Kylie 's pov:
The alarm ranged, jolting me out of the half-sleep I'd been floating in for what felt like hours. I rolled over, groaning as the blurry red numbers glared at me—6:30 a.m.
Back to school day. First day of senior year. The big one.
It should be exciting, right? I should've been jumping out of bed, thinking about my back to school look, prom, graduation… all the things girls my age usually had at the top of their minds. But as I lay there, staring at the peeling ceiling, none of that seemed as important as it should have. Maybe it's because, at seventeen, I already felt like life had aged me faster than most of my classmates.
"Kylie! You awake?" My brother's voice echoed from the kitchen. The sound of him clattering dishes told me he'd been up for hours already. He was always up before dawn, heading to the construction site by seven. Foreman. At twenty-three. He had no choice, really.
I tossed the blanket aside and swung my feet over the side of the bed. I sat at the edge of the bed rubbing my eyes and trying to process if I really want to go to school.
It wasn't even a choice but I still thought about it.
The next exercise was to pick an outfit to wear,other girls would have picked out 'back to school outfit' weeks before resumption day.
I don't get why it was such a big deal.
Even Raya ,my best friend was all over my dm last night asking what I was gonna be wearing.
These things really didn't phase me, moreover there wasn't even enough to pay for that kind of lifestyle to start with .
I went to my wardrobe and picked out a blue hoodie,white polo and a black jean pants.
I didn't even think about it,I did this most times.
There wasn't just enough energy and time to spend picking out dresses,my thoughts were always channelled into other things.
I guess I'm just wired differently from other girls.
The mirror across from my bed reflected the face of a girl who had learned too early that life doesn't always go as planned. Dad and Mum have been divorced 2 years before Mum died, he paid for up keep during that two years and 2 more years after Mom passed but fast forward to now,we don't hear from him again like we use to.
And my brother ; well, he'd stepped up.
Life shoved the role of parent down his throat without ever asking for it, dropping out of school, working, paying the bills, making sure I was fed, clothed, sheltered. A part of me admired him for it. But another part? Another part of me felt suffocated.
I slipped into my clothes and tied my hair into a loose ponytail, hoping I could disappear into the crowd of seniors today. Just one more year. I could make it. And maybe just maybeI could make it without thinking about 'him' every five minutes.
'Cole' My brother's best friend. Tall, with that easy smile that made me palpitate every time he walked through the door. He was two years older than my brother, had been coming around since I was sixteen, and from the first moment I saw him, I was hooked. Not that anyone knew, of course. Especially not my brother. He would lose his mind if he ever found out.
But that was the thing about crushes you couldn't control them, and they didn't go away just because you wanted them to.
"Hey,Come on, breakfast's ready!" my brother called again.
I sighed, grabbing my bag and heading out of the room. This year was supposed to be different, right? A fresh start. But the familiar ache in my chest told me otherwise. Because no matter how hard I tried to forget, 'Cole' wasn't someone you just moved on from.
I walked in into the smell of scrambled eggs in the kitchen.
'Hank',my brother,crazy I haven't mentioned his name since.
He was standing next to the stove, already dressed in his boots and a black T-shirt, flipping the eggs like some culinary expert.
"Ready for your big day" he asked as he placed two slices on bread on my plate.
"Uhm,I really don't know. Can't I just stay back??"
I said taking a bite from the scrambled egg on my plate.
" You'll be fine",he replied with a smile that felt almost like a smile.
"Remember to keep your head down and don't let anyone distract you ",he said ,his voice laced with that protective edge ive grown accustomed to.
"Yeah, sure," I replied, forcing a smile. He meant well, but sometimes it felt like he thought I was still a little kid, unaware of how the world worked. If only he knew that my biggest distraction was just a room away.
"Are you nervous?" he asked.
I shrugged, taking a seat at the small kitchen table. "Just a little. It's the last year, you know? Kind of a big deal."
He set a plate in front of me, his expression softening. "You'll do great. Just stay focused."
"Right, focus." I stabbed my fork into the eggs, but my mind was already drifting.
As my mind started to drift, the name Cole, my brother's best friend, popped into my head. And just like that, there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," I said, grateful for the distraction as I walked out of the kitchen.
Talk of the devil—it was him. Cole.
I opened the door, and his towering figure filled the doorway. My breath caught in my throat. Wake up, I scolded myself, forcing my brain back into reality.
His straight face lit up into that signature smile of his, the one that made my heart skip several beats. The kind of smile that revealed his perfect set of teeth, and his blue eyes squinted slightly in the warmth of it.
