The New Boy
The first time I saw him, he was standing in the rain.
It was one of those late summer storms that rolled in without warning, turning the sky a bruised purple and sending everyone scrambling for cover. I was sitting by the window in Mrs. Calloway's English class, half-listening to her drone on about *The Great Gatsby* and half-watching the rain streak down the glass. That's when I noticed him.
He was standing at the edge of the football field, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, his white shirt clinging to his skin. He wasn't running for cover like everyone else. He just stood there, his face tilted up toward the sky, as if he didn't even notice the storm.
"Who's that?" I whispered to my best friend, Lily, nudging her with my elbow.
She followed my gaze and shrugged. "No idea. Transfer student, maybe? He's kind of cute, though."
I rolled my eyes. "You think everyone's cute."
"Because everyone *is* cute," she shot back, grinning. "Except for Kyle Jenkins. That guy looks like a potato."
I laughed, but my eyes drifted back to the boy in the rain. There was something about him—something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Maybe it was the way he stood so still, like he was part of the storm itself. Or maybe it was the way the rain seemed to shimmer around him, catching the light in a way that made him look almost… otherworldly.
By the time the bell rang, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the boy was gone. I didn't think much about him for the rest of the day—not until fifth period, when I walked into Mr. Harris's chemistry class and saw him sitting at the lab table in the back.
My heart did a weird little flip, which I immediately blamed on the fact that I'd skipped lunch and was probably low on blood sugar. I slid into my usual seat next to Lily, who was already scribbling notes in her planner.
"Guess who's in our chem class," I whispered, nodding toward the back of the room.
Lily glanced over her shoulder, then turned back to me with raised eyebrows. "Okay, he's *definitely* cute. Like, unfairly cute. Do you think he's single?"
"Lily," I hissed, "we don't even know his name."
"Yet," she said, smirking. "Give me five minutes."
Before I could stop her, she was out of her seat and heading toward the back of the room. I groaned, slumping down in my chair. Lily had no shame when it came to talking to cute guys, which was equal parts impressive and mortifying. I, on the other hand, preferred to admire from a distance. Less chance of embarrassing myself that way.
I watched as she approached the boy, her ponytail swinging confidently. He looked up as she reached his table, his expression unreadable. They exchanged a few words, and then Lily was heading back to our table, a triumphant smile on her face.
"His name's Leo," she announced, sliding back into her seat. "He just moved here from… somewhere. I didn't catch where. But he's in our grade, and he's definitely single."
"Of course you asked," I muttered, shaking my head.
"You're welcome," she said, grinning. "Now go talk to him."
"What? No."
"Why not? He's sitting alone. It's the perfect opportunity."
"I'm not just going to walk up to him and start talking," I said, my voice rising slightly. A few heads turned in our direction, and I quickly lowered it. "That's your thing, not mine."
Lily sighed dramatically. "Maya, you're never going to get a boyfriend if you don't put yourself out there."
"I don't *want* a boyfriend," I said, though the words felt hollow even as I said them. It wasn't that I didn't want a boyfriend—I just didn't want the drama that came with it. High school relationships were messy and complicated, and I had enough on my plate already.
But as I glanced back at Leo, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to talk to him. To hear his voice, to see if his smile matched the rest of him. He was looking down at his notebook now, his brow furrowed in concentration. There was something about the way he focused, like the rest of the world didn't exist, that made my stomach do that weird flip again.
"Fine," I said, before I could talk myself out of it. "I'll talk to him. But if this goes horribly wrong, I'm blaming you."
Lily grinned. "Deal."
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. It was just a conversation. What was the worst that could happen?
As it turned out, the worst was a lot worse than I could have imagined.
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