When I woke up Monday morning, I figured it would be like any other Monday.

Spend way too much time picking out an outfit, putting on makeup, and straightening my hair.

Sit in Lindsay, Rachel, or Sean's car in the parking lot, listening to music and chatting until the bell rang.

Attempt to understand what was happening in first period Calculus with Brian.

Mess around with Sean in second period Spanish.

Struggle through third period Anatomy with Rachel, who was especially bitter and unpleasant Monday mornings. I was thankful, at least, I had one of my best friends in my science class to always be my lab partner. I had no one in Chemistry last year and I was consistently harassed by guys to work together, on top of other crude comments. I ended up partnering with some quiet guy. I can't even remember his name now. He probably can't remember mine. But he was a life savior at the time.

Want to die in fourth period English Lit with Allegra George, a junior girl who's annoying as fuck but is in the popular crowd making us automatically "friends," and, unfortunately, Spencer. I spent most of my time trying to avoid talking to him, which surprisingly wasn't hard because Allegra wanted to flirt with him every second she got a chance.

Lunch was often spent eating with Lindsay and Rachel in Lindsay's Lexus and then hanging out and socializing in the parking lot.

Fifth period was PE. As upperclassmen, we had our choice of elective. I chose a PhysEd—a class for, I shit you not, Speed Walking. I knew it would be a joke. This class by far had the most people I typically hung out with. There was Rory Prescott and a well-liked junior Lauren Clarke—the three of us stuck together. The guys consisted of seniors Landon Bishop, Blake Adams, and Kevin Morton, and a junior named Zach Hudson.

My day finished with World History. I had zero friends in that class and so far it was the subject I was doing best in. Funny how that works.

This Monday, however, was different.

I did spend way too much time picking out an outfit, putting on makeup, and straightening my hair. I sat in Rachel's Range Rover with Lindsay and we talked until the first morning bell rang. I helped Brian in first period Calc, and then made my way to Spanish.

I always sat at the very back of the classroom. I'd gotten to class before Sean, so I pulled out my phone. Spencer had texted me asking if we had any Lit homework due. I responded that we didn't just as Sean slid into the desk next to me.

"Who're you texting," he asked.

"Your mom," I replied without hesitation, setting my phone face down on my desk.

"You know, the sad thing is I actually wouldn't be surprised."

"You shouldn't be, because it's the truth."

Before I could counteract, Sean snatched my phone off my desk and opened it to my text messages. When I leaned over to grab it, he put his large hand flat on my face and pushed me.

I immediately pulled back, worried that he may have smudged my eyeliner or mascara. I ran my fingers around my eyes and was grateful when they came up clean. Ass.

"Ohhh, it's your boyfriend asking about homework," Sean teased as he placed my phone back on my desk.

"You mean my hook up, which, if my calculations are correct, you haven't had in, like, three months now," I shot back.

Sean's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he quickly masked it with a forced laugh. "At least I care about who I sleep with."

My jaw unhinged slightly and I felt an initial pang in my gut, but I was able to brush it off. This was the kind of back and forth between me and Sean. And I started it by pointing out his dry spell. Fair is fair; he had every right to make a jab back at me.

Plus, it wasn't like this was the first time I'd been called a slut.

Still, his chestnut eyes softened, like he knew he had maybe gone a little too far. I immediately smiled at him though and flipped my hair dramatically. "At least I get some."

We dropped the subject as Jamie Prescott, Rory's little sister, sat down in the desk next to me. This was our usual seating arrangement.

Unlike Rory, Jamie was sweet, a little quiet, and we got along well enough.

"Hey, girl," I said to Jamie as she rummaged through her backpack. She just smiled as Sean greeted her as well. "How was your weekend?"

"It was pretty good. Were you guys at Blake's on Saturday?"

"Nah," I shook my head, answering for both me and Sean. "We went to Landon's on Friday though."

"I just missed you then," she responded, gently setting her binder on her desk. "I stayed in Friday. I heard it got pretty big though."

"It was crazy," Sean said, leaning over to get closer, so far that his elbows spilled onto my desk. "I guess that's not too surprising though."

Jamie laughed quietly. "Not at all."

I childishly swiped Sean's elbows off my desk. He slumped back into his plastic chair and muttered, "So aggressive."

