BEYOND THE RAIN

Chapter One The Boy Who Ignored Me (Part One) Seattle wore the rain like it belonged there. Tiny droplets slid down the tinted windows of my father's black SUV, turning the city outside into a blur of gray buildings, flashing traffic lights, and hurried pedestrians hiding beneath umbrellas. I rested my forehead against the cool glass and watched them. People looked... free. No one stared at them. No one whispered about their last name. No one expected them to be perfect. Lucky them. "Amelia." Dad's deep voice pulled me back. I turned away from the window. Richard Sinclair sat beside me in an immaculate charcoal suit, already checking emails on his tablet even though it wasn't yet eight in the morning. He looked up. "You remember what we talked about?" I smiled politely. "Study hard." "Yes." "Be respectful." "Yes." "And don't let anyone take advantage of your kindness." Mom chuckled softly from the seat opposite us. "You've said that three times already." Richard didn't smile. "Because she never listens." "I do listen." "You listen," he corrected, "but you trust people too easily." Mom reached across the car and squeezed my hand. "Don't worry about your father." "I heard that," Dad muttered. "I wanted you to." I couldn't help laughing. Dad shook his head, but a tiny smile escaped before he hid it again. That was my father. Strict. Disciplined. Protective. If love could wear a business suit... ...it would look exactly like Richard Sinclair. The SUV slowed. Our driver cleared his throat. "We're here, sir." My heartbeat instantly doubled. Outside stood a magnificent stone gate. Elegant iron letters stretched across the entrance. EVERGREEN HEIGHTS ACADEMY Students poured through the entrance, laughing, talking, waving to friends. Some arrived in expensive cars. Others stepped off buses carrying backpacks that had clearly seen better days. For a brief moment... Everyone looked the same. Students. Nothing more. I wished it could stay that way. The driver hurried around to open my door. Cold morning air rushed inside. The scent of rain filled the car. Dad looked at me one last time. "Remember..." "I know who I am." He nodded. "Good." Mom leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Have a wonderful first day." "I'll try." "You'll do more than try." She smiled. "You'll be yourself." That... That was exactly what I needed to hear. I stepped out of the SUV. Almost immediately, conversations slowed. Not stopped... Just enough for me to notice. Someone whispered. "That's her." "The Sinclair girl." "I heard her family owns half the city." "No way..." "They're billionaires." Wonderful. Thirty seconds. That's how long it took before I became the rich girl instead of Amelia. I adjusted the strap of my backpack and started toward the entrance. Maybe if I walked fast enough— "AMY!" A familiar voice exploded across the courtyard. Before I could react, someone crashed into me. "Oof!" Arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders. "I missed you!" "Sophie!" She finally let go, grinning from ear to ear. Sophia Bennett hadn't changed one bit. Chestnut hair tied into a messy ponytail. Bright green eyes. Enough energy to power the entire school. She looked me up and down dramatically. "Okay." "What?" "You look terrified." "I am terrified." She laughed. "Perfect." "Perfect?" "It means you're normal." I rolled my eyes. "You always say strange things." "And yet you still love me." "I tolerate you." She gasped dramatically. "The disrespect!" Before I could answer, she linked her arm through mine. "Come on." She started dragging me toward the main building. "I'll show you everything." "Sophie!" "What?" "I'm walking!" "Barely." We both burst into laughter. For the first time that morning... I relaxed. "This school is huge," I whispered as we entered the main hallway. Rows of blue lockers stretched endlessly on both sides. Students hurried from classroom to classroom. A group of boys chased one another down the corridor until a teacher shouted, "No running!" They immediately slowed to an awkward speed-walk. Sophie leaned toward me. "They do this every Monday." "I can see." At that exact moment— "Watch out!" A basketball bounced wildly across the hallway. A tall boy sprinted after it. His foot landed on a wet patch near the entrance. His legs flew forward. "WHOA—" THUD! He landed flat on his back. The basketball rolled away as