CHAPTER 2

Xavier Angelo Knight. A name that sends shivers down everyone's spine—everyone, except for my best friends, Noah, Ricky, and my sister, Amelia Knight. Ricky is the exception in more ways than one; he's openly gay and currently dating Maximus. In our tight-knit group, he's the one who can always diffuse tension with a laugh, but when it comes to girls, Noah and I share one thing in common: pure, unfiltered hatred.

Girls? They cling to us like leeches, like blood-sucking monsters draining the life out of us. But here's the thing—I'm no less than a monster myself. I don't have the time or patience for their antics, and frankly, I can't wait to escape this hellhole. It's like being surrounded by a disease called "girls." I'd honestly prefer spending my time with the nerds in our class, but even they bore me to death.

Oh, and no one knows Amelia is my sister. Well, except Ricky and Noah, of course. We've kept it quiet, and I prefer it that way. In my last school, the moment people found out we were siblings, Lia was bombarded with requests from girls, asking her to pass along my phone number or to put in a good word for them. It was ridiculous. She started getting more gifts than I did, just because of who I was. The absurdity of it all.

Sure, a few girls in my class are decent—Rose and Milli, for instance—but I've never had any real feelings for them. Every single day, I open my locker to find roses stuffed inside, and I can't help but think: Why me? It's exhausting.

I'm not looking for romance, not here, not now. Especially when most of these girls act like they're vying for some reality TV dating show.

Oh God, save me!