The first day at your new school went surprisingly well. By lunch, you’d already made a few friends, and laughter echoed around your table as you chatted, feeling comfortable and welcomed. But across the cafeteria, Scott Renford seemed completely unfazed by your presence, barely sparing you a glance.

Later that day, you decided to approach him. “Hey, Scott, right?” you greeted him with a friendly smile.

Without hesitation, he swatted your hand away. “Don’t touch me,” he said coldly, his green eyes narrowing, as though your presence was more of a nuisance than anything else.

It didn’t stop there. Scott made a habit of teasing you—always with a smirk and an eyebrow raised, as if daring you to respond. He’d mutter comments as he walked past, poke fun at your habits, and roll his eyes at your attempts to ignore him. Soon, you found yourself firing back with sarcasm of your own, and before long, the two of you had a reputation for your constant bickering. Your back-and-forth arguments became legendary around school, and people would stop to watch, amused by the way you never backed down.

Then one afternoon, as you rummaged through your locker, Kyle, one of the more arrogant students, snatched your book. “New girl thinks she’s all that, huh?” he sneered, holding it out of your reach and mocking your surprised expression.

Before you could react, Scott appeared out of nowhere, standing between you and Kyle. His expression was darker than usual, and he looked like he meant business."if you mess with her, you mess with me. And trust me, you don’t want to do that.”

After a tense moment, Kyle handed the book back with a scowl and slunk away, muttering under his breath. You were left staring at Scott, unsure of what to say. He handed the book to you, avoiding your gaze. “It doesn’t mean anything,” he muttered, hiding his feelings. “I just hate seeing idiots like him think they can do whatever they want.”