the hallway erupted into laughter. The boy groaned. "I'm okay..." A friend pointed at him. "No, you're not." "I meant emotionally." Even I laughed. The embarrassed boy slowly stood, rubbing the back of his head. "I quit." "You say that every week," another student teased. "I'm serious this time." "You said that after tripping over a trash can." "I remember," someone shouted. "It was legendary." The hallway filled with laughter again. Sophie wiped tears from her eyes. "That's Ethan." "The class clown?" "No." "The walking disaster." I giggled. "I like him already." Before Sophie could answer... Everything changed. The noise... Didn't disappear. It softened. Students instinctively stepped aside. Almost as if someone important had arrived. I frowned. "What's happening?" Sophie looked toward the entrance. "Oh." "What?" She lowered her voice. "Daniel." I followed her gaze. A tall figure walked through the open doors. Rain clung to the shoulders of his black academy blazer. His dark hair was slightly damp, as though he'd ignored the umbrella tucked beneath his arm. He walked with calm confidence—not arrogant, just... certain. Girls stopped talking. Boys nodded respectfully as he passed. Teachers greeted him. "Good morning, Daniel." "Morning." His voice was low. Calm. He didn't stop walking. No smile. No unnecessary conversation. Just one polite word. Then he continued. "Who's he?" I whispered. Sophie's eyes widened. "You don't know?" I shook my head. "That's Daniel Chitano." "The basketball captain?" "The basketball captain." "The top student?" "The top student." "The debate champion?" "The debate champion." I blinked. "Does he ever lose?" She laughed. "Not often." Daniel passed a group of girls standing beside the lockers. One stepped forward confidently. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair. Perfect makeup. Flawless uniform. The other three girls beside her looked almost identical. Cheerleaders. The blonde smiled sweetly. "Morning, Daniel." He nodded once. "Morning." "I saved you a seat at lunch." "I'm busy." "You don't even know what time." "I still won't be there." Without another word... He walked away. The smile on the blonde's face disappeared for a split second. Then she forced it back. Her friends immediately crowded around her. "He'll come around." "He always acts like that." "Ignore him." Vanessa Carter. Head cheer captain. The queen of Evergreen Heights. And judging by the look in her eyes... Someone who wasn't used to hearing the word no. Sophie sighed. "That's Vanessa." "They know each other?" "She wishes." I frowned. "What do you mean?" "She's been trying to date Daniel for almost two years." "And?" "He keeps rejecting her." I looked back at Daniel. He didn't seem proud of the attention. If anything... He looked exhausted by it. For reasons I couldn't explain... I felt sorry for him. Then... He looked up. Our eyes met. Time seemed to pause. His gaze was sharp. Observant. Like he was trying to figure out who I was. I smiled. Just a small, polite smile. The kind you'd give someone you'd never met before. For one heartbeat... Nothing happened. Then... His expression hardened. He looked away. Walked straight past me. As if I were invisible. I stood there, frozen. "...Did he just ignore me?" Sophie let out a long sigh. "Congratulations." "For what?" "You've officially met Daniel Chitano." I watched him disappear into the crowd. No greeting. No smile. Nothing. And somehow... That bothered me far more than it should have. Because for the first time in my life... Someone had looked at me... ...and deliberately decided I wasn't worth a second glance. I had no idea then... That the boy who ignored me on my first day... Would one day become the reason I questioned everything I thought I knew about loveI was still staring at the hallway long after Daniel had disappeared. "Earth to Amelia." Sophie snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Huh?" She laughed. "Don't tell me." "What?" "You already have a crush on him." "What?" I nearly choked. "I met him thirty seconds ago!" "Mhmm." "I don't." "You've been looking at the hallway for a whole minute." "I was... surprised." "Sure." I nudged her shoulder. "Stop it." She grinned. "You'll thank me later." Before I could defend myself, a loud whistle echoed through the hallway. Vanessa Carter stood beside the trophy display with her arms folded. Her three