The New Girl

Vincent pov

As I walked into class with Max, my eyes immediately caught sight of a girl I'd never seen before. She wasn’t just any girl, she had this unusual beauty I can't explain. Without taking my eyes off her, I hit Max, the guy who seemed to know every girl on campus.

Hey, Max, who’s that?” I asked.

Max glanced over, then shrugged. “She’s a new student. Anna, I think.”

“A new student, huh? No wonder I haven’t seen her around,” I said, more to myself than to Max. 

Max smirked, his eyes narrowing. “Wait, hope it's not what I'm thinking.

I tilted my head, feigning ignorance. “And what exactly are you thinking?”

“Don’t even try it, Vincent,” Max warned, his tone suddenly serious. “She’s poor, like really poor. You’re out of your mind if you are hitting on…” before he could finish talking, I was already making my way toward Anna. I heard Max groan behind me. “Oh God, this boy...”

 “Hi, pretty.” I waved at her.

Anna looked up at me, her expression unreadable.

“Hello,” she replied coldly.

I wasn’t disturbed by her cold vibes. “How are you doing, new student?”

“I’m fine.”

“Nice to meet you, Anna. I’m Vincent.”I said, offering a handshake.

“As if I didn’t know that already.” She said not loud but enough for me to hear.

“Excuse me?” 

 “Nice to meet you too,” she said, faking a smile. 

I could see her smile wasn't genuine.

“If you would excuse me, I have to go to the library.” Anna stood up, grabbing her books.

“Really? I could escort you if you don’t mind.”

“Nope, it’s okay,” she said quickly.

I hesitated for a moment. “Wait, can I have your number?”

“No.” Her reply was sharp and quick.

“Why?” I pressed on.

“Just... no reason.”

Without another word, Anna turned and walked away. I watched her go, intrigued. 

Why does it feel like she hates me or have I done anything wrong to her? 

“No way.” I scoffed.

This is our first time meeting.

...

Later, in the Library Anna sat beside her friend, Kara, trying to shake off the irritation from her encounter with Vincent.

Hi, babe,” Anna greeted, her voice mixed with frustration.

“Hey, darling,” Kara replied, noticing the look on Anna’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“You won’t believe what just happened,” Anna started, frowning deeply. 

“What happened? Are you okay?” Kara asked, with concern.

“Vincent came up to me and-” 

Before she could finish, Kara let out an exaggerated gasp, jumping up so abruptly that the librarian sent them both out of the library.

Outside, Anna glared at Kara. “Happy now? We got kicked out because of you!”

Kara waved off her annoyance. “Forget that. What about Vincent? What did he say?”

Anna shook her head. “Just forget it.” She started walking away, but Kara hurried after her.

“Hey, babe, wait up!”

They both walked to the Cafeteria, Anna headed to the counter to grab a drink, hoping to cool off after the frustrating morning. But as she reached for a can, a familiar voice interrupted her peace.

“Hey, pretty,” Vincent greeted, his tone annoyingly cheerful.

Anna’s mind screamed in disbelief: [Is this guy stalking me?]

“Hi,” she muttered, barely containing her irritation.

...

Vincent POV

“Are you getting a drink?” I asked.

Anna couldn’t hold back any longer. “Are you blind?” She blurted at me.

I blinked, taken aback. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”

“Oh, you’re not just blind, you’re deaf too!” she snapped, her anger boiling over. She grabbed her drink, opened it and turned to leave, but my next words stopped her in her tracks.

“I like you.”

Anna nearly choked on her drink, spitting it out in shock. “What? What did you just say?” She turned back to me.

“I said I like you,” I repeated, this time a bit more confident.

Anna stared at me. “Well, Mr. Vincent, thank you, but I don’t. In fact, I hate you.”

I looked genuinely confused. “Why? All the other girls like me.”

“That’s exactly why I hate you, You think because other girls like you, I'm supposed to? ” Anna shot back. 

Anna’s eyes narrowed as she glared at me. “Goodbye, and stop stalking me.” Without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed off, leaving me standing there.

Max, who had been silently observing the exchange, shook his head in frustration. “I can’t stand that girl. She’s rude and has a bad attitude.”

But my lips curled into a mischievous grin as I kept my gaze fixed on Anna. “Well, I like her,” I said, chuckling softly.

 “There’s something about the way she talks, it’s almost like she’s daring the world to challenge her. She’s got to be one stubborn girl, don’t you think?”

Max hesitated, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. “I don’t know, Vincent... something about her just doesn’t add up.”

I shrugged, dismissing Max’s concerns. “Maybe that’s what makes her interesting.”

But as Max watched Anna disappear into the distance, a strange feeling overwhelmed him. Something was definitely off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. 

Just Then, a memory flashed in his mind, something he’d overheard just days before.

Max suddenly turned to me, his expression suddenly serious.

“Vincent... what if there’s more to her than we think?”

Before I could respond, the school bell rang, echoing through the empty hallways. As the sound faded, Max’s unease grew stronger. He had a feeling they were about to find out the hard way.

Later, as I was getting ready to leave school, I found a small folded note glued on my locker. Curious, I unfolded it and read the simple, chilling message:

“Stay away from Anna. This is your only warning.”

My heart skipped a beat. I dropped the paper on the floor.

But instead of fear, a surge of excitement ran through me. I was more determined than ever to uncover Anna’s secret, whatever it might be.

What I did not know was that two people were watching me from the shadows,

eyes cold and calculating, as they whispered to themselves.

“He won’t stop. And that’s exactly what we need.”