After bidding farewell to Jack, Sam trudged toward his apartment. Even though an elevator waited on the 10th floor, he chose the stairs ? Yes , always the stairs. Leading a life fueled by technology and subtle trading , stock market , he still didn't trust machines. Everything crashed eventually; he'd learned that the hard way.
A pregnant woman from the neighboring unit smiled warmly as he passed the 5th-floor landing, her hand resting on her belly. Sam didn't return it. That was Sam trusting no one, not even the vulnerable. The stairwell echoed with his steady footsteps, the faint hum of fluorescent lights buzzing overhead like a distant warning.
He unlocked his apartment door, stepping into pitch darkness. But a rare smile cracked his stoic face as a white cat purred and rubbed against his feet, her soft fur brushing his ankles. "Ohh, Mini, look who's clingy today," he murmured, scooping her up. He nuzzled into her warmth, closing the door with a soft click. The faint scent of cat food and stale pizza lingered, a comforting mess in his otherwise controlled world.
Mini was the only light in his dead apartment—a stray he'd found mysteriously hiding in the school library during middle school. She'd been his secret ever since, purring away the isolation.
He tossed his bag onto the couch, where it landed on a pizza box with leftover crumbs from three days ago when Louis and Jack had crashed his place, demanding a gaming marathon. The box crinkled under the weight, scattering a few dried pepperoni bits across the cushions.
Sam settled at his computer desk, the one spot of pristine calm amid the chaos. He scrolled through social media not out of teen obsession, but to check how viral the water prank had gone. A smirk tugged at his lips as he laughed at the memes of Elisa his coder buddies had whipped up on request. The screen glowed blue against his face, notifications pinging like tiny victories. Why so much hate toward Elisa? Simple revenge rooted deep.
Flashback: Five Years Ago
Sam's first day at Austin High. He wasn't from the rich crowd like the others—just a brilliant kid who cracked codes for cash while peers wrestled Pythagoras and crushes. Every dollar mattered.
He walked the halls calmly, headphones on, music playing at low volume. Peace didn't last. "Hey, Headphone!" an arrogant voice snapped from behind.
He turned, monotone as ever. "What?"
There stood Elisa messy makeup, dark lipstick smudged at the corner, eyeliner wings uneven (one longer, one shorter). Her skirt? Barely visible under the chaos. She grinned wickedly, half a can of Coke in hand. "I like your white sneakers."
Trust issues ran in his veins born with them, some said. He didn't take it as a compliment. His neutral face twisted into a frown as brown liquid splashed his pristine sneakers. "Oops, sorry it was an accident," she pouted, puppy eyes failing to hide her smirk.
The hallway buzzed with whispers; a few kids giggled.
Sam's short temper flared. Fist clenched, he nearly swung until two hands clamped his shoulders. Louis and Jack. Louis shoved a kerchief at him; Jack muttered, "Brush it off." Louis stepped up to Elisa. "Look, don't pick on him. He's our friend now. Go fan that pink glitter queen Sofia's probably on the way to school"
Elisa shot a dirty look and stormed off, heels clicking like gunfire. The crowd dispersed with murmurs"New kid's got backup already" leaving Sam seething, sneakers ruined.
But that was just the start. The real nightmare? The Music Fest.
Middle school buzzed for the annual event. Elisa, the extroverted queen of cultural activities, owned the stage. Sam only showed for Louis and Jack's pressure and free food ofc.. No interest in watching her jump and sing in the stage.
When her set hit, Louis dragged him front-row not for Elisa definitely not for her. , but to mess with Sofia's perfect hair that night. Jack and June MC'd onstage, locked in a cold war over pronunciation and fluency, their mic banter crackling with tension. Spotlights swept the gym, bass thumping through the bleachers, the air thick with sweat and cheap perfume.
Elisa belted her songs decent, Sam admitted grudgingly.
But then disaster struck. Her hand wrapped his wrist mid-performance, yanking him toward the stage. "Come on, newbie join the fun!"
"NO!" he barked, digging his heels in. She didn't care hauled him up anyway, shoving the mic into his mouth. "Sing Taylor Swift with me!" The song? One he'd never heard.
He froze, a corpse under the lights, 500 eyes on him. Laughter erupted whistles, jeers, phones flashing. Elisa smirked triumphantly.
Sam's world narrowed to humiliation. Until Louis vaulted onstage, yanked him down, and flipped Elisa off behind his back. The crowd roared, some cheering Louis, others catcalling Sam "introvert Boy's got moves!" as he vanished into the shadows, vowing to bury that smirk forever.
End Flashback
Back in the dim glow of his apartment, Sam's fingers hovered over the keyboard, Mini purring softly in his lap. He didn't officially follow Elisa on social media never would. But he had 25 fake accounts, each with a different name, profile pic, and backstory. One of them followed her religiously. He'd bury himself six feet under before calling it stalking. Nah, this was just... watching her moves. Strategic observation.
The cursor blinked, waiting for his next command.
Suddenly, a notification bobbed onto his screen from FakeAccount_17—a new post from Elisa.
He clicked, expecting another smug selfie. Instead, there she was: a funny pouting picture, lips puckered dramatically, one eyebrow arched in mock defeat. The caption read: "#SadElisa taking the L on this prank war 💀 When your enemies hit harder than your ex 😂"
Underneath, comments flooded in hundreds already:
"Girl, you ATE that stage tho 👑"
"Water bucket revenge when? 👀"
"The memes got me DEAD 💀"
Sam stared. Then... he chuckled. A real, genuine chuckle low and unexpected. The pout was ridiculous, her eyeliner still uneven like that first day, but there was something... alive about it. His lips twitched upward, and the smile didn't stop. Mini tilted her head, green eyes curious as his face softened in the screen's glow.
He didn't realize it not fully but after Mini, Elisa was the second person lighting up his dead world. The girl he'd vowed to bury was now making him smile.