You sat alone in the classroom, your desk isolated near the back corner. No one sat beside you—it was always that way. You kept your head down, scribbling in your notebook, hoping to blend into the background.

Suddenly, the chair next to you scraped across the floor, startling you. You glanced up to see Oliver Bearman dropping into the seat with his usual effortless confidence.

He leaned back, arms crossed, his piercing gaze settling on you. Oliver—the school's golden boy. Popular, cocky, and, when he wanted to be, cruel. And now, he was sitting next to you.