Chapter 1— The Worst First Day
If there was one thing seventeen-year-old Amara Williams hated more than waking up early, it was being forced to attend a new school where she didn't know anyone.
Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened.
“Amara! You’re going to be late!” her mother shouted from downstairs.
“I’m coming!”
“You said that ten minutes ago!”
“I was emotionally preparing!”
There was a short silence.
“Preparing for what?”
“For school!”
Her mother sighed.
Amara grabbed her bag and rushed downstairs, nearly slipping on the last step.
Her mother stared at her.
“Are you sure you're ready?”
Amara looked down at her uniform.
One sock was slightly higher than the other.
Her shirt was half tucked in.
And she had somehow put her school badge upside down.
“I look perfect.”
Her mother laughed.
“You look like you fought with your uniform and lost.”
“Thank you for your encouragement.”
---
By the time Amara reached Brightwood Academy, the morning assembly had already started.
Hundreds of students stood in rows across the school field.
Amara tried to sneak toward the back.
Unfortunately, the principal noticed her immediately.
“You there!”
Amara froze.
She slowly pointed at herself.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
She walked forward.
The entire school seemed to turn and look at her.
“Name?”
“Amara Williams, sir.”
“Why are you late on your first day?”
Amara opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Then she remembered her mother's warning.
Don't embarrass yourself.
Too late.
“I got lost.”
The principal raised an eyebrow.
“You live ten minutes from the school.”
Amara swallowed.
“I got emotionally lost.”
A few students laughed.
Even the principal struggled not to smile.
“Go and stand at the back.”
“Yes, sir.”
Amara hurried away.
And that was when she bumped into someone.
Hard.
Her books fell everywhere.
“Oh my goodness!”
“Watch where you're going.”
Amara looked up.
A boy stood in front of her.
Tall.
Neatly dressed.
And wearing the most irritatingly confident expression she'd ever seen.
He looked at the books scattered around them.
Then at her.
“You should probably look where you're walking.”
Amara stared at him.
“You bumped into me!”
“I was standing still.”
“That makes it worse!”
He smiled.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You've been here for less than five minutes and you're already arguing with people.”
“Congratulations. You noticed.”
He picked up one of her books and handed it to her.
“I'm Daniel Carter.”
“I didn't ask.”
His smile disappeared for half a second.
Then he laughed.
“You're going to be fun.”
“I doubt it.”
He walked away.
Amara watched him go.
“What an annoying human being.”
A girl standing nearby suddenly laughed.
“That's Daniel Carter.”
“So?”
“You really don't know who he is?”
“No.”
The girl shook her head.
“Everyone knows Daniel.”
Amara sighed.
“Well, everyone can have him.”
She had no idea that those words would come back to haunt her.
---
Later that morning, Amara entered her classroom.
The teacher pointed toward an empty seat.
“You can sit beside Daniel.”
Amara stopped walking.
Daniel looked up from his notebook.
Their eyes met.
He smiled.
“Looks like we're neighbors.”
Amara stared at the ceiling.
“Why me?”
The teacher frowned.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, ma'am.”
She sat beside him.
Daniel leaned closer.
“Don't worry. I don't bite.”
“I wasn't worried.”
“You looked worried.”
“I was praying.”
“For what?”
“That you would be absent tomorrow.”
Daniel laughed.
For the first time that morning, Amara smiled too.
She quickly looked away.
She didn't know it yet, but her worst first day was about to become the beginning of something she would never forget.
Because sometimes...
the person you can't stand becomes the person you can't imagine living without.
