Chapter 1

Kai Anderson

"KAI!" Jackson shouts, even though he’s barely a meter away. For someone who’s supposedly my "best friend," he has zero volume control.

"What the hell, Jack?" I groan, rolling over on the bench I’d claimed for my nap. "Did you really need to shout? Go away—I need my sleep."

I squint up at him, and his face is practically glowing. Great. When Jackson looks this excited, it usually means he’s about to tell me something I really, really don’t care about.

"Aww, sorry, man." He grins, unfazed, dropping down beside me like he owns the bench. "Thought you were off in dreamland. Maybe dreaming about some hot girl in the hallway?"

I sit up, rubbing my eyes and sighing. "What do you want, Jackson?"

"Nothing! Just checking on you, bro," he says, his eyes sparkling with barely-contained gossip. "You look kinda pale."

"Gee, thanks," I mutter. "I’m fine." Not that he needs to know I was up all night binging a K-drama. The heroine was cute, okay? But now I'm paying for it with a headache, and I skipped lunch to nap here in my favorite quiet spot.

Jackson leans in, lowering his voice like he's about to spill the juiciest rumor of the century. "Did you hear? Suzy from 5A—yeah, the pretty one—she dropped out. Rumor has it she got pregnant by some popular senior."

I look at him, blinking slowly. He might as well be speaking another language. I barely know who Suzy is, let alone her love life, but Jackson? He knows everything. He’s like the school’s unofficial news network.

"Talking to you is like talking to a dead tree," he huffs, smacking my arm when I don’t respond.

"Ouch! What do you expect me to say?" I groan. "I don’t even know her."

Jackson pouts. "Just trying to keep you updated, man. You're like... an ancient fossil. Living in your own world."

"Good," I mutter, lying back down and covering my face with my arm. "This stuff isn’t gonna be on the test, Jack."

He rolls his eyes and pulls me up by the collar. "C'mon, sleeping beauty. Break's over, and we’ve got class."

I reluctantly get up and follow him down the hall, blending back into the sea of students in their navy-blue uniforms. The bells are ringing, and kids are hurrying, talking, laughing, bumping into each other. The usual.

After a couple more hours of mind-numbing classes, my head’s still pounding. So, after school, I make a beeline for the infirmary, hoping I can talk the nurse into giving me some painkillers.

I’m distracted, just turning a corner when—

"BUKK!"

I slam into something solid and bounce back, landing on the floor with a thud. I look up, rubbing my sore shoulder… and freeze. Whoa.

I’ve just crashed into the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice calm, like he runs into people every day. He reaches out a hand to help me up.

Dizzy and embarrassed, I scowl. "Why are you standing in the middle of the hallway like a freaking pole, bro?"

He smirks, eyes glinting. "Darling, you’re the one walking with your eyes closed. Even if I wasn’t here, you’d have hit the wall."

I blink. Darling? I barely know this guy, and he’s already calling me pet names?

"Who the hell’s your ‘darling’?" I snap, grabbing his hand and letting him pull me up. He does it so effortlessly, like I weigh nothing.

"You sure you’re okay?" he asks again, still smirking.

I brush off my clothes, avoiding his gaze. Up close, he’s even taller, definitely more muscular, and his eyes… they’re this ridiculous shade of green. Not fair. "I’m fine. No need for the gentleman routine."

He raises an eyebrow. "Just making sure you don’t walk into anyone else, darling." His smirk widens.

I roll my eyes, grabbing my bag. "Damn you," I mutter, and stomp off, my face burning as his amused chuckle follows me down the hall.

---

Keith Morgan

He’s cute. I watch him grab his bag and stomp away, clearly flustered. And I can’t help but smile. Who is this guy? I’ve never seen him around before, and he doesn’t seem to know who I am, either. Which is… refreshing. Not to brag, but most people at this school know me.

"Keith! Why are you still standing there?" Chen calls, popping up beside me. "C'mon, we’re gonna be late for class." He’s just gotten back from the principal’s office, and by the look on his face, he’s barely managed to escape detention. Again.

I glance at him, still distracted. "Did you see that boy?"

Chen raises an eyebrow, looking around. "Which boy?"

"Never mind." I shoulder my bag, still thinking about the guy who called me a "pole" and stormed off. Chen trails behind, curious as always.

"So, what happened?" he asks, clearly trying to piece together the scene in his head. Chen’s been my best friend since our first day here. He’s funny, loyal, and an absolute gossip fiend.

"I ran into someone," I admit, my mind still on that scowl and the way he barely looked at me. "A very cute someone."

Chen groans, rolling his eyes. "Oh, please. Stop hogging all the cute girls—and guys—in this school! Leave some for the rest of us! We need love, too." He slings an arm around my neck, pretending to strangle me while laughing at his own joke.

I shove him off, laughing. "Hey, I’m not chasing anyone. They come to me. I’m just polite enough not to turn them down," I say with an exaggerated, innocent smile. "I only go after people I actually like."

Chen gives me a look. "Sure, sure. The school's Casanova… and gentleman? With a reputation as a heartbreaker, and… let’s see… a legend?"

He grins like an idiot, and I can’t help but laugh. But my mind drifts back to that boy. He was… different. Not like everyone else I know here.

"Keith, why are you smiling like that?" Chen snaps his fingers in front of my face, pulling me out of my thoughts. "You're creeping me out."

Before I can answer, he smacks the back of my head and sprints towards the classroom.

"Damn you, Chen!" I shout after him, laughing as I follow. Still, I can’t shake the image of that boy’s annoyed expression. And that scowl he shot me, like he wanted to be anywhere but near me. Where do I even start?

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