LOGINShare
Chapter 1
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Ruby glanced at her wristwatch, realizing she still had twenty minutes to reach her first class on her first day in Willowbrook High. Despite repeatedly consulting the campus map, she couldn't locate her classroom.
Contemplating asking a nearby group of students, she dismissed the idea, urging herself forward with determination. "You can do it," she whispered to herself, taking a step forward.
Five minutes later, she stood outside Room 201, where her first class of the day was scheduled. Suddenly, she remembered that she needed to meet the Department Head to submit some documents.
Due to her former school's delayed term, Ruby was starting a month later than the other students. Consulting the map once more, she realized she would have to walk to the second floor, take a right, and then make another left to find the office.
After taking a right turn, Ruby found herself facing a wall instead of a corridor, realizing there was an error in the map. With no other option, she approached a group of six students standing a few meters away, engaged in lively conversation.
Clearing her throat, Ruby spoke up, "Excuse me?"
The group's chatter ceased abruptly, and all eyes turned towards her, making her self-conscious.
"Hey?" a girl of the same height as Ruby responded, stepping forward. She wore a loose-fitting t-shirt that draped lazily over her body, and her straight, silky hair cascaded past her waist. Ruby could still sense the lingering gaze of the others in the group.
Offering a small smile, Ruby introduced herself, "I'm Ruby, a new student in senior year. I was wondering if you could help me find the office?" Her lips pressed together with hopeful anticipation.
The girl glanced at the map in Ruby's hands but refrained from commenting. Smiling warmly, she introduced herself, "Of course! I'm Olivia. The office is-"
"Hey, Liv!" a masculine voice interrupted her. It belonged to one of the guys from the group, who strode towards them, his gaze fixed on Ruby. He stood tall, boasting broad shoulders, and his curly hair peeked out from under his jacket's hood.
Ignoring Olivia, he addressed Ruby directly, "I'll show you the way to the office. The map's outdated," he offered.
"Sure," Ruby replied, offering a hesitant smile.
As he started walking, Olivia pulled him back, whispering something into his ear. Ruby strained to catch the words but couldn't. She observed the dismissive wave the guy gave to Olivia and continued walking.
He pointed to a door on the right and said, "You see that door? That's the office. The map hasn't been updated. It was relocated here a few days ago," he explained, accompanied by a smile.
"Okay. Thank you," Ruby responded, making her way towards the wooden door with a nameplate that read 'Office'. A hint of hesitation flickered in her mind, sensing some potential trouble, but she dismissed the feeling. Caden's gaze remained fixed on her, and she couldn't help but notice the group inching closer, which felt rather strange.
Checking her wristwatch quickly, Ruby pushed the office door open and stepped inside.
In a split second, she realized she was too late. The glass of milkshake strategically positioned above the door had been flipped upside down, drenching her hair and jacket with its contents.
Laughter assaulted her ears. She turned around and saw Caden leaning against a wall, his hand clutching his stomach as he laughed at her misfortune. He glanced at another guy, Daniel, who joined in the amusement. Daniel held a phone, recording the whole incident. "Did you get it, Dan?" Caden asked.
Daniel confirmed with a chuckle, "I did! Let's get out of here." The group retreated, leaving Ruby standing there, drenched and humiliated.
Caden, struggling to regain his composure, straightened up and locked eyes with Ruby. Anger surged through her as the milkshake dripped from her hair. Her nostrils flared, and without a second thought, her hand connected with Caden's cheek, delivering a forceful slap that sent him stumbling backward. It took him a moment to realize what had just happened—the impact of her slap registering on his face.
Their expressions mirrored each other—Ruby fueled by anger, and Caden realizing that this was only the beginning.
Gently patting his reddened cheek, he growled through gritted teeth, "You're going to pay for this!"
