The next day, Raven found herself back in the school hallways, trying not to think about the janitor who hadn't flinched at her reputation. But fate had a way of forcing encounters she didn't plan.
Leo was there again, sweeping the floor near the lockers she often used to hold secret meetings with her crew.
"Morning," he said without looking up, just like yesterday. His voice was calm, steady—like he belonged in a world where chaos didn't exist.
"Morning," Raven muttered, keeping her eyes on the cracked tiles.
"Need a hand with the graffiti in the east wing?" he asked casually, nodding toward the corridor.
Raven froze. Most boys would have run or stammered, or worse, tried to impress her. Leo simply asked a question. Simple, practical, harmless.
She wanted to scoff, to snap at him, but something in her chest tightened instead. "I… got it," she said quickly, her voice harsher than intended.
He shrugged, keeping his sweeping steady, and that's when Raven realized something strange: she wanted to keep watching him. Not for information. Not for control. Just… watching.
Over the next few days, their paths kept crossing. He never bowed to her power, never flinched at her reputation, and he never tried to get closer than she allowed.
And slowly, Raven discovered a dangerous truth—her carefully constructed walls were crumbling, and the tomboy who hated boys might be falling in love with the janitor who seemed ordinary to everyone else… but not to her.
But love in her world wasn't easy. Rivals were everywhere, and showing weakness could cost more than just pride. It could cost everything.
Raven had a choice—keep her heart locked, or risk it all for something she had never dared to feel before.