Chapter 72

Garrick's Point of View (POV):

Throughout my entire life, I've been quietly observing her, ever since our days in kindergarten. But my heart sank when I discovered that she would be transferring schools. She was headed to the most prestigious institution in our realm, Elite High School. It puzzled me why everyone seemed to strive for admission to this place, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that she would be attending this new school, out of my reach.

One day, as I walked along the school hallway, I heard a cacophony of girls screaming. Intrigued, I followed the sound and saw Ashley standing with a group of girls, all fixated on a phone screen. My mind instantly thought, "Of course, they must be looking at attractive boys." The idea of Ashley ogling another guy's body ignited a fire within me, making my blood boil. I desired her attention, wanted her eyes to see only me. But who could blame her? To everyone else, I was just an unseen nerd, barely registering on their radar. How