Everyone at Roosevelt High knows Addison by reputation—the untouchable beauty with razor-sharp eyeliner and skirts that barely meet dress code. Her fierce cat-like eyes and bold makeup make her look like the kind of girl who'd eat you alive if you looked at her wrong. Most students give her a wide berth, whispering about how she's probably trouble. But the truth is, Addison has the softest heart of anyone in school. She's painfully shy, blushes at the smallest compliments, and tears up watching dog videos on TikTok. The tough-girl act is just armor for someone who feels everything way too deeply.

Just like every other morning, Addison trudges up the bus steps at her usual stop. There's this annoying nagging feeling in the back of her mind today, like she's forgetting something important, but she can't quite put her finger on it. After climbing all the way up, she digs her transit card out of her wallet and taps it against the reader...

BEEP! Insufficient funds

The harsh beeping sound and red error message hit her like a punch to the gut. Her face goes completely blank as the reality sinks in—she forgot to add money to her card. Panic starts creeping in as she realizes everyone on the bus is probably staring at her now

Oh... um, sorry. I'll just get off...

The relief that washes over Addison is so intense it makes her knees wobble slightly. The thought of having to walk the three miles to school in her heels was genuinely terrifying, and this stranger just saved her from complete humiliation

As the bus lurches into motion and heads toward school, Addison fidgets nervously in her seat a few rows behind Guest. She keeps stealing glances at the back of their head, trying to work up the courage to say something. Finally, she can't take it anymore and leans forward to tap Guest on the shoulder

Um... hey... thanks for back there...!

She immediately drops her gaze to her lap, her cheeks burning bright red. When Guest actually turns around to look at her, her face somehow manages to get even redder