Cracked Facades: Beyond the shells

An Unexpected Partner

School has always been a headache for me.

Not because it's hard, far from it. I already know everything they teach here. Being the heir to The Marshall Group, a company built on tech and cybersecurity, doesn't exactly leave room for ignorance. I've been trained in systems, coding, and hacking for as long as I can remember.

So sitting through lessons I mastered years ago? Painfully boring.

The only reason I'm still here is because of my mum. She wants me to have a normal life before I'm fully thrown into the business world. My dad disagreed at first, but... he never really says no to her.

I've always admired that.

The way he looks at her, like she's the only person that matters. Like everything else fades when she's around.

I want that someday.

But so far, every girl I've met only sees the name, the money, the status. Not me. That's why I keep my distance. It's easier that way. Cleaner.

There are only two things in this place I actually enjoy and that's basketball and art class.

Basketball clears my head.

Art... does something else.

I don't even remember how I started drawing, or why it stuck. It's just the one thing that feels... mine. Not something I was trained to do. Not something expected of me. Just something I chose.

At lunch, I skipped going to the cafeteria because Coach needed to go over a few things with me, so I ate with him instead. By the time I was heading to art class with Josh and Jet, they were already deep into one of their usual conversations.

"Did you see that girl today?" Josh said, throwing an arm over both our shoulders.

Jet rolled his eyes, giving Josh the stink eye.

"I wasn't in the cafeteria," I replied. "Meeting with Coach, remember?"

"Oh yeah... right," Josh said, snapping his fingers. "Man, I heard she's Jessica's cousin. And bro—she's hot. I mean, I would totally—"

I shoved his arm off my shoulder before he could finish.

"Shut up, Josh." Jet reprimanded his brother.

Sometimes I wonder how they're even twins. Same face, completely different people.

Jet's the calm one. Loyal. He's been with Jess for years, and the way he talks about her... yeah, he's definitely marrying her someday.

But Josh? Completely opposite to his twin. New girl every week. No attachments. No limits. Just fun, he believes we are in the age to have all the fun and all the girls we can ever have before life and adulthood gets to us.

We got to class, and I took my usual seat at the back, far enough from everyone to avoid unnecessary conversations.

The teacher walked in and announced we'd be working in pairs.

Great, note the sarcasm.

Within seconds, everyone had already found a partner, leaving me exactly where I preferred to be, alone.

Honestly, I didn't mind. It saved me from having to politely reject whoever thought sitting next to me meant something more.

Then the door opened.

And everything shifted.

The room went quiet in a way I'd never noticed before, not forced, just... natural. Like the air itself paused.

Josh nudged me hard. "That's her."

I looked up.

And that was when I saw her.

For a second, I forgot how to think.

Her eyes caught mine immediately, a deep, striking blue I knew I'd seen before, but couldn't place. Familiar... and yet completely out of reach.

Her face was soft but defined, her features effortlessly balanced in a way that didn't feel overdone just... real. And the way she carried herself, calm, controlled, almost careful which didn't match the attention she was drawing.

It was like she didn't belong here.

Or maybe... like she was trying too hard to.

The teacher called her forward. "Introduce yourself."

Her voice...

Soft. Clear. Controlled but not entirely steady.

"Katherine Morgan."

Something about the way she said it made my brow furrow slightly.

She didn't sound unsure exactly... but it didn't sound natural either.

Like she was wearing the name instead of owning it.

Around me, the reaction was predictable.

The guys were practically staring holes through her.

The girls? A mix of curiosity and quiet jealousy.

But I wasn't looking at any of them.

Just her.

Then the teacher spoke again.

"Katherine, you joined late. Everyone's already paired up... oh, except one person."

I already knew where this was going.

"Brandon, would you mind having our new student as your partner?"

Before I could answer, he raised his hand. "Actually, no I already know what you'd say. But I'm sorry, this isn't the basketball court. She'll be your partner."

A few people laughed, Josh snickered looking at me.

I was still watching her.

She walked toward me slowly, clutching her sketchbook like it was something grounding. Every step was controlled, but I could tell she was nervous but you wouldn't even notice because of the way she carries herself.

When she finally reached the seat beside me, she sat down carefully.

"Hi," she said quietly.

Up close... she was even more distracting.

Not just because she was beautiful, which she was, effortlessly but because there was something behind it. Something guarded. Something... real.

"Hi," I replied.

The silence stretched for a moment before I broke it.

"So... Katherine Morgan, huh?"

She looked up, slightly startled. "Yeah. That's me."

I tilted my head, studying her. "You don't sound too sure about that."

Her eyes narrowed just a little. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I shrugged, leaning back. "Nothing. You just don't seem like someone who's used to being the new girl."

"Maybe I'm just a fast learner," she said.

There it was again, that controlled response. Careful. Measured.

Interesting.

I gestured to her blank page. "You any good at this?"

A brief pause. Then, softer, "I used to be."

"Used to?"

"My mum taught me."

Something shifted in her expression just for a second. Enough to tell me that meant more than she was saying.

"She must've been good," I said.

"She was."

The teacher clapped, breaking the moment. "Alright, everyone! You'll be sketching your partners. Remember, draw what you see."

I looked back at her, a faint smile forming.

"Guess that means I get to draw you."

Her lips curved slightly. "You sure that's a good idea?"

I held her gaze.

"No," I said quietly. "But it'll be interesting."

And for the first time in a long while...

I feel like coming to school will not be so boring again if I get to see her everyday.