The Boy I Crashed Into

Chapter Two – The Photo She Stole

Luca's POV

The teacher’s voice barely registered. I was still thinking about the shattered lens and the girl who had just stolen my last decent shot.

Sophia stuck her hand out like we hadn’t already met on the stairs twenty minutes earlier. “I’m Sophia. Sorry again about your camera earlier.”

I shook it once. Her palm was still damp from the rain. “Luca. Yeah… I remember.”

Riya—her friend with the quick grin—looked way too entertained. “This is going to be an interesting group project.”

We dragged our desks together. I sat across from Sophia, the empty camera still hanging around my neck like a reminder. She kept glancing at me, then at her notebook, like she was deciding whether to bring it up again.

The assignment was straightforward: select a local issue, research it for two weeks, and present the findings. Most groups were already whispering about traffic or cafeteria food. Ours wasn’t going to be that easy.

Riya leaned in first. “So… environmental pollution? We could do the factory behind the school. Sophia’s already been working on it for the magazine.”

Sophia shot her a look, then met my eyes. “Only if you’re okay with it. I know I took that photo without asking.”

I shrugged, keeping my face neutral. “You already have it. But honestly? It’s probably not worth it.”

Sophia blinked. “What do you mean?”

I tapped my pen on the desk. “That place has been there forever. People complain, nothing happens. My uncle says the owners have strong connections. You poke too hard and it just brings trouble—for the school, for your families, everything.”

She sat up a little straighter. “The smoke’s yellow. Not normal white or grey. My dad works on environmental issues back home—he said it’s probably due to untreated chemicals. Kids in the nearby houses are getting sick. Riya’s brother, too.”

I felt my jaw tighten. I’d heard the same excuses at dinner tables my whole life. “Look, I’ve seen the trucks at night too. But chasing this could get messy. Security’s tight, and half the town works there one way or another. Do you really want to risk that for a school project?”

Riya looked between us. “But it’s important. We need evidence. Real proof.”

I leaned back, trying to sound casual. “Proof of what? Factories everywhere put out smoke. It is better to pick something safer—like traffic or the cafeteria. Less drama, better grade.”

I tapped my pen on the desk. The lens repair was going to cost most of my savings. Part of me wanted to stay far away from whatever trouble she was chasing. But the other part—the part that had taken that photo in the first place—couldn’t let it go.

Sophia’s cheeks went pink. “I really will pay for the lens. Or help you get one. Whatever’s cheaper.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I muttered. The last thing I needed was her digging deeper while trying to make it up to me. “I just think you’re rushing into something bigger than a magazine story.”

She smiled a little anyway, the first real one I’d seen. “We’ll do it smart. No running straight at security or anything stupid. Deal?”

I hesitated, then nodded once. Inside, my stomach twisted—a sharp, familiar pull, the same one I got when Dad talked about quarterly numbers at dinner. I couldn’t let them get anywhere near the truth. “Fine. But I’m telling you now—it’s a dead end.”

Riya looked between us. “Okay, so we’re doing this? Factory pollution, health effects, photos, interviews—full thing?”

Sophia nodded fast. “ Like I said before, We need evidence. Real proof and not just complaints that can easily get ignored.”

I watched her for a second. She was intense. Not in a loud way, but the kind that didn’t back down. I’d seen enough people look away from the chimney smoke to know that was rare.

“Fine,” I said. “But we do it smart. No running straight at security or anything stupid.”

She smiled a little, the first real one I’d seen from her. “Deal. And I really am sorry about your camera.”

The bell rang for the next period. We pushed the desks back. As she stood up, Sophia paused.

“After school? Rehearsal ends at five. We could meet at the library and plan properly.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder. The broken camera knocked against my chest. “Yeah. Library. Five-thirty.”

She gave a small wave and headed off with Riya, already talking fast about props and deadlines. I stayed behind for a moment, staring at the empty spot where her desk had been.

This girl had broken my camera, stolen my photo, and now wanted to expose my family’s factory. All in less than an hour.

I was already thinking about how to steer them away before they got too close.

"Yo, Luca."

Marcus dropped into Sophia's empty seat, spinning it backward, his gym bag thumping against the desk leg. "Coach moved practice to four-thirty. Are you coming?"

"Can't." I slung my bag over my shoulder, the camera knocking harder this time. "Got this stupid group project."

"The pollution thing?" He laughed, shaking his head. "Rather you than me, man. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

He clapped my shoulder and was gone, sneakers squeaking down the hall toward the gym. I sat there alone, the lie still warm on my tongue. Project. Like that was the only reason I wouldn't be there.