chapter two: THE BOY EVERYONE KNOWS
1156 Words
Lilly barely slept that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face again — the cold eyes, the calm voice, the way he looked at her like she was nothing important. It annoyed her more than she wanted to admit.
Why do I even care? she thought, turning on her bed.
She had met hundreds of people in her life. So why was this one different?
The next morning, she stood in front of the mirror longer than usual. She fixed her hair, adjusted her uniform, then sighed.
“This is stupid,” she muttered.
Mrs. Lisa noticed immediately.
“You’re up early today,” she said, surprised.
“First impressions matter,” Lilly replied, forcing a casual tone.
At school, Lilly walked through the gate with a mix of excitement and fear. Yesterday she had been invisible. Today she felt… aware. Of everything. Of everyone.
Especially him.
In class, her eyes searched the room without her permission.
Adrian Blackwood was already seated by the window, earphones in, gaze fixed outside. He didn’t talk to anyone. No one talked to him either — not because they didn’t want to, but because they were afraid to.
Girls whispered his name like a secret.
“That’s him…”
“He’s so fine.”
“They say he’s untouchable.”
Lilly swallowed.
The teacher started the lesson, but Lilly barely heard anything. Her attention kept drifting to the way Adrian rested his chin on his hand, the way sunlight hit his face, the way he looked bored with everything.
During break, Lilly went to the cafeteria alone. She had no friends yet, and the place felt too big.
As she searched for an empty seat, she heard a familiar voice.
“You’re the girl from yesterday.”
Lilly froze.
She turned slowly.
Adrian stood there, holding a drink, eyes on her.
“Oh. You,” she said before she could stop herself.
One of his eyebrows lifted slightly. “You remember me.”
“How could I forget?” she replied. “You nearly ran me over.”
“I didn’t run you over. You ran into me.”
“Same thing.”
For the first time, something changed in his expression.
A faint smile. Almost invisible.
Almost.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
Lilly hesitated. “Lilly.”
“Adrian,” he said, like she didn’t already know.
There was an awkward silence.
Then he said, “You’re new here.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
She laughed softly. He looked at her like he wasn’t used to people laughing around him.
“Why Royal Crest?” he asked.
“I got a scholarship.”
He paused. “So you’re smart.”
“I guess.”
Another silence. But this one felt different. Less uncomfortable.
Before Lilly could say anything else, a group of students approached Adrian.
“Adrian, we’re going—”
They stopped when they saw Lilly.
Adrian looked at them, then back at her.
“I’ll see you around, Lilly.”
And just like that, he walked away again.
But this time, Lilly didn’t feel invisible.
This time, he had said her name.
And somehow, that single word made her heart beat faster than ever.
Lilly stood there for a few seconds after Adrian walked away, staring at the space he had just left behind.
Did that really just happen? she thought.
He had spoken to her. Not coldly this time. Not like she was invisible. He had actually asked her name.
She sat down slowly at an empty table, her food untouched. Her mind kept replaying the short conversation over and over again — the way he looked at her, the slight smile she wasn’t even sure she imagined.
“So that’s the famous Adrian Blackwood.”
Lilly looked up. A girl stood in front of her, tall with curly hair and a friendly face.
“Uh… famous?” Lilly asked.
The girl laughed and sat down without waiting for permission. “You’re new, right? I’m Maya.”
“Lilly.”
Maya leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Every girl here knows Adrian. He’s rich, smart, and completely impossible to get close to.”
Lilly felt her cheeks warm. “I just… bumped into him yesterday.”
Maya’s eyes widened. “You’re that girl?”
“That girl?”
“The one who dared crash into him and survive,” Maya teased.
Lilly smiled despite herself.
“He doesn’t talk to anyone,” Maya continued. “Not really. So if he talked to you again today, that’s… interesting.”
Interesting.
That word stayed in Lilly’s head for the rest of the day.
In the hallway, she caught glimpses of Adrian — surrounded by people, yet somehow always alone. He walked like the world belonged to him, like nothing around him could touch him.
Their eyes met once.
Just once.
He didn’t smile this time. But he didn’t look away either.
And in that quiet moment, Lilly realized something she probably should have been afraid of:
This wasn’t just a crush.
This was the beginning of something complicated. Something that could either change her life — or break her heart.
The final bell rang, and the classroom slowly emptied. Lilly packed her books quietly, her mind still far away.
“Hey, new girl,” Maya said, tapping her desk. “Want to walk out together?”
Lilly nodded. “Sure.”
They walked down the crowded hallway, students pushing past them, laughing and talking loudly.
“So,” Maya said, smirking slightly, “be honest. Do you like him?”
Lilly almost tripped. “Like who?”
Maya stopped walking and looked at her. “Don’t play innocent. Adrian.”
Lilly hesitated for a second too long.
Maya laughed. “I knew it.”
“It’s not like that,” Lilly said quickly. “I barely know him.”
“Yeah, that’s how it always starts,” Maya replied. “Trust me, half the girls here have a crush on him. The difference is, he doesn’t even look at them.”
Lilly’s heart skipped. “He looks at people.”
Maya raised an eyebrow. “Not really. Except you, apparently.”
That night, Lilly sat on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
What if Maya is right?
What if this is just another silly crush?
But deep down, she knew it wasn’t.
The next day, something unexpected happened.
During group work, the teacher spoke, “Lilly Andrew and Adrian Blackwood, you’ll be partners for this project.”
The room went quiet.
Lilly felt her stomach drop.
Adrian slowly turned his head and looked at her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he said calmly, “Looks like we’re stuck together.”
Lilly swallowed. “Looks like it.”
And just like that, fate pushed them closer — whether either of them was ready or not.
- Writer