I scoffed playfully and opened my mouth to banter back, but my inhale lingered in the back of my throat. Words suddenly seemed impossible.

Brown hair was the first thing I saw, but I knew who it was specifically when I saw the length, the way it swooped gently to the side. His slim, but defined build.

The chance of him walking through that door was small. Our senior class was almost 400 kids, so I had written off the possibility that he would be in one of my classes.

Yet there he was.

He didn't stop when he walked in. He went straight to Señora Alfonso's desk with an impressive confidence in his step. He and Alfonso exchanged words, although I couldn't hear as more students had filtered in and the level of noise has risen.

I was fine with that though. Looking at him was more than enough. His steady eyes, defined chin...that jawline.

"Allie!"

Sean's mouth was right next to my head and I jumped, a squeak escaping my mouth.

Anger boiled within me, even though I knew it was unjustified. Yeah, he yelled in my ear, but he'd done worse. Like throwing me in his pool while I was fully clothed with my cellphone in my pocket. Or when he'd recorded a video of me asleep on his couch snoring—loudly—and posted it on his Instagram story. I got teased for weeks with that one.

I opened my mouth but couldn't seem to get a word out. All my mind could focus on was how it wanted to be watching Tyler instead.

"Jesus," Sean said, leaning back. "Did you just spontaneously go deaf for a second?"

I rolled my eyes and sneered, "You didn't have to yell in my ear."

"I said your name like five times, I didn't really have a choice," he responded, with the mocking tone.

"Really?" I felt a little bad now. I hadn't heard him say a word...

"Really," he said and flicked my forehead.

I scowled. "Do not flick—"

"Clase, silenco! Puedo tener tu atencion, por favor," Señora Alfonso called out.

Tyler was no longer standing at the front and I found my heart rate spike as I scanned the classroom. Did he leave?

It eased back into its usual rhythm when I spotted him in a seat about four desks away, two rows over. Not like I was counting or anything.

"What did she say?" Sean whispered.

"You tell me, dipshit," I muttered.

"Tenemos un nuevo estudiante!" I was grateful when she continued in English and gestured to Tyler. "This is Tyler. Today is his first day so let's welcome him, okay?"

I couldn't see his face, but just from his body language—his spine ramrod straight and shoulders slightly hunched—I could tell that he was tense.

Alfonso jumped into today's lesson. I could barely pay any attention though. My periphery was focused on Tyler all of second period. And I wasn't the only one. I looked around multiple times during class and noticed quite a few girls eyeing him as well.

He took diligent notes the whole time. About halfway through, I pulled my phone out underneath my desk and texted Lindsay:

To: Lindsay

Guess who's in my Spanish class...

She texted me back almost immediately.

From: Lindsay

GET OUT. I'm so fucking jealous rn. Is he still as hot as he was yesterday morning?

To: Lindsay

Ok he's not THAT hot.

From: Lindsay

Lies. Are you going to talk to him?

To: Lindsay

I don't know, maybe. I feel kinda awkward after yesterday.

From: Lindsay

Ok now you're starting to scare me. Yesterday you were embarrassed. Today you feel awkward. What's going on with you?

I was about to text Lindsay back when I felt a pair of eyes on me.

Looking up, I saw Señora Alfonso glaring. I quickly slid my phone under my thigh, hoping maybe I'd been slick enough for her to look past it.

I wasn't so lucky. She marched through the aisle between desks, right up to me. "Señorita Carson," she said pointedly.

"Si, Señora," I answered her with the most innocent smile I could muster.

"Tu celular, por favor." She extended her hand out to me expectantly.

"No lo tengo," I responded simply. Her eyes narrowed, clearly not appreciating my defiance. A few snickers echoed throughout the classroom at my response.

"Allie," she warned, her voice shifting enough for me to know the smart thing to do at this point was to hand it over. 

I pulled my phone out from under my thigh and placed it in her open palm. She whipped around and headed back to her desk, continuing her lecture cheerfully like nothing happened. I watched as she discarded my phone into her desk drawer.

"Not even 10am and you already got your phone taken," Sean spoke from the corner of his mouth. "Impressive."

"Shut up," I grumbled, slumping down in my desk chair.

I heard him chuckle deep in his throat and I picked up my pen, attempting to listen to whatever Señora Alfonso was now blabbing about.

