The next morning, Amara walked into the school courtyard, still thinking about the new student.
Why does he seem so… different? she wondered. It's just a first impression. Get over it.
Her best friend, Maya, spotted her and waved energetically. "Amara! Did you see the new guy yesterday? Liam Hart? He's… so mysterious!"
Amara groaned. "I saw him. Tall, cold, scary. Definitely trouble."
Maya leaned closer, whispering, "You're lying if you say you didn't notice the way he looked at you. Admit it, you're curious."
Curious? Me? Amara rolled her eyes. Not even a little.
Classes passed slowly. Amara tried to focus on her notes, but she kept glancing toward the window. And there he was—Liam, sitting alone, scribbling in a notebook. His piercing eyes met hers for a brief moment, and she quickly looked away.
Why did my heart skip a beat? she thought, scolding herself.
The lunch bell rang, and the courtyard filled with students. Amara and Maya sat under their usual tree.
"Hey, check that out," Maya said, pointing toward the fountain. A small commotion had started.
Amara's eyes widened. Liam was standing near the fountain, and a stray dog had started barking aggressively. Before anyone could react, Liam calmly stepped forward and shooed the dog away.
Wow… he's… kind of impressive, Amara thought, surprised.
Maya noticed her stunned expression. "See? I told you. There's something about him. Totally not like the other guys here."
Amara shook her head, trying to focus. Just a regular guy doing something normal… nothing more.
But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that Liam Hart was someone complicated, someone intriguing. And somehow… she wanted to know more.