The schoolyard was a loud, chaotic place, filled with children running in every direction, screaming and laughing as they played. But Liam Foster stood at the edge, alone, watching the other kids with an expression that was far too serious for someone his age.

His backpack hung off his shoulder, and his small hands clutched the straps tightly as he scanned the playground, looking for the safest, least chaotic corner. He didn't like chaos. He never had. It made him anxious, and with his strict parents constantly drilling the importance of responsibility into him, playing felt like a waste of time. He didn't need friends. He just needed to get through school, go home, and avoid causing any trouble.

And then, out of nowhere, she appeared.

Lily Davenport.

She was running across the yard, her bright blonde hair trailing behind her like a flag in the wind, a wide grin plastered across her face. She was laughing, loud and carefree, not paying attention to where she was going.

And then she crashed right into him.

"Oof!" she exclaimed as they both stumbled back. "Sorry about that!"

Liam blinked, disoriented. He had been minding his own business, standing quietly by the fence, when this whirlwind of energy suddenly knocked him off balance. When he looked up, the girl was standing there, smiling as if nothing had happened.

"You should be more careful," Liam said, brushing the dust off his pants with a frown.

But Lily didn't seem fazed by his irritation. She tilted her head to the side, her bright blue eyes studying him with curiosity. "I've never seen you around before. Are you new?"

Liam hesitated, his natural instinct to avoid unnecessary conversations kicking in. "Yeah."

"Well, I'm Lily! What's your name?"

"Liam," he muttered, wishing she'd leave him alone already.

Lily beamed at him, completely ignoring his discomfort. "Liam! I like that name. You look like a Liam."

He didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but before he could respond, Lily grabbed his hand and tugged him along. "Come on! Let's play!"

"I don't want to play," Liam protested, trying to pull his hand back, but Lily's grip was surprisingly strong for someone so small.

"Nonsense!" she chirped. "Everyone plays. Even you!"

And that was how it began. One moment, Liam was standing alone, perfectly content to watch the world from a distance, and the next, he was being dragged into a game of tag by a girl who barely knew him. She ran ahead of him, laughing, and Liam—against his better judgment—found himself running after her.

From that day on, Lily never left him alone.

Years Later...

By the time they reached middle school, Liam and Lily had become inseparable, though no one could quite understand why. They were complete opposites in every way—Liam, quiet and serious, and Lily, a free spirit who did whatever came to mind.

"Come on, Liam! You're such a bore!" Lily teased as she poked him with her pencil during class.

Liam shot her an unamused look. "Some of us actually want to pass this class, Lily."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "We're kids! We're supposed to have fun. You're acting like a little old man."

Liam sighed, glancing over at her notes—or rather, the doodles covering what should've been her notes. As usual, she wasn't paying attention to the lesson, and as usual, he knew he'd be helping her with homework later.

"Do you even know what subject we're in?" he asked dryly.

Lily blinked. "Uh... History?"

Liam shook his head. "Math."

"Whatever. It's all numbers and dates," she shrugged, as though that made any sense at all. But that was Lily—nothing seemed to bother her.

Outside of school, things were the same. Whenever Lily got herself into trouble—which she did often, given how trusting and impulsive she was—Liam was always there to pull her out of it. The world saw Lily as an airheaded rich girl, a magnet for people who wanted to take advantage of her wealth and kindness. But Liam saw her differently. Beneath her carefree nature was someone who just wanted to belong, who wasn't sure how to handle the attention her family's money brought.

One afternoon, after school, they were walking home together as usual. Lily was chattering away about the latest gossip, completely unaware of how the boys in their class tried to charm her just to get close to her rich family. Liam, on the other hand, had picked up on every subtle hint of manipulation.

"You know, Joe isn't really interested in you," Liam said, cutting off her excited rambling.

Lily blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean? He said he likes me."

"He likes your dad's money," Liam corrected. "He's only hanging around because of that."

Lily frowned, her brow furrowing. "That's not true! Joe's nice!"

"He's nice because he wants something from you."

Lily's face fell slightly, and for a brief moment, she looked lost. But then, as quickly as the sadness appeared, it was gone, replaced with her usual cheerful grin. "Whatever! I don't care what he wants. I'm going to have fun, no matter what."

Liam watched her carefully, knowing she was brushing off the truth like she always did. But he also knew she needed someone to protect her from people like Joe—someone who wouldn't take advantage of her the way others did.

And for some reason, Liam had decided that person had to be him.