Chapter 38

When the homeroom teacher walked in, the classroom was buzzing. The boys were in the middle of a loud debate about the new girl everyone had heard about, arguing over just how pretty she might be.
Then, the door opened wider, and Charlotte stepped in behind the teacher. Instantly, the whole room seemed to freeze. You could almost hear the collective gasp from
the boys.
No way. The new beauty is actually in our class?
The boys all stared, eyes wide and shining, like they’d just won the lottery. Even the girls found themselves staring at Charlotte, unable to look away.
She was tall, slim, with flawless skin and that kind of effortless beauty that made it hard to look anywhere else. Every feature that girls usually envied, she had. Just a minute ago, the girls had been rolling their eyes at the boys, thinking they were being dramatic. Now, seeing Charlotte in person, they had to admit she really was
that pretty.
Parrish’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He leaned over to Andrew with a cheeky grin. “Hey, you into her?”
Andrew was slouched against the wall, looking half-asleep, but his eyes were glued to Charlotte. At Parrish’s question, he snapped out of it and tried to play it cool. “She’s alright. Not bad, I guess.”
Charlotte stood perfectly straight. Her face was calm, her big eyes clear and bright. She looked sweet and polite, but there was something about her that warned people not to get too close.
“Hi, everyone. I’m Charlotte,” she said, her voice clear and calm.
The homeroom teacher, Eleanor, smiled at her. “Charlotte, the only seat left is at the back. Is that alright?”
Charlotte nodded, not bothered at all. She picked up her things and headed to the empty seat in the last row. She tossed her bag into the desk drawer without a second thought. As she sat down, her gaze drifted to the boy next to her, or more specifically, to the name tag on his shirt.
Andrew Blair.
Charlotte raised her eyebrows, her eyes lingering on him a little longer than she meant to.
Parrish nudged Andrew again, whispering, “See? Even the new girl can’t resist you.”
Andrew was kind of a big deal around here. He had that bad boy reputation, a powerful family, and a face that made girls swoon. He scoffed, adjusting his collar like he didn’t care. “You really think I’m that easy? Doesn’t matter if she makes the first move. I only care if I’m interested.”
He tried to act like he wasn’t bothered, but a second later, he couldn’t help sneaking another look at Charlotte.
After the last class ended, Charlotte was already on the move, phone pressed to her ear as she walked out. “The bike’s parked next to Vanguard. The keys are on it, she said quietly.
“Okay, got it.”
She hung up and was about to keep walking when a hand suddenly blocked her path. Charlotte looked up, a little surprised.
Parrish was standing in front of her, grinning. Behind him, Andrew lounged in his chair, chewing gum and watching her with a lazy smirk.
“Hey, new girl,” Andrew called out. “I’m free today. Want a tour of the school?”
Charlotte’s expression didn’t change. “No thanks,” she said, her tone cool as ice. Parrish burst out laughing. “Did you just get rejected, Andrew?”
It was rare for Andrew to actually make the first move, and he’d just been shot down without a second thought.
“If people find out about this, your reputation’s toast, man.”
Andrew’s smile faltered. He got up and stepped closer to Charlotte. “What, playing hard to get?” he said, drawing out each word.
Before he could finish, Charlotte brushed past him, her face unreadable, not bothering to look back. She was gone.
Andrew stood there, speechless.
Parrish couldn’t hold in his laughter. “Looks like you got ahead of yourself, Andrew.”
Andrew glared at him and aimed a halfhearted kick his way. “She’s just playing hard to get. Trust me, she’ll come running to me before the week’s over.”
Parrish just nodded, trying not to laugh again.
Rumor had it Charlotte had helped the shy kid from Class A earlier, which basically meant she’d already pissed off the bullies in that class Once they started messing with her, she’d have no choice but to come looking for Andrew for help. Or at least, that’s what he told himself.