Katelyn and Samantha exchanged a quick goodbye with Ryder before making their way to homeroom. This year, they were lucky enough to have the same teacher, Mrs. Walters—a small blessing in their senior year. The classroom buzzed with the sound of friends catching up after a long summer apart, and as they walked in, familiar faces greeted them with smiles.

Katelyn spotted two empty desks near the window and pulled Samantha along. “Come sit with me here,” she said, grinning. “We can be desk mates!”

Samantha smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

As they settled in, their conversation was filled with gossip about the summer, who was dating whom, and the excitement of being seniors. The laughter and chatter continued until Mrs. Walters walked in and cleared her throat, bringing the room to a hush.

“Alright, class. Settle down,” Mrs. Walters said with a smile. “I’m Mrs. Walters, and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to a great year!”

The room echoed with enthusiastic replies, a collective promise of making this year the best one yet.

“Now,” Mrs. Walters continued, her eyes twinkling with excitement, “before we get started, we have a new transfer student joining us today.” She gestured toward the door. “Come on in and introduce yourself.”

All eyes turned to the tall, dark-haired boy who strode into the room. He was handsome—almost too handsome—and his demeanor was aloof, as if he’d rather be anywhere else but here.

“Hi,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “I’m Lucas Johnson.”

The sound of his voice sent an unexpected shiver down Katelyn’s spine. She stared at him, captivated by the way his dark hair fell over his forehead and how effortlessly cool he seemed. He barely glanced at the class as he spoke, his attention elsewhere, but the effect he had on the room was immediate. Girls around her whispered excitedly, and Katelyn overheard fragments of their conversations—“He’s so cute” and “I wish he’d sit next to me.” But all Katelyn could focus on was how her heart seemed to skip a beat when he spoke.

Mrs. Walters gestured to a desk right in front of Katelyn. “Lucas, you can sit there,” she said.

As he made his way to the desk, Katelyn’s eyes were glued to him. What is it about him? she thought to herself, unable to shake the warmth spreading through her body. His hair looked so soft, and she found her fingers twitching with the strange desire to run them through that dark, tousled mass. Would it feel as soft as it looks? she wondered, quickly shaking her head. Focus, Katelyn. Focus on the lesson!

Samantha nudged her from the side, breaking her trance. “Hey,” she whispered, “what’s wrong with you?”

Katelyn blinked, startled. “Nothing,” she lied. “I’m just sleepy from last night.”

Samantha gave her a suspicious look but shrugged. “Okay, if you say so.”

The lesson droned on, but Katelyn barely registered any of it. Her thoughts kept drifting to Lucas, the way he sat silently, completely indifferent to the whispers around him. She tried to pay attention to Mrs. Walters, but her eyes kept wandering back to the boy in front of her.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling lunch. Everyone gathered their things and hurried out, eager for a break. Katelyn hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. Maybe he’s just shy, she reasoned with herself. I should at least be nice.

She walked up to Lucas, trying to sound casual. “Hey, if you need someone to show you around, I can help. Or, if you want, you can sit with us at lunch.”

Lucas looked up at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, Katelyn thought she saw something soften in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He stood up, his voice flat. “No, I’ll be fine. You can leave me alone now.”

Her heart sank at his words, and she took a step back, feeling both embarrassed and hurt. “Oh, sorry to bother you then,” she mumbled.

Without another word, she grabbed Samantha’s hand and rushed out of the classroom.

“What’s wrong?” Samantha asked, worry etched on her face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Katelyn shook her head, trying to laugh it off. “I just thought I’d be nice, and he acted like a total jerk. Can you believe that?”

“Maybe he’s just not friendly,” Samantha offered. “Don’t take it personally.”

Katelyn scoffed, her cheeks burning with frustration. “He may look good, but his personality? Trash.”

Samantha raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin forming on her lips. “Why are you letting it get to you? Do you like him already?”

“What? No! Absolutely not!” Katelyn protested, but just then, they bumped into Ryder in the hallway.

“Like who?” Ryder asked, looking between them curiously.

Before Samantha could answer, Katelyn quickly clamped a hand over her friend’s mouth. “No one. I like no one. Let’s just go eat lunch.”

Ryder shrugged, confused, but didn’t press the issue.

Down the hall, Lucas stood silently, watching the girl who had just spoken to him. He didn’t mean to be rude. He just… wasn’t used to people. And yet, something about her had caught his attention the moment he stepped into the classroom. Her long dark hair, her warm brown eyes… She had smiled at him when their eyes met, and for a split second, he’d felt something unfamiliar stir inside him.

As he walked toward the lunchroom, he cursed under his breath. Stupid. You should’ve just talked to her. Maybe… Maybe you can apologize.