Chapter 1: The Inevitable Collision

The hallway buzzed with the usual noise of lockers slamming and students gossiping, but for Noah, it was just background noise. His eyes were fixed on the door at the end of the corridor—the one leading to the classroom that would hold his personal hell for the next hour.

There was no way around it. The universe had decided to put him in the same class as Oliver Hayes.

Oliver. The guy who made everything harder. The one who constantly pushed his buttons, who had a way of making Noah feel like he was always on the defensive. The guy who knew just how to get under his skin.

Noah had never liked Oliver, not from the first day they met. Back then, Oliver was the new kid—charming, popular, with a smile that could light up a room. But for Noah, that smile had always felt like a challenge. Something about the way Oliver always acted like he was better than everyone else made Noah resent him more with each passing day.

Today was no different. As Noah stepped into the classroom, he caught sight of Oliver leaning back in his seat, his usual smug expression plastered on his face. Oliver made no effort to hide the way his eyes lingered on Noah for just a second longer than necessary. Noah's jaw clenched. He was not going to let Oliver get to him.

"Late as usual, Noah," Oliver said, his voice smooth and condescending as Noah made his way to his seat.

Noah barely looked at him as he slid into the chair next to Oliver, trying to focus on anything but the annoying presence beside him. "I was never on time," Noah muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Oliver.

The teacher walked in, and the room quieted down, but Noah could still feel Oliver's gaze burning into him. He tried to ignore it, but it wasn't easy. There was always this tension between them, something unspoken but always present.

The lesson began, but Noah found it hard to concentrate. Oliver's movements were too distracting—the way he casually flipped through his notebook, the way his fingers tapped against his desk, the way he would catch Noah staring and smirk like he knew exactly what effect he had.

But the worst part?

Noah hated the way his heart skipped a beat every time Oliver's eyes locked with his.

He tried to shake off the thought. Oliver was nothing more than a nuisance. Someone to tolerate, not someone to be affected by.

Still, it didn't help when Oliver leaned in slightly, his voice barely a whisper. "You know, if you weren't so stubborn, this could be a lot easier."

Noah froze. There was that same challenge in Oliver's voice again. Noah turned his head slowly, meeting his gaze. "And if you weren't so annoying, maybe I could actually concentrate."

Oliver's smirk widened, but there was something different in his eyes this time. A flicker of something that Noah couldn't quite place.

"Guess we'll see how long that lasts," Oliver said softly, and Noah felt his heart race against his will.

Noah didn't know why Oliver had this effect on him. The guy was a jerk, always picking fights and making everything difficult. But somewhere deep down, Noah couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this rivalry than just the surface-level hate.

One thing was for sure: Noah wasn't going to make it easy for Oliver to break through his defenses.

But the more he tried to push him away, the more he wondered…

What would happen if he didn't?