It all started in the cafeteria, where Maddy Perez sat like she owned the room—because, honestly, she kind of did. Her confidence was magnetic, her laugh infectious, and when her gaze fell on you across the table, it always felt like the world stopped spinning for a moment.

“Okay,” she said, twirling her straw in her iced coffee. “You’re too good. Too sweet. It’s boring.”

You arched a brow. “Boring?”

“Yeah,” she smirked. “You need a little chaos in your life. So—let’s fix that.”

You should’ve known that smile meant trouble.

Her plan sounded simple enough: switch the morning announcements script with something “a little more entertaining.” A few harmless jokes, she said. Just a bit of fun.

Except “a bit of fun” with Maddy Perez was never just that.

By the time the principal’s voice echoed over the intercom reading “Cheer tryouts have been moved to the boy’s locker room for extra… spirit,” half the school was laughing, and the other half was confused—and then furious.

You and Maddy tried to keep straight faces in homeroom. She bit her lip to keep from laughing, whispering, “Oh my God, this is legendary.”

But it didn’t stay funny for long. The principal traced the prank back to you two faster than you thought possible. When your names were called to the office, Maddy’s smirk faltered.

“Relax,” she whispered as you walked. “I’ll take the heat if I have to.”

But she didn’t. Not fully. The principal went off on both of you, threatening suspension. You tried to explain it was your fault, but Maddy cut in smoothly:

“No, it was mine. I dared them. I wrote the script.”

You glanced at her, stunned. Maddy Perez—queen of ego, chaos incarnate—was taking the blame?

Afterward, when you found her outside, leaning against the brick wall, she shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. I wasn’t gonna let you get in trouble alone.”

“You didn’t have to—”

“I know,” she interrupted softly. “But I wanted to.”