Summer had begun once again, and so had a new chapter of my life.

My name is Lily, and I had just transferred to Westbrridge Academy, one of the most prestigious high schools in the country

.Thanks to my excellent academic record, I had earned a full scholarship to study there. It was supposed to be a fresh start—a chance to focus on my future and prove myself.

Unfortunately, my first day turned out to be a complete disaster.

As I stood in front of the class to introduce myself, my mind suddenly went blank. The words I had prepared disappeared from my head. My eyes had become fixed on a boy sitting by the window.

A very familiar boy.

The same boy I had gotten into an argument with less than an hour earlier.

I somehow managed to finish my introduction while trying not to panic. Before I could relax, the teacher pointed toward an empty seat.

"Lily, you can sit there."

My heart nearly stopped.

The seat was directly beside him.

I slowly walked toward the desk and sat down, trying not to look nervous. The boy turned his head and gave me a sharp, cold glance. His expression alone was enough to make me wish the floor would swallow me whole.

I spent the entire class praying for the bell to ring.

The moment class ended, I practically ran to the restroom.

When I returned, the classroom was quieter. The boy was sitting with his head resting on the desk, earphones in, seemingly listening to music.

I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

Finally, gathering all my courage, I whispered,

"Sorry."

The reason for our argument was embarrassingly simple.

Earlier that morning, his car had accidentally brushed against me while entering the school parking area. It wasn't a serious accident, but I had completely lost my temper. Without giving him a chance to explain, I had yelled at him, insulted him, and stormed away.

At the time, I had no idea who he was.

He hadn't argued back. He had simply stared at me with an annoyed expression while I made a fool of myself.

Later that day, one of my new friends revealed his identity.

The moment she told me, I felt the blood drain from my face.

The boy's name was Evan Carter.

He came from one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the country.

Everyone at Westbridge Academy knew him. Not only was he incredibly handsome, but he was also a successful young model. His family owned businesses worth millions, and wherever he went, people seemed to know his name.

Unfortunately, Evan was also known for having a short temper.

The realization hit me like a truck.

Out of all the people at this school, I had chosen to insult him on my very first day.

Great.

What could possibly go wrong?

At that moment, I thought the worst was already behind me.

I had no idea that this was only the beginning, and that my relationship with Evan Carter was about to turn my entire life upside down.

......✨✨✨✨

The next morning, I walked through the gates of Westbrridge Academy with a strange feeling in my stomach. Maybe it was anxiety. Maybe it was regret. Or maybe it was the memory of yesterday's disaster that refused to leave my mind.

Either way, I already knew one thing.

I did not want to see Evan Carter.

Unfortunately, the universe seemed to enjoy making my life difficult.

When I stepped into the classroom, he was already there.

Sitting by the window.

His tie was loose, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of earphones hung around his neck. Sunlight streamed through the glass behind him, making him look less like a student and more like someone straight out of a magazine cover.

Annoyingly handsome.

I hated that description.

As quietly as possible, I slid into my seat and opened my notebook. Maybe if I ignored him, he would ignore me too.

"You're staring."

I nearly jumped.

"What?"

Evan didn't even look at me. His attention remained fixed on his phone.

"You've been looking at me for the last ten seconds."

"I wasn't staring."

A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

"Sure."

God, he was insufferable.

Before I could think of a comeback, several students entered the classroom. The atmosphere changed immediately. Girls waved at Evan. Some stopped by his desk just to say good morning. One of them even placed a cup of coffee beside him.

"Thanks," he said.

The girl practically melted.

I rolled my eyes.

Of course.

Everything about him screamed rich, popular, and completely aware of it.

The worst part?

He knew exactly how much influence he had over everyone around him.

And he enjoyed it.

A lot.

As class began, I tried focusing on the lesson. For nearly twenty minutes, everything was peaceful. Then the teacher announced a surprise quiz.

A collective groan filled the room.

I smiled.

Finally, something I was actually good at.

When the papers were collected and checked, the teacher looked pleasantly surprised.

"Excellent work, Lily. Full marks."

Several students turned toward me.

The attention made me uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, it seemed to amuse someone else.

"Scholarship Girl got full marks," Evan said lazily.

A few students laughed.

I clenched my jaw.

"At least I'm good at something."

The classroom went silent.

For the first time all morning, Evan looked directly at me.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Then he leaned back in his chair.

A slow smile appeared on his face.

Interesting.

That smile told me one thing.

The war had officially begun.

