CHAPTER TWO – THE GOLDEN BOY AND THE GHOST

The day started out like any other, or at least that’s what Alice tried to tell herself.

Westbridge High looked the same: kids shouting down the halls, lockers slamming shut, the faint smell of burnt coffee coming from the teacher’s lounge. Sunlight reflected on the tall windows, and dust floating gently in the air.

But for Alice, the air felt… different.

It pressured against her, quiet but not ignorable, as if something in the world had shifted since yesterday. And maybe it had. Because she knew Liam Hart had looked at her.

She hated how much it stayed in her mind. He was supposed to be like everyone else, someone she could ignore, someone far from the life her father forced her to want. But Liam wasn’t like everyone else. He was the kind of boy people remembered and the kind of boy romance stories were written about.

And judging by how her stomach knotted as she walked into the gym that morning, she wasn’t immune to him.

PE was a mess. Balls bounced everywhere, sneakers screeched on the polished floor, and the coach’s whistle and yelling never seemed to stop. Alice kept to the bleachers, tightening her hoodie, silently praying she wouldn’t be dragged into a game.

Then he showed up. Liam Hart walked into the basketball court.

The golden boy. His shirt clung to his shoulders, his hair damp with sweat, his smile brighter than the court lights. He didn’t just play basketball, he dominated the court. Each move was clean, smooth, and effortless, like the ball had chosen him. Every shot seemed to land, and every pass drew cheers from the sidelines.

But half the people weren’t even watching the game. They were watching him.

Then, as if fate decided to mock her, the ball rolled toward Alice’s feet as she froze like an antelope in headlights.

Before she could bend down, Liam jogged over. His eyes met hers again, warm, playful, like he’d been waiting for this.

“Mind tossing that back?” His voice carried had that kind of charm that made the girls nearby giggle and blush.

Alice bent down, fingers brushing the ball. It felt heavier than she expected, cool against her palms. She tossed it back to Liam, not professionally, but enough for him to catch.

“Nice throw,” Liam said with a grin.

“Not really,” Alice muttered, as she couldn’t stop herself from blushing.

“Better than half the team,” he teased, before returning back into the game.

Alice sat frozen for a moment before exhaling slowly. It was just a ball. Just a throw. Nothing more.

Except Liam glanced at her twice more before PE class ended. And each time, Alice felt her pulse rise.

By lunch, the cafeteria was buzzing louder than normal. The smell of pizza filled the air, trays clattered, voices overlapped. Alice chose a small table in the corner, looking at her food without much interest.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Her head snapped up.

Liam Hart stood there, tray balanced in one hand, smile relaxed but eyes almost careful. Like he knew how strange this might look.

“You… want to sit here?” she asked, surprised.

“Unless this seat’s taken.” His grin widened, and Alice swore the girls at nearby tables paused mid-conversation to stare.

Alice shook her head quickly. “No. It’s free.”

Liam say on the seat across from her. “Thanks. Needed a break from the team. You’d think lunch was sacred, but nope, it’s strategy hour now.”

Alice smirked faintly. “You’re captain, right?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve heard of me?”

She gave a tiny shrug. “Hard not to. Everyone talks about you.”

“Hopefully in a good way,” he said, leaning forward a little. His eyes stayed on hers, warm and curious. “What about you, Alice Ashford? Been here, what, two weeks? And you’re already mysterious.”

Alice stiffened slightly. “Mysterious?”

“Yeah,” Liam said casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You don’t blend in. Not in a bad way. Just… different.”

The word stabbed at her. Different was the last thing she wanted to be. Different was dangerous.

But before she could answer, Liam added, “I like different. Makes life less boring.”

Alice laughed softly, though her chest was tight. “You say that now.”

The conversation drifted from there. He asked about her classes, her old school, little things. She kept her answers cautious, never too much. She couldn’t exactly say her after-school hobby was stabbing straw dummies with silver knives.

Still, there was something disarming about him. His laugh was genuine, his attention real. When his eyes caught hers, the rest of the cafeteria seemed to fade. For once, things felt… normal. And that, to Alice, was dangerous in its own way but before her training morals could kick in she was already saying yes to a date with the boy of her dreams.

Across the room, Mira was watching.

Her laugh was loud, her smile dazzling as she sat surrounded by friends, but her eyes never left Alice’s table, staring at Alice like a child desperate for attention.

Finally, she stood, smoothing down her skirt. “Be right back,” she told her friends sweetly. Her steps toward Alice’s table looking sharp and purposeful.

Alice saw her too late. Mira slid into the seat beside her with a smile that was just a little too bright.

“Liam,” Mira said. “Coach says your times are the best in the state. You’ll crush regionals.”

Liam’s smile faltered for a second, then returned. “Thanks, Mira.”

Her gaze finally shifted to Alice. The smile stayed, but her eyes were brighter. “Alice, right? How’s Westbridge treating you?”

Alice gave a polite nod. “It’s fine.”

“Good.” Mira leaned closer, dropping her voice so only Alice heard. “Enjoy it to the fullest sweetheart.”

And then she stood, walking back to her friends, her laugh ringing out across the cafeteria.

Alice’s stomach twisted as she felt uncomfortable. She found Mira weird and desperate. Something that really did put her off.

“Sorry about her,” Liam muttered, shaking his head. “She’s… complicated.”

Alice looked at him, saw the sincerity in his face, and something inside her shifted. Maybe he really did see her.

But not everyone’s gaze held warmth.

From the far corner of the room, Kane sat alone. He didn’t laugh, didn’t talk. He only watched.

His stare was heavy, colder than Liam’s warmth, sharper than Mira’s glare. It didn’t slip away when she met it. It just stayed, pinning her in place.

Alice’s chest tightened. Ghost, she thought. Not because he was pale, but because he seemed to exist just outside the edges of her world. Always there. Unnoticed by others and always watching.

It should have scared her. And it did. But what terrified her more was that part of her wasn’t just scared, it was also curious.

The school day ended faster than she expected. Alice stepped outside into the late afternoon, the sun warm against her skin, her backpack heavy with books she didn’t plan to open.

She hadn’t gone far when a voice called out.

“Hey, Alice!”

She turned, and there he was, Liam Hart jogging toward her, sunlight catching in his hair.

“Heading home?” he asked, slowing to her pace.

“Yeah,” she said, cautious.

“Mind if I walk with you? It’s on my way.” His tone was casual, but there was a flicker of hope in his eyes.

Alice hesitated. Her father’s words echoed in her mind, No distractions, no attachments just focus.

But Liam’s smile was boyish, sincere, and against her father’s warnings, she nodded. “Sure.”

So they walked together, side by side. And behind them, from the school steps, Mira’s glare followed like a shadow. At the edge of lot,  Kane’s shadow followed like smoke.

Alice didn’t know what any of it meant. But she knew one thing: something had shifted, and her life wasn’t going back to what it was before.

Liam walked Alice to her house. With a captivating smirk on his face, he faced Alice.

“It was nice talking to you, so see you tomorrow at seven?”… He said with an enthusiastic smile.

“Yeah, definitely”… Alice replied in a heartbeat.

Alice stepped into her house, the door clicking shut behind her. But deep down, she knew it already that whatever tomorrow brought, nothing about her life would ever be the same.