The bullies

The first thing everyone knew about Oliver Knight was simple:

You don’t look him in the eye.

You don’t cross his path.

And whatever you do… you don’t provoke him.

At Westbridge High, his name carried weight—fear, respect, and whispers. Teachers avoided him. Students stepped aside when he walked past. And the principal? He pretended not to see anything.

Oliver wasn’t alone.

He had his crew—four boys who moved like shadows behind him. Tomos, James, Bucky, and Daniel. Together, they ruled the school like kings no one dared challenge.

They were rich.

They were powerful.

And they were dangerous.

But what nobody really knew… was how they got there.

Years ago, Oliver wasn’t “Oliver Knight, the king of Westbridge.”

He was just a boy nobody wanted.

He had been taken in as a child by a wealthy family after losing his parents. For a while, he thought he had found a home. But everything changed the day his adoptive parents had their own son.

The warmth disappeared.

The smiles became cold.

And Oliver… became a problem.

He was labeled arrogant. Difficult. Ungrateful.

But the truth?

He was just a kid trying not to lose the only place he had.

One night, after a heated argument with his stepbrother, the words that destroyed him were spoken.

“Get out.”

No hesitation.

No second chance.

Just like that… he was gone.

He was thirteen.

The streets didn’t welcome him.

They swallowed him.

That’s where he met them—Tomos, James, Bucky, and Daniel.

Boys just like him.

Broken.

Angry.

Alone.

They didn’t ask questions.

They didn’t judge.

They survived.

Together, they hustled. Fought. Did whatever it took to stay alive. Protected each other when no one else would.

Years passed.

They got smarter.

Stronger.

More dangerous.

And eventually… richer.

By the time they returned to society, they weren’t the same boys the streets had taken in.

They were untouchable.

And now, they were back in school.

Westbridge High had no idea what it had just allowed inside its gates.

---

“Another one?” Tomos smirked as a terrified boy dropped his lunch tray in front of them.

Oliver didn’t even look up.

“Leave it,” he said coldly.

The boy nodded quickly and rushed away.

James chuckled. “Man, this never gets old.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair. “They’re too easy.”

Oliver finally lifted his gaze, his dark eyes scanning the cafeteria.

Fear.

Everywhere.

It bored him.

“Pathetic,” he muttered.

And then—

The doors opened.

At first, no one paid attention.

But then… people started whispering.

Heads turned.

Even Tomos noticed.

“Yo… who’s that?”

Oliver followed his gaze.

And for the first time in a long time…

Something shifted.

She walked in like she didn’t belong to their world.

Calm.

Unbothered.

Untouched by the fear that ruled the school.

Her name was Ariana Blake.

And she had no idea what kind of storm she had just stepped into.

---

Ariana hated attention.

So the moment she noticed the stares, she kept her head down and walked straight to the admin office.

New school. New start.

That’s all she wanted.

No drama.

No trouble.

Definitely no bullies.

Unfortunately…

Westbridge High had Oliver Knight.

---

By lunch, she had already heard enough.

“Stay away from Oliver.”

“He’s dangerous.”

“He ruined someone’s life last semester.”

“Teachers can’t even stop him.”

Ariana rolled her eyes.

Typical.

Every school had that one “untouchable” guy everyone exaggerated about.

She wasn’t impressed.

Not even a little.

---

Her first real encounter with him happened after school.

She was walking toward the gate, texting her cousin, Liam, when someone stepped into her path.

She looked up.

And there he was.

Oliver Knight.

Up close, he was even more intimidating.

Tall.

Sharp features.

Eyes that looked like they had seen too much.

But what stood out the most…

Was the arrogance.

“New girl,” he said, voice low. “You’ve been hearing about me.”

Ariana locked her phone and met his gaze.

“Yeah,” she replied calmly. “A lot of exaggerated stories.”

Tomos let out a quiet “damn.”

Oliver’s expression darkened slightly.

“Exaggerated?” he repeated.

She shrugged.

“You look like every other guy who thinks fear equals power.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

James whispered, “She’s crazy.”

But Ariana didn’t back down.

Oliver stepped closer.

Close enough for her to feel the tension in the air.

“Careful,” he said softly. “You don’t know who you’re talking to.”

Ariana tilted her head slightly.

“And you don’t know who you’re talking to either.”

For a moment…

No one moved.

Then Oliver smirked.

Not amused.

Interested.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

And just like that…

He stepped aside.

“Go,” he said.

Ariana didn’t hesitate.

She walked past him without looking back.

But as she left…

Oliver’s eyes followed her.

And something dangerous began to grow.

Not anger.

Not pride.

Something worse.

Interest.

---

The next day, the entire school knew.

“The new girl stood up to Oliver.”

“She didn’t flinch.”

“She didn’t apologize.”

Ariana didn’t care.

She had more important things to focus on.

Like surviving high school without getting dragged into nonsense.

Too bad…

Oliver Knight had already decided otherwise.

---

“Find out everything about her,” he told his crew.

Tomos raised an eyebrow. “You serious?”

Oliver leaned back, a faint smirk on his lips.

“Yeah,” he said. “I want to know what makes her different.”

Daniel chuckled. “Or maybe you just like her.”

Oliver’s eyes darkened slightly.

“Don’t push it.”

But deep down…

He didn’t deny it.

---

Ariana, on the other hand…

Was already starting to regret everything.

Because no matter where she went…

She could feel it.

His presence.

His attention.

And for the first time since she arrived…

Westbridge High didn’t feel like a fresh start anymore.

It felt like a trap.