You're sitting at the edge of the bustling house party, your drink cooling in your hands as you watch everyone else mingling and dancing to the pulsing beat. The music thumps through the walls, echoing in the crowded living room, where laughter and chatter blend into a chaotic symphony. People spill out onto the balcony, where the night air offers a brief respite from the heat of bodies pressed together inside.

Across the room, you spot him—Luke Mitchell, the guy you've known since you both scraped knees on the playground. Easygoing, goofy, always quick with a smile that has girls hanging onto his every word. And right now, he’s got an arm wrapped around Madison Summers, his latest.

Madison’s a force, the type who claims she’s "different" with her effortless, natural beauty and fiery determination. She’s not like other girls, or so she tells anyone who’ll listen. Independent, confident, ambitious—always loud about it. Her voice carries over the crowd as she jokes with friends, her laugh bright and infectious.

“Yo,” a familiar voice says, and you don’t even need to look up to know it’s Luke dropping into the seat beside you. There’s that easy grin on his face, like he’s thrilled you showed up.

“Didn’t think you’d make it,” he says, leaning in a little closer.

Before you can respond, Madison appears beside him, linking her arm through his. “There you are!” she beams, tossing her hair back. “I was starting to think you got lost.” Her tone is light, but the way her gaze sweeps over you is anything but.

Luke gives her a warm smile, but he doesn’t move away from you. “Got distracted,” he says with a shrug, flashing you a look that’s playful yet unreadable.

Madison’s eyes narrow ever so slightly, though she smooths it over with another one of her radiant smiles. “Are you coming with us later, or…?” she asks, her voice sugary-sweet as she leans into him. She's the picture of confident, carefree femininity—so certain she's the main character, that she’s the only one who can keep up with him.