First Kiss

"Look, girls! The FOUR are coming!"

FOUR—short for Famous Outcast of Ultimate Rebellion

"Hey, get in line! I saw TJ first!"

"Charles' arm is enough for me!"

"No one's taking Seb —he's mine!"

"Theo, my love!"

As Theo and his group walked toward our area, their fangirls popped up like mushrooms, screaming as if a K-pop group had just arrived.

Seriously? They're just students, not celebrities.

Honestly, even the guy selling street food outside looks better than them.

"Hi, Theo!" a girl eagerly greeted, stepping in front of them.

"I'm Stella, by the way." She stretched out her hand, a bright smile on her face.

But instead of shaking it, Theo just stared at her hand—expression blank, voice cold.

"Can you get away from me? You ugly creature."

Laughter erupted. Everyone joined in, mocking Stella like it was the funniest thing in the world. Poor girl. Out of all the guys she could have liked, why did it have to be Theo?

She quickly stepped back, letting Theo and the others pass. If I had to bet, I'd say she's never setting foot in this hallway again after this humiliation.

"She deserved that! So ambitious."

"How dare she! Theo is way too handsome for her."

Handsome? Sure. But his attitude? Rotten.

He walks around acting like he owns this school just because he's the so-called king. What a joke. I seriously don't get why so many girls are obsessed with him when his personality is that bad. It's like he's wasting the good looks he was given.

Why do girls always fall for bad boys?

That thought lingered in my mind.

And yes, I talk to myself—but that doesn't mean I'm crazy. I just don't have any friends. To my schoolmates, I'm nothing but a nerd, a weirdo, a girl with zero fashion sense, and someone not even worth befriending.

Psh! Fine, then. I don't need them. I like being alone. Life is quieter that way.

Even though Charles Winslow—one of the FOUR—is my brother, that never made me popular by association. We barely even talk at school. I don't know if he's ashamed of me or if we just exist in completely different worlds.

To be honest, Charles is a huge bully in my life, but at the same time, I'm still glad he's my brother. Because of him, I don't get bullied as much as the other nerds and geeks in this school.

I glanced at my watch—five minutes until my class started. My eyes widened, and without a second thought, I bolted down the hallway like my life depended on it. No way was I going to be late!

The moment I arrived, my classmates and teacher were already inside. All eyes turned to me, and before I could even catch my breath, my teacher let out a loud laugh.

"Ms. Winslow, is it windy outside?"

Laughter erupted throughout the room. Just great. Judging by their reactions, my already messy hair must look even worse now.

I thought only the students in this school had terrible attitudes, but apparently, even the teachers weren't any better. How is it my fault that I ran all the way here just to avoid being late? Unbelievable.

I ignored them. It's not like this was anything new. If they weren't picking on me, they were picking on someone else. I was used to it by now. Besides, I only had one more year left before I could finally escape this school.

After what felt like an hour of pure torture under my ever-so-pleasant teacher, the bell finally rang. Everyone rushed out, eager for lunch.

Me? Unlike the typical students here, I headed straight to the library. I hated crowded places. Not because I was antisocial—well, maybe just a little—but mostly because the cafeteria was filled with nothing but gossip. The library was quieter, and I could actually enjoy reading. Besides, I knew the FOUR would be in the cafeteria, surrounded by their army of fangirls. And the last thing I wanted was to see their faces.

"Hi, Ellie!"

"Ah! What the—" I clutched my chest, startled.

"Oh no, did I scare you? Sorry!"

No, I totally expected you to pop up out of nowhere. I rolled my eyes mentally as I looked at her.

She was pretty, cheerful, and—well—blessed in areas I wasn't. Not that I was jealous or anything, but I had once dreamed of being a cheerleader like her.

"So, uh Miss… what do you need?" I asked, curious why she was suddenly talking to me.

"Uh… well…" she hesitated, fidgeting with something in her hands.

I waited for her to continue, but when she didn't, I shrugged and went back to my book. If she wasn't going to say anything, then I wasn't going to waste my time.

Ellie, stop acting like you're all that. You're not even that pretty.

"Are you gonna say something? Because I'm kind of busy reading."

"Oh, right! Sorry! I just—can I ask you for a favor? Please?" she pleaded, grabbing my arm like her life depended on it.

Uhm… is she okay? We literally just met, and she's already asking me for favors?

"…What is it?"

"Can you give this letter to TJ?"

"Why don't you give it to him yourself?"

"B-Because he doesn't even know me! But you… you're Charles' sister! Please?" she begged, her eyes full of hope.

Wait… so she really meant Troy Jasper Belmont? That womanizing flirt?

I shut my book, stood up, and walked away.

Nope. Not happening. Why should I be the one to do it? She could give it to him herself! And besides, I had no interest in talking to those guys. My life at school was already messy enough without them in it.

"Ellie!"

She chased after me, even after I had stepped out of the library.

"Please?" she pleaded, giving me the saddest puppy-dog eyes.