friends—Brittany, Jasmine, and Kiara—stood behind her like bodyguards. Students immediately moved aside. Vanessa's eyes swept across the hallway until they landed on me. She looked me up and down. Designer shoes. Perfectly pressed uniform. Neatly tied hair. She smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. "So..." she said, walking toward me. "You're the famous Amelia Sinclair." I gave a polite nod. "And you're Vanessa." "I'm impressed." "I asked Sophie." Vanessa glanced at Sophie before looking back at me. "So you're the billionaire's daughter." I shifted awkwardly. "My parents are successful." "Oh." She tilted her head. "So you're modest too." Her friends laughed. I wasn't sure why. Vanessa stepped closer until there was barely a foot between us. "Here's a little advice." I stayed silent. "This school already has a queen." The hallway became quiet. "You'll be happier if you remember that." Sophie immediately stepped forward. "Vanessa—" "I'm talking to the new girl." "And I'm standing beside her." Vanessa rolled her eyes dramatically. "I wasn't talking to you." Jasmine smirked. "She always thinks she's the hero." Sophie's jaw tightened. I gently touched her arm. "It's okay." Vanessa looked at my hand and laughed. "You really are sweet." Then her smile disappeared. "Let's see how long that lasts." She turned and walked away, her friends following behind her. As Brittany passed me, she deliberately bumped my shoulder. Not hard. Just enough to send my notebook slipping from my hands. It hit the floor with a soft slap. Loose papers scattered across the polished tiles. "Oh," Brittany said without stopping. "My bad." The four girls laughed as they disappeared around the corner. I crouched to gather my papers. "Ignore them," Sophie muttered, kneeling beside me. "They're always like that?" "Only when Vanessa feels threatened." "Threatened?" Sophie gave me a look. "You're new." "I know." "You're rich." "I know." "And..." She sighed. "You're pretty." I stared at her. "You're impossible." "I'm honest." Before we could continue, another pair of hands picked up one of my papers. I looked up. A boy with curly dark hair smiled warmly. "You dropped this." "Thank you." He handed it to me. "I'm Ethan." "The guy who fell earlier?" He sighed dramatically. "So that's my reputation already?" I couldn't stop laughing. "I'm sorry." "No, you're not." "Okay... maybe not." He grinned. "There we go." Sophie pointed at him. "Don't encourage her." "I like her already." "I've known her for ten years." "And?" "She's trouble." "I heard that!" I protested. The three of us laughed. For a brief moment... The nervousness faded. The first bell rang. Students hurried toward their classrooms. Room 2A. Sophie's homeroom. Mine too. We slipped into the classroom just before the teacher arrived. The room buzzed with conversation. Some students glanced at me. Others openly stared. A girl in the front whispered loudly, "She's prettier in real life." Another replied, "I heard her father donated the new science building." "I heard she has three sports cars." I sighed. If only they knew. I couldn't even choose what I wore without my father's opinion. "Good morning, class." Everyone stood. "Good morning, Mr. Harrison." "Sit down." The teacher smiled kindly. "I see we have a new student." Every head turned toward me. Wonderful. Mr. Harrison adjusted his glasses. "Would you like to introduce yourself?" I stood. "My name is Amelia Sinclair." A few students whispered. "I'm from Seattle." Another whisper. "I enjoy reading..." Ethan raised his hand. Mr. Harrison blinked. "Yes, Ethan?" "Can she cook?" The entire class burst into laughter. Even Mr. Harrison smiled. "I fail to see how that's relevant." "It isn't." "Then why ask?" "I'm hungry." Laughter filled the classroom again. I laughed too. Mr. Harrison pointed toward Ethan. "One more interruption and you'll spend lunch organizing the supply closet." "Yes, sir." He turned back to me. "Please continue." I smiled. "I like reading, photography... and rainy days." Someone near the back muttered, "Well, you picked the right city." More laughter. Mr. Harrison nodded. "Welcome to Evergreen Heights Academy, Amelia." "Thank you." "There's one empty seat." I looked around. Every desk had someone sitting at it... Except one. The desk beside Daniel Chitano. Sophie's eyes widened. "Oh no..." Vanessa's face darkened. Mr. Harrison smiled. "You'll