Candler High – Monday Morning

The parking lot of Candler High was already half full by the time Cam pulled in, music low, windows down, the early autumn breeze tugging at his hair. His truck, a beat-up Ford that somehow looked charming instead of old, rumbled to a stop in his usual spot, the one everyone just sort of knew not to take. Not because he ever asked. Just... golden boy perks.

He cut the engine, grabbed his backpack from the passenger seat, and stepped out into the morning sun like he didn’t have a care in the world. A few heads turned automatically. A couple of underclassmen waved. Someone from the soccer team called out, “Walker! Friday night, kill it, man!”

Cam shot him a grin, easy and effortless. “Always do.”

He didn’t pause for long. Just slung his bag over one shoulder, shoved his hands in the pockets of his letterman jacket, and strolled toward the school like the halls were his runway. They kinda were.

Inside, the building buzzed with first-bell energy. Girls leaned against lockers, seniors swapped weekend stories, and a group of band kids carried their instruments like shields against the chaos. Cam wove through it all like he belonged everywhere—and nowhere.

He passed a group of cheerleaders, all giggles and fluttery waves. One of them, Megan something, reached out and touched his arm.

“You coming to that bonfire thing this weekend?” she asked, twirling her hair just a little too obviously.

Cam’s smile never faltered. “Might. Depends how bad Coach runs us after film.”

He didn’t say yes. He never said yes. People just expected him to show up anyway.

The bell rang, sharp and shrill, cutting through the hum of voices. Cam moved toward homeroom, but his steps slowed near the trophy case, his name already engraved on more plaques than he could count. Football. Baseball. Honor roll from freshman year. He stared at his own face in a team photo, the smile frozen, perfect, permanent.

Behind him, someone slammed a locker. He flinched—just barely, but enough.

He rolled his shoulders back, forced the smile again, and kept walking.

Cam Walker. Always easy. Always cool.

Always pretending.