Chapter 1

The loud ringing of the bell shattered my daydreams, and I snapped my head up, packing my books hastily. The classroom emptied, and I followed, swept up in the sea of students flooding the hallway.

It was the end of another torturous day in hell, and the hall was filled with boisterous noise and laughter.

As I trudged through the the school hallway, the smell of stale sweat, fresh wax, and the faint scent of cafeteria food filled my nostrils. Lockers creaked open and shut, and the din of chatter and laughter enveloped me.

I kept my head down, my bangs shielding my face like a curtain. Maybe if I remained invisible, they'd forget I existed.

But fate had other plans.

Victoria, the queen bee and my step-sister, strode toward me, her long legs eating up the distance. Her smirk was a warning sign, a precursor to the chaos that was about to ensue.

"Hey, fatty," she cooed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I see you're still struggling to fit into those jeans. Maybe you should try elastic waistbands."

I bit my lip, the sting of her words threatening to unleash tears.

I pushed my head down and was about to walk away from the trouble, but pain seared through my scalp as she pulled my ponytail back, and I landed on my butt with a loud thud.

“I thought that was an earthquake,” someone from the crowd said, and everyone burst out laughing.

"You know, for someone with your...generous proportions," Victoria continued, "you'd think you'd have more stamina. But I guess all that extra weight makes you slow."

The crowd gathered, their snickers and catcalls fueling Victoria's cruelty.

"Leave me alone, Victoria," I forced the words out of my throat, trying to keep a straight face.

But Victoria wouldn't relent.

"I'm just trying to help, Kae-pig. You need to lose some of that blubber. No wonder Jake doesn’t want to be seen anywhere around you.

My heart slammed in my chest at her words, but I knew it was a lie. Jake would never be ashamed of me. He just had a really busy schedule, and couldn’t hang out with me during lunch like most boyfriends did.

As if trying to bring my mind back to her ridicule, Victoria snatched the bracelet from my wrist. "Fancy," she taunted, her eyes gleaming with malice. "You think expensive jewelry will make you look pretty? Newsflash, Kae-pig: you'll always be ugly and fat."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to give Victoria the satisfaction.

I pushed through the throng, their jeers and whispers following me like a shadow.

As I stumbled out of the school gates, tears blurring my vision, something made me halt.

A familiar cologne wafted through the air, like a warm breeze on a summer day. It was intoxicating, making my heart race, my mouth water, and my senses tingle.

I followed the aroma, my feet moving of their own accord.

The scent intensified with each step I took until I stumbled upon a figure on the basketball court.

Max.

His eyes, an unsettling shade of blue, met mine.

For a moment, we just stared at each other.

Max's expression was inscrutable, his features chiseled from granite. His dark hair messy, his broad shoulders relaxed.

I felt a flutter in my chest, but his aloof demeanor kept me at bay.

"You okay?" he asked, his deep voice low and rough, but devoid of emotion.

I was a bit taken aback by his question since he’d never said a word to me, and never said more than two words to any other person at all.

He was closed off, and with his looks, girls tripped over him, but never had the balls to approach him.

I nodded, still reeling from Victoria's cruelty.

Max's gaze lingered on mine, then dropped to my lips.

For an instant, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes, but it vanished.

Without another word, Max turned back to his game, dismissing me.

I stood there, frozen, unsure how to react.

His indifference stung, but I couldn't deny the attraction.

As I watched him move across the court, his muscles rippling beneath his skin, I felt a spark within me, but I immediately pushed it down.

I shouldn’t even be having those thoughts about him. Not when I had the sweetest boyfriend anyone could wish for.

I turned to leave, wondering why I’d come back here in the first place when I just needed to crawl onto my bed and remain there.

But my departure was halted by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Kae! Wait up."

Jake, my boyfriend, jogged toward me, his basketball gear slung over his shoulder.

"Hey," I forced a smile, trying to shake off Victoria's cruel words.

Jake's eyes narrowed, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked, his tone softer than usual.

I shook my head, unwilling to relive the humiliation. There was no use telling him. He wouldn’t do anything anyway.

"Nothing," I lied, attempting to sound nonchalant.

Jake's gaze lingered, searching for truth.

But I kept my mask intact, something I’d learned to do, hiding the pain.

"You sure?" he pressed, his brow furrowed.

I nodded, pasting on a brighter smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

Jake's expression softened, but I detected a flicker of impatience. "Okay, well, let's grab dinner then," he said, his tone lightening.

As we walked off the court, I noticed a subtle change in Jake's demeanor.

He seemed distant, preoccupied.

But I shrugged it off, attributing it to stress or fatigue.

We walked to the parking lot, the silence between us growing thicker.

Jake's usual chatter was absent, replaced by an unsettling quiet.

I tried to fill the void, asking about his game.

But his responses were monosyllabic, lacking enthusiasm.

My unease grew, but I pushed it aside. Maybe he was just having a bad day.

As we reached his car, Jake opened the door for me.

Our eyes met, and for an instant, I saw something unfamiliar.

A glimmer of disinterest?

I dismissed the thought, chalking it up to my imagination.

But the seed of doubt was planted.