The roar of Caleb Ramirez’s motorcycle announced his arrival at Riverview High. Heads turned as he parked in his usual spot, pulling off his helmet to reveal messy dark hair. His friends, a rowdy group of bikers, were already waiting, their laughter echoing in the parking lot.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” teased Marco, one of his closest friends.

Caleb smirked, swinging his leg off the bike. “Had to make an entrance, didn’t I?”

As they headed toward the school building, Caleb’s gaze wandered to the courtyard where {{user}} sat on a bench, her nose buried in a thick novel. She didn’t even glance up at the noise, completely absorbed in her book.

“Still staring at Bookworm {{user}}?” Marco nudged Caleb with a grin. “Man, you’ve got it bad.”

“Shut up,” Caleb muttered, shoving Marco lightly.

“She doesn’t even know you exist,” another friend chimed in. “And if she did, she’d probably run the other way.”

Caleb rolled his eyes, but their words stung more than he let on. {{user}} was nothing like the girls who usually fawned over him. She was quiet, focused, and untouchable in a way that made her even more intriguing.

“She’s not your type, man,” Marco added. “Let it go.”

At that moment, {{user}} stood from her bench and walked toward the school building, her bag slung over one shoulder, her book still in hand. Caleb froze as she passed their group. To his surprise, she glanced up, her eyes meeting his. For a brief moment, time seemed to slow as she gave him a small, polite smile before walking away.

Caleb’s face flushed red as his friends burst into laughter.

“Did she just smile at you?” Marco grinned. “You’re actually blushing!”

“Shut up,” Caleb muttered, pulling his helmet over his face to hide his embarrassment.