Related chapters
Reckless Hearts Chapter 2
An hour later, Ruby found herself standing in front of the massive mirror in the girls' bathroom, groaning in frustration and occasionally stomping her feet as she tried to remove the remnants of milkshake from her hair. Thankfully, her jacket had protected her t-shirt from being spoiled. She carefully wiped away the few drops that had dripped onto her jeans, and the previously empty dustbin beside her was now filled with discarded tissues.It was impossible for Ruby to go back home, change, and return to school in time. Taking the city bus would consume two hours, and with only four lectures scheduled for the day, she would miss all of them.Feeling frustrated and wanting to appear presentable in class, Ruby checked her watch and realized there were only ten minutes left in the first lecture. Physics was her favorite subject, and she had prepared diligently for this lesson. However, all her efforts had been in vain because of that infuriating guy, Caden.Determined not to let this in
Reckless Hearts Chapter 3
Mrs. Cooper tapped her knuckles on the polished surface of her table, trying to gain Caden's attention. Since they had entered her office, his gaze had been filled with animosity towards Ruby, while Ruby herself maintained a composed demeanor, looking straight ahead at her teacher.Clearing her throat, Mrs. Cooper addressed Caden directly, holding Ruby's cellphone in her hand. The screen displayed a picture of Ruby with her chocolate and milk-drenched hair, taken before she had cleaned up. It served as evidence of the prank he had played on her.Slowly and menacingly, Caden turned his head towards Ruby and replied, "Yes," with a hint of pride in his voice.Mrs. Cooper pressed further, "Was anyone else involved?""No one. It was only me," he claimed, shouldering the blame entirely. Ruby couldn't help but wonder why he would lie and take all the responsibility upon himself.But there was someone else involved—the person who had recorded the video.Sighing, Mrs. Cooper rubbed her temples
Reckless Hearts Chapter 4
After submitting the required documents, Ruby walked back to Room 201, her classroom. The atmosphere was bustling with activity, and unfamiliar faces filled the room. She couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness, her anxiety bubbling up within her. She tried to hide her nervousness, but her slightly shaky movements betrayed her emotions. With sweaty palms, she entered the classroom, whispering a silent thank-you to no one in particular as she found an empty seat on the second bench. Before settling down, she couldn't resist glancing at Caden, her arch-nemesis. To her surprise, he appeared cheerful and content, surrounded by his group of friends. How could he sit there looking so delighted after receiving a month of detention? The injustice of it all frustrated her, fueling her loathing towards him with each passing moment. Shaking her head in disbelief, she contemplated the decision to leave her former school and friends behind. It had only been one day, and she was already fille
Reckless Hearts Chapter 5
Before Ruby could express any concern about having a ridiculous video of her up on the internet and without her permission, they were interrupted by Mrs. Cooper's glare. The class began, and it was surprising to see there was not a single sound which could be heard other than Mrs. Cooper's snarky comments about Mr. Smith's substandard ways of teaching and chalk gliding against the board.As the class progressed, Ruby found herself engrossed in Mrs. Cooper's teaching, captivated by her snarky comments and engaging delivery. The classroom was surprisingly silent, with only the sound of Mrs. Cooper's voice and the chalk against the board breaking the stillness.To Ruby's relief, Mrs. Cooper didn't subject her to the dreaded introduction session where students had to speak about themselves and their hobbies. It was a small victory that spared her from the anxiety-inducing experience.Despite being fully absorbed in the lesson, Ruby's attention to detail didn't waver. She noticed a mistak
Reckless Hearts Chapter 6
As Florence stared at her reflection, the weight of her struggles pressed upon her shoulders. She felt trapped in a life that seemed perfect from the outside but lacked the depth and meaning she longed for. Money and material possessions had become her armor, shielding her from the realities she couldn't change.She sighed, wiping away a stray tear that threatened to betray her façade. It was true that wealth provided comforts and opportunities, but it couldn't fill the void within her. The love and connection she yearned for were intangible treasures that no amount of money could buy.She recalled her grandmother's words, spoken with unwavering belief in the power of determination. Yet, Florence had come to understand that not all problems could be solved with sheer willpower. Some wounds ran too deep, some circumstances were beyond her control.Sometimes, you had to accept the fact that there exist things in the world you could not change. Not with a thousand prayers or uncountable
Reckless Hearts Chapter 7
"I love you, Mr. Miller," Riley whispered softly into her cellphone, her voice filled with affection. She glanced at the packed luggage, contemplating whether to unpack it or leave it for later. The thought of delaying the task crossed her mind, as she didn't believe it was urgent enough to require immediate attention."Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you speak a bit louder?" She imagined him saying those words with a smirk on his face. Propping her feet up against the wall, she reclined on the bed, her dyed hair cascading over the edge.A wide smile spread across her lips as she replied, "I wish I could shout it from the rooftop and let the whole world hear, but my little sister is in the next room, and I haven't told her about us yet, Noah." The smile faded, replaced by a familiar sense of fear that engulfed her heart.His laughter reached her ears, and she found comfort in its sound, dispelling her worries. "Who's Noah? I thought I was your babe," he teased, and his laughter cont
Reckless Hearts Chapter 8
