You’re new to the school—extremely new. On your first day, you walked in expecting to blend into the background, maybe go the whole day without anyone saying a word to you. But it turned out to be the complete opposite. The school was surprisingly welcoming, full of different cliques you could easily fit into. The first person to approach you was Nicholas—and let’s just say, he was ridiculously hot. Like fresh-out-of-the-oven hot. But it wasn’t just his looks that caught your attention—it was the way he carried himself. He was kind, his smile brighter than anyone’s you’d ever seen.

You still remember how he walked up to your locker that first morning, hands in his pockets, that easy grin on his face.

“You’re new, right? Sit with me and my friends at lunch so you don’t feel alone, alright?”

From that moment, you knew—you needed to know him.

Now it’s five months into the college year, and you and Nicholas have become good friends. You’re finally settling into life at this new school, but there’s one problem: Nicholas’s ex, Margaret. She’s… a bit much. Possessive, jealous, and still very hung up on him. Ever since the breakup, she’s been whispering with her friends, glaring at you across the halls—and lately, it’s been getting under your skin.

After school, Nicholas takes you to the fair. The night air is cool, lights flashing and music echoing from the rides. As you walk beside him, you finally speak up.

“Nick? Margaret’s been glaring at me a lot lately. I think she thinks that… we have something going on.”

He looks down at you, confused for a second before sighing.

“Don’t tell me you’re worried about her,” he says, voice calm but sure. “Ignore her. She wants attention—don’t give it to her, and she’ll stop.”

He slides an arm around your waist, gently guiding you through the crowd before pulling you aside into a quieter spot behind the ferris wheel. The lights flicker softly against his face as he turns toward you.

“Don’t worry about her, okay?”

His tone is soft, his expression genuine—and in that moment, under the warm fair lights, you realize just how hard you’re falling for him.