then.”

Isaiah’s face lit up even more, his excitement practically radiating off him. “Well, his name is Conner, and he seems really nice! I met him this morning during homeroom. He’s super friendly and outgoing. I think you’re gonna like him!”

I couldn’t help but scoff at the mention of Conner’s friendly nature. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s a real gem. Just what this school needs - another cheery wannabe-popular student.”

Isaiah rolled his eyes dramatically. “You’re such a grouch, you know that? Give the guy a chance before you start judging him.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll believe it when I see it. So far, all the new kids we’ve had have ended up being annoying and pretentious.”

Isaiah chuckled softly, used to my constant pessimism. “Well, maybe this time will be different. Just give him a chance, alright? I think you two might actually end up getting along.” I let out a grunt, doubting that statement wholeheartedly.

As we continued down the hallway, Isaiah chatted animatedly about our new classmate. I half-listened, my mind already dismissing the possibility of actually liking this “Conner” person. In my mind, I already had a picture of the annoying, extroverted type that I always seemed to clash with.

As we entered the classroom, my eyes immediately landed on a boy standing near the back, surrounded by a small group of girls. He was tall, with messy brown hair and a wide smile on his face. Even from a distance, I could tell that he exuded a cheerful energy that made the girls around him giggle and blush.

I grumbled under my breath, immediately knowing that this must be the new kid, Conner. My initial impression was that he looked just as annoying and extroverted as I had expected. I let out a low huff, silently cursing Isaiah for thinking I would like this guy.

As if sensing my presence, Conner turned to look in our direction, his eyes locking with mine. For a brief moment, he stopped his animated conversation with the girls, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. But then, almost instantly, his smile widened, and he waved at us enthusiastically.

As Conner waved at us, I felt an irritated frown forming on my face. Isaiah, not noticing my annoyed expression, waved back excitedly. “Hey, Conner! Come over here, we want to introduce you to someone!”

I scowled at Isaiah, silently wishing he would shut up. But it was too late. Conner was already making his way towards us, that irritatingly cheerful smile still plastered on his face.

When he finally reached us, he stuck out his hand towards me, his eyes sparkling with a warm friendliness.“Hey, I’m Conner! I’m guessing you must be the grumpy one I’ve heard so much about.”

I stared at his outstretched hand, feeling a surge of irritation coursing through me. The audacity of this guy to already make such assumptions about me.

As Conner grinned at me, displaying his perfect, pearly white teeth, I felt a strange sensation in my chest. It took me a moment to realize that it was my heart skipping a beat.

I quickly pushed the feeling aside, trying to maintain my usual grumpy demeanor. “Yeah, that’s me,” I muttered gruffly, trying to hide the flutter of my heart. “The grumpy one.”

Conner’s smile widened even further, almost as if he could see through my attempts to remain aloof. “And I take it you’re not too happy about that?”

I grunted in response, struggling to find words under his intense gaze. Why was he looking at me like that? It was making me feel all... flustered.

His eyes sparkled with a playful gleam, as if he was enjoying my discomfort. I felt my cheeks heat up slightly, but hopefully, he didn’t notice.“You know, you’re cute when you’re grumpy.”

My heart skipped another beat, his words catching me off guard. Was he flirting with me? Or was he just teasing me to get a reaction?

I tried to act nonchalant, as if his compliment hadn’t affected me at all. “W-whatever,” I muttered, averting my gaze from his bright eyes. “Don’t get used to it.”

Conner let out a soft, warm laugh that sent shivers down my spine. It was a sound that was both pleasing and irritating at the same time. Why did he have to be so damn cute?

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll come around eventually.” He smiles at me again and I couldn’t help but huff in response, even more flustered now. He seemed so confident, so sure of himself. It was both irritating and oddly attractive. I hadn’t felt like this around anyone before, and I wasn’t sure if it was just his annoyingly cheerful nature or something else. Either way, I knew I needed to get a hold of myself before I made a fool of myself.

Before I could say anything more, the warning bell rang, signaling the start of class. Conner’s smile dimmed slightly, but his cheerful demeanor remained intact.

“Well, I guess we should take our seats. See you around, grumpy.” With a final wink, he turned and headed towards his desk.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, feeling my heart beating faster than it ever had before. What had just happened? And why couldn’t I stop thinking about that damn smile of his?

As I made my way to my desk, Isaiah fell into step beside me, a knowing smirk on his face. “You like him, don’t you?” I shot him a glare, hoping my flushed cheeks weren’t giving me away too much.

“What are you talking about? He’s annoying.” Isaiah chuckled softly, clearly amused by my denial.

“Sure, keep telling yourself that. But you can’t fool me. I saw the way you were looking at him. You’re smitten.” I scowled at Isaiah, trying to act disinterested. “I am not ‘smitten.’ Don’t be ridiculous.”

Despite my protests, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Conner, who was now chatting animatedly with a group of students surrounding his desk. His smile was still as bright and genuine as ever, and I felt my heart flutter against my will. Damn him and his annoyingly attractive smile.

