Chapter 1: First Part
Adrien
I arrive at the high school gates for my sophomore year, a little intimidated by the crowd. I join my friends, who greet me the moment they see me.
“Adrien! Looking way too sexy today!” Milia calls out, my best friend since elementary school.
“Don’t you have a Snap, sweetheart?” Oria says in a teasing tone.
“What a stunning beauty, my love,” Victoire adds.
“You girls are looking way too sexy yourselves,” I reply as I slip into the group that formed last year in ninth grade.
It’s just a running joke between us. We like pretending to flirt with each other, even though they also do it with their boyfriends. Meanwhile, I don’t have any boys to flirt with.
Well… not exactly.
For two years now, I’ve had a crush on the same boy—someone I’ve barely spoken to: Victor. I’d love nothing more than to flirt with him…
And in fact, I already spot his blond hair in the distance. He’s easy to recognize—tall, blond, and muscular. I haven’t seen him all summer, and just seeing him again sends a wave of heat through my body. My heart starts racing.
The girls are talking beside me, but I’m not listening. I’m too busy watching the boy who represents everything I want in life.
Suddenly, fingers snap in front of my eyes, making me jump, and Victoire whistles.
“Hey! Someone’s busy staring at Victor? You’re really down bad!”
“You’ll never change, will you? He’s straight. You deserve a guy who can actually love you back,” Oria says, taking my right hand in both of hers. “I’m sure you’ll find a good guy here. The high school is huge, and I’ve already spotted tons of hot guys—even though only the sophomores are here today. In this ocean of boys, there’s definitely someone who’ll want you. It’s sta-tis-ti-cal.”
“Oh, leave me alone!” I protest. “It doesn’t bother me that he’s straight. Just watching him is enough for me!”
I lied.
Maybe.
But I don’t want them worrying about me. I don’t want to admit that ever since I noticed Victor’s girlfriend is thin as a reed, I’ve barely been eating. Or that I can’t sleep at night anymore because whenever I imagine him, her face appears in my mind—reminding me that I’m nobody.
The school bell rings, and the supervisors open the gates.
I stick close to my group of friends. I’ve never been inside this building before, and I’m afraid of getting lost and having to ask for directions.
I’m extremely shy.
We slowly enter the building, blending into the sea of students pushing toward the giant screens in the lobby displaying the class lists. I search for my name and quickly find it:
Adrien Mésange – 203
“I’m in 203.”
Then Victoire says:
“I’m in 206.”
“Me too!”
“Same here!”
Suddenly, it feels like the ground collapses beneath my feet.
I can already feel a panic attack rising, made worse by the crowd. Heat rushes through my body, and my breathing quickens.
I feel Oria’s hand on my shoulder.
“My love…”
She pulls me into a hug, and I feel the other girls doing the same.
A voice echoes through the school speakers:
“Please proceed to your assigned classrooms.”
I separate from the girls and try to find my classroom alone. The farther I walk, the worse the panic gets. The hallways all look the same. Voices echo everywhere.
I quickly realize I’m completely lost.
Eventually I stop in a quieter corridor, darker than the others. I lean against the wall and close my eyes for a few seconds to breathe.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Again.
“You okay?”
I jump and open my eyes.
In front of me stands a boy much taller than me—at least two heads taller. He has very short red hair and a muscular, athletic build. He looks at me with a neutral expression, slightly concerned.
“Yeah…” I reply, even though my voice betrays me.
“Okay… by any chance, what class are you in?”
I don’t know why I answer him.
Maybe because he doesn’t seem rushed. Or annoyed.
“203.”
His face lights up instantly.
“Seriously? Me too.”
He smiles. A simple smile, with no hidden meaning.
I take a moment to look at him more closely: a well-defined jawline without being too harsh, freckles across his cheeks and nose, and very light blue eyes.
He’s handsome.
“Actually… I’m kind of lost, to be honest.”
“Haha, me too. We can look for it together if you want.”
I nod.
We walk side by side down the corridor without speaking. The silence isn’t awkward.
If anything, it’s reassuring.
I feel my breathing slowly calming down.
Despite myself, my mind drifts elsewhere. I realize I didn’t even check which class Victor is in this morning.
Idiot…
Now I’ll have to ask around discreetly later, pretending like it’s no big deal.
“The room’s here,” the boy says, stopping in front of a door.
Before knocking, he turns his head toward me, still wearing that same calm expression.
“By the way, I’m Aaron. What about you?”
“Adrien.”
He nods, then knocks on the door.
