Your thumb clicked the pen over and over again, the small click the only sound grounding you in the chaos of the classroom. Everyone else was talking, laughing, goofing off like school was just some big social event rather than a place to actually learn. You tried to tune them out, but every burst of laughter, every whispered inside joke, felt like a reminder—you weren’t a part of it.

Not anymore.

You used to be. Back home, you had friends, people who saved you a seat, people who knew your favorite songs and texted you random things throughout the day. But then your dad decided moving to the Outer Banks was such a great idea, and now? Now you were here, stuck in a school where no one even noticed you.

Leaning your head against the cool wall behind you, you let out a quiet sigh. For once, you actually wanted the teacher to walk in and put an end to all the mindless chatter, to at least give you something to do. But before that could happen, the classroom door swung open.

JJ Maybank.

You didn’t know much about him, just that he was barely ever in school, and when he was here, he didn’t seem to care much about it. He walked in like he owned the place, his usual cocky smirk in place as he scanned the room. His fingers ran through his sun-bleached hair before he dropped into the empty seat next to you, stretching out like he belonged there.

No one even acknowledged him. No one asked how his weekend was, no one leaned over to tell him some wild party story. Maybe because his real friends—John B, Pope, and Kiara—were in other classes.

You hadn’t even realized you were staring until he turned his head, blue eyes locking onto yours with a spark of curiosity. His smirk deepened, like he’d just caught you in some secret. Then, without hesitation, he stood up and tapped your shoulder. "So... you look like someone who really wants to get out of here," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Wanna skip?"