Chapter 1

Jacqueline

I pulled open my locker and reached inside for my physics textbook.

“Come on… where did I put you?”

I moved my chemistry notebook aside, then my calculator, then the bag of gummy bears I’d been looking for since Monday.

Still no physics book. Great.

The morning hallway buzzed with conversations, laughter, and the occasional locker slamming shut.

Then, almost instantly, the atmosphere shifted.

Someone squealed.

“Oh my God… he’s coming.”

“I swear he’s even hotter today.”

“Do you think he’ll look this way?”

The excited whispers spread through the hallway like wildfire.

I didn’t need to ask who he was.

There was only one person who could cause this much chaos without saying a single word.

My heart skipped.

No. Not now.

Instinctively, I glanced down the hallway.

There he was.

Walking toward our corridor with two friends, his backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, completely unaware that half the female population of Westbridge Academy had forgotten how to breathe.

Girls straightened their skirts.

Some hurriedly fixed their hair using their phone screens.

Others pretended to be having interesting conversations, secretly hoping he’d look their way.

He never did.

Me? I did the exact opposite.

“Oh no…”

Before he could get any closer, I quickly stepped behind my open locker door, hoping the metal would hide me from view.

Bang!

The edge of the locker door smacked straight into my forehead

“Ow…”

I clamped both hands over my mouth to stop myself from yelping.

My glasses slipped down my nose. Perfect, just perfect

A few nearby students glanced in my direction.

I immediately lowered my head, pretending to be very interested in whatever was inside my locker.

Please…just keep walking. Please don’t look this way. Please don’t—

The footsteps passed.

Only then did I slowly peek around the edge of the locker door

He had already walked past.

“He didn’t see me…”

A tiny smile spread across my face. “Thank goodness.”

I quickly pushed my glasses back into place

“Embarrassing myself in front of the most popular boy in school would have been enough to make me transfer schools.” I muttered

Then again…he probably didn’t even know I existed.

For some reason…that thought hurt even more.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

I closed my locker and adjusted the strap of my backpack over my shoulder.

“Jacqueline!”

I smiled despite myself. Only one person called my name with that much enthusiasm.

“You almost gave yourself a concussion again, didn’t you?”

I turned lazily

Claire stood there, trying—and failing—to hide her laughter.

“I did not.”

She tilted her head. “Really? Then what’s that?”

She pointed to my forehead.

My hand immediately flew to the sore spot. “…Nothing.”

“That’s a bump.”

“There isn’t.”

“There is.”

“There isn’t.”

“There is.”

I sighed dramatically. “You’re a terrible friend.”

“And you’re a terrible liar.”

She linked her arm through mine as we started walking toward class.

“So…”

I already knew that tone.

“…how many times have you updated it this week?”

I blinked innocently. “Updated what?”

She gave me a look. “Jacqueline.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your file.” She kept talking “The one where you’ve practically documented his entire existence.”

I looked away.

She let out a dramatic sigh. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I prefer… dedicated.”

“You prefer obsessed.”

“I prefer prepared.”

She laughed so loudly that a few students turned to look at us.

“I swear, if the FBI ever needs information on that boy, they’ll just ask you.”

“I am not that bad.”

“Oh really?”

She began counting on her fingers. “You know his birthday.”

I stayed silent.

“His favorite color.”

Still silent.

“His shoe size.”

“…That one was an accident.”

“His football schedule.”

I ignored her.

“His coffee order.”

I kept walking.

“The route he walks to school.”

I pretended not to hear her.

“The songs on his playlist.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “When you list it like that…”

“When I list it like that, you sound like a stalker.”

“I am not a stalker!”

“You have a color-coded spreadsheet.”

I continue walking

“And a diary.”

I focused very hard on the hallway ahead.

“And three photo albums.”

I covered my face. “Claire…”

“What?”

“People can hear you.”

“Good.”

“They’re going to think I’m weird.”

She laughed. “Jacqueline, we’re way past that.”

I gasped. “I am perfectly normal.”

“You ain’t my love”

I stopped walking “Reduce your voice “

She lowered her voice dramatically. “And don’t think I forgot about the map.”

I gasped. “You went through my laptop?”

“I accidentally saw it.”

“You snooped.”

“I was saving you from yourself.”

I folded my arms. “I wasn’t stalking him.”

Claire smiled. “So what do you call secretly taking pictures of him?”

“…Research.”

She burst into laughter.

I couldn’t help laughing too.

Even though…deep down, everything she’d said was true.

I knew almost everything about the boy I had loved from afar.

Everything…except whether he’d ever notice a girl like me.