CHAPTER 1

Davina's POV 

The big cafeteria buzzed with laughter, indistinct chatters filled the air, coming from the four corners of the big hall, alongside the warm scent of lasagna.

Dinner night at school was meant to be a cheerful event, but for me, it felt like just another reminder that I was alone.

It was my eighteenth birthday but no one knew. I sat at a table meant for four, but the empty chairs around me only highlighted the fact that I was, yet again, a party of one. My tray sat in front of me, untouched, as I absently pushed a fork through a lump of mashed potatoes. The steady hum of conversations around me was like a distant echo, words blending into one another.

Everywhere I looked, there were couples—girls leaning into their dates, laughing at whispered jokes and their hands brushing against each other in effortless, casual intimacy.

It all seemed like everyone had someone else. No, they actually had someone. Everyone except me.

I adjusted my glasses, pushing them up the bridge of my nose and let out a deep sigh. Maybe it was because of the way I looked—my long dark brown hair was always tied in two simple braids. My oversized sweaters swallowed my small frame and my thick-rimmed glasses made me feel like I belonged in an old bookshop rather than a high school dinner night. Or maybe I just wasn't the kind of girl that people noticed that way.

I glanced down at the book in my hands, tracing the edges of the worn-out cover with my fingers. I could use more writing to pass time. At least books didn't judge. They don't whisper about you behind your back, or remind you that you were sitting alone on dinner night while the rest of the world paired off like it was some teenage romance novel.

I flipped the book open, trying to disappear into the pages, but before I could even focus on a single word, a voice cut through the cafeteria noise.

“Oh my God, what is this?”

The voice was sharp, laced like a parcel with mockery and it sent a cold wave through my spine.

It was Shannon. My worst nightmare.

I barely had time to react before the reality of what was happening hit me—she was already holding my notebook. My notebook. The one where I wrote down every little thought. Every personal goal and the worst part of it… it was where I wrote down every little thing I wanted to do before graduation. It was my bucket list.

A sickening feeling settled in my stomach as I realized she was flipping through the pages, her perfectly manicured fingers dancing over my handwriting. 

“And here it is,” Shannon said with a loud voice. “The lonely girl has some goals written here.” The cafeteria noise dimmed in a matter of seconds as if the whole world had decided to focus on my humiliation.

I gulped something down my throat. Truth be told… there was nothing there but I swallowed hard as she continued.

“Go on a real date’---oh, sweetie, is this really what you spend your time writing about?” she continued, feigning sympathy that wasn't there as she held the notebook high enough for her friends to see since some of them had left their seat to have a look. “This is honestly tragic.”

Laughter rippled through the cafeteria. I wanted to shrink into myself. To vanish completely without notice. My hands curled into fists under the table, nails digging into my palms. But with all that anger boiling in me, there was nothing I could do.

My breath caught in my throat. “No.” I whispered with rasped breath. She wasn't just reading it. She was reading it out loud for all to hear and now, I'm the center of attention. Heat rushed to my face and my pulse hammered in my ears.

“Give it back,” I muttered.

Shannon ignored me. Her icy blue eyes scanned the page again before she let out a loud gasp, pressing a hand to her chest like she had just discovered the most shocking secret of the century.

“Have my first kiss?” she practically squealed, grinning as she turned to her friend. “Guys, can you believe this? Davina has never been kissed!”

More laughter. More whispers. The cafeteria which was once a distant hum, now felt like hell. It felt suffocating, like every pair of eyes was drilling into me. I could feel my heart slamming against my ribcage, my breath growing uneven. My fingers twitched with desperate urge to snatch the notebook back and erase the moment.

But then, Shannon tilted her head as if she was considering something. “Hey, maybe we should help you cross something off,” she said sweetly, her voice no different from a mockery of kindness. “What do you guys think? Who wants to be the lucky guy to give Davina her very first kiss?”

A new wave of laughter erupted and my stomach churned. I shot up from my seat, nearly knocking over my tray as she redirected her eyes back to the book.

“Oh. My. God.” She barely got the words out before doubling over, shaking with laughter. “Guys, you won't believe this.”

I knew what was coming before she even said it. I knew. It was the last goal on my list. “Give it back,” I demanded, my voice shaking with anger. 