be sitting next to Daniel." The room became eerily quiet. Every student looked at Daniel. He slowly lifted his eyes from the book he'd been reading. Then... He looked at me. No smile. No welcome. Nothing. Mr. Harrison gestured toward the empty chair. "Go ahead." Taking a deep breath, I walked down the aisle. Every step felt heavier than the last. I reached the desk. "Hi," I whispered politely. Daniel closed his book. His voice was calm. Cold. "You should ask for another seat." The words hit me like ice. I blinked. "I'm sorry?" "I prefer sitting alone." The classroom froze. Even Mr. Harrison looked surprised. I stood there, speechless... Not because he was rude. But because, for the second time that morning... Daniel Chitano had made it perfectly clear... He didn't want me anywhere near him.The classroom was so quiet I could hear the rain tapping against the windows. Daniel stared at me for a brief moment. Not with anger. Not with disgust. Just... Indifference. Without saying a single word, he stood up. He picked up his backpack with one hand and his books with the other. The legs of his chair scraped softly across the floor. Everyone watched him. Mr. Harrison frowned. "Daniel?" He didn't answer. Instead, he walked to the only empty desk at the back of the classroom. The room exploded with whispers. "Did he just move?" "I've never seen him do that before." "Poor Amelia..." Vanessa slowly smiled. She leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying every second. I stood beside the empty desk, suddenly wishing the floor would open beneath me. Mr. Harrison sighed. "Daniel." Still no response. He opened his notebook as though nothing had happened. The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know the seating arrangement isn't optional." Daniel finally looked up. "I'll catch up on the lesson either way." "You will return to your assigned seat." A long silence. Then Daniel quietly stood again. Without arguing, he walked back. He sat beside me. His eyes never met mine. "Thank you," Mr. Harrison said. The lesson finally began. Mr. Harrison wrote a difficult calculus equation across the whiteboard. "Who would like to solve this?" No hands. He smiled knowingly. "I thought so." Then he turned. "Daniel." Without hesitation, Daniel stood. He walked to the board. The classroom became silent again. His handwriting was neat. Confident. Within a minute, the equation was complete. Mr. Harrison smiled. "Correct." Daniel simply nodded and returned to his seat. No smile. No pride. Nothing. I couldn't help staring at him. How could someone be so brilliant... ...and so distant? He noticed. Without looking away from his notebook, he said quietly, "You'll miss the next question." My eyes widened. "I..." Heat rushed to my cheeks. I quickly looked at the board. Great. He'd caught me staring. Behind us, Ethan covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Lunch finally arrived. Students poured into the cafeteria. The smell of fries and pizza filled the room. "Come on," Sophie said, pulling me along. "Let's eat before everything good is gone." We joined the line. Across the cafeteria, I noticed Daniel sitting alone near the windows, reading while eating. Only one person walked over without hesitation. A tall boy with curly black hair dropped into the seat opposite him. Daniel looked up. His expression softened... Just a little. Not much. But enough for me to notice. "They're close," I whispered. Sophie nodded. "That's Caleb." "The only friend?" "The only one." Caleb laughed loudly at something. Daniel actually smiled. It wasn't a big smile. Barely noticeable. But it was there. I blinked. "So he can smile." "Apparently." Just then... Vanessa stood. She smoothed her cheer uniform and walked confidently toward Daniel's table. The entire cafeteria watched. Brittany whispered loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, "This time he'll say yes." Vanessa stopped beside Daniel. "Mind if I sit?" Daniel looked at the empty chair. "You don't need my permission." Vanessa smiled and sat anyway. Caleb slowly stood. "I suddenly remembered I promised Ethan I'd help him." "You didn't." "I know." He winked at Daniel before walking away. Vanessa leaned forward. "So..." Daniel waited. "There's a dance next month." "I'm aware." "I was wondering..." She smiled sweetly. "...if you'd go with me." The cafeteria became completely silent. Even