Newbie

I was knee-deep in my wardrobe chaos, tossing shirts and hoodies over my shoulder as I tried to decide what to wear.

The first day of senior year. My last year in high school.

Crazy, right?

I already knew what I wanted though — my favorite black hoodie. The one with “Elian” printed across the back in bold white letters, like it had something to prove.

I paired it with ripped-free black jeans, clean sneakers, and my head warmer. All black and red, obviously.

I had a thing for red — not because I thought it made me mysterious or whatever, but because it made everything look put together even when I wasn’t.

I glanced at my phone just as a notification popped up.

Kae: “At the gate. Don’t keep me waiting, starboy.”

Typical. I could practically see that lazy smirk on his face as he texted it.

My stomach did this stupid flip. a mix of nerves and excitement I didn’t want to admit had anything to do with him.

I grabbed my car keys, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed out.

The drive to school felt faster than usual. Maybe because my brain was already there, imagining the crowd, the noise, and, well, him.

When I finally pulled up and spotted him near the gate, I couldn’t help but grin. Kaelin stood there like he owned the place — tall, relaxed, leaning against the wall with his hands shoved into the pocket of his black hoodie.

The cap turned backwards, the baggy jeans, the expression that said I don’t care but I know you’re looking — yeah, that was him.

He looked up when he saw me, and for a split second, his eyes actually lit up.

“You look good,” he said, pushing off the wall and pulling me into a tight hug before I could say anything. “Like, really good. First day glow-up or something?”

It had only been a few weeks since we last saw each other, but that hug felt like forever squeezed into a few seconds.

“Hey— ease up,” I laughed, patting his back, but he didn’t move immediately. When he did, he gave me that once-over look he does — the kind that’s both annoying and… kind of flattering.

“What? Found anything interesting after checking me out?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

He didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah,” he said, his lips curving into that infuriating half-smile. “You’re sexy.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I swear they almost got stuck, but I couldn’t stop the grin tugging at my mouth.

That was Kaelin — shameless, blunt, always knowing how to push just enough to get under my skin.

We walked toward the building, and without even asking, he slung an arm around my shoulders like he owned the space between us.

The hallway buzzed with noise. lockers clanging, sneakers squeaking, laughter bouncing off walls and I could feel people’s eyes on us.

Not that it was new. People had been whispering about us since sophomore year.

I caught a couple of girls glancing our way, one of them biting her lip as she whispered, “He’s totally my type.”

I wasn’t sure if she meant Kaelin or me, but judging by the way her friend’s eyes followed him, I had my answer.

I chuckled under my breath. If Kaelin heard them, he didn’t show it. He never does. He just walks like he’s completely unaware of how magnetic he is.

And somehow, that makes it worse.

Then, out of nowhere, his hand slid down from my shoulder — to my waist.

I turned sharply, ready to ask what the hell he was doing, when he accidentally brushed against me. My brain short-circuited for a second. My body tensed up, heat shooting straight to my face.

“Kae!” I hissed, smacking his hand away.

He just laughed — that quiet, deep laugh that always makes it sound like he’s enjoying a joke I’m not in on.

I could feel eyes on us. One pair, in particular.

When I glanced up, there was a girl standing by the lockers across the hall — new face, definitely.

She looked like she hadn’t figured out whether to be fascinated or intimidated. Her eyes were wide, curious, like she was still learning how to fit into the chaos of this school.

Long wavy hair, light brown eyes that looked like they caught sunlight, and a small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips — she had that soft, fresh kind of beauty that made you stare without realizing it.

Which is exactly what I was doing.

Until Kae caught me.

He let out a quiet chuckle, low enough for only me to hear.

I glared at him — partly because I was embarrassed, partly because he always found it funny when I lost composure.

“What?” he asked, pretending innocence.

“She must be new,” he said, tilting his head toward the girl. His tone had that teasing drawl that made it sound like he was about to start something.

“Don’t,” I warned, grabbing his arm before he could make any comment loud enough for her to hear.

He smirked again, and I knew I’d just made it worse.

So I did the only thing I could — pulled him away down the hallway before he turned it into a scene.

As we walked, I could still feel the faint warmth of where his hand had been on my waist, and it bothered me more than it should’ve.

Kae went back to talking about something random — probably how boring the morning assembly would be. but I barely heard him.

Because no matter how hard I tried to shake it off, my pulse hadn’t quite calmed down yet. It was the way the girl had looked at us.

I shot him a disapproving glare, but he seemed completely unfazed by the embarrassment he’d just stirred in me.

It gnawed at my insides for reasons I couldn’t fully understand.