That didn't last long. I found my gaze back on Tyler again.

He looked uncomfortable in his seat, taking notes quickly like his life depended on writing down every word Alfonso said. He seemed anxious, fidgeting every now and then. At one point, I watched him sigh—I couldn't hear it, but his chest rose and fell more profoundly than his other breaths.

He sat back in his chair, his shoulders squared while his jaw twitched. His back tensed and I knew he was getting that feeling that someone was watching him.

I turned away before he could catch me, yet my cheeks still flushed. What was I doing staring at him like a fucking creep?

I cracked my wrists in my lap, trying to shake the fact that even though he didn't catch me, I still felt embarrassed. Because I caught myself.

The bell rang, indicating that second period was over. Everyone quickly stuffed their belongings into their backpacks and began to file out.

I was still packing when Sean zipped up his backpack and asked, "Ready?"

We usually walked to third period together. We were going to the same area since we both had a science class. I was in Anatomy, but he was in AP Environmental Science because he was surprisingly smart—at Science, at least. Languages, including English, not so much. 

My bag was practically packed other than my pen case, but I smiled lightly at him. "You go ahead. I'm going to try to get my phone back."

Sean chuckled and raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks," I grunted, preparing myself to sweet talk Señora Alfonso.

I purposefully took my time zipping up my pen case and placing it meticulously in my backpack. I was trying to make sure everyone was gone so I had a few minutes alone with Alfonso.

The last student in the room was Tyler, frantically reorganizing all the sheets Señora had given him to catch up on.

I smirked, running my hands through my hair to make sure it was placed perfectly over my shoulders, before walking right up to his desk.

"Need help?" I asked, my tone more condescending than I intended.

"I'm good," he said without a single glance in my direction. I noticed how he had stopped organizing and just started shoving his papers into his bag.

I placed one hand on his desk and leaned forward, drumming my long, French manicured nails on the lacquered wood. For the first time since I walked over, he stopped what he was doing. Still, his eyes never met mine.

"I don't even get a 'thank you' for offering?"

He shoved the last paper he had been holding into his backpack and stood suddenly, forcing me to retreat my hand from his desk and back up. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I could feel my lips twitching.

His hazel eyes were dark and his scowl made my whole body clench with slight alarm. His look of annoyance was verging on outrage. 

"I'm assuming you're used to always being treated like a princess," he said lowly, and the way he said princess made it sound rotten. "But just so you know, most people don't expect acknowledgement for simply being a decent person."

With that, he walked out of the classroom.

What the actual fuck.

Princess? Decent?

I had to shut my eyes to remind myself what I said exactly. What did I say that was wrong?

Nothing. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.

I had done what I always did. I was flirty, playful, maybe walking the line between teasing and taunting. But it never got a bad reaction.

At least, not a reaction like that.

I'd never had a guy speak to me like that. In that tone of voice. Normally it was my voice, my words, they were hanging off of.

Yet here I was, hanging off of his.

Princess. Decent person.

I scoffed, almost laughed.

That fucker. I may not be perfect, but he was irrelevant. He was lucky I ever even spoke to him at all.

Now I was pissed.

But first, I needed to get my phone back. I walked to Señora's desk. The look of displeasure on her face when she saw me was not promising.

"Lo siento, Señora," I started. "Yo—"

"That's enough," she said, her tone flat. "You can get your phone at the end of the day."

"The end of the day?" I yelped. "But I—"

"This isn't the first time you've been on your phone during class," she cut me off. "You don't think I see. But I do."

I tried my puppy dog eyes one last time. "Señora—"

"After school, Allie," she barked in a voice that made it clear this conversation was over.

I huffed, before turning on my heel and exiting her classroom.

I ended up being two minutes late to Anatomy.

"Everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, fine," I muttered back as I opened my textbook and snuck a glance at hers to figure out what page we were on. "We'll talk at lunch."

After Anatomy was English, which I had been dreading since the moment I woke up this morning. I was going to have to face Spencer, which was never particularly pleasant, but especially after what happened Friday night, I was not looking forward to it. I'd also ignored every one of his texts all weekend—so that didn't help.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for an awkward fifty minutes, before stepping into the classroom.

I made it only three steps before I stopped dead in my tracks.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

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A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed!! Don't forget to vote and comment!