Katelyn stood in the girls' bathroom, washing her hands, still feeling light after her moment with Lucas. The water rushed over her fingers, the coldness calming her as she thought about how smoothly the morning had gone. But the serenity didn’t last long. The door swung open, and in walked Lucy Walters—the girl notorious for flaunting her family’s wealth and status, always surrounded by a group of loyal followers.

Katelyn caught sight of Lucy in the mirror, her eyes cold as they locked onto Katelyn’s reflection.

“Hey, just a fair warning… back off,” Lucy said, her tone sharp.

Katelyn frowned, turning slightly to face her. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw you getting cozy with the new boy, Lucas, when you came in this morning,” Lucy replied, crossing her arms.

Katelyn raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, so?”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “I saw him first, when he was registering in the office on the first day of school. So, back the hell off.”

A laugh escaped Katelyn’s lips before she could stop herself. “Wait, let me get this straight,” she said, shaking her head. “Because you saw him first, he’s yours?”

“That’s right,” Lucy snapped, her voice full of entitlement. “So once again, back off. He’s mine.”

Katelyn couldn’t contain her laughter this time. She burst out laughing right in Lucy’s face, the absurdity of the situation too much to handle.

“What the hell?” Lucy spat, her face reddening. “Why are you laughing?”

Katelyn wiped a tear from her eye, grinning mischievously. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.” She gave Lucy a quick wink before turning on her heel and walking away.

“Hey! Get back here! I wasn’t done talking to you!” Lucy shouted after her.

Katelyn glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. “But I’m done talking to you.”

She left the bathroom, chuckling to herself. What a piece of work, she thought. If she thinks she can steal my fiancé, she better think again. Over my dead body.

Behind her, Lucy stood fuming, her fists clenched tight at her sides. Just you wait, Lucy seethed. I always get what I want.

Katelyn rejoined Samantha and Lucas at their table in the cafeteria, the tension still bubbling under her skin but replaced by the satisfaction of putting Lucy in her place.

Samantha looked at her with concern. “Is everything okay? You look like something happened.”

Katelyn shrugged, trying to brush it off. “Yeah, just ran into some unnecessary drama in the bathroom.”

Lucas looked up from his food, curiosity piqued. “What does that mean?”

Katelyn gave him a reassuring smile. “Nothing important. Let’s just finish eating and get back to class.”

Lucas studied her for a moment, but then nodded. “Okay.”

———————————————————————————

Later that day, in the gymnasium, Mrs. Walters assigned everyone tasks for cleaning up after class. Katelyn found herself watching Lucas from across the room as he gathered sports equipment, admiring the way he moved, how effortlessly he seemed to get everything done. But her admiration was cut short when something—or rather, someone—interrupted the peace.

Lucas was making his way to the storage room when a body collided with him hard, sending him stumbling backward. He landed on the floor with a thud, the weight of someone else on top of him.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” a familiar voice cooed. Katelyn’s stomach sank as she realized it was Lucy.

Lucas pushed himself up quickly, his face a mix of surprise and irritation. “It’s okay, as long as you didn’t hurt yourself.”

Lucy smiled sweetly, but her eyes were full of calculation. “I think I may have sprained my ankle,” she said, dramatically wincing as she tried to stand. “Could you help me to the nurse’s office?”

Lucas’s jaw tightened, and Katelyn could see he wasn’t buying Lucy’s act. But despite his irritation, he nodded. “Yeah, I guess I can do that.”

As Lucy leaned on him, practically draping herself over his side, Katelyn clenched her fists. She knew what Lucy was doing—playing her little games, trying to worm her way into Lucas’s attention.

From the other side of the gym, Katelyn’s eyes narrowed. If Lucy thinks she can weasel her way in, Katelyn thought, she’s got another thing coming.

As Lucas helped Lucy limp toward the door, he glanced back at Katelyn, his expression almost apologetic. Katelyn gave him a small smile, trying to reassure him she wasn’t upset. But inside, the fire was already lit.

She wasn’t about to let anyone come between her and Lucas—not even someone like Lucy Walters.