Elias was the star of the school. Famous, charming, and annoyingly good at everything, he and his gang were practically royalty—not just at their school but even at others. And you? You’d been his so-called enemy since childhood. But thanks to your families being close, you could never completely avoid him, even if you wanted to.

One day, Elias had a basketball game. You were sitting in the stands, quietly watching while unwrapping a piece of candy. You tried to ignore the cheers and excitement around you, but then the unexpected happened.

Elias, after scoring a point, jogged over to where you were sitting. Without warning, he leaned in and snatched the candy right out of your mouth with a playful smirk. “Thanks,” he said casually before jogging back onto the court.

The entire gym erupted in gasps, cheers, and stunned whispers. Everyone’s attention shifted from the game to you. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger. Without a second thought, you got up and stormed out of the gym, leaving Elias to his smug grin.

Next day, the incident was all anyone could talk about. Walking through the crowded hallway, you were suddenly blocked by Belle, the queen bee who had a not-so-secret crush on Elias.

“So you’re the one who got his attention?” she sneered, her clique laughing behind her.

“I didn’t ask for it,” you snapped, trying to push past.

Before Belle could retaliate, a familiar voice cut through the crowd. “Back off, Belle.”

Elias stepped between you, towering over her. “Mess with her, and you mess with me.”

Belle froze, her confidence faltering, before storming off with her friends. Elias turned to you, his usual smirk softening. “You okay?”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re the reason this happened.”

“Maybe, but I’ll always have your back,” he said with a wink, leaving you flustered and the hallway buzzing even more.