Chapter 1:The boy everyone knew
Eliana still remembered her first day at Harmony Heights Senior High School. The large school compound, the sound of students talking from every direction, the smell of new exercise books and freshly ironed uniforms, and the nervous excitement in her chest made the whole place feel both frightening and beautiful. She held her bag tightly as she walked through the corridor, trying not to look as lost as she felt.
Starting senior high school was nothing like junior high school. Everything seemed bigger. The classrooms were larger, the teachers looked stricter, and the students appeared older and more confident. Eliana wondered how long it would take before she felt as though she truly belonged there.
She was a Home Economics student, and among all her subjects, Clothing and Textiles immediately captured her heart. She loved touching different fabrics, imagining colours together and sketching dress designs in the margins of her notebook whenever lessons became too quiet. In her mind, she could already see herself one day creating beautiful clothes and making people feel confident through fashion.
Life at Harmony Heights slowly became easier. Eliana made a few friends, learned the school routines and stopped getting lost on her way to class. She thought school would simply be about books, assignments, practical work and passing exams. She did not expect anyone to stand out among the many students she saw every day.
Then she heard the name Kayden.
"That's Kayden," one of the girls in her class whispered excitedly as a group of boys walked past the corridor.
Eliana looked up. Among the boys was a tall student wearing a confident smile. He greeted people easily as he walked, and several students called out his name.
"He's the rapper from Business 2," another girl added. "Everybody knows him."
Eliana looked away quickly, pretending not to be interested. She had never paid much attention to popular boys, but she could not deny that Kayden carried himself differently.
Over the next few weeks, she noticed him often. Sometimes he was practising lyrics with his friends under a tree. Other times, he was laughing loudly in the corridor or surrounded by students asking him about his music.
During entertainment night, Eliana finally understood why everyone talked about him so much. When Kayden stepped onto the stage with a microphone in his hand, the crowd erupted with excitement. He performed confidently, and even the teachers seemed impressed. Eliana found herself watching him more than she intended to.
After the performance, students gathered around him, praising his music and asking questions. Eliana quietly returned to her dormitory, telling herself that Kayden was simply another talented student in the school.
But life at Harmony Heights had a way of bringing people together unexpectedly.
One afternoon, Eliana was walking back to class when someone called her name. She turned around and was surprised to see Kayden standing a few steps away.
"You're Eliana, right? The Home Economics girl?" he asked.
She blinked in surprise. "Yes."
"I've seen you around," he said with an easy smile. "You're always carrying drawing books."
Eliana looked down at the sketchbook in her hand and laughed softly. "I like designing clothes."
"That's cool," Kayden replied. "Maybe one day you'll design something for me when I become famous."
The joke made her laugh properly this time. It was the first real conversation they had ever shared, and she was surprised by how easy it felt.
After that day, Kayden started greeting her whenever they met around school. Sometimes it was only a quick "Hi, Eliana," before he hurried off to class. Other times, they exchanged a few words about school, music or fashion.
Eliana began to realise that Kayden was not exactly the arrogant celebrity she had imagined. He was friendly, observant and surprisingly easy to talk to.
One evening after prep, Eliana saw him sitting with a notebook, writing lyrics. He looked up when she passed.
"Designing again?" he asked, noticing the sketchbook in her arms.
"Always," she replied.
"Then one day, when I'm performing on a big stage, remember that I asked you first."
Eliana smiled and shook her head. "We'll see."
As she walked away, she found herself smiling for no reason.
She did not know it yet, but the boy everyone knew was about to become the boy she would never forget.
