The New Girl
The rain poured heavily over Ravenwood City that morning, turning the streets into a blur of gray and silver. Thunder rolled softly in the distance, matching the nervous beating of Lena Hart’s heart.
She stood outside the tall iron gates of Ravenwood High School, clutching the strap of her bag tightly.
“This is it,” she whispered to herself.
New school.
New city.
New life.
At least, that’s what she hoped.
Lena took a deep breath and pushed the gates open. The moment she stepped inside, she immediately felt the difference.
The campus was huge. Tall buildings surrounded a wide courtyard filled with students laughing, talking, and walking in groups.
Everyone looked confident. Stylish. Popular.
And then there was Lena.
Quiet. Nervous. Invisible.
Her long brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and she adjusted her glasses as she walked carefully across the courtyard. She could already feel eyes on her.
New girl.
It was obvious.
A group of girls standing near the lockers whispered and glanced at her.
“Who’s that?” one of them murmured.
“Probably the new transfer student.”
Lena lowered her head and continued walking quickly. She hated attention. It made her stomach twist.
She had barely taken a few more steps when suddenly—
BAM!
She collided into someone.
Her books slipped from her hands and scattered across the wet ground.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Lena quickly knelt down to pick them up.
But the moment she looked up…
Her breath caught in her throat.
Standing in front of her was a tall boy with dark hair and sharp features. His black jacket hung casually over his shoulders, and his piercing gray eyes stared down at her with cold amusement.
The air around him felt… dangerous.
Lena froze.
Because everyone around them had suddenly gone quiet.
Whispers spread quickly through the crowd.
“That’s Damon.”
“Poor girl.”
“She just ran into him…”
Damon Blackwood.
The name she had heard only once earlier that morning from the receptionist.
Stay away from him.
Lena quickly gathered her books and stood up.
“I—I didn’t see you,” she said softly.
Damon didn’t move.
Instead, he slowly looked her up and down, as if studying her.
His lips curved into a faint smirk.
“New girl?”
His voice was low and smooth.
Lena nodded nervously.
“Yes.”
For a moment, Damon said nothing. Then he stepped closer.
Too close.
Lena’s heart started racing.
“Well, new girl,” he said quietly, “you should learn something about this school.”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Watch where you’re going.”
Before Lena could reply, he walked past her like the collision meant nothing.
The crowd slowly began moving again.
But Lena stood frozen.
Her heart was still pounding.
One of the girls nearby shook her head sympathetically.
“You’re lucky,” she said.
Lena blinked.
“Lucky?”
The girl leaned closer and lowered her voice.
“Yeah. Damon Blackwood usually doesn’t let people walk away that easily.”
Lena swallowed.
She looked back in the direction he had disappeared.
Something about him felt strange.
Cold.
Dangerous.
And yet…
She had the strange feeling that their paths would cross again.
Very soon.
And she had no idea that the boy she had just met would soon offer her a deal that would change everything.
