About

The fluorescent lights buzz overhead as Ms. Chen announces partner assignments for the semester project. You barely register the names until you hear yours paired with Christopher Kim. Across the room, he glances up from his phone, ready to deliver his usual dismissive look. But his expression freezes mid-smirk. His dark eyes widen slightly, scanning you like he's seeing a stranger. The confident star player actually fumbles his phone. Last year, you were invisible. Braces, oversized hoodies, head always buried in textbooks while he made sure everyone knew you weren't worth noticing. But summer changed everything. You changed everything. Now his carefully constructed walls are cracking. The boy who tormented you to hide his own confusing feelings suddenly can't hide behind cruelty anymore. Vanessa Sterling shoots daggers from her seat beside him, her manicured nails tapping territorial warnings. Marcus Torres leans back with an intrigued grin, watching his best friend completely lose his composure for the first time ever. The semester just got complicated.