WHEN THË BÜLLY LOVED THË STÃR

The first bell of Monday morning had barely finished ringing when the entire campus of Westbridge High Academy was already buzzing with excitement. Students crowded the hallways instead of heading to class. Phones were out. Whispers spread faster than wildfire. "Did you hear?" "She's really coming." "I saw the principal's post this morning!" "No way a celebrity would attend a normal school." Every conversation carried the same topic. A celebrity. Not just any celebrity. The Ariana Hart, seventeen-year-old actress, singer, and social media sensation, whose smile had appeared on billboards, magazine covers, and television screens across the country, was transferring to Westbridge High. Some students had been fans for years. Others simply wanted a selfie. Teachers sighed, already expecting chaos. Inside the principal's office, Ariana adjusted the strap of her backpack and stared out the window. This wasn't the glamorous life people imagined. The cameras. The interviews. The flashing lights. She was tired of all of it. For the first time in years, she wanted to experience something normal. A real classroom. Real classmates. Real friends. Not people who only smiled because they wanted something from her. The principal smiled warmly. "Ready?" Ariana took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be." ... Meanwhile... On the opposite side of campus... A loud crash echoed through the parking lot. A basketball rolled across the pavement. A freshman quickly ran after it. "S-Sorry!" The ball had stopped at the feet of the one person everyone feared. Damien Cross. Six feet two. Captain of the basketball team. Top athlete. Top student—though nobody knew how. And without question... The biggest bully in Westbridge High. He didn't need to shout. He didn't need to throw punches every day. One cold stare from him was enough to make most students look away. He picked up the basketball with one hand. The freshman hesitated. Damien looked at him for a few seconds before spinning the ball on one finger. "You should learn to control it." He tossed it back. The freshman caught it awkwardly. "T-Thanks..." Damien had already walked away. His best friend, Mason, laughed. "You scared the poor kid to death." "I didn't even say anything." "Exactly." The two continued toward the school building while students stepped aside to let them pass. Nobody wanted trouble. Especially not with Damien Cross. ... Back in the main building... Every classroom door opened as the principal escorted Ariana through the hallway. Hundreds of eyes followed her. Some students waved excitedly. Others whispered behind their hands. Ariana forced a smile. She hated being stared at. "This is exactly what I wanted to escape," she thought. The principal finally stopped outside Class 3-A. He opened the door. The classroom instantly became silent. "Good morning, everyone." "Good morning, sir." "I'd like you all to welcome our newest student." Ariana stepped inside. Gasps filled the room. "Oh my God..." "It really is her." "No way..." One girl nearly screamed. Another immediately opened her phone under the desk. Ariana gave a small wave. "Hi... I'm Ariana Hart. It's nice to meet all of you." The class burst into applause. Everyone... Except one student. Near the window sat Damien Cross. He didn't clap. He didn't even look interested. Instead... He looked out the window as if nothing important had happened. Ariana noticed. "So that's the famous bully everyone warned me about." The teacher smiled. "Ariana, you can sit beside Damien." The classroom froze. Someone whispered... "She's doomed." Another quietly muttered... "Poor girl." Ariana walked toward the empty seat. As she pulled out the chair... Damien finally spoke without looking at her. "That's my space." She blinked. "I'm sitting in the seat the teacher assigned me." "My bag stays there." She looked down. Sure enough... His backpack occupied half the chair. She smiled politely. "Could you move it?" "No." Several students exchanged nervous glances. No one had ever argued with Damien over something so small. Ariana folded her arms. "I'm asking nicely." "And I'm saying no." For a moment, the classroom was so quiet that the ticking wall clock could be heard. Then... Without another word... Ariana picked up his backpack herself and placed it neatly on the floor beside his desk. The entire class gasped. Mason's eyes widened. "She actually touched his bag..." Damien slowly turned to face her for the first time. His icy blue eyes met hers. No fear. No apology. No intimidation. She simply smiled. "Problem solved." For the fir st time in years... Someone had challenged Damien Cross. And for the first time... He wasn't sure whether to laugh... Or declare war. Damien didn't say another word. He simply stared at Ariana