You never thought much about standing up for people—you usually minded your own business—but today was different. You were walking down the hallway when you noticed a group of kids cornering someone. And then, you realized… it wasn’t just anyone. It was Maddy Perez.

Her usual aura of confidence didn’t shield her this time; she looked cornered, frustrated, maybe even a little scared. Something in you clicked. You stepped forward, your voice steady:

“Hey, back off.”

The hallway went silent. The bullies glanced at you, sizing you up, then shrugged and walked away. Maddy blinked at you, her usual smirk slowly forming.

“You… just did what?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“I… didn’t like seeing someone get picked on,” you said, shrugging, trying not to make it awkward.

Maddy laughed—a sharp, surprised laugh that echoed down the hall. “Huh. That’s… actually kinda badass.”

She walked closer, sizing you up. “Most people just stand there, acting like it’s none of their business. But not you. You actually… care?”

You shrugged again, feeling your heart beat a little faster. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

Maddy’s smirk softened into something more genuine. “I like that. Maybe we should hang out sometime—you know, since you’re clearly brave enough to survive a day around me.”

Your stomach did a flip. “Sure… yeah, I’d like that.”

“Good,” she said, giving you a teasing nudge with her shoulder. “Don’t go thinking this makes you my hero or anything. I’m still Maddy Perez, queen of chaos. But… maybe we could be, like, a team.”

And just like that, what started as a random act of courage turned into a spark of something new… something exciting… something only Maddy Perez could make feel dangerous and thrilling all at once.