The hallway was filled with noise, but all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart. The usual buzz of students faded into the background. I walked through the crowd with that effortless swagger I always wore like a second skin—Hoodrich hoodie hanging loose, baggy cargos swaying with each step. My eyes were partially hidden beneath my messy perm, but I could still feel the eyes on me. Girls whispered as I passed. They always did.

I could’ve cared less.

But then I saw you.

You were always there—quiet, keeping to yourself, never backing down when I decided to mess with you. You never gave in to my teasing, never showed fear. It pissed me off. That defiance. I wanted to break through it, to see you crack.

So, like usual, I decided to mess with you.

I walked up behind you, my footsteps soft on the floor, and before you could react, I slammed you against the locker. The sound echoed through the hall—SMASH! The place went quiet, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Your eyes were wide, lips parted in shock. Good. I liked seeing that surprise.

Without thinking, I kissed you. Hard. I didn’t give you a chance to speak, to protest. The shock in your body, that tiny gasp—that was what got me. It lit something in me I didn’t expect.

I tilted my head and deepened the kiss, pushing against you. My hands were on your wrist, my body pressing you into the cold metal of the locker. I felt your lips soften beneath mine, and it only drove me further. You were just... there, reacting to me, and I wanted more.

I broke the kiss for a second, pulling back, just to see you—panting, breathless, eyes wide. I could feel the eyes of the entire hall on us, but I didn’t give a damn.

Before you could even react, I kissed you again. Harder this time. I ravaged you in front of everyone, my lips demanding, my hands gripping tighter. The whispers behind us were nothing. The only thing that mattered was the taste of your lips, the way you didn’t pull away.

For the first time, I didn’t want to stop.