Chapter 1-
* The New Girl's Grand Disaster *
"Nova! Hurry up or we'll be late on your first day!"
"I'm coming!"
Nova shoved one sneaker on while trying to zip up her backpack at the same time. It was only their second morning in Gates Given, and somehow everything had already gone wrong.
The cereal had spilled.
Her mother had forgotten where she put the car keys.
Nova had accidentally packed two math notebooks and no lunch.
"Amazing," she muttered. "A perfect start."
Her mother laughed. "Think positive! New city, new school, new friends."
"...Or public humiliation."
Twenty minutes later, Nova stood in front of Gates Given High School.
It was huge.
Way bigger than her old school.
Students walked confidently through the halls like they'd memorized the building at birth.
Nova stared at the map she had been handed.
"Room 2-A..."
She looked left.
Then right.
Then somehow chose... neither.
Five minutes later...
"I'm definitely lost."
She stopped a passing student.
"Excuse me, where's 2-A?"
He blinked.
"...You're in the senior building."
"...I'm what?"
"The freshman building is across the courtyard."
"..."
"..."
"Thanks."
Nova turned around so quickly she nearly walked into a trash can.
"Fantastic. I've been confidently walking in the wrong direction."
After another few minutes of wandering, she finally found a classroom labeled 2-A.
She smiled proudly.
"I did it."
She opened the door dramatically.
Every head turned.
The teacher stopped talking.
Thirty students stared at her.
Nova smiled awkwardly.
"...Hi?"
The teacher frowned.
"Young lady... this is Class 12-C."
"..."
"..."
"...I did not do it."
The class burst into laughter.
Someone in the back actually clapped.
Nova slowly backed out of the room.
"I'm leaving now."
She shut the door and leaned against the wall.
"Oh, this school hates me already."
She checked the room number again.
"...How did I read a twelve as a two?"
She sighed dramatically and started walking again.
"This day cannot possibly get any worse."
THUD.
She walked straight into someone.
Books flew.
Papers scattered everywhere.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!"
She knelt to gather everything.
"So sorry—I wasn't looking—"
She looked up.
...
Oh.
He was... unfairly handsome.
Messy orange hair caught the morning sunlight.
Sharp amber eyes.
Tall.
The kind of face that belonged on a magazine cover instead of a school hallway.
Nova blinked.
Okay... maybe moving here wasn't so ba—
He looked at her.
Then at the papers.
Then back at her.
"...Watch where you're going, Outsider."
Silence.
Nova stared.
"...Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
One corner of his mouth lifted into the tiniest smirk.
"You've been here for what? Ten minutes? And you've already invaded the wrong building, interrupted a senior class, and tackled me."
Nova's eye twitched.
"I didn't tackle you."
"Could've fooled me."
Three boys walked over, clearly trying not to laugh.
One of them had dark hair and looked permanently amused.
"Dude," he said. "She really did speedrun embarrassing herself."
Another, taller boy folded his arms.
"I've never seen someone get lost this fast."
The third simply shook his head.
"That's impressive."
Arthur shrugged.
"See? Even witnesses."
Nova took a deep breath.
He would've been my school crush...
If only he'd kept his mouth shut.
Instead...
Orange lily.
She had no idea why that nickname popped into her head.
Maybe it was the orange hair.
Maybe because lilies looked nice but could still be surprisingly irritating.
Whatever the reason, it fit.
She stood, dusted off her uniform, and forced a smile.
"Thanks for your... unnecessary commentary."
Arthur shrugged.
"You're welcome, Outsider."
She walked away before she said something that would get her expelled on her first day.
Behind her, she heard one of his friends snort.
"I think she hates you already."
Arthur slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Good."
After asking two teachers, a janitor, and a girl eating chips in the hallway, Nova finally found the correct classroom.
She stood outside the door.
Double-checked the room number.
Triple-checked it.
"...Yep. This one actually exists."
She took a deep breath.
"Please... no more disasters."
She opened the door.
The teacher smiled warmly.
"You must be Nova. Come in."
For the first time that morning...
Nothing exploded.
Nothing went flying.
Nobody laughed.
Nova smiled to herself.
Finally.
Maybe the day is turning around...
She had no idea that "Orange lily" was in the class right next door—and that this definitely wasn't the last time he'd call her "Outsider."
