Chapter 1 – The New Guy
The day had started like any other. The sun poured lazily through the tall windows of Brookstone High, scattering golden light across polished desks and the familiar chatter of students swapping homework answers or whispering about the latest gossip. Zara sat in her usual spot near the window, already flipping through her neatly organized notes. She liked routine. Routine was safe, predictable — something she could control.
Zara was known as the kind of student teachers relied on and classmates envied. She wasn't the loudest, nor the most outgoing, but there was an air of quiet confidence about her. Her grades spoke for themselves, and so did the way she carried herself poised, focused, with just enough aloofness to make people curious. If there was one thing she valued, it was keeping distractions at arm's length.
But that morning, as the door creaked open and their homeroom teacher stepped in, Zara's carefully balanced world tilted.
"Class," Ms. Patterson announced, her voice carrying the calm authority that immediately hushed the room, "we have a new student joining us today. I expect you all to make him feel welcome." And then he walked in.
Adrian.
His presence was magnetic from the moment he stepped into the room. Tall, with dark hair that looked like it never needed to try to fall perfectly into place, and eyes that held something… unexplainable. The kind of eyes that could draw you in before you realized it. He wasn't the nervous kind of new student that stumbled or avoided eye contact. No, Adrian walked in like he belonged there already, his expression easy, confident almost careless.
The class erupted in whispers. Zara caught snippets.
"Wow, he's cute."
"Bet he's going to be trouble."
"He looks like he walked out of a movie."
Zara rolled her eyes but couldn't help stealing another glance.
Adrian gave a small smile as he faced the room. "Hi. I'm Adrian Carter," he said simply, his voice steady and warm. That was it no long speech, no awkward stuttering. Just calm self-assurance, like he wasn't trying to impress anyone, and somehow that made it even worse.
Ms. Patterson scanned the room. "You can take the empty seat beside Zara. Zara, please help him catch up on what he's missed."
Zara's pen froze mid-sentence. Of course. Out of every seat in the classroom, he had to sit beside her.
Adrian walked toward the desk, and Zara was acutely aware of every step he took, as though the room itself leaned into his presence. He slid into the seat beside her, his bag dropping soundlessly onto the floor.
"Hey," he said softly, tilting his head just enough to look at her.
Zara cleared her throat. "Hi."
That was it. One word, clipped and cautious. She turned back to her notes, determined not to give him the satisfaction of more.
But Adrian didn't seem fazed. He leaned back in his chair, pulling out a notebook with casual ease, as if he'd been sitting there for months.
Minutes passed, the teacher droned on, and Zara told herself she wasn't paying attention to him. Except she was. Every movement the way he tapped his pen, the way he jotted something down in his slanted handwriting, the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips when the class clown made a lame joke. She noticed it all, no matter how much she tried not to.
Finally, Adrian leaned slightly closer. "So, Zara, right?"
She glanced at him briefly. "Yes."
"You're the one I'm supposed to bother if I get lost in class?"Her lips twitched, though she quickly suppressed it. "Something like that."
"Lucky me," he murmured, as though to himself, but she heard it.
Zara's stomach flipped, and she quickly buried her face in her notes again. This boy was going to be trouble she could feel it already. He was too composed, too comfortable, too… much. And yet, against her better judgment, she couldn't shake the strange curiosity simmering inside her.
The class dragged on, and as the bell finally rang, everyone surged toward the door. Zara lingered, as usual, packing her bag methodically. Adrian, to her mild annoyance, didn't rush either.
"So, Zara," he said again, standing now, his voice casual but his eyes holding hers with unnerving steadiness. "Any advice for the new guy?"
"Stay out of trouble," she said flatly.He smirked, slipping his bag over his shoulder. "No promises."
And with that, he walked out, leaving Zara staring after him with a mix of irritation and intrigue. She hated to admit it, but something told her Adrian Carter was going to turn her carefully ordered world upside down.