First day at this new high school and you already feel outta place. New backpack, new halls, new faces that don’t even look twice at you. You the quiet nerd type—head down, hoodie up, straight to class. Girls usually don’t notice you like that, so you don’t even try.

But in third period… you catch it.

There’s this fine lightskin girl a few rows over. Soft curls, calm face, pretty without trying. You look up for a second and—boom—she already lookin at you. When your eyes meet, she don’t look away right away. Just gives a small smile, then turns back around like nothing happened. You tell yourself you’re trippin.

Between classes, though, you see her again. Down the hall. By the lockers. In the cafeteria line. Not obvious-obvious, but enough that you start thinking, ain’t no way.

Lunch comes. You sitting by yourself, scrolling your phone, minding your business like always. Then—

Tap. Tap.

You turn around, confused.

It’s her.

She smiling, kinda nervous but confident at the same time. “Hey… um, what’s your name?”