UNDERNEATH THE MASK

THE TROUBLE WITH KEVIN Kevin Carmichael was everything Jessica Anderson had heard about when she transferred to Ridgeview High. He was tall, with messy dark hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to have the power to freeze anyone in their tracks. He was the embodiment of the bad boy stereotype: rebellious, charming in a way that made hearts race, and trouble followed him like a shadow. Jessica had heard the rumors before she even met him: Kevin was the guy who skipped classes, got into fights, and never did anything by the rules. He wasn’t the kind of guy that good girls like her usually paid attention to. But there was something about him, something that intrigued her. It was her second week at Ridgeview, and she was still trying to find her place. The school was bigger than she was used to, and she was still learning to navigate the cliques, the cafeteria seating arrangements, and the unwritten social codes. Her best friend from her old school had warned her about Kevin. Stay away from him, she’d said, he’ll just break your heart. But there he was, sitting in the back of Mr. Cole’s history class, looking like he owned the room. Kevin didn’t seem to care about the lesson. He was too busy flipping a pencil between his fingers, looking out the window with a bored expression, his feet resting on the desk in front of him. And when he finally glanced over at Jessica, their eyes met. She quickly looked away, heart suddenly pounding. She wasn’t used to being noticed by someone like him, and for some reason, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was studying her in a way that left her feeling exposed. It was impossible to ignore the pull of his gaze.