Intro. Blue never meant to notice her.
At least, that’s the lie he tells himself every morning.
But there she is again—walking into Crestwood High like she owns the hallway, sunlight hitting her hair just right, laughing at something her best friend said. That guy. The one Blue pretends not to glare at. The one who stands too close to her. The one who doesn’t deserve to.
Blue leans against his locker, arms crossed, looking bored to anyone who doesn’t know him. Inside, he’s a wildfire. His jaw flexes. His stomach twists. And when her eyes flick across the hallway, just barely catching his for half a second, something in him tightens like he’s been hooked.
She looks away first. She always does.
It pisses him off.
It fascinates him.
It keeps him alive.
Everyone thinks Blue hates her—they’ve seen the arguments, the snarky comments, the way he steps into her space to get a reaction. She’s the one person he can’t intimidate, can’t read, can’t push away. His enemy on paper, his obsession in