---
AMARA'S POV
I marched into school like a soldier who'd already accepted her fate.
New day.
New humiliation waiting.
New idiots breathing.
New reasons to curse Zayden Hale's entire lineage.
I pushed open the classroom door with the confidence of someone who actually slept (I did not).
Section E.
Ah yes.
The jungle.
I stepped inside, keeping my head high… and class goes on amd surprisingly without chaos
Then bell rang
LUNCH TIME
and then I
immediately regretted it.
Kiro and Maze — two gremlins disguised as teenage boys — were whispering to each other with faces that screamed: up to no good.
I sat down, opened my lunchbox, and—
FWIP.
My sandwich literally flew out of my hand.
"HEY!" I yelled.
Maze held it up like a trophy.
Kiro danced around him like he'd just won the Olympics.
"Give. It. BACK!"
"Noooo," Kiro sang, running across the class.
"Why??" I snapped, my voice hitting octaves only dogs could hear.
Maze shrugged. "You're new. This is tax."
"TAX?!"
I stood up so fast my chair almost died.
I grabbed a snack packet instead.
FWIP (part 2).
Maze snatched that too.
I gasped.
Loudly.
Dramatically.
"I HOPE YOU BOTH GET DIARRHEA."
Every guy in class:
"OHHHHHH—"
Maze cackled. "Catch us then!"
And they ran.
And obviously, I chased.
Because dignity? Never heard of her.
---
NOAH SORRENTINO — POV
I pushed open the Section E door with my usual slow, lazy stride — like life was a playlist and mine was stuck on chill mode.
The boys spotted me and screamed like fangirls.
"NOAHHHH!"
"AYO HE'S BACK!"
"BRO MISSED YOU!"
I smirked and fist-bumped my way to the front.
Then I saw Zayden.
He stood up with that half-annoyed-half-relieved face he only ever directed at me.
We hugged — quick, solid, back-slap style.
Boys cheered like we were some K-pop duo reunion.
And then—
I noticed chaos.
A girl — soaked hair, angry energy, murder eyes — chasing two idiots around the room while they carried her lunch like stolen treasure.
I blinked.
"What… is that?"
Zayden sighed like he'd aged ten years overnight.
"That," he muttered, "is Amara Reyes."
Hmm.
Cute name.
Chaotic energy.
I leaned on a desk and watched her sprint like her GPA depended on it.
She nearly tripped over a chair.
Kiro screamed.
Maze screamed louder.
This was… entertaining.
"I leave for one weekend," I said slowly, "and you adopt a problem."
Zayden's jaw ticked.
"I didn't adopt anything."
"Mm," I hummed, "but she didn't leave."
He glared.
"She WILL leave."
I smirked.
"You've been sneezing all morning."
"Shut up."
I laughed under my breath.
This year… was going to be fun.
---
ZAYDEN — POV
Noah had that look.
The one that said: your life is a TV show and I'm enjoying the episode.
I hated that look.
"She's still here," he teased, nudging me.
"Unfortunately."
"You look stressed."
"I'm FINE."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Your punching bag died."
"That was unrelated."
Sure.
"Bro, she literally drenched you yesterday," Noah added.
"I SAID unrelated."
He smirked again.
I refused to look at her.
But my eyes…
Traitors.
Absolute traitors.
I glanced.
And immediately regretted it.
There she was — chasing Kiro and Maze, hair flying everywhere, yelling threats that made half the class wheeze.
She was a mess.
A dramatic, loud, chaotic mess.
My eyebrow twitched.
"She's going to ruin the class," I muttered.
"Or make it interesting," Noah said.
"She's leaving," I said firmly.
Noah shrugged. "We'll see."
I glared at him.
Then at her.
Then sneezed.
Noah snorted.
I hated EVERYTHING.
---
AMARA'S POV
Kiro ducked under a table.
Maze jumped over a bench.
I chased them with a rage level only siblings usually unlocked.
"GIVE ME MY LUNCH!"
"Never!"
"You gremlins!"
"I'm offended," Maze yelled, "we're more like goblins!"
"I HOPE YOUR WIFI DIES FOREVER!"
The class gasped.
That was apparently the worst curse of all.
I lunged — almost caught Kiro — but he dodged like a slippery eel.
And then—
I froze.
Because two pairs of eyes were watching me.
Zayden Hale.
And someone new.
Tall.
Sharp jaw.
Mischievous smirk.
Dimples that looked illegal.
Hair pushed back like he walked off a magazine cover.
I blinked.
He blinked.
I blinked again.
Instant conclusion:
Zayden got himself a sidekick.
A tall, smirky, probably-annoying sidekick.
My brain named him instantly:
"Mr. Gel-Hair."
(That was the first thing I noticed. Sorry not sorry.)
They were staring at me like:
Ah. The circus is performing again.
I glared at them while running, which made me crash into a table.
Graceful?
Never claimed it.
Zayden muttered something to Mr. Gel-Hair.
Probably plotting how to give me more migraines.
"Idiots," I hissed under my breath.
I kept running, because I was NOT going to let my lunch be stolen.
NO ONE steals my food.
I leaped over a bench, slipped, yelled, caught the edge of a table, and got back up like nothing happened.
The boys laughed.
Zayden didn't.
He just watched me.
Not amused.
Not impressed.
Just… analyzing.
Judging.
Like always.
I rolled my eyes at him mid-run.
Mr. Gel-Hair snorted.
The disrespect.
Absolutely uncalled for.
"I HOPE YOU BOTH STEP ON A LEGO," I shouted toward them as I sprinted after the gremlins again.
Both lifted their eyebrows.
Yes, I threatened them.
Yes, I was starving.
Yes, this was life in Section E.
And no.
I wasn't leaving.