THE TEACHER’S DAUGHTER

“New name. New school. New life.” That’s what I told myself as I walked through the gates of Crestwood High, trying to believe the lie. But from the moment I stepped inside, I knew this place wasn’t going to let me hide. Students turned. Some whispered. Others stared. They already knew who I was. “That’s Mr. Knight’s daughter.” “Isn’t she the one from that scandal?” “I bet she thinks she’s better than us.” I kept walking. Straight posture, steady breath, eyes locked ahead. Pretend it doesn’t bother you. Pretend you’re not drowning. Pretend this isn’t happening all over again. But I felt it. The burn. The weight of everyone’s gaze. And then I saw him. He was leaning against a locker like he didn’t care about a single thing in the world. Black leather jacket. Dark hair. Sharp jaw. Bruised knuckles. His eyes locked on mine and didn’t look away. He didn’t speak. Didn’t smile. Just watched me like he was trying to figure out what I was hiding. I looked away first. Whatever his story was, I didn’t want to know it. I made it to Chemistry and sat down. The teacher ran down the list of lab partners, and when he reached my name, he paused. “Eden Knight, you’re with Rowan King.” I froze. I’d heard that name before. Rowan King. The troublemaker. The bad boy. The one they said had been arrested twice. He dropped into the seat beside me, legs stretched out, arms crossed behind his head like this was his throne and the classroom was just decoration. I kept my voice low. “Don’t screw this up for me.” He didn’t even look at me. “Relax. I’m not the one who transferred in with a mess behind her.” I turned to him. “What did you just say?” He smiled slowly, lazily. “Nothing, princess.” I wanted to slap him. I also wanted to ask how he knew anything about me. I said nothing. Let the silence burn between us. I just needed to survive the class. The semester. The year. That was all. But survival was harder than it looked. At lunch, I carried my tray through the crowded cafeteria and looked for a seat. Before I could choose, someone bumped into me hard. A cup of soda spilled down my shirt, cold and sticky. Laughter broke out around me. “Oh no,” the girl smirked. “Did I ruin the teacher’s favorite blouse?” My cheeks burned. My fingers tightened around the tray. Before I could react, a hand grabbed my waist and pulled me back. And then he kissed me. His lips were on mine before I had time to breathe. Firm. Warm. Possessive. Gasps echoed around the cafeteria. I was too stunned to move. When he pulled away, the world had gone quiet. His voice was calm. Dangerous. “Touch her again, and you’ll regret it.” He didn’t look at me. Just took my hand and led me out the doors like we did this every day. I yanked away once we were outside. “What the hell was that?!” Rowan shrugged. “You were about to cry. I handled it.” “You don’t even know me!” “Didn’t need to.” I took a step back. “Now everyone thinks we’re together!” He didn’t flinch. “Then let’s make it official.” I stared at him. “What?” “Fake date me. Keep the drama away from both of us. You get protection. I get space. Win-win.” “You’re insane.” He stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re scared someone’s going to find out what you’re hiding. I can help keep it quiet.” I froze. He smirked. “You really thought transferring here would erase what happened last summer?” I didn’t answer. “You don’t have to say yes now,” he said. “But you will.” He walked off like he already owned me. And the worst part? Somewhere deep inside… a part of me wasn’t just scared. It was intrigued. To be continued…