Beneath the facade

Kira hated mornings at school. Not because of the classes, but because of the noise. The hallways were always crowded with chatter, and most of it circled back to one name.

“Jaymie.”

She heard it in whispers, in giggles, in exaggerated sighs from girls clutching their books as if his presence alone could knock the breath out of them. It was exhausting.

Kira tugged her thick black hair over her shoulder and kept walking, her hazel eyes fixed straight ahead. She didn’t need to look to know who they were talking about—everyone already knew. Jaymie was the school’s golden boy: perfect smile, emerald-green eyes, and a body that turned heads everywhere he went.

But to Kira? He was just noise.

She hated the way people spoke about him like he was some god walking among them. She hated how her own friends melted whenever he passed by. She hated his aura—the quiet command he seemed to radiate without even trying. And she especially hated the way a tiny part of her chest tightened whenever their eyes accidentally met.

Because she refused to be like the rest of them.

She could see girls gather around him, fawning and laughing, while he sat in the middle like he owned the world. Kira’s lips curved into a smirk. “How dispensable he is,” she thought, feeling a mix of disdain and curiosity that she couldn’t quite explain.

On the other side of the hall, Harley lingered, perfectly shaped curves and full lips accentuated with makeup. Short skirts, high heels, everything designed to attract attention. And yet, no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t draw Jaymie to herself.

Kira felt a chill run down her spine—not from the cold, but from the awareness that someone was watching her. Jaymie hadn’t moved, yet she could feel the weight of his gaze. Unlike everyone else, he noticed her—the girl who didn’t care.

She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. “The world really does revolve around him.”

For Kira, Jaymie wasn’t someone to admire. He was someone to outsmart, tease, and—if she had her way—annoy at every possible moment. The game was simple: the more he acted untouchable, the more she would challenge him, poke fun at him, and resist everything he represented.

And if he thought she would bow like everyone else… he was very, very wrong.