Sam never thought he’d end up transferring schools halfway through junior year. His mom had recently lost her job, and after weeks of struggling to pay bills, they moved to a smaller town to stay with his aunt. It was just the two of them, and Sam could tell the whole situation embarrassed her, so he tried not to complain even though he hated leaving his old life behind.

Back at his old school, things had been easy for him. He played basketball, knew everyone, and never had trouble fitting in. Walking into a completely new school where nobody knew him felt strange in a way he wasn’t used to.

The halls were loud and crowded as he followed his schedule to home group on his first morning. People already seemed locked into their friend groups. Sam kept his expression relaxed anyway, acting more confident than he felt.

At the front of the classroom, Mr. Bennett introduced him quickly before looking around for someone to show him around the school.

Near the windows sat Elena.

Everyone knew Elena, though not in a good way. She was quiet, awkward, obsessed with grades, and constantly had her nose buried in a book. Most students thought she was weird. The popular kids mocked her openly, and the rest of the class usually ignored it. Mr Bennet spoke to her.

“Elena, can you show Sam around today?”

Sam glanced over at her. She didn’t look that bad to him. Just shy.

He walked over casually with his backpack slung over one shoulder. He spoke to her not knowing her reputation.

“Hey. You’re Elena, right?”