CHAPTER ONE
257 Words
The first time I saw him, he was laughing.
Not the kind of laugh people fake to be politeâbut the real one. The kind that makes your chest feel warm even when youâre standing far away, watching from the corner like you donât belong.
His name was Ethan Cole.
And I was justâĶ invisible.
It started on a cold morning at Westbridge High. Students filled the hallway, voices echoing, lockers slamming, shoes squeaking against polished floors. I stood there, clutching my books tightly to my chest, trying not to be in anyoneâs way.
Thatâs when I saw him.
Surrounded by friends. Smiling. Alive. Like the world had chosen him as its favorite.
And somehow, without permission, my heart chose him too.
âMove.â
The voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I stepped aside quickly, lowering my gaze. People passed me like I wasnât even there.
That was my life.
Unnoticed. Unimportant.
Except when it came to him.
Ethan didnât know my name.
He didnât know I existed.
But I knew everything about him.
The way he ran his hand through his hair when he was stressed.
The way he laughed louder when he was with his best friend.
The way girls looked at him like he was something out of a dream.
And me?
I was just the girl who watched.
The girl who felt too much.
The girl who loved himâĶ silently.
One-sided love is a dangerous thing.
Because it doesnât need permission to grow.
And mine?
Mine was already destroying me.
- Writer