She tilted her head, dragging the moment, like she was toying with a helpless little pet. I flung my hands into the air to take the book from her but she jerked her hand to the side, avoiding my grip. 

“I can't give it back until I read the last on the list.” A smile curled around her lips and I could do nothing. 

I watched as Shannon took a dramatic pause, milking the moment. She turned to her audience, her platinum blonde waves cascading over her shoulder as she lifted my notebook once more.

“Lose my virginity before graduation.”

And with that, the room exploded. Gasps, snickers, outright howling laughter, erupted in the air. People whispered to each other, hands covering smirks as they watched me in amusement. Or maybe it was pity that was on their faces. Or maybe, a cruel glance, flashing from their eyes.

Heat burned through my skin, spreading from the tips of my ears down my neck. My entire body felt like it had been set on fire. I wanted to disappear. Right there, at that moment. Or, better yet, rewind time, steal my notebook back before she ever got her claws on it and burn the damn thing.

Shannon pressed a hand to her chest, her face painted in exaggerated shock. “Oh, sweetie. This is heartbreaking.” She turned to her friends, the perfect picture of fake sympathy. “We have to help her. I mean, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't?”

More laughter rose up but then I spoke up.

“Shannon, you had enough already. Now, give it back.” I clenched my fist, mustering every courage in me as if I had any one left.

She mused, running her fingers along the notebook spine. “Should I? I mean, we're all having so much fun, aren't we?”

A few people chuckled. I could hear as someone muttered. “Damn, she's really pissed now.”

“I said give it back.” I met her gaze even though my heart was beating faster than normal and in a swift, I got hold of the book. She wasn't ready to release it but I insisted, my grip firm. She soon sighed dramatically, then, ever so slow, loosened her grip.

I snatched the notebook from her, clutching it to my chest like it was a piece of my soul she had just trampled on. I carried my bag, ready to walk away but then, her voice came through again.

“You know, Davina, you're acting pretty bold for someone who's never even been noticed by a guy before.” she said with a sickly sweet voice.

I stiffened. She smirked, circling me like a predator toying with its prey. “Let's be real here,” she continued, loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear. “You'll never find someone. And even if by some miracle you do, it'll be some ugly, desperate, shameless little loser who only takes pity on you.”

A fresh wave of laughter rippled through the crowd. But then, something inside me snapped. 

I gripped my notebook tighter, even though my fingers were shaking. “At least I don't surround myself with guys who only care about my body and not because they actually like me.”

Instantly, gasps, louder laughter and a few ‘oohs’ filled the air, like this was some kind of reality show drama.

Shannon's smile faltered. Just for a second. But then, she recovered, flipping her hair over her shoulder as if my words were nothing more than an annoying breeze.

“You poor thing,” she cooed, faking sympathy. “You're just lashing out because you know I'm right.” Then, with an exaggerated glance around the room, she sighed. “Well, lucky for you, I might have found your soulmate.”

She turned toward the corner of the cafeteria, her eyes locking onto someone. I followed her gaze.

A short, chubby, overweight guy with puffy cheeks stood there, his eyes already wide and eager, like he had been waiting for his moment to shine.

It was Theo Callus. The same guy who once asked me out in seventh grade with a printed contract because I accidentally smiled at him in class. How ridiculous of him. He wasn't even my type and yet, he had the guts to approach me. Everyone called him a loser and he never cared.

Shannon's grin widened. “Theo Babe, I think you've got a shot.”

Theo’s entire face lit up. He actually puffed out his chest. “Since you have no one. I wouldn't mind taking you out, Davina,” he said, his voice brimming with confidence he absolutely should not have had.

The cafeteria erupted with laughter. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. My hands trembled at my sides as the laughter grew louder, as different fingers pointed at me. 

“You don't like him? Then let's see how you're going to get a boyfriend.” Shannon stood there, basking in it. 

But then, in that overwhelming chaos, my eyes caught something else. Someone else. A figure at the far end of the cafeteria. A guy. He stood by the doors, half-hidden in the dim light that was at that corner–the same spot he was. His posture was relaxed and his hands tucked into his pockets. 

For a split second, I thought our eyes met. But before I could get a proper look, before I could see him—he turned his back. 

And just like that, he was gone.