Honestly, I wasn't the type to turn people down for no reason. I mean, it's not like I was some entitled girl who thought too highly of herself. And besides, Mom always told me—even if you're beautiful, you should never be mean.

But… going up to those four? NO WAY.

"Please! I really, really like TJ! I just freeze up whenever I see him… Please?" She looked like she was about to cry.

Out of all the guys in this school, she had to fall for Troy Jasper Belmont? Is she blind?

I sighed, grabbed the letter from her hands, and walked off without another word.

As I left, I heard her say, "Thank you!"

She should be thanking me. Do you realize what I'm about to do? I'm willingly approaching the FOUR.

Was I really making the right choice?

I headed straight for the cafeteria. They always hung out there, in their private section—reserved exclusively for them. Because, of course, the so-called famous of the school had to have their own area. And with Theo and TJ's families being major shareholders, no one dared to question it.

As I stepped closer, I could feel the eyes of the other students—especially the girls—burning into me. They were probably cursing me in their heads, imagining ripping my hair out.

I ignored them and walked straight up to TJ. Without a word, I held out the letter.

Silence.

Every single one of them stared at me like I was some kind of insect they didn't want near them.

Why did I agree to this again?

"What's that?" TJ asked.

"Wow, TJ! The nerdy little sister of Grandpa Charles actually likes you? Gross!" Theo sneered.

Ugh, this arrogant jerk. No one was even talking to you!

Charles turned to me, raising a brow. "Meet my nerdy sister, Ellie."

Then, with a smirk, he added, "Ellie, what the hell are you doing? Even if you give TJ a love letter, it's not like he'll ever like you. You dress like an old lady."

Wow.

Does he remember that he's my brother? Because sometimes, I really forget.

"It's not from me," I said flatly.

"Then who?" Seb suddenly asked.

I froze. He looked directly at me. Oh no. I think I might have a heart attack. He's so handsome. Why is he even part of this group?!

Charles scoffed. "Dude, she has no friends. She's forever alone."

Wow. Thanks for reminding me, brother dearest. I placed the letter on their table and walked away without another word.

I just headed straight to my next class. There was no point in going back to the library—my peaceful moment had already been ruined, thanks to that girl. I didn't even get her name.

Not that it mattered. It wasn't like I planned to befriend her anyway. As if she even wanted to be friends with me. She only used me for her little love confession. User!

Ugh, now I was in a bad mood. And worse—I caught the attention of those guys. I just hoped they wouldn't bother me after what I did.

By the time I got to my classroom, my classmates were already settling in, and our math teacher had started the lecture. About 30 minutes into the class, he walked in.

Theodore Carlson.

What the hell was he doing here? He wasn't even from this section!

"Ah, class, starting today, Mr. Carlson will be your new classmate," our teacher announced.

What? Did he suddenly become a genius overnight?

"He's been excelling in math, so we decided to transfer him to this section," the teacher added.

Excelling? Theo? In what universe?

I watched as he scanned the room for an empty seat. Just my luck—he picked the one right next to me.

"Hey, Charles' little sister."

I have a name, stupid. "What?" I snapped. Wait—did I say that out loud?

He smirked. I rolled my eyes and ignored him. I hated him. For so many reasons. And his #1 crime? Being a bully.

"So grumpy," he muttered. "And ugly, too."

Excuse me?! If only I were a guy, I would've punched him right then and there. He had the nerve to insult me? He's the ugly one! On the inside, at least!

I hate him so much.

But instead of giving him the satisfaction of seeing me angry, I just focused on writing in my notebook. If I engaged, it would only encourage him.

After a while, he got up and left the classroom. No surprise there—he always ditched class. I had no idea how he even made it to senior year.

When the bell rang, he still hadn't returned. See?

But why did I even care? Good riddance.My life is better without him around.

I headed toward my locker, thinking about lunch, when suddenly—

Someone grabbed me.

I barely had time to react before I was pulled into the janitor's closet.

A strong arm wrapped around me from behind.

"Ellie…"

I could feel his breath against my ear.

His voice was deep. Strong.

I wanted to turn around, to see his face. But I couldn't.

Because he was holding me in place.

Is he a serial killer? Is this how I die? Am I about to be the next victim in one of those Netflix true crime documentaries?

"Ellie…" he whispered again.

"W-Who are you?"

"Don't freak out about what I'm about to do."

He turned me to face him, and before I could even process what was happening—

He kissed me! His lips were soft. My eyes widened, but it was too dark to see anything.

So this is what it feels like to be kissed? I was completely frozen. Then, I heard the door shut. Even though my eyes had gone wide in shock, the darkness hid everything from view.

I could finally breathe again. Uu û ya rd4Okay, so he wasn't a serial killer.

But he was a thief!

Who the hell was that?!

The thief who just stole my first kiss!

I slapped myself—just to check. Maybe I was dreaming?

"Ouch!"

Nope. Not a dream.

His lips were so soft.

What did he say again? Don't freak out?

What kind of psycho—?!

Who the hell is he?!

"My lips aren't pure anymore! Damn you, whoever you are!"