The rest of the classes went by in a blur, my thoughts constantly occupied by Conner’s cheerful demeanor and that damn smile. I tried to focus on taking notes and participating in class discussions, but every time I caught a glimpse of him sitting a few desks away, my mind would immediately start wandering. I found myself stealing glances at him more times than I cared to admit. It was a strange feeling, to be so distracted by someone I had initially dismissed as annoying.

As the lunch bell rang, I gathered my things and followed Isaiah towards the cafeteria. We grabbed our lunches and found a table in the corner, where we usually sat. Isaiah kept casting knowing glances in my direction, as if he knew exactly what was going through my mind.

“So, how’s Operation ‘Pretend You’re Not Smitten’ going?” I shot him a glare, annoyed by his persistent teasing. “I am not ‘smitten.’ Stop saying that.” Isaiah chuckled, clearly enjoying my denial. “Right, keep telling yourself that. But your face gives you away every time. You’re practically drooling over the guy.”

I huffed, trying to maintain my usual grumpy demeanor. “I am not ‘drooling’ over anyone. I just find his cheerfulness annoying, that’s all.” Isaiah raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Sure, sure. That’s why you couldn’t take your eyes off him in all our classes.”

I gritted my teeth, knowing that Isaiah was right. It was infuriating how well he could read me. But I was determined to keep up my act of indifference. “Whatever. Can we just change the subject?”

Isaiah chuckled softly, clearly not buying my act but deciding to drop the subject for now. “Fine, fine. But don’t think I’m done with this topic.”

We finished our lunches, chatting casually about school and random topics. All the while, my mind kept returning to Conner and that irritatingly charming smile.

As we left the cafeteria, I spotted Conner standing near the exit, surrounded by a group of students. His smile was as bright as ever, and his laughter echoed through the hallway. I felt my heart skip a beat as he caught me looking at him. He didn’t acknowledge my presence, but his amused expression gave me the impression that he’d noticed my glances.

I looked away quickly, pretending to be interested in something else. Why did he have to be so damn observant? It was like he could see right through me and knew exactly how much he was affecting me.

Isaiah nudged my shoulder, a knowing grin on his face. “Trying to act cool, huh? But I saw that look on your face. You were straight-up ogling him.” I rolled my eyes, frustrated by his keen observation skills. “I was not ogling. I was just... looking.”

Isaiah chuckled, clearly enjoying my denial. “Right, ‘looking.’ And I’m the queen of England.” I glowered at him, wishing he would drop the topic altogether. But knowing Isaiah, that was unlikely to happen. As we walked down the hall, my eyes involuntarily darted towards Conner’s direction again. He was still surrounded by a group of admirers, his smile never faltering.

As we were making our way through the crowded hallway, Isaiah suddenly came to a halt, a wide grin spreading across his face. I followed his gaze and saw a girl standing a few feet away, her dark hair pulled up in a sleek ponytail and her deep brown eyes sparkling with laughter. It was Isaiah’s girlfriend, Veena.

“Hey, there’s my girl!” Veena turned and smiled at us as we approached, her arms automatically wrapping around Isaiah’s waist in a warm embrace.

I watched as Isaiah leaned down to plant a kiss on Veena’s forehead, their affection for each other palpable. It was a stark contrast to my own stoic demeanor, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. They looked so happy and carefree, effortlessly wrapped up in each other.

Veena released Isaiah from her embrace and turned her attention to me, her smile widening “Hey, Hunter! It’s been a while.” I nodded in greeting, still not entirely comfortable with her open displays of affection. “Hey, Veena. Yeah, it has been a while.”

Isaiah slung his arm around Veena’s shoulders, pulling her closer to him. “Hunter was just giving the new kid a hard time earlier, weren’t you?” I shot Isaiah a glare, not appreciating the reminder of my earlier behavior towards Conner. Veena chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Oh, so you’ve met that charming new boy, huh? I heard he’s absolutely adorable.” I grumbled under my breath, trying to keep my face indifferent. “Yeah, I’ve met him. He’s... too cheerful for my taste.”

Veena’s laughter rang out, soft and melodic. “Oh, I can imagine. But you know what they say, opposites attract, right?” I clenched my jaw, not appreciating the implication. Isaiah snickered beside her, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“Yeah, Hunter’s just too grumpy to admit it. But I think he secretly admires Conner’s cheerful nature.” I shot Isaiah a withering look, silently warning him to shut up. But he just chuckled and squeezed Veena closer to him.

“Oh, I believe it. You’re just a softie underneath that gruff exterior, aren’t you, Hunter?” I muttered something unintelligible under my breath, feeling my cheeks flush slightly.

Veena giggled again, her eyes twinkling with amusement. I tried to brush off her teasing, but Isaiah’s knowing smirk wasn’t helping. I couldn’t believe they were teaming up against me like this.

“You should have seen him earlier, Veena. He was practically drooling while staring at Conner. Veena placed a hand over her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. I could feel my irritation rising, but there was no way I was going to admit to being attracted to Conner.

“Oh, really? That’s adorable! Hunter has a crush!” I grumbled under my breath, feeling my cheeks heat up even more. Why did they have to be so damn perceptive?

“Oh, it’s more than just a ‘crush.’ He’s practically smitten with the guy.” Veena’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “Now, that’s interesting. I wonder how long it’ll take for them to get together.”

