Chapter 1 - The Boy Everyone Warned Me About
“There are two kinds of rumors.
The ones people invent.
And the ones people are too afraid to question.”
The first thing Maya Sharma noticed about Crestwood University wasn’t the towering brick buildings or the lake sparkling beneath the September sun.
It was the noise.
Hundreds of students rushed across the campus, dragging suitcases, hugging old friends, and desperately searching for classrooms. Laughter echoed through the tree-lined pathways, music drifted from the student center, and somewhere nearby, a group of seniors had already started a game of basketball.
It felt like an entirely different world.
Maya adjusted the strap of her worn camera bag and took a slow breath.
“You worked too hard to get here.”
Her mother’s words replayed in her mind.
“Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong.”
She smiled to herself.
“I won’t.”
At least...
That was the plan.
“Crestwood University.”
A voice boomed through the courtyard speakers.
“Orientation begins in fifteen minutes. All first-year students, please report to the main auditorium.”
A wave of students hurried toward the grand stone building.
Maya followed, clutching her notebook against her chest.
She had spent two years dreaming about this moment.
Scholarship.
Fresh start.
A chance to build the future her family could never afford.
Nothing...
Not homesickness.
Not fear.
Not the whispers of strangers.
Would ruin it.
The auditorium buzzed with excitement.
Thousands of seats curved toward a massive stage decorated with the university crest.
Maya found an empty seat near the middle.
Beside her, a girl with bright pink headphones dropped into the chair dramatically.
“Oh thank God.”
She sighed.
“I thought I’d be sitting alone.”
Maya laughed.
“Looks like we’re both lucky.”
“I’m Zara.”
“Maya.”
Zara smiled.
“You look terrified.”
“I prefer ‘quietly overwhelmed.’”
“I like you already.”
Orientation began with the usual speeches.
The dean welcomed everyone.
Faculty members introduced themselves.
Campus clubs advertised everything from debate competitions to photography exhibitions.
Maya scribbled notes carefully.
Scholarship requirements.
Library hours.
Psychology building.
Part-time work opportunities.
She intended to remember everything.
Then...
The atmosphere changed.
It started with whispers.
Heads turned toward the auditorium doors.
Someone behind Maya muttered,
“He’s here.”
Another replied,
“I thought he graduated.”
“No.”
“Final year.”
Maya frowned.
Who?
The heavy wooden doors opened.
One person walked inside.
Silence spread through the auditorium like a ripple across still water.
He wasn’t dressed like everyone else.
Black jeans.
Dark hoodie.
Hands tucked casually into his pockets.
His dark hair looked as though he hadn’t bothered to fix it.
He wasn’t smiling.
He wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
Yet every conversation stopped.
He walked down the center aisle without looking at a single person.
Students instinctively moved their bags out of his way.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked fascinated.
No one greeted him.
No one challenged him.
Maya leaned toward Zara.
“Who is he?”
Zara blinked.
“You seriously don’t know?”
Maya shook her head.
“I’m new.”
Zara lowered her voice dramatically.
“That’s Aiden Carter.”
“The basketball captain?”
“Yeah.”
“The billionaire’s son?”
“Also yes.”
Maya waited.
“There has to be more.”
Zara hesitated.
“There are... stories.”
“What kind of stories?”
“No one really knows.”
“They say he got three students expelled.”
“They say professors don’t dare fail him.”
“They say he broke another student’s arm during a fight.”
“They say—”
“So...”
Maya interrupted gently.
“Rumors.”
Zara looked at her.
“Exactly.”
Aiden reached the last row and sat alone.
Not because there weren’t empty seats nearby.
Because no one chose to sit beside him.
He leaned back in his chair, pulled a notebook from his backpack, and ignored the room entirely.
Maya glanced at him once more.
He looked...
Ordinary.
Not dangerous.
Not arrogant.
Just...
Tired.
As the dean continued speaking, Maya noticed something strange.
Every few minutes...
Students looked back at Aiden.
He never looked up.
It was as if everyone was watching him...
While he watched no one.
The orientation ended an hour later.
Students flooded into the courtyard.
Maps unfolded.
Phones buzzed.
Freshmen searched for classrooms.
Maya pulled out her camera instinctively.
Photography had always helped her slow the world down.
She adjusted the lens.
Captured sunlight filtering through ancient oak trees.
A group of laughing freshmen.
A professor balancing three cups of coffee.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Then...
Through the lens...
She noticed Aiden.
He stood alone beneath an old maple tree near the edge of campus.
Not checking his phone.
Not talking.
Simply watching the lake.
There was something unexpectedly peaceful about him.
Almost...
Lonely.
Without thinking...
She pressed the shutter.
Click.
The sound echoed louder than she expected.
Aiden turned.
Their eyes met across nearly fifty feet of campus.
For one suspended heartbeat...
Neither looked away.
Then...
He started walking toward her.
Slowly.
Purposefully.
Students stepped aside without him saying a word.
Maya’s heartbeat quickened.
“Great,” she thought.
“I’ve been here less than three hours.”
“And I might have just photographed the one person everyone warned me about.”
He stopped only a few feet away.
His voice was calm.
Low.
“You should ask before taking someone’s picture.”
Maya swallowed.
“I...”
She looked down at her camera.
“I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“I know.”
He interrupted.
There wasn’t anger in his eyes.
Only quiet curiosity.
“You don’t believe the rumors.”
It wasn’t a question.
Maya blinked.
“I don’t believe things I’ve never seen.”
For the first time...
The corner of Aiden’s mouth lifted into the smallest hint of a smile.
“So...”
He said.
“...you’re either very brave...”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“...or very new.”
Before she could answer...
A black luxury sedan rolled to a stop beside the curb.
The driver stepped out immediately.
“Mr. Carter.”
Aiden’s expression hardened again.
He looked back at Maya for one final second.
Then quietly said,
“Welcome to Crestwood.”
He walked away.
Leaving Maya standing in the middle of the crowded courtyard...
Wondering why the most feared boy on campus had sounded more like someone carrying a burden than someone trying to become one.
She looked down at the photograph she’d taken.
Aiden stood beneath the maple tree, sunlight breaking through the leaves above him.
For a moment...
He didn’t look like the villain of every campus rumor.
He looked like someone waiting for something he’d already lost.
Maya had no idea that one photograph...
Would change both of their lives.
This story already has that feeling that makes you want to keep reading just to uncover what’s hiding behind the rumors. 🥹✨ Maya’s quiet determination and Aiden’s mysterious, misunderstood vibe make their first encounter so interesting. I especially loved how one simple photograph feels like the beginning of something much bigger. You’ve created such a beautiful atmosphere—keep writing, because I’m genuinely curious to see where their story goes! 🤍📖
Also, I’m a new writer on Inkitt and I’ve recently posted my story “The Last Chapter.” 🖤🥀 If you have some time, I’d really love for you to read it and tell me what you think. Your feedback would mean a lot to me! ✨
This story already has that feeling that makes you want to keep reading just to uncover what’s hiding behind the rumors. 🥹✨ Maya’s quiet determination and Aiden’s mysterious, misunderstood vibe make their first encounter so interesting. I especially loved how one simple photograph feels like the beginning of something much bigger. You’ve created such a beautiful atmosphere—keep writing, because I’m genuinely curious to see where their story goes! 🤍📖
Also, I’m a new writer on Inkitt and I’ve recently posted my story “The Last Chapter.” 🖤🥀 If you have some time, I’d really love for you to read it and tell me what you think. Your feedback would mean a lot to me! ✨