CHAPTER ONE
1270 Words
MAPLE GROVE HIGH SCHOOL
Maple Grove High School buzzed with its usual morning noise as Talia pushed through the crowd of students to catch up with April,who was leaning against the hallways wall with a stern look on her face and arms akimbo.
“Really Talia?” April asked.
“I'm so sorry.”Talia begged.
“You stood me up yesterday,” April fired back. “We planned the library together. I waited for almost an hour.”
“I know. I’m really sorry,” Talia said, catching her breath. “I had to go to my cousin’s matriculation party at Andhra University. My mom dragged me last minute. No warning, nothing.”
April blinked. “You couldn’t send one text?”
Talia bit her lip. “My battery died on the way. And by the time we reached, I couldn’t borrow anyone’s phone. You know how my aunt is—once you’re inside her house, it’s passport control.”
April tried to keep the anger, but the explanation softened her. “Next time, try smoke signals or something.”
Nina laughed, relieved. “Deal. I’ll carry a megaphone.”
Just like that, the tension melted, and they walked into class together.
Inside, their teacher, Mrs. Smith, stood beside two unfamiliar boys.
“Class, please welcome our new students—Jamiel and Zander Eastwood
Jamiel stepped forward with relaxed confidence; Zander stood beside him, sharper,fun filled and smiling from ear to ear.
Everyone greeted them politely.
But April… she froze.
Jamiel
Her stomach dropped.
The same guy she exchanged heated words with yesterday.
The same guy who told her they would “meet sooner than she expected.”
Jamie’s lips curved in the faintest, most irritating smirk.
His eyes locked onto hers like he’d been waiting for this exact moment.
**A look that said, I warned you.
A look that said, You didn’t believe me.
A look that said, Now watch what happens next. **
April swallowed hard.
Nina nudged her. “Why are you acting weird?”
April whispered, “That’s him.”
And from the front of the class, Jamie’s smug gaze didn’t break.
RECESS[ CAFETERIA]
April’s tray wobbled in her hands as she navigated the crowded cafeteria. She didn’t mean to bump into anyone, but the universe apparently had other plans.
“Whoa—sorry!” she said, looking up.
Jamiel.
Her stomach gave an involuntary flip. He was standing there, calm, holding his tray like he had all the time in the world. For a moment, she couldn’t even think of a proper response.
“You almost made me drop my lunch,” he said with that easy smirk that made her want to roll her eyes and smile at the same time.
“I’d survive,” she said finally, trying to sound casual. “It’s just lunch.”
He tilted his head, as if weighing her words. “Maybe. But I like things intact. Trays… conversations… first impressions.”
April blinked. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” he said softly, like he wasn’t entirely joking. “But you like it.”
Heat crept up her neck, and she found herself forcing a laugh. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Something about him made the world narrow down to the two of them, the cafeteria fading to white noise around them.
Meanwhile, outside at the basketball court, Zander was already laughing, tossing the ball up and catching it effortlessly. He noticed Talia leaning against the bleachers, scrolling her phone and biting her lip like she was waiting for someone—maybe a little disappointed, maybe a little hopeful.
“Waiting for someone?” Zander asked casually.
Talia looked up, startled. “I… maybe. Not that it’s your business.”
“Relax,” he said, spinning the ball on his finger. “I just like people-watching. And you? You’re fun to watch.”
Talia frowned but couldn’t help a small smile. “I’m… not.”
“Uh-huh,” he teased, tossing the ball toward the hoop. “Sure. But I saw the way you keep glancing at him.”
Her cheeks burned. “I—It’s not like that!”
“Right,” he said, grinning. “Of course. But hey, help me make a few baskets, and I’ll keep your little secret safe. For now.”
She sighed but shook her head with a reluctant laugh. “Fine. But don’t think I’m giving you a free pass to tease me forever.”
“Who said anything about forever?” he said, already bouncing the ball, eyes twinkling.
Inside the cafeteria, April finally took a deep breath and sat down. Her sandwich tasted like nothing; her mind was still tangled in Jamiel’s eyes, the slight curve of his smirk, the way he’d said what he said without really saying it.
She realized she didn’t even know if she liked him… or if she was terrified of liking him. Or maybe both.
For the first time that day, she felt… seen. And it was complicated, confusing, and utterly undeniable.
After recess,they had 4 more classes and school closed for that day.
The streets were quiet as April and Talia walked side by side, their school bags heavy on their shoulders. The late afternoon sunlight stretched long shadows across the pavement.
Talia let out a sigh. “I can’t believe I ditched you yesterday. I feel… bad.”
April shrugged, trying to sound casual. “It’s fine. I got over it.”
Talia stole a glance at her, eyes soft. “Promise you’re not still mad?”
April smiled faintly. “Not really. Just… don’t make a habit of it.”
They laughed quietly, letting the tension ease as they continued walking home together.
---
Meanwhile, Jamiel and Zander navigated their own streets, side by side but in a different rhythm. Jamiel ’s steps were heavier, his hands stuffed in his pockets, while Zander bounced lightly on his heels, carrying a basketball under one arm.
When they reached the grand old house, the difference between the two brothers’ receptions was immediate. Both parents greeted Zander warmly, fussing over him as if he were the sun itself.
Jamiel, however… faced a wall of disdain.
His father, Niklaus, barely looked at him. “You’re a cursed hybrid. Weak. Nothing like Zander,” he spat. “You don’t deserve the house, the meals, or anything else.”
His mother stood silently beside him, her eyes cold. When Jamiel asked for dinner, she simply shook her head and left the table. No food. No warmth.
Jamiel swallowed hard, forcing himself not to flinch. This wasn’t new—it was every day. But it stung like salt on an open wound.
He walked to his separate apartment on the property, the small space stark and empty. A bare mattress, a kitchen corner he barely used, and the suffocating silence.
Zander had walked in and immediately laughed, flipping the ball in his hands. “Come on, you’ve got to eat something. You’re gonna waste away if you sit around looking like that.”
Jamiel gave him a dry look. “You don’t get it. They’ll never—”
“They’ll never care?” Zevi finished for him, shrugging. “Yeah, well, then you care about you. Not them.”
Jemiel sank onto the edge of the bed, and brought out a pack of oreo cookies and a milk bottle,staring at the floor, as he fidgeted while opening them.Zevi’s words didn't fix anything, but at least someone was in his corner.
And for the first time that evening, Jamiel didn’t feel completely invisible.
- Writer