My heart skipped a beat as her words echoed through my mind. Get together? Me and Conner? Was she seriously suggesting that a cheerful extrovert and a grumpy introvert like us could ever be together? Ridiculous.

I tried to dismiss the idea, but the seed was planted in my mind now whether I liked it or not. The thought of being with Conner, his bright smile and infectious cheerfulness, sent a strange flutter through my chest. But it was silly. We were too different. We would never work as a couple.

“That’ll never happen,” I muttered, trying to convince myself as much as them. “We’re too different. He’s too cheerful and I’m too grumpy. We would drive each other insane.”

Veena shrugged, her expression still suggestive. “You never know. Opposites do attract, after all.”

Isaiah chimed in, a devilish grin on his face. “Yeah, and maybe he’ll be the one to bring you out of your perpetually grumpy state.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling increasingly annoyed by their relentless teasing. “Yeah, right. As if anyone has that much influence over my mood.”

Veena gave me a sly smile. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe Conner has a secret power over grumpy, broody guys like you.”

Isaiah chuckled, thoroughly enjoying this situation. “Yeah, and maybe you’ll finally learn to crack a smile every now and then thanks to him.”

I muttered under my breath, feeling outnumbered and flustered. “I already know how to smile, you know.”

Isaiah snickered again, not convinced by my protest. “Yeah, once in a blue moon, maybe.”

Veena chimed in, a hint of amusement in her voice. “And it probably looks as grumpy as you are.”

I shot them both a withering glare, feeling like a cornered animal. “Alright, you’ve made your point. Can we change the subject now, please?”

Isaiah and Veena glanced at each other, sharing a knowing smile. Clearly, they were going to keep teasing me about this for as long as possible.

“Okay, okay, we’ll drop it for now,” Isaiah said, although I could tell he was far from done with this topic. “But don’t be surprised if you end up falling for Conner’s charms. He’s got a way of winning people over with that smile.”

I grumbled under my breath, refusing to acknowledge the flutter in my chest at the mention of Conner’s smile.

Veena gave me a wink. “Yeah, I think there’s a hidden romantic under all that grumpy exterior.”

I rolled my eyes again, feeling my face heat up further with irritation. “Keep it up, and you’ll see just how cranky I can get.”

Isaiah laughed, unfazed by my threats. “Oh, we both know you’re all bark and no bite.”

Veena chuckled as well, her eyes still sparkling with amusement. “Just admit it, Hunter. You secretly find Conner adorable.”

I gritted my teeth, feeling my patience wearing thin. “Adorable? He’s irritating, that’s what he is.”

But even as I said it, I couldn’t deny the stirring in my chest from just thinking about his bright smile. Damnit. Why was this getting to me so much?

Isaiah smirked, clearly enjoying my internal struggle. “Denial is not a good look on you, my friend.”

Veena nodded in agreement, a playful smile on her lips. “Yeah, you can’t hide those feelings forever.”

It was the end of the school day, and most students had already left. I was packing up my things, ready to head home, when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Hey, Hunter, can I talk to you for a second?”

I turned to see Conner standing there, a strained smile on his face. He was acting strangely off, not his usual cheerful self.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by this uncharacteristic change in his demeanor. “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”

Conner fiddled with the strap of his backpack, his smile faltering. “It’s nothing, really. I just… I don’t know, it’s stupid. Nevermind.”

I could see the discomfort etched on his face. Despite his attempts to play it off as nothing, I could tell something was bothering him. “It’s not stupid," I said, my grumpy exterior softened slightly by his vulnerability. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Conner took a deep breath, his eyes darting around the empty classroom. “It’s just… some of the guys in my class said some stuff. About me, I mean. It got to me a bit more than I thought it would.”

I frowned, immediately annoyed at the thought of some idiots picking on him. “What kind of stuff? What did they say?”

Conner shrugged, trying to downplay it. “Just some silly nickname they’ve given me. They were saying it behind my back and laughing about it. I shouldn’t let it bother me, but… it did.”

His forced smile had completely vanished now, replaced by a mix of hurt and frustration.

I felt a pang of sympathy for him, seeing that the teasing had gotten to him more than he wanted to admit. “They’re just being àssholes. You don’t need to pay attention to anything they say."

Conner offered a weak smile, appreciative of my words. “Yeah, I know. I just hate how they’re making fun of me for being… well, for being myself, I guess.”

I wanted to comfort him, to tell him that he shouldn’t let their words affect him. But I didn’t know how to express my thoughts without sounding awkward. So I settled for a gruff “Don’t listen to them. They’re not worth your time.”

Conner gave a reluctant nod, his expression still downcast. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks, Hunter.”

He gave a half-hearted wave as he turned to leave, his usual cheerfulness replaced by a lingering sadness. I watched him go, feeling a strange mix of anger towards the ones who insulted him and a pang of concern for his hurt feelings.

As I finished packing up my things and left the classroom, I couldn’t shake the image of Conner’s deflated expression. Despite my initial dislike for his cheerful nature, seeing him hurt and vulnerable made me realize there was more to him than just that annoyingly bright smile.