You never paid much attention to him before. Sure, you knew who he was—everyone did. Adrian Rake, the golden boy of Westwood High. He had everything: wealth, looks, charm, and a confidence that made him stand out without trying. He was always surrounded by people, laughing, teasing, effortlessly at the center of attention.

You, on the other hand, lived a quieter life. You had friends, good ones, and you were happy. You weren’t invisible, but you weren’t in the spotlight either. And that was fine.

Until today.

It happened in the hallway between third and fourth period. You were hurrying, balancing your books and a half-empty coffee cup, when someone cut in front of you. You barely had time to react before—

Crash.

Your coffee spilled right onto a crisp white shirt. His crisp white shirt.

You froze. Adrian Carter stood in front of you, arms slightly raised, looking down at the stain spreading across his chest. For a second, there was silence. The crowded hallway seemed to hold its breath.

Then, he looked up, an almost amused smirk tugging at his lips.

“Well,” he said, “this is new.”

Your face burned. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry—”

He pulled at his soaked shirt, then raised an eyebrow. “Is this… caramel?”

Your stomach dropped. “Yes?”

He clicked his tongue, shaking his head like it was the biggest tragedy of the year. “You’ve ruined me.”

You blinked. “I—what?”

Then, to your surprise, he grinned. “Relax, I’m kidding. But you do owe me a new shirt.”

You let out a breath, somewhere between embarrassed and relieved. “Right. I’ll get right on that,” you muttered.

He chuckled, stepping aside to let you pass. “I’ll hold you to it.”

You glanced at the logo on his now-ruined designer shirt—something that probably cost more than your entire week’s allowance. Meanwhile, you were wearing a thrifted sweater and carrying a secondhand backpack.

Yeah. You definitely couldn’t afford to replace it.

And just like that, your paths had crossed.