The corridors of Willowbrook High were abuzz with a lively atmosphere as the sun cast its bright rays over the city. Students hurriedly traversed the hallways, their laughter and footsteps filling the air. Engaged in animated conversations, some of them exchanged the latest gossip, their voices carrying snippets of intriguing stories. In the midst of this bustling scene, a handful of students were captivated by a prank video shared on the class Instagram page, actively liking and commenting on it.Amidst the flurry of activity, Caden stood apart, lost in his own thoughts. His mind was consumed by one person alone: Ruby. He couldn't fathom how he had failed to notice her approaching him, ready to administer either a stinging slap or a barrage of venomous words.The culprit responsible for posting the video on their Instagram page was Daniel. Caden wondered if Ruby had stumbled upon it yet. Retrieving his phone from his jeans pocket, he swiftly accessed the account they co-owned, only t
Reckless Hearts Chapter 9
Ella's mood was quite positive. She came across Paige's file, which contained a leave request form. Paige was going away for two weeks, and that brought great joy to Ella. She collected her notes and the library books she had borrowed, making her way back to Room 201 for the final Mathematics class.Her passion for Math was evident. She often found herself immersed in books, effortlessly solving every question in no time. After years of practice, she was almost perfect. Life had treated her well, and even Caden had once asked her to help him understand a difficult concept.The memory of that day lingered faintly in her mind, causing a smile to form on her face. It was one of the best days of her life.Lost in her thoughts, Ella walked without realizing and accidentally collided with another student. Her books and notes flew out of her hands and scattered on the floor.Both of them fell onto the floor, landing on their backsides. Ella quickly recovered and started gathering her belongi
Latest chapter
Reckless Hearts Chapter 62
Ruby woke up to the persistent buzz of her phone vibrating on her nightstand. She groaned, annoyed by the interruption to her sleep, and reached out to silence it. Her vision was blurred from sleep, and her mind was still foggy. As she squinted at the screen, she saw a flurry of texts and missed calls from various contacts. Her heart rate quickened with an undefined sense of dread, but her groggy mind couldn’t piece together what might have caused such urgency.Before she could delve into the messages, her bedroom door creaked open. The sound was eerily loud in the early morning silence, and Ruby looked up to see her sister, Riley, standing in the doorway. Riley's face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.“Ruby… are you up?” asked Riley, her voice too quiet, too held back.“Yeah, just,” Ruby answered hesitantly, dread filling the air. Ruby knew everything wasn't okay but she still put forward the question, “Is everything okay?” “Something bad has happened,” Riley revealed, her voice tre
Reckless Hearts Chapter 61
An hour later, Caden drove Ruby to Florence's house, the car humming softly beneath the weight of their shared silence. They had spent the past hour talking about everything and nothing at the same time. After their kiss, they had wandered through Willowbrook High, finding a quiet park bench where they sat. Caden had even shared stories from his childhood, making Ruby laugh more than she had in days. Caden told Ruby about the time he had gotten detention for sneaking a frog into the teacher's lounge as a prank. Ruby recounted her own mischief, like the time she accidentally set off the fire alarm trying to make popcorn in the science lab microwave.Every now and then, there was a comfortable silence where they simply enjoyed each other's company. As they pulled up outside Florence's house, Ruby turned to Caden. “Do you want to come in?” she asked, her voice soft.Caden shook his head gently. “I think it’s best not to overwhelm her. Besides, I have to go to a party hosted by one of my
Reckless Hearts Chapter 60
“Break her heart and you’re dead, grumpy boy,” Olivia told Caden, jabbing a finger at his chest before she walked away.For what seemed like a whole minute Ruby stood in her place, her heart pounding in her chest. She had her eyes glued on Caden who had his back to her as he watched Olivia walk away, out of their sight. What did Olivia mean? Why would she say that to Caden? Did Caden plan on asking her out?Ruby shook her head slowly, exhaling. This was not real. She subtly pinched herself, hissing as the pain reverberated through her arm. This was real. Caden Miller was here in front of her and he had sent Olivia away so he could talk to her. “Ruby?” Caden called out her name, nudging her arm gently. “Where did you get lost?” he asked as she shook herself back to reality. “No. Nowhere,” she answered, fumbling. “Walk with me?” he prompted, his voice careful. Was he nervous?Ruby nodded, gulping. As Ruby retraced her path, falling in footsteps beside Caden, she thought of how they
Reckless Hearts Chapter 59
Olivia had done her best to maintain her giggly, I-am-absolutely-okay-now facade. But the more she looked at Luke, the harder she found it to keep herself from breaking apart. He had outright rejected her. He hadn’t given her a chance to explain herself, although she was sure there was no explanation she could have given him. There’s never an explanation for crushing on someone. But whatever she felt for him had been more than just infatuation. Luke had been nice to her; he had been playful. He had made her so happy in such a short time. Maybe her subconscious couldn’t let her be that way and decided to ruin it. She wasn’t even sure how he had figured it out. Was that how obvious it was? Did she have it tattooed on her forehead? It had hurt so much when he’d said that it would never work. That she and him couldn’t be together. He wasn’t even ready to give it a chance. He had already made up his mind. And here Olivia was, begging to God to let him give her a single glance. As the d
Reckless Hearts Chapter 58
Ruby was a different person—she knew it the moment she stepped inside her classroom after the long-term break. Or maybe that was an exaggeration. Arguably, at least one-sixteenth of her was different. She had not given much thought to who had spiked her fruit punch at Florence’s house party over the break. She had spent it reasonably—mending her sistership with Riley over TV shows, hanging out at Olivia’s to help her with babysitting/the daycare, and, of course, daydreaming of being with Caden. That guy was always there, in some way. In some corner of her mind, he had found a place and he liked to remind her of it every now and then. But now, feeling the first wave of her classmates’ chatter pass through her, she suddenly found herself trying to discover who among them had done that to her. It could’ve ended horribly. Ruby wasn’t stupid. She knew why people spike drinks at a party. But to think it was random and not carefully selected was not something she could wrap her head around.
