Sebastian Hale transferred to our school

Shirley POV

After the intense game on Saturday night, Brad had cornered me again near the parking lot. His ego was bruised from the loss, but his confidence clearly wasn’t. He’d asked me, more like demanded, to come with him to the after-party.

“No,” I’d said flatly, meeting his eyes without flinching. I wasn’t someone easy to get. Not anymore.

The flash of irritation and surprise on his face had given me way more satisfaction than it probably should have. He wasn’t used to hearing “no,” especially from girls.

Now it was Monday morning, my first real Monday at Hawthorne High, and I’d decided to show up looking like I owned the place. I wore my cutest outfit: a flowy pastel dress that hugged in all the right places, paired with light makeup and my favorite sneakers for that effortless-cute vibe. The school was already buzzing when I arrived. The hallways were crowded with students laughing, slamming lockers, and complaining about hangovers from the weekend parties.

The party had apparently been a blast. I’d checked Stacey’s I*******m stories out of curiosity the night before, lots of dancing, drinks, and chaos, but no sign of Brad. Interesting. He hadn’t posted anything either. My conclusion? He’d been sulking somewhere after the loss. Or maybe licking his wounds in private.

Kayla spotted me and walked over with her usual bright energy. I smiled in greeting, but her expression quickly turned serious.

“Did you do anything wrong?” she asked, lowering her voice.

My heart skipped a beat. What do you mean, did I do anything wrong? I didn’t. I didn’t. My mind immediately went into overdrive, replaying every interaction from the past week.

“No, I didn’t,” I replied, maybe a little too quickly. “Why?”

Kayla shrugged. “Okay, good. Because the principal is looking for you. Like, first thing this morning.”

I blinked in shock. “What did you say?”

“Principal Hargrove is looking for you. He said it’s important and that you should go straight to his office when you get in.”

Oh shoot. I was in big trouble. And I had no idea why. My stomach twisted into knots. I covered my face with my hands for a second, groaning internally. What could I have possibly done already? It was only my second week here.

I smacked my lips, forced a bright smile, and straightened my shoulders. “On my way, then.”

I walked down the hallway toward the principal’s office, trying to look more confident than I felt. My heart hammered the entire way. When I reached the door, I took a deep breath and knocked three times.

“Come in,” a familiar voice called from inside.

I opened the door and stepped in.

Sitting across from Principal Hargrove was a ridiculously hot guy with dark, slightly tousled hair and striking dark green eyes. I recognized him instantly. Sebastian Hale. Westfield’s captain. The one who had dismantled Hawthorne’s offense on Friday night and smiled at me afterward like he actually saw me.

He looked back at me, and for a moment, his captivating eyes locked onto mine. They were mesmerizing, like a wormhole sucking me in, pulling at something deep in my chest. My mouth went dry. I swallowed hard and mentally slapped myself out of the trance. Get it together, Shirley. This is so fucking embarrassing.

Principal Hargrove must have noticed the spark between us because he clapped his hands once, sharp and loud, snapping both of us back to reality.

“Ms. Patterson, perfect timing,” he said warmly. “This is Mr. Hale. He’ll be our new transfer student starting today.

I recovered quickly and offered a polite smile.

“Hi, I’m Shirley,” I said, introducing myself.

He gave me a brief, cold nod in response. Narcissist much? I muttered in my head. Just because you’re hot and talented doesn’t mean you have to act like the king of the school almost reminds me of Brad.

I turned quickly to Principal Hargrove, my nerves getting the best of me. “Mr. Principal… you called me here. I didn’t do anything wrong, right? I’m innocent! I didn’t get into any fights. I didn’t participate in any underage drinking. I definitely did not shag anyone in the toilets. Anything that could offend the great name of Hawthorne. So… why am I here, sir?”

The words tumbled out in a nervous rush. I could feel my cheeks burning.

Principal Hargrove raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. Sebastian, to his credit, looked like he was fighting back a small smile. The principal leaned back in his chair and chuckled.

“Calm down, girl. You’re not here because of any offense,” he said, waving a hand. “Quite the opposite, actually. I want you to help our new champ over here.”

He pointed toward Sebastian, who shifted slightly in his seat.

I blinked. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” Principal Hargrove nodded. “You transferred here recently yourself, but I looked at your previous academic records. They’re on par with our top students. And since you haven’t joined any clubs or extracurricular activities yet, you have the time, the brains, and the perfect availability for this. I want you to tutor Mr. Sebastian Hale.”

Tutor him?

I glanced at Sebastian again. He was watching me now with those intense green eyes, his expression more neutral than cold this time. The idea of spending one-on-one time with Brad’s rival, sent a strange mix of anxiety and excitement through me.

“Tutoring?” I repeated, trying to process it. “As in… regular sessions? Homework, tests, the whole thing?”

“Exactly,” the principal confirmed. “Sebastian’s transfer was sudden, and we want to make sure he integrates smoothly, academically and otherwise. You’ll be compensated through the student mentor program, of course. Think of it as a leadership opportunity.” I didn’t know what to say, I couldn’t say no, so I feigned a smile instead and turned to him, "Hehe, it seems I'm your tutor then"