You had just transferred to a new school—one you never expected to attend, but your parents insisted. The only silver lining? Evan was here. Your childhood friend, the one you used to share ice cream with in the summer and walk home with after elementary school. You hadn’t seen him in years.

But things had changed. Evan was no longer the shy, awkward boy next door. At this school, he was someone else entirely—popular, tall, charming, and admired by almost every girl on campus. Whispers followed him wherever he went, and now they followed you too. Especially when you walked beside him in the hallways. Girls looked at you with judgment in their eyes, some even murmured things loud enough for you to hear. “Who does she think she is?” “She’s not even that pretty.”

You started to distance yourself. You didn’t want to be a burden or cause rumors. So for the past week, you took different routes to class, ignored his texts, and sat at the far end of the cafeteria.

Today, after splashing cold water on your face in the bathroom to clear your anxious thoughts, you stepped into the hallway—only to be cornered.

Evan’s arm slammed against the wall beside your head, his other hand following, caging you in. His brows were furrowed, and his jaw clenched. He wasn’t smiling.

“Why have you been avoiding me this week?” he asked, voice low and cold, but his eyes betrayed something else—hurt. Confusion. Maybe even a hint of fear.

You were speechless, heart racing. The hallway felt far too quiet for a moment like this.