Chapter 1- I should have known better.

Yvonne's POV

“Hey, Adrian.” I called out, my voice lighter than the breeze that rushed past the schoolyard. I couldn’t hide the grin stretching across my face when I spotted the only guy I’d been crushing on since kindergarten. My heart always betrayed me when it came to him as it beat faster, almost like it wanted to leap out of my chest and throw itself at him. Finally, he’d said the words I’d been dying to hear: I’d be his girlfriend. And not just in secret, either. He promised he’d tell everyone at the homecoming event coming up in a few weeks.

My fingers tightened around the shopping bag in my hand. Inside was the dress my mom bought for me, and I couldn’t wait to show it off. At least today I had a reason to feel proud. Not just about the dress but about being seen with Adrian, the boy everyone else wanted.

“Yvonne.” The way he called my name the moment his eyes met mine—it sent a jolt through me. I swear he put something extra into it, some kind of warmth. Or maybe I was just hearing what I wanted to hear. Did you just hear that? I asked myself silently. He totally said it with love. It had to be mutual. Right?

“You finished my Fine and Creative Art assignment?” His tone shifted immediately. His hand stretched out like it belonged to him, like the paper I was holding was automatically his. He didn’t even glance at the bag I carried. For a second, disappointment prickled through me. I’d expected his first question to be about the dress or even just a ‘how are you?’ But no. The assignment is what mattered to him more.

“Yeah,” I said, shaking myself back to reality. “I was thinking… maybe I can tutor you in drawing and other stuff too? You know, it’s not really good to keep up with this act of cheating.” My words stumbled out half-pleading. I just wanted him to take me seriously, to see that I cared enough to want him to succeed. Maybe if he let me help, he wouldn’t need shortcuts all the time.

But before I could even blink, he snatched the paper out of my hand. No thank you, no smile. Just a sharp grab. My heart sank. But then, as if realizing he’d been too harsh, he softened. His eyes scanned the sheet quickly before flicking up at me.

“Are you sure it’s perfect?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to answer, but he didn’t wait. He folded the paper in half and shoved it into his pocket like it wasn’t even worth keeping flat. Still, a silly bubble of excitement rose in my chest. At least he cared enough to ask if it was good.

“Yeah, it is,” I said eagerly, my voice betraying just how much I wanted his approval. “I triple-checked it and made sure everything was in place. The drawing, the shading, all of it.”

He nodded once before holding out his right hand. “And the key.”

The smile slipped right off my face. My stomach twisted. I didn’t need him to explain further as I knew exactly what he meant.

“Adrian…” My voice wavered. “I don’t know if I can ask my mom for that. She could lose her job if she’s caught in the act of trying to steal the key.”

The request sat heavy between us. My mom was a cleaner in the school with the lab inclusive, and the key he wanted was to the physics lab. He wasn’t just asking me for homework anymore—he was asking me to risk her entire career. My chest tightened. I loved Adrian, or at least the version of him I thought I knew. But my mom? She was my whole world. She’d given me everything, even when she had nothing.

“Babe,” Adrian said, lowering his voice in a way that always made me melt. “I need to get the answers to the practicals. And I need your help on that, just like all the other times you’ve helped me. Why is this one such a big deal now?” He brushed his fingers against mine lightly, the touch felt almost tender. His thumb skimmed over my bracelet—the only expensive-looking thing I owned. My good-luck charm. My only connection to my birth family I never got to know. For a second, his touch eased the knot in my chest.

I wanted to give in. I wanted to say yes, like always. But this? This wasn’t just sneaking him my notes or finishing up an assignment. This was stealing. This was gambling with my mom’s future. My throat felt tight as I tried to explain. “I don’t really know what to do, but—”

Before I could finish, he pulled his hand back sharply, like my touch burned him. Anger flashed in his eyes. “Then what’s the point of you, anyway?” His words cut deeper than I expected. He turned, with his shoulders tensed, like he was ready to walk away from me right there.

“Wait—please.” My voice cracked as I reached out, desperate to keep him from leaving. I grabbed his arm, my fingers trembling against the edges of his sleeve. He shook me off roughly, but I refused to let go, tugging at him again. “I wanted to show you something,” I blurted slightly, fumbling with the bag in my hand.

I pulled out the dress my mom had saved up for a while to buy. Holding it up like it was some kind of peace offering, I tried to smile. “This is my dress for the homecoming dance,” I said, forcing the excitement into my voice. Maybe if he saw it—if he saw me in it—he’d soften. He’d remember the promises he made.

Adrian’s lips curled, but not into the smile I was hoping for. “Are you seriously thinking that I, the principal’s son, want to be seen with you? In what, exactly?” He reached out and pinched the edge of the dress between two fingers like it was contaminated. “You mean… in this Goodwill special? A coat of many colors?”

The words hit me like a slap. My throat tightened, and I blinked hard to keep the tears from spilling over. That dress was the most beautiful thing I’d ever owned. My mom must have worked double shifts just to afford it. And he reduced it to something disgusting.

“You asked me to go with you to homecoming three weeks ago,” I whispered, my voice sharp with hurt. My eyes stung, but I refused to cry—not here, not in front of him.

Before he could fire back, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Sounding all sharp and confident. My stomach sank. I didn’t even need to see who it was. The voice confirmed it for me.

“Oh my gosh! Boo!” she rang out.

Even with Adrian’s back blocking the full view, I already knew. It was her. The one person who always managed to make my life harder. She wasn’t just another girl in class—she was the girl who’d made me her personal rival without me getting involved with anything they had to do with her. Not because I wanted it, but because she couldn’t stand that I outshone her in academics. I was one of the top students. She… wasn’t and not even close. And I think that's the only thing that makes her despise me so much.