the lunch ladies seemed to pause. Daniel closed his book. "I'm not going." "You don't even know when it is." "I'm still not going." "You haven't heard my whole question." "I didn't need to." Vanessa's smile disappeared. She stood abruptly. "You think you're better than everyone." Daniel calmly picked up his fork. "I never said that." "You didn't have to." She stormed away. As she passed my table, our eyes met. For just a second. There was something in her expression that made my stomach tighten. Jealousy. And somehow... I had the uncomfortable feeling... ...that I'd just become her next target.The classroom was so quiet I could hear the rain tapping against the windows. Daniel stared at me for a brief moment. Not with anger. Not with disgust. Just... Indifference. Without saying a single word, he stood up. He picked up his backpack with one hand and his books with the other. The legs of his chair scraped softly across the floor. Everyone watched him. Mr. Harrison frowned. "Daniel?" He didn't answer. Instead, he walked to the only empty desk at the back of the classroom. The room exploded with whispers. "Did he just move?" "I've never seen him do that before." "Poor Amelia..." Vanessa slowly smiled. She leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying every second. I stood beside the empty desk, suddenly wishing the floor would open beneath me. Mr. Harrison sighed. "Daniel." Still no response. He opened his notebook as though nothing had happened. The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know the seating arrangement isn't optional." Daniel finally looked up. "I'll catch up on the lesson either way." "You will return to your assigned seat." A long silence. Then Daniel quietly stood again. Without arguing, he walked back. He sat beside me. His eyes never met mine. "Thank you," Mr. Harrison said. The lesson finally began. Mr. Harrison wrote a difficult calculus equation across the whiteboard. "Who would like to solve this?" No hands. He smiled knowingly. "I thought so." Then he turned. "Daniel." Without hesitation, Daniel stood. He walked to the board. The classroom became silent again. His handwriting was neat. Confident. Within a minute, the equation was complete. Mr. Harrison smiled. "Correct." Daniel simply nodded and returned to his seat. No smile. No pride. Nothing. I couldn't help staring at him. How could someone be so brilliant... ...and so distant? He noticed. Without looking away from his notebook, he said quietly, "You'll miss the next question." My eyes widened. "I..." Heat rushed to my cheeks. I quickly looked at the board. Great. He'd caught me staring. Behind us, Ethan covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Lunch finally arrived. Students poured into the cafeteria. The smell of fries and pizza filled the room. "Come on," Sophie said, pulling me along. "Let's eat before everything good is gone." We joined the line. Across the cafeteria, I noticed Daniel sitting alone near the windows, reading while eating. Only one person walked over without hesitation. A tall boy with curly black hair dropped into the seat opposite him. Daniel looked up. His expression softened... Just a little. Not much. But enough for me to notice. "They're close," I whispered. Sophie nodded. "That's Caleb." "The only friend?" "The only one." Caleb laughed loudly at something. Daniel actually smiled. It wasn't a big smile. Barely noticeable. But it was there. I blinked. "So he can smile." "Apparently." Just then... Vanessa stood. She smoothed her cheer uniform and walked confidently toward Daniel's table. The entire cafeteria watched. Brittany whispered loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, "This time he'll say yes." Vanessa stopped beside Daniel. "Mind if I sit?" Daniel looked at the empty chair. "You don't need my permission." Vanessa smiled and sat anyway. Caleb slowly stood. "I suddenly remembered I promised Ethan I'd help him." "You didn't." "I know." He winked at Daniel before walking away. Vanessa leaned forward. "So..." Daniel waited. "There's a dance next month." "I'm aware." "I was wondering..." She smiled sweetly. "...if you'd go with me." The cafeteria became completely silent. Even the lunch ladies seemed to pause. Daniel closed his book. "I'm not going." "You don't even know when it is." "I'm still not going." "You haven't heard my whole question." "I didn't need to." Vanessa's