as the classroom held its breath. No one moved. No one even dared to whisper. For the first time since he became the most feared student at Westbridge High, someone had ignored his warning—and lived to tell the tale. Ariana calmly opened her notebook as though nothing unusual had happened. The teacher cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well... now that everyone's settled, let's begin today's lesson." A few nervous chuckles rippled through the room, but Damien remained silent. He picked up his backpack from the floor and dropped it onto the hook beside his desk with a loud thud. "You're lucky it's your first day," he muttered. Without looking up from her notebook, Ariana replied, "Or maybe you're lucky I don't scare easily." A few students exchanged stunned looks. Someone in the back almost laughed before covering his mouth. Damien's jaw tightened. "No one talks to me like that." Ariana finally turned to face him. "Maybe that's the problem." The bell hadn't even rung for lunch, and everyone already knew one thing: The new girl wasn't afraid of Damien Cross. And Damien Cross wasn't going to let that slide. The classroom settled into an uneasy silence. Even the teacher seemed distracted, glancing every few minutes toward the two students seated by the window. Ariana copied notes from the board, trying her best to ignore the intense stare she could feel coming from the seat beside her. "He's seriously still staring?" she thought. Without turning her head, she whispered, "If you're trying to burn a hole through my face, it's not working." Damien let out a quiet scoff. "I've never met someone this annoying." She smiled to herself. "Nice to meet you too." The boy sitting in front of them nearly choked trying not to laugh. Damien noticed. "You got something to say, Ethan?" Ethan's smile disappeared instantly. "N-No." "I didn't think so." Ariana frowned. "You know, threatening people isn't exactly a personality." Damien leaned back in his chair. "And pretending to be nice isn't one either." She looked him in the eyes. "I'm not pretending." For just a second, something in Damien's expression shifted. Before either of them could speak again, the bell rang. Lunch. The classroom buzzed the moment the bell rang. It was as if someone had pressed a button. "Ariana!" "Can I get a selfie?" "I've watched every one of your movies!" "My sister is your biggest fan!" Within seconds, students surrounded her desk, each holding up a phone. Some wanted photos. Others wanted autographs. A few simply wanted to say they'd met the famous Ariana Hart. Ariana smiled politely, trying not to disappoint anyone. "Of course," she said. "One at a time." Flash. Flash. Flash. The classroom filled with camera shutters and excited laughter. Even students from neighboring classes peeked through the door. "Is she really here?" "No way..." "I have to get a picture before lunch!" The noise became so loud that their teacher had to clap twice. "Everyone! Back to your seats! Miss Hart is a student here now, not a guest." The crowd reluctantly dispersed, though many promised they'd catch her later. Ariana let out a quiet sigh of relief. Across the room, Damien watched the entire scene with obvious annoyance. "So this is what everyone's losing their minds over?" Mason nudged him with his elbow. "Don't tell me you're not impressed." "Should I be?" "Dude... she's famous." Damien zipped up his backpack. "I don't care if she's the Queen of England. She's still just another student." Mason chuckled. "You know, I think she's the first person who's ever ignored your reputation." Damien stood. "She didn't ignore it." He glanced toward Ariana, who was laughing politely with another student. "She challenged it." Before Mason could reply, a pair of expensive heels clicked against the classroom floor. The room immediately grew quieter. Vanessa Cole had arrived. Her long blonde hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, and the confidence in her walk made it obvious she was used to everyone's attention. Until today. She paused when she saw the crowd around Ariana. For the first time since enrolling at Westbridge High, she wasn't the center of attention. The smile on her face barely moved, but her eyes hardened. "So..." she murmured to herself. "She's the celebrity." Vanessa walked over with practiced elegance. The students stepped aside automatically. She stopped in front of Ariana and extended a hand. "Hi. I'm Vanessa Cole." Ariana smiled warmly and shook it. "It's nice to meet you." Vanessa smiled back. "Welcome to Westbridge." Her voice was sweet. Her eyes were not. From the corner of the room, Damien watched the interaction without expression. He knew that smile. And if Ariana was smart... She'd learn very quickly that not everyone who smiled at you was your friend.