CHAPTER 1
Chapter 1
---
**AIDAN'S POV**
I took one last sip of my beer, seriously wondering how I'd ended up here — in the middle of a night where four completely wasted guys were playing a dumb dare game.
Austin, my best friend, had been challenged to seduce Lisa, the queen bee of our high school — a girl as untouchable as she was ruthless.
Gavin had to run through the school hallway completely naked the next morning.
And the worst one was for Brody: he had to convince everyone he was gay. A real shocker, considering he was the most sought-after guy at school… well, after me, of course. That news was going to crush a lot of hearts.
I prayed silently that they'd forget about me, hoping to escape the public humiliation. But obviously, Brody wasn't the type to let me off so easily.
**"Guys, we haven't given Aidan a dare yet,"** he said with a smirk.
**"Alright, Aidan — I dare you to date Kaylee."**
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
**"And who's that?"**
A brief silence settled before Gavin spoke up:
**"I tried to hit on her this summer… got the biggest rejection of my life, bro."**
**"Wow — is she blind or what?"**
Brody burst out laughing and shook his head.
**"Nah, she's just… different. I tried too, but she doesn't even know our football team's name."**
Austin shook his head with an amused grin.
**"Good luck, man."**
A nervous laugh escaped me.
**"Yeah… I think I'm gonna need it."**
---
**KAYLEE'S POV**
North Fox High was an imposing, classy school with a clean, modern infrastructure. It had been remodeled into a two-story building that was both practical and stylish. As you arrived at the main entrance, you'd be greeted by a security guard posted at the front gate.
The school was shaped like a square, with a big green courtyard in the middle, dotted with benches where students loved to hang out. A track surrounded it for sports and outdoor activities. The place was always lively in the morning, yet I still felt a little suffocated under people's stares.
I scanned the courtyard, looking for Taylor. As usual, she was already there since 7 a.m., sitting on a bench strategically close to the popular crowd.
**Me:** "You're already here?"
**Taylor:** "What's with the all-black outfit? Hiding from someone?"
I glanced down at my clothes. She had a point. Normally, I was a walking rainbow, my favorite color changing with my mood every day. But today, I was dressed in black from head to toe, even covering part of my face with a scarf. I thought I'd go unnoticed… total fail. Everyone was staring.
**Me:** "Malcolm's getting really creepy…"
**Taylor:** "He still won't give up, huh? What a jerk."
**Me:** "Tell me about it…"
Taylor grinned, changing the subject.
**Taylor:** "You coming to the game Friday?"
I shot her a look. She knew perfectly well I never went to those games.
**Taylor:** "Hey — hope dies last, right?"
I chuckled softly.
**Me:** "Penthouse season 2 drops this weekend, so nope. Not happening."
**Me:** "Oh — I left my English book in my locker. See you in class."
**Taylor:** "Yes, girl!"
She winked and turned back toward the popular kids as I headed off to my locker, my mind still clouded by the looming presence of Malcolm.
I hurried through the empty hallway, glad most students were already in class. I wasn't in the mood to see anyone. Especially not him.
I had just closed my locker when a familiar voice called out behind me.
**Malcolm:** "Baby."
My heart skipped a beat. I briefly shut my eyes, muttering to myself:
**Me:** "Oh God…"
I turned slowly — and of course, there he was. Malcolm, with that smug grin and the same cocky glint in his eyes, like he already knew I wasn't getting away.
**Him:** "Still mad at me?"
I crossed my arms, trying to stay calm.
**Me:** "I'm not mad at you, Malcolm. I just don't want to date you anymore."
His smile didn't budge.
**Him:** "See? Still mad."
I sighed, annoyed.
**Me:** "It's been three months, Malcolm. Time to move on. I have."
He chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with irritating amusement.
**Him:** "If you'd really moved on, you'd have a new boyfriend by now."
I lifted my chin, refusing to back down.
**Me:** "As a matter of fact, I do."
His expression flickered — part skeptical, part curious.
**Him:** "Really? And who's that?"
Before I could answer, a voice called out behind us.
**???**: "Kaylee."
Malcolm and I turned toward the person who'd just spoken my name…
I answered, playing it cool:
**"Yeah, yeah."**
Malcolm eyed me, clearly intrigued by my outfit — which gave me a sudden idea. Without thinking, I grabbed the hand of the guy next to me, flashing a mischievous look at Malcolm.
**"Come on, we're gonna be late for English. Say goodbye to Malcolm."**
The poor guy looked totally confused.
**"Uh…"**
He hesitated, probably trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
**"Come on, come on — just follow my lead!"** I insisted, dragging him away.
**"Bye… Malcolm?"** he stammered before letting me pull him along.
We sprinted down the hallway toward the classroom. He kept stealing puzzled glances at me but didn't dare ask anything. At the classroom door, I knocked. A few seconds later, the teacher opened it, glaring at us.
**"You're late. And you're holding hands?"**
Oops. Time for an excuse. Quickly, I blurted out:
**"I hurt myself and…"**
I turned to my 'partner' and realized I didn't even know his name. Great.
**"And… he helped me,"** I improvised.
To sell the story, I pretended to stumble a little. He instinctively caught me around the waist. Nice save.
The teacher sighed.
**"Go take a seat."**
We walked in, and a heavy silence fell over the room. Everyone was staring. Probably because our hands were still joined. I shrugged a little and headed to my seat as my mystery partner did the same.
Class resumed, but I could still feel a few lingering stares on us…
---