smile disappeared. She stood abruptly. "You think you're better than everyone." Daniel calmly picked up his fork. "I never said that." "You didn't have to." She stormed away. As she passed my table, our eyes met. For just a second. There was something in her expression that made my stomach tighten. Jealousy. And somehow... I had the uncomfortable feeling... ...that I'd just become her next target.The classroom was so quiet I could hear the rain tapping against the windows. Daniel stared at me for a brief moment. Not with anger. Not with disgust. Just... Indifference. Without saying a single word, he stood up. He picked up his backpack with one hand and his books with the other. The legs of his chair scraped softly across the floor. Everyone watched him. Mr. Harrison frowned. "Daniel?" He didn't answer. Instead, he walked to the only empty desk at the back of the classroom. The room exploded with whispers. "Did he just move?" "I've never seen him do that before." "Poor Amelia..." Vanessa slowly smiled. She leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying every second. I stood beside the empty desk, suddenly wishing the floor would open beneath me. Mr. Harrison sighed. "Daniel." Still no response. He opened his notebook as though nothing had happened. The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know the seating arrangement isn't optional." Daniel finally looked up. "I'll catch up on the lesson either way." "You will return to your assigned seat." A long silence. Then Daniel quietly stood again. Without arguing, he walked back. He sat beside me. His eyes never met mine. "Thank you," Mr. Harrison said. The lesson finally began. Mr. Harrison wrote a difficult calculus equation across the whiteboard. "Who would like to solve this?" No hands. He smiled knowingly. "I thought so." Then he turned. "Daniel." Without hesitation, Daniel stood. He walked to the board. The classroom became silent again. His handwriting was neat. Confident. Within a minute, the equation was complete. Mr. Harrison smiled. "Correct." Daniel simply nodded and returned to his seat. No smile. No pride. Nothing. I couldn't help staring at him. How could someone be so brilliant... ...and so distant? He noticed. Without looking away from his notebook, he said quietly, "You'll miss the next question." My eyes widened. "I..." Heat rushed to my cheeks. I quickly looked at the board. Great. He'd caught me staring. Behind us, Ethan covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Lunch finally arrived. Students poured into the cafeteria. The smell of fries and pizza filled the room. "Come on," Sophie said, pulling me along. "Let's eat before everything good is gone." We joined the line. Across the cafeteria, I noticed Daniel sitting alone near the windows, reading while eating. Only one person walked over without hesitation. A tall boy with curly black hair dropped into the seat opposite him. Daniel looked up. His expression softened... Just a little. Not much. But enough for me to notice. "They're close," I whispered. Sophie nodded. "That's Caleb." "The only friend?" "The only one." Caleb laughed loudly at something. Daniel actually smiled. It wasn't a big smile. Barely noticeable. But it was there. I blinked. "So he can smile." "Apparently." Just then... Vanessa stood. She smoothed her cheer uniform and walked confidently toward Daniel's table. The entire cafeteria watched. Brittany whispered loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, "This time he'll say yes." Vanessa stopped beside Daniel. "Mind if I sit?" Daniel looked at the empty chair. "You don't need my permission." Vanessa smiled and sat anyway. Caleb slowly stood. "I suddenly remembered I promised Ethan I'd help him." "You didn't." "I know." He winked at Daniel before walking away. Vanessa leaned forward. "So..." Daniel waited. "There's a dance next month." "I'm aware." "I was wondering..." She smiled sweetly. "...if you'd go with me." The cafeteria became completely silent. Even the lunch ladies seemed to pause. Daniel closed his book. "I'm not going." "You don't even know when it is." "I'm still not going." "You haven't heard my whole question." "I didn't need to." Vanessa's smile disappeared. She stood abruptly. "You think you're better than everyone." Daniel calmly picked up his fork. "I never said that." "You didn't have to." She stormed away. As she passed my table, our