CURIOUS GIRL

The thing about isolation is… you get used to it.

At first, it's loud — the silence. The absence of people who used to be everywhere, the empty space where your friends' laughter should be. But after a while, it gets quieter. Softer. Until the loneliness becomes background noise.

I'd been living in that quiet for two weeks.

Sure, things were… better. Bill wasn't slamming doors anymore, and Mom had stopped looking at us like she was two seconds from sending us to family therapy. But "better" didn't mean fixed. It didn't mean the way things were before.

Nate still avoided me like the plague. The rest of the team barely acknowledged my existence. Even Bill — my twin, the person who knew me better than anyone — kept me at arm's length. We talked, but we didn't talk. Not like before.

The only person who actually seemed to want me around? Belle. Yeah. Belle.

"Honestly, I don't know how you handle this much drama and still keep your grades up," she said, sliding into the seat across from me at lunch like we'd been friends forever. "It's impressive."

I blinked at her. "You… know you don't have to sit here, right?"

She shrugged, completely unbothered. "I know. But I figure you could use a friend. Plus, your blog? Kinda saved my life last year. So you're stuck with me."

It was weird, but weirdly nice.

Still, there was an empty seat next to me that used to belong to someone else. And no amount of Belle's bubbly, drama-loving energy could fill it.

"Stop brooding," she teased, nudging my tray closer. "Eat."

I rolled my eyes but took a bite — and that's when I saw him.

The new guy.

And yeah, maybe calling him "hot" was an understatement. He had the whole "I don't care" vibe down to an art — messy dark hair, leather jacket in the middle of the day like he didn't feel heat, and this lazy, dangerous kind of confidence that made you want to look twice.

Which I did.

Mistake.

Because when I looked up again, he was already staring back.

My heart did something stupid and embarrassing, and I immediately dropped my gaze to my tray. But it was too late. I felt his smirk, even from across the room.

"Wow," Belle whispered, following my gaze. "That's new."

"Shut up," I muttered, face burning.

Of course, I did the opposite of shutting up. Because that night, Pink Savage Exclusive had a lot to say.

[Pink Savage Exclusive]

> New kid alert! And let me tell you, we haven't seen this level of brooding bad-boy energy since every 90s teen movie. Mysterious? Check. Hot? Double check. And you know yours truly is on the case. Stay tuned, Savage readers. This one's gonna be fun.

Word on the street is he's already making waves — leather jackets, dark stares, and the kind of smirk that could ruin lives. I mean, are we living in a CW show or what? If he starts riding a motorcycle, I swear I'm gonna lose it.

But who is he? Where did he come from? And why does he already look like he knows everyone's secrets? Stay curious, Savage readers. I know I will.

I should've been more careful.

The next day, I was digging through my locker when a shadow fell over me.

"Curious girl."

I froze. Slowly turned.

And there he was — standing way too close, with that same lazy smirk. Up close, he was even worse. His eyes? Dark and sharp and focused entirely on me, like he already knew exactly what I'd been thinking.

My throat went dry. "Uh… what?"

"You've been staring," he said, his voice low and amused. "And now? You're writing about me."

My brain short-circuited. "I— I don't know what you're talking about."

He tilted his head, like he was studying me. "Yeah? See, that's funny. Because you've got the same look right now that you had yesterday. Right before you ran off and posted about me."

I swallowed hard. "It— it wasn't me."

"Sure it wasn't." He leaned a little closer, his voice dropping. "So… are you gonna tell me your name, Curious Girl, or do I have to keep guessing?"

I hated how my face burned. "Why would I tell you my name?"

"Because I asked nicely." His smirk deepened. "And because you already know mine."

I blinked. "I— I don't, actually."

For a second, he looked almost… surprised. Then he laughed, and the sound was low and warm and way too dangerous.

"Interesting," he said, stepping back. "I guess I'll just have to keep you curious, then."

And before I could say another word, he walked away.

This was so not good. But it was just getting started.