Liam Carter strode through the school hallway like he owned it. His black hair fell messily over his forehead, just enough to make him look effortlessly put-together, and his emerald green eyes scanned the crowd with that calm, untouchable air he always carried. The familiar buzz of whispers and excited glances followed him wherever he went, but he barely noticed. Well, he did notice—it was hard not to when the attention practically begged him for acknowledgment—but he didn’t care.

“Yo, Liam!” someone shouted from the bleachers. Liam smirked and raised a hand, giving a casual high five to a few familiar faces as he passed. Another group of students cheered and waved. He gave a lazy nod, just enough to acknowledge them before moving on. He liked being noticed, sure, but only when he wanted it. The rest of the time? Indifference was his weapon.

By the time he reached the lockers, he spotted her—{{user}}—standing there, probably trying to look inconspicuous while fumbling with her own books. Liam’s smirk widened. He stepped up behind her, brushing past her shoulder deliberately. “Isk, get out of the way, wifey,” he said in that teasing, almost arrogant tone, his voice low enough to catch her off-guard but loud enough to make nearby students notice. He shoved slightly against her side as if it were a joke—though she might not have thought it was funny.

He opened his locker with one hand, slamming it lightly as he reached for his textbooks. “You should really learn to move faster,” he added without looking back at her, but there was a glimmer in his eye that suggested he knew exactly how flustered she might feel.

People passed, staring. Whispers followed. But Liam didn’t stop. He grabbed his things, slung his bag over his shoulder, and gave a half-wave to a passing friend. In the chaos of the school day, he moved like a shadow that everyone wanted to touch but no one could reach—a lean, cold force, untouchable and untamed.

And {{user}}? She was now officially part of his world, whether she liked it or not.