Chapter One: Unnoticed, Until Now

The classroom felt too loud, too bright, and too suffocating. Eli Carter stood at the front, fidgeting with the sleeves of his sweater as the teacher introduced him.

“This is Eli Hayes, our new transfer student. I hope you all make him feel welcome.”

A ripple of whispers swept through the room. Eli felt them more than heard them. The way the girls leaned toward each other, their eyes flickering over him like he was something to be analyzed.

"He’s so pretty!"

"Did you see his eyes? Hazel with flecks of gold."

"I hope he sits next to me!"

Eli’s stomach twisted. Attention made his skin crawl. He hated it. He had spent years perfecting the art of being unnoticed, and now, in mere seconds, that effort was undone. With a hesitant step forward, he turned to the teacher and, in the softest voice, requested, “Can I sit in the back?”

The teacher, oblivious to his discomfort, simply nodded. “There’s an empty seat in the last row.”

Eli exhaled in relief and made his way down the aisle. The whispers continued, but he ignored them, clutching the strap of his bag like it was a lifeline. The eyes on him felt suffocating, burning into his back as he moved. When he reached the last row, he let out a small breath, thinking he had escaped.

Then he heard it—a groggy sigh, a rustle of movement.

Eli froze. He wasn’t alone back there.

His eyes darted to the seat beside him. A guy was slumped over, arms crossed, head tilted against the desk like he had been peacefully asleep—until Eli’s arrival disturbed him and then he move facing toward him.

And then, those blue eyes opened.

A sharp, striking blue that reminded Eli of ice on a winter morning. The guy blinked, clearly not pleased about being woken up, his gaze locking onto Eli’s face with unreadable intensity.

Eli swallowed. “Uh… hi?” His voice came out awkward and unsure.

The guy just stared at him blankly. No words, no expression. Just a slow blink before he turned away, as if Eli wasn’t even worth a response.

Eli felt his face heat up in embarrassment. Okay. Cool. That went well.

Deciding it was best to pretend that never happened, he shifted in his seat and focused on the lesson. He needed to blend in, stay invisible. The last thing he wanted was trouble.

But as the bell rang for lunch, and students rushed out of the classroom, Eli couldn’t shake the feeling that the boy with the piercing blue eyes had been watching him just a little too closely.

And for the first time since he arrived, Eli had the unsettling realization that maybe—just maybe—he hadn’t gone unnoticed after all.

Author’s Note:

Hey everyone!

First of all, thank you so much for checking out my story. This is my first time writing, and honestly, I’m both excited and a little nervous to share it.

Since I’m still learning, I’d really appreciate any feedback you have . Feel free to point them out! Your thoughts and suggestions will help me improve.

Thanks again for giving this story a chance. I can’t wait to share more with you!

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