eyes met. For just a second. There was something in her expression that made my stomach tighten. Jealousy. And somehow... I had the uncomfortable feeling... ...that I'd just become her next target.The classroom was so quiet I could hear the rain tapping against the windows. Daniel stared at me for a brief moment. Not with anger. Not with disgust. Just... Indifference. Without saying a single word, he stood up. He picked up his backpack with one hand and his books with the other. The legs of his chair scraped softly across the floor. Everyone watched him. Mr. Harrison frowned. "Daniel?" He didn't answer. Instead, he walked to the only empty desk at the back of the classroom. The room exploded with whispers. "Did he just move?" "I've never seen him do that before." "Poor Amelia..." Vanessa slowly smiled. She leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying every second. I stood beside the empty desk, suddenly wishing the floor would open beneath me. Mr. Harrison sighed. "Daniel." Still no response. He opened his notebook as though nothing had happened. The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know the seating arrangement isn't optional." Daniel finally looked up. "I'll catch up on the lesson either way." "You will return to your assigned seat." A long silence. Then Daniel quietly stood again. Without arguing, he walked back. He sat beside me. His eyes never met mine. "Thank you," Mr. Harrison said. The lesson finally began. Mr. Harrison wrote a difficult calculus equation across the whiteboard. "Who would like to solve this?" No hands. He smiled knowingly. "I thought so." Then he turned. "Daniel." Without hesitation, Daniel stood. He walked to the board. The classroom became silent again. His handwriting was neat. Confident. Within a minute, the equation was complete. Mr. Harrison smiled. "Correct." Daniel simply nodded and returned to his seat. No smile. No pride. Nothing. I couldn't help staring at him. How could someone be so brilliant... ...and so distant? He noticed. Without looking away from his notebook, he said quietly, "You'll miss the next question." My eyes widened. "I..." Heat rushed to my cheeks. I quickly looked at the board. Great. He'd caught me staring. Behind us, Ethan covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Lunch finally arrived. Students poured into the cafeteria. The smell of fries and pizza filled the room. "Come on," Sophie said, pulling me along. "Let's eat before everything good is gone." We joined the line. Across the cafeteria, I noticed Daniel sitting alone near the windows, reading while eating. Only one person walked over without hesitation. A tall boy with curly black hair dropped into the seat opposite him. Daniel looked up. His expression softened... Just a little. Not much. But enough for me to notice. "They're close," I whispered. Sophie nodded. "That's Caleb." "The only friend?" "The only one." Caleb laughed loudly at something. Daniel actually smiled. It wasn't a big smile. Barely noticeable. But it was there. I blinked. "So he can smile." "Apparently." Just then... Vanessa stood. She smoothed her cheer uniform and walked confidently toward Daniel's table. The entire cafeteria watched. Brittany whispered loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, "This time he'll say yes." Vanessa stopped beside Daniel. "Mind if I sit?" Daniel looked at the empty chair. "You don't need my permission." Vanessa smiled and sat anyway. Caleb slowly stood. "I suddenly remembered I promised Ethan I'd help him." "You didn't." "I know." He winked at Daniel before walking away. Vanessa leaned forward. "So..." Daniel waited. "There's a dance next month." "I'm aware." "I was wondering..." She smiled sweetly. "...if you'd go with me." The cafeteria became completely silent. Even the lunch ladies seemed to pause. Daniel closed his book. "I'm not going." "You don't even know when it is." "I'm still not going." "You haven't heard my whole question." "I didn't need to." Vanessa's smile disappeared. She stood abruptly. "You think you're better than everyone." Daniel calmly picked up his fork. "I never said that." "You didn't have to." She stormed away. As she passed my table, our eyes met. For just a second. There was something in her expression that made my stomach tighten. Jealousy. And somehow... I had the uncomfortable feeling... ...that I'd just become her next target.