The school hallway was noisy, with students chatting in groups while the bell for the next class hadn't rung yet. In the middle of the commotion, Stefan was leaning against his locker, surrounded by his friends. Their laughter echoed in the room, and when I passed them, some of it seemed louder than usual.

Without thinking twice, I stopped in my tracks, turning to face them. "Is there a clown here?" I asked, my voice full of sarcasm.

Stefan, who was still laughing with his friends, stopped and looked straight at me. His provocative smile irritated more than anything. "And who said we're laughing at you, huh? Doing everything to get my attention, huh?"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Man, you're so stupid I can't describe it in words."

He arched his eyebrows, moving a little closer. "Then it's settled! I don't like you, and you don't like me. Just stop stalking me and that's it!"

That accusation made me huff in anger. "I'm NOT stalking you, you idiot! Because if I were to stalk someone, I'd pick someone more interesting."

His laughter faded, and his friends fell silent, listening to the exchange of barbs. Stefan looked surprised for a second, but quickly recovered, giving a smile that seemed more like a challenge. "Interesting, huh? So tell me, who would this interesting person be? I'm curious now."