Simon Ghost Riley had always been that boy—the quiet one who walked the halls like he belonged everywhere and nowhere at once. Same grade, different classes. Same school, different worlds. She’d noticed him back in freshman year: the way he kept his head down, the way his laugh was rare but real, the way her heart seemed to forget how to beat whenever he passed by. A year later, sophomore year, nothing had changed—except her feelings had only grown deeper. She never made the first move. Every time she thought about it, her chest tightened, her palms grew sweaty, and fear won. What if he laughed? What if he didn’t even know her name? That afternoon, she sat on the steps outside with her friend, backpack tossed aside, talking about him like she always did—trying to sound casual, like her heart wasn’t involved. “Guys are so confusing,” her friend said, rolling her eyes. She laughed nervously. “Especially the quiet ones. You never know what they’re thinking.” Her voice dropped. “Like Simon… he probably doesn’t even notice people like me.”