Julie couldn't focus. Not on the numbers scribbled on the board, nor on Mrs. Thompson's monotonous voice droning on about quadratic equations. Her thoughts kept drifting back to him—Noah's blue eyes, his crooked smile, the way his hair fell just perfectly messy.
She tried to shake it off, tapping her pen against her notebook, but her mind was stubborn. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him leaning against the lockers, his gaze locking with hers. A simple "Hey," and she was undone.
"Julie?" Mrs. Thompson's voice broke through her reverie, sharp and expectant. "Do you have the answer for number seven?"
Her cheeks flushed as a few heads turned her way. She looked down at her empty notebook, realizing she hadn't written a single thing. "Uh… sorry, I… I don't know."
Mrs. Thompson sighed, moving on to another student. Julie sank into her seat, wishing she could disappear. Across the room, she caught a glimpse of Noah. He was leaning back casually, jotting down notes with a focused expression. A tiny smile tugged at her lips.
When the bell finally rang, she practically bolted out of class, desperate to clear her head. But before she could get far, Emma linked her arm through Julie's, dragging her toward their favorite spot by the courtyard. "Alright, spill," Emma demanded, her green eyes glinting with curiosity. "You've been acting weird all day. What's up?"
Julie hesitated, her heart doing that stupid fluttering thing again. "It's… it's nothing."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Liar. Is it a boy?"
Julie's cheeks burned, and Emma's eyes widened. "It is! Who is he? Do I know him?"
Julie bit her lip, her heart pounding. "Noah," she whispered, barely audible. "The new guy."
Emma's mouth dropped open. "Noah Callahan? The blonde hottie from our math class?"
Julie covered her face with her hands, feeling the heat creep all the way to her ears. "Shh! Not so loud!"
Emma laughed, nudging her playfully. "Girl, you've got good taste. He's definitely cute. So… what happened?"
Julie hesitated, replaying the hallway encounter in her mind. "He… he said hi."
Emma stared at her blankly. "That's it? He just said hi?"
Julie nodded, her heart fluttering all over again. "Yeah, but… the way he looked at me…"
Emma sighed, a dreamy look crossing her face. "Oh, you've got it bad." She grinned, looping her arm through Julie's. "Come on, let's get fries. You're gonna need emotional support for this crush."
Julie followed her, laughing despite herself. Maybe Emma was right. Maybe she did have it bad.
But as they walked away, she couldn't help but feel that this was only the beginning.