Chapter 1

Jenny's Pov

The cafeteria was as loud as ever, filled with laughter, chatter, and the clattering of trays. I sat at the farthest corner, trying to be invisible, picking at the dry sandwich Aunt Lucy had thrown together for me that morning. My gaze stayed low, darting occasionally to the people around me. It wasn’t that I wanted to interact with them—it was safer this way. Out of sight, out of mind.

“Jenny!” Vanessa plopped down beside me, her tray brimming with fries and a soda she had probably grabbed last-minute. “You’re hiding again, aren’t you?”

“I’m not hiding,” I muttered, my cheeks flushing as I stuffed my sandwich back into my bag. “Just… keeping out of trouble.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “You mean keeping out of Rachel’s way. She’s not the queen of the universe, you know.”

“She’s close enough,” I mumbled. Rachel Madison, the self-proclaimed queen bee of Greenridge High, had made it her personal mission to torment me since the day I transferred here. She called me “charity case,” a reminder of the whispers that had spread about my father’s death and my subsequent move to Aunt Lucy’s house. Rachel had a knack for finding the cracks in my armor and tearing them wide open.

But Rachel wasn’t the only one I had to watch out for. There was him.

I didn’t have to look up to know that Rexford Blankson had just entered the cafeteria. The sudden hush followed by bursts of giggles and whispers said it all. Rex was magnetic, tall and lean with a devil-may-care smirk that could make anyone weak in the knees. His jet-black hair was perpetually tousled, and his piercing blue eyes carried an air of danger that only added to his appeal.

“Bad boy royalty has arrived,” Vanessa muttered under her breath.

I dared a glance. Rex sauntered in with his usual swagger, flanked by his entourage. He was the son of one of the wealthiest families in the state. Everyone knew the Blanksons—real estate tycoons, business magnates, and practically untouchable. Rex wore his privilege like armor, using it to do whatever he pleased, consequences be damned.

He winked at a girl from the cheerleading squad as he passed, and she blushed so hard I thought she might faint. I rolled my eyes and went back to my sandwich.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Vanessa said, nudging me.

“Why would he? I don’t even exist to him.”

“That’s the problem, Jenny. You keep thinking that if you stay quiet, people will leave you alone. It doesn’t work like that.”

Vanessa’s words echoed in my mind long after lunch.

I was halfway through my biology class when it happened.

“Miss Walker,” Mrs. Graves called, her sharp voice cutting through my thoughts.

I looked up, heat rising to my cheeks. “Yes, ma’am?”

“You’ll be partnered with Mr. Blankson for the upcoming project.”

My stomach dropped. Of all the people…

There was a shuffle in the back of the room, and then that familiar voice: “Lucky me.”

The room erupted into soft chuckles as Rex stretched lazily in his seat, his smirk firmly in place. I wanted to sink into the floor.

After class, I tried to escape quickly, but Rex was faster.

“Jenny Walker, huh?” he drawled, stepping in front of me.

I clutched my books tighter. “I… I prefer Jenna.”

“Jenna,” he repeated, as though tasting the name. “So, where are we meeting for this project? Your place or mine?”

“I—uh—”

“Oh, come on, don’t be shy,” he said, leaning in closer. His cologne was overwhelming, and his presence even more so. “We’ll have fun.”

“Leave her alone, Rex,” Vanessa’s voice cut in. She stepped between us, glaring up at him.

“Relax, I’m just being friendly,” he said, raising his hands in mock surrender before walking away with a grin.

Vanessa turned to me. “You okay?”I nodded, but my hands trembled.

That evening, I walked home, my head low. Aunt Lucy’s house loomed ahead—a worn, two-story structure with peeling paint and a sagging porch. It wasn’t home; it was just a place I stayed.

“Jenny, you’re late!” Aunt Lucy barked as I stepped inside.

“I had to stay late for a project,” I said softly.

“Well, dinner’s not going to cook itself. Get to it.”

I didn’t argue. There was no point.

As I chopped vegetables in the kitchen, I thought about Rex. Why did he even bother talking to me? Was it just to mess with me? Or was there something more? The uncertainty gnawed at me.

The next day, Vanessa was absent, and her absence was like a spotlight on me.

“Walker!” Rachel’s voice rang out in the hallway. “Still hiding behind Vanessa, huh?”

I kept walking, but she and her minions followed.

“What’s wrong? Too scared to talk?” Rachel sneered.

“Leave me alone,” I said, my voice trembling.

“Aww, poor little Jenny. No daddy to protect her, no friends to stand up for her. You’re pathetic.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I hurried away, their laughter echoing behind me.

By the time the weekend rolled around, I was emotionally drained. I found myself at the park, sitting on a bench, lost in thought.

“Rough week?”

I looked up to see Rex standing there, his hands in his pockets.

“What do you want?” I asked, wary.

“Relax. I’m not here to pick a fight,” he said, sitting beside me.

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of his intentions.

“You know, you’re not like the other girls,” he said after a moment.

I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re real. No fake smiles, no pretending to be something you’re not. It’s… refreshing.”

I stared at him, unsure if he was mocking me or being sincere.

“Look,” he said, leaning closer. “I know I can be… difficult. But I’m not all bad, Jenna.”

His words lingered in my mind long after he left. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Rexford Blankson than met the eye.

But I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. What does he mean I was different?

What does the school’s untouchable bad boy really want with a girl like me Jenna Walker?