"Hey Kylie, how've you been? It's been a while," he said casually, pulling me into a side hug. The scent of his cologne hit me, and I could practically feel my pulse quicken. A week, that's all it had been. But to Cole, it might as well have been a year.
I managed to smile, but words? Forget about it. My voice was stuck somewhere deep in my throat. If only he knew the chaos he causes in my stomach.
Before I could gather myself, Hank's voice called from the kitchen, "Hey! Stop coming over here like it's your house! You can sleep in your own place, you know."
Cole laughed, releasing me from the hug. "I know you miss me, Hank. No need to be rude just because you're bad at expressing yourself," he teased, making his way to the kitchen like he owned the place.
"Bro, I've missed our video game sessions! You're always busy," he said, pulling Hank into a hug like they hadn't seen each other in ages, though it had only been a week.
Hank grinned, his mouth full of bread. "Yeah, well, there's been a lot going on. And we still need to catch that soccer match we missed!"
As they launched into their typical banter, my thoughts were racing. Only if Cole knew what happens inside me every time I hear his name.
Hank mentioned something about work being hectic, but I barely heard him. My attention snapped back to Cole, who was now moving to sit right next to me. The moment his body angled toward mine, my breath hitched again.
Panic seized me. Without thinking, I jumped up from my chair so abruptly that I startled both of them.
"Are you okay?" Hank asked, his eyes narrowing in concern.
Cole's hand reached out, his fingers barely brushing the air between us before I blurted, "I—I need to use the bathroom."
I could hear Hank explain, "It's her first day of senior year, you know," as I bolted from the room.
I bolted out of the kitchen and leaned against the bathroom door, trying to catch my breath. Get it together, Kylie, I scolded myself.
When I returned a few minutes later, Hank and Cole were already deep in conversation about some soccer match they were supposed to catch up on. My brother glanced at the clock and groaned.
"Crap, it's later than I thought," Hank muttered, shoveling the last of his food into his mouth. "I'm gonna be late for work."
I shot him a look. "Uh… aren't you forgetting something?"
He frowned, confused for a second before it hit him. "Shoot! I was supposed to drop you off at school!"
I crossed my arms, half-amused but mostly annoyed. "Nice one, Hank. So now what? I'm going to be late on my first day of senior year."
Before Hank could reply, Cole spoke up, his voice calm and easy. "I can drop her off, no problem. I'm headed that way anyway."
My heart stuttered at the offer, and Hank barely hesitated before agreeing. "Yeah, that works. Thanks, man. You're a lifesaver." He grabbed his work gear and slung it over his shoulder, already halfway out the door. "I've gotta run. I'll see you later, Kylie. Don't let anyone mess with you on your first day."
He was out the door before I could say anything, leaving me alone with Cole. Just perfect, I thought sarcastically, though my heart was racing at the thought of being alone with him, even for a short drive.
Cole smiled down at me. "You ready?"
I swallowed hard and nodded, grabbing my bag. "Yeah… let's go."
As I walked toward the school entrance, trying to calm my racing heart, I spotted Raya standing near the front steps, her eyes immediately locking onto me. Her mouth dropped open when she saw who had just dropped me off.
Cole was still sitting in the car, probably checking his phone, and I could almost feel Raya's shock from across the parking lot.
Her eyes widened as she took in his broad shoulders, chiseled jaw, and the way he looked effortlessly cool, even just sitting in a car. She rushed over to me, her eyes flicking back to Cole, and I knew exactly what was coming next.
Before I could say anything, she gasped. "Is he the one?" she whispered, her voice filled with astonishment.
I panicked. The last thing I needed was for her to confirm my biggest secret in broad daylight. Before Cole could notice her gawking, I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the crowd of students, cutting off whatever else she was about to say.
"Shut up, Raya!" I hissed, glancing nervously over my shoulder. Cole's car was pulling away now, but I didn't breathe a sigh of relief until he turned the corner and disappeared from view.
Raya's grin was huge, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh my God. You mean to tell me Hank's best friend—Cole—is the one you've been drooling over all this time?"
"Keep your voice down!" I muttered, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. My cheeks were burning, and I could feel the heat rise all the way to my ears.
She laughed, her excitement completely uncontainable. "Girl, no wonder you've been losing your mind. That boy is... wow."
I couldn't even argue with her. She wasn't wrong. Cole was mind-blowing, and that was exactly the problem.