CHAPTER 1- THE GIRL EVERYONE KNOWS
Scarlett Monroe knew exactly what people saw when she walked down the hallway.
Red lip gloss.
Short skirt.
Confident stride.
Whispers followed her like perfume.
“There she goes.”
“She’s so dramatic.”
“She flirts with everyone.”
Scarlett didn’t slow down. Didn’t react. Didn’t care.
Or at least she pretended not to.
She leaned against her locker and applied another layer of gloss, catching her reflection in the small mirror. Perfect. Untouchable. Unbothered.
“Scarlett.”
She didn’t need to turn to know the voice.
Liam Carter.
Calm. Soft. Always steady.
She closed the gloss with a click and looked at him slowly.
“Yes, Carter?”
He stood there in his usual plain hoodie, hands in his pockets, looking annoyingly composed.
“You’re blocking my locker.”
She smirked. “Then move me.”
A few nearby students gasped softly.
Liam didn’t blush. Didn’t stutter.
Instead, he stepped closer.
Too close.
“You don’t want me to do that,” he said quietly.
Her heartbeat skipped — but she held her smile.
“Confident today, aren’t we?”
“I’m always confident.”
His eyes flicked to her lips.
Then back to her eyes.
Scarlett swallowed.
He moved past her gently, barely brushing her arm — but the touch lingered longer than it should have.
And for the first time that morning, Scarlett Monroe felt something she wasn’t prepared for.
Nervous.