Reckless Hearts Chapter 57
Olivia was cheering, her voice piercing through the chilly evening air like a beacon. Her hands were raised high as she screamed, “Come on, Caden!” just as the football soared toward him. He was distracted—momentarily—but then, in the blink of an eye, his focus was back on the field.Luke sprinted forward, their eyes meeting for the briefest of seconds. Caden noticed the slightest nod from him. It was the signal. And he did exactly as they had planned.Anyone who blinked missed it—a clever maneuver they had practiced countless times. It was a strategy to confuse the opponent, and it worked perfectly. The ball was passed with precision, a deceptive flick to the side that sent the defenders scrambling. After two seconds, the sound of the whistle resounded across the field.Willowbrook had just kicked in the winning goal.The next few minutes were a blur for Caden. It wasn’t just him screaming for their victory but likely everyone else. The roar of the crowd, the crush of jubilant teammat
Reckless Hearts Chapter 56
Daniel’s mother opened the front door of the house. Her eyes widened the moment she saw Florence’s distraught face, but she quickly bit her lip and offered a smile. “Oh, hello, dear. Come inside. Dinner’s ready.”Florence tried her best to stretch her lips into a smile, but she failed terribly and could only cry. Daniel was supportive, guiding her in, his arm still protectively wrapped around her. He told his mom, “Can you bring our food upstairs?”“Of course,” his mother said, nodding. “Give me just a minute.”He guided Florence up the stairs, although she didn’t need it. Florence had been frequently visiting Daniel’s house ever since she was a baby. They had been playschool mates because their mothers had been childhood friends. However, the stark change in Florence’s mother’s behavior over the last few years had clearly affected her relationship with Daniel’s mother as well. The moment Florence stepped inside Daniel’s room, a question struck her mind. “Does your mom know that we’r
Reckless Hearts Chapter 55
Florence smiled against Daniel’s lips as he leaned in across his seat to kiss her. Something that started off as a soft peck on her lips made her heart flutter in a way that she found herself, pulling him closer by grabbing the collar of his shirt. “Woah,” he voiced, giving into the kiss. When Florence pulled apart, she was just fine, but Daniel was breathing hard. He blinked slowly twice, and from the look on his face, Florence knew she had sent him back to heaven and brought him right back into her car. They had been on their way back from Willowbrook’s second football match in the inter school championship. This one had ended on a high note—everyone had been holding their breath up until the last few seconds when Luke had thrown in the winning goal. Somewhere along the way, she had found herself unable to hold back—Daniel had been looking way too cute lately and all she wanted to do was kiss his face all day. Now as they sat staring at each other, the night quiet outside, an exci
Reckless Hearts Chapter 54
Six days into the term break, Ruby had started to feel restless. She had never spent so much of her time inside the house, not since she had first left for her boarding school. Riley had kept her company in the evenings upon returning from work. They watched teen dramas together, getting stuffed on popcorn as Riley gossiped about her co-workers. While Ruby’s days were spent immersed in the pile of books she owned—reading about bad boys that turned good for the girls they fell in love with; grey characters that struggled with making decisions; and why the stars were something to be fascinated about endlessly. The feeling was odd because she had always believed she enjoyed her own company. She’d never felt the need to be around other humans. It was because she missed school. She missed being on her toes with all the homework and classwork and assignments and presentations. She missed being surrounded by Olivia, Luke, Florence… and Caden. Although she had made up her mind to speak to C