I hated the fact that a single expression from him was enough to get under my skin.

The teacher continued the lesson, but I could barely focus. Every now and then, I could feel Evan's gaze on me. It wasn't constant, but it happened often enough to make me uncomfortable.

Why was he looking at me?

Was he annoyed because I answered back?

Or was he simply looking for another excuse to make fun of me?

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of class.

I quickly gathered my books, eager to escape before Evan could say another word.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side.

As I stood up, my notebook slipped from my arms and landed on the floor.

Before I could pick it up, someone stepped on it.

I looked up.

Evan.

His eyes met mine.

For a brief second, neither of us moved.

Then, very slowly, he lifted his foot and handed me the notebook.

"Careful, Scholarship Girl," he said.

There it was again.

That nickname.

I snatched the notebook from his hand.

"My name is Lily."

A few nearby students went silent.

Evan stared at me for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face.

"I know."

For some reason, those two words caught me off guard.

Of course he knew my name.

The entire class knew my name.

Still, hearing it from him felt different.

Strange.

Annoying.

Confusing.

Before I could respond, one of his friends called him from the hallway.

"Evan, we're waiting."

He glanced at me one last time.

"See you tomorrow, Scholarship Girl."

Then he walked away.

I watched him disappear into the crowd of students, feeling a mixture of anger and frustration.

I should have been relieved.

Instead, I found myself thinking about him for the rest of the day.

And that was exactly what I didn't want.

Because if there was one thing I had learned about Evan Carter in the last twenty-four hours, it was this:

He was trouble.

And trouble had just taken the seat next to mine..........

By Monday morning, I had convinced myself that Evan Carter was no longer worth my attention. The plan was simple: attend classes, maintain my grades, avoid unnecessary drama, and most importantly, stay as far away from him as possible.

Unfortunately, life at Westbrridge Academy seemed determined to destroy every plan I made.

The first two periods passed peacefully. For the first time since arriving at the school, I was beginning to relax. Maybe I had exaggerated things. Maybe Evan had already grown bored of teasing me.

Then history class happened.

Mr. Thompson walked into the room carrying a stack of papers and the smile teachers wore whenever they were about to ruin a student's day.

"I have exciting news," he announced.

The collective groan from the class suggested nobody agreed.

"We're starting a partner project."

Immediately, students began turning toward their friends. Chairs scraped against the floor. Excited whispers filled the room.

I turned toward Sophia with hope in my eyes.

"Please tell me we're partners."

She winced.

That was all the answer I needed.

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach as Mr. Thompson began reading names. Each second felt longer than the last.

Then it happened.

"Lily Anderson and Evan Carter."

The room exploded.

Some students laughed. Others openly stared at us.

One girl actually whispered, "This is going to be a disaster."

She wasn't wrong.

Across the room, Evan looked up from his phone. His expression remained unreadable, though I thought I saw amusement flicker in his eyes.

I buried my face in my hands.

Of course.

Out of hundreds of students in this school, I had been paired with the one person I couldn't stand.

The bell rang forty minutes later, but my suffering wasn't over.

"As for Lily and Evan," Mr. Thompson continued while gathering his papers, "I'd like you both to stay after school and discuss your project."

I froze.

Evan sighed.

Neither of us looked happy.

An hour later, the classroom was nearly empty. Golden afternoon sunlight spilled across the desks, painting long shadows across the room. Outside, students laughed as they headed home, leaving the school strangely quiet.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

The silence stretched between us like a challenge neither wanted to lose.

Finally, Evan tossed his pen onto the desk.

"This is ridiculous."

I glanced up.

"What is?"

"The fact that we're both pretending we don't have to work together."

His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge beneath it.

I crossed my arms. "I'm not pretending anything."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Right."

God, I hated that smirk.

Before I could respond, the classroom door suddenly opened.

A girl stepped inside.

And every thought in my head disappeared.

She was beautiful.

Not just pretty. Beautiful.

Long dark hair fell over her shoulders, and her confidence filled the room before she even spoke. She walked straight toward Evan as if she belonged there.

Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Evan," she said with a bright smile, "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Something twisted uncomfortably in my chest.

I didn't know why.

And I definitely didn't want to think about it.

What bothered me even more was Evan's reaction.

Because instead of pulling away, he looked directly at me.

A slow smile appeared on his face.

The kind of smile that meant trouble.

The kind of smile that warned me he was about to enjoy whatever happened next.

And suddenly, I had a feeling this project was going to be the least of my problems.