Sam spun around — and his eyes went wide.
Standing a step away was a girl. Not just any girl — she was striking. Maybe five-foot-six, two inches shorter than him, with eyes sharp enough to slice through attention. Her skin seemed to catch the light just right, and her expression held the kind of effortless confidence that could make anyone pause.
For a second, Sam forgot to breathe. The world tilted just slightly — enough for him to realize he was staring far too long.
He blinked quickly, his tongue suddenly dry.
"Are you—are you okay? Do you need any… boyfr— I mean, help?" he stammered, swallowing hard. Smooth, Sam. Real smooth.
The girl pressed a hand to her head and gave him a cold, blank stare. "No. I don't need anything."
Sam froze. He wasn't used to being dismissed that fast — or that flatly. The girl didn't even glance back as she moved past him, muttering, "Move out of the way, you rascal."
That snapped him out of his daze instantly.
Sam wasn't a simp — never had been. Sure, she was ridiculously pretty, but rudeness? That flipped a switch in him. The charm faded, replaced with irritation.
"Excuse me, miss," he said, stepping forward, his tone edged. "I think you were the one who bumped into me."
She didn't even slow down. "Then who told you to stand in front of me?" she shot back sharply.
Sam's brow twitched. He smirked, voice dipping into mock sarcasm. "Are you blank inside your skull or something?"
Her head turned, eyes narrowing. "Shut your mouth."
Sam tilted his head, grin widening. "At first, I thought I got bumped by a beauty with brains. Turns out—" he shrugged, "beauty with temper."
Her jaw tightened. "You're trying to insult me. Do you even know who I am?"
Sam shrugged casually. "A pretty girl with a pretty temper."
She blinked, disbelief flashing across her face. "Decide already — are you trying to praise me or insult me?"
"Depends on my mood." Sam's grin didn't waver. He was clearly enjoying the argument.
The girl exhaled through her nose, patience thinning. "Okay. Fine. Stop it now. Move aside."
"Nope," Sam said simply, folding his arms. "Why should I?"
Her voice dropped cold. "I will beat you to a pulp. Seriously."
For a second, Sam just looked at her — weighing the threat. Then, with exaggerated politeness, he bowed slightly. "Alright, alright. I got carried away. My bad, pretty girl."
"Good choice," she muttered as she walked past him. "Or you'd have regretted it."
Sam chuckled under his breath. He watched her walk into the classroom with the kind of energy that screamed don't mess with me. Still, he couldn't help the amused smirk tugging at his lips. Beauty with attitude, he thought. Now that's trouble wrapped in perfection.
He shook his head and followed her inside, half wondering if that strange little encounter was the start of something annoying… or interesting.
---
Just as the girl turned to glance behind — still muttering to herself about Sam's nerve — she bumped into someone again.
Only this time, it wasn't just another student.
She had walked straight into a tall, muscular guy who'd been laughing with his group of friends near the doorway. The impact made her stumble slightly backward.
Sam, standing a few feet away, instantly bit his lip, trying not to laugh. "Oh, this is gonna be good," he thought, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
The guy turned around, and when he saw who had bumped into him, a smirk instantly formed on his face. He looked her up and down, confidence oozing. "Hey there, cutie," he said, voice smooth with arrogance. "Did you get hurt anywhere?"
The girl's shoulders tensed. Already irritated from her last conversation with Sam, she looked like a time bomb ready to explode. "No," she said flatly. "But can you tell me one simple thing?"
The guy leaned in slightly, grinning wider. "Sure, anything for you. But maybe tell me your name first, cutie."
Her face twitched. "I'm not interested in telling you my name. So can you please move out of the way?"
He chuckled, brushing his hair back. "Come on, relax. It's just the first day. Why rush? Let's start by getting to know each other."
That was it. Her patience snapped.
Without warning, she stepped forward and threw a perfect, clean punch straight to his nose.
Crack!
The sound echoed through the classroom. The guy staggered back, clutching his bleeding nose, eyes wide in shock.
Sam froze for a heartbeat, then nearly burst out laughing. Forget beauty with temper… she's beauty with punches!
The guy's smirk vanished, replaced by pure rage. "You're dead, b***h!" he roared, swinging his fist wildly toward her.
The girl didn't even flinch. Her movements were quick — calm, precise, trained. She sidestepped the blow easily and countered with a fast hook straight to his jaw. The hit connected cleanly — and the guy dropped like a stone.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the room. A few students even stepped back. No one had expected a fight — let alone this.
Sam blinked, watching in awe. Her punches are heavy… and that dodge? That's boxing for sure.
He rubbed his temple with a small laugh. Seriously, what's going on with this school? I met a national boxer this morning, and now this girl? Am I in a fighter academy or something?
The guy groaned, pushing himself off the ground, his nose still bleeding. His face twisted into fury. "You're dead," he spat, waving his friends forward.
Four of them — broad-shouldered, clearly gym regulars — stepped up, cracking their knuckles like a bad movie scene.
The girl stepped back, her stance instinctively lowering. Her expression was cold now — focused, calculating.
One of the guys grinned sleazily. "Hey cutie," he said, "I can get you out of this mess. You just gotta agree to be my girlfriend."
The girl didn't even blink. Her eyes flicked to the side, scanning for options — until she spotted Sam leaning against a nearby desk, watching with folded arms and a half-smirk.
Her lips curved into the faintest mischievous smile.
Sam's internal warning bell went off. Wait. What's she—
Before he could finish the thought, she strode toward him confidently.
In one smooth motion, she grabbed his arm and pulled herself close — close enough that Sam could feel the warmth of her shoulder brushing against him.
"Sorry to say," she said sweetly, looking straight at the group of boys, "I can't accept your proposal. I already have a boyfriend."
The classroom went silent.
Every head turned toward them — even the fallen guy on the floor froze, eyes wide.
Sam blinked once. Twice. His brain completely short-circuited.
Wait… what? Boyfriend? Who—me?
He looked down at her hand gripping his arm. She wasn't even pretending to be shy — she was calm, confident, and a little too good at this.
The boys glared. The one with the bleeding nose muttered, "Tch. Lucky bastard."
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His thoughts were all over the place — Did I just get a girlfriend? Out of nowhere?
He sighed internally. Man, I didn't even sign up for this drama.
The girl leaned up slightly, whispering just loud enough for him to hear. "You don't mind playing along, do you… boyfriend?"
Her tone had a teasing edge. She didn't even look at him as she said it — her eyes were fixed on the guys, daring them to make another move.
Sam's mouth twitched into an amused smile. He didn't answer, but his eyes said everything: Oh, you're enjoying this, aren't you?
The boys grumbled under their breath and backed off, clearly not wanting another round. The one with the broken nose spat on the floor and stormed away, muttering something about "crazy chicks."
As the crowd slowly dispersed, the girl released Sam's arm. "Thanks," she said casually, adjusting her sleeve.
Sam blinked, still processing everything. "Thanks? For what? You just used me as a human shield."
She gave a small shrug, a hint of amusement tugging at her lips. "Worked, didn't it?"
Sam sighed, half laughing. "You're something else, you know that?"
The girl smiled faintly, her tone teasing. "You'll get used to it… boyfriend."
She turned and walked away before he could reply, her ponytail swinging lightly behind her.
Sam stood there for a second, half amused, half dazed.
Then he chuckled under his breath.
"Wow… I actually got a girlfriend… out of nowhere."
---