The first day of senior year at Edison High felt almost like a dream to Eli Walker. The air was thick with the smell of fresh textbooks and the soft murmur of students finding their way through the halls. He had never been one for grand entrances. New school. New town. New life. Just one more year to survive, to finish what he’d started. That was the plan. He wasn’t expecting anything to disrupt his quiet existence.

  At 17, he had perfected the art of being invisible. He kept his head down, his hands tucked deep into his pockets, eyes only focused on getting from one class to the next. He didn’t have time for distractions. He had already been through too much in his life to be swayed by the drama that came with high school. This year was supposed to be about moving on.

  But then, Savannah Reid entered his life like a collision of stars.

  He first noticed her as she stepped out of the elevator in the middle of the hallway. Her laughter echoed off the lockers, warm and genuine. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone, but there was something about the way she carried herself that immediately drew eyes. She was older—18, to be exact—confident, with long chestnut hair that swayed as she walked. Her eyes were bright, and every inch of her seemed to radiate an energy that couldn’t be ignored.

  As Savannah walked past him, their eyes met. Just for a split second. But in that brief moment, the entire world seemed to slow down. She smiled faintly, as if she recognized him from somewhere. Eli’s heart skipped a beat. His breath caught in his throat, and he had to look away before he made a fool of himself.

  He kept walking, shaking his head in disbelief. What had just happened? He didn’t even know her name, and yet, it felt like everything had changed in that moment.

  The bell rang, signaling the start of homeroom. Eli stepped into the classroom, his fingers tightening around the edges of his backpack strap. His eyes scanned the room. The usual mix of faces—familiar and indifferent. He was about to take a seat in the back, far from everyone else, when he heard the teacher’s voice call out.

  “Eli Walker?” the teacher asked, flipping through the roster. “You’re new here, right?”

  Eli nodded, moving toward the desk by the window. He didn’t want attention, but there was no escaping it now.

  “And you’ll be sitting next to... Savannah Reid.” The teacher motioned toward the seat beside her. Eli’s heart jumped in his chest. Of course.

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  Savannah Reid. That same smile. That same magnetic energy. It was almost too much to process.

  He hesitated for a moment but made his way to the desk beside her. She was already settled in, scribbling in a notebook, her long hair cascading over one shoulder.

  “Hi,” she said, glancing up with a smile that was soft but knowing. “I’m Savannah.”

  Eli offered a quiet smile back, “Eli.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I know. Everyone’s talking about the new guy.”

  He shifted awkwardly. “Yeah, not much to talk about.”

  Savannah chuckled. “Don’t be so modest. You’re in homeroom with me now. You’re practically family.” Her voice was teasing, but there was something about the way she said it that made it feel like more.

  Eli nodded, unsure of what to say. He was used to keeping to himself, but there was an undeniable pull toward her. It felt like something was brewing beneath the surface, something he wasn’t sure he could control.

  Their interactions became more frequent. They were assigned to the same study group, and before long, their conversations became more than just about homework. Eli learned that Savannah had a way of seeing straight through him—like she knew he was more than just the quiet, reserved guy he projected. She never pushed, never pried. Instead, she listened. And somehow, that made him feel like he could tell her anything.

  But there was also something else. The way she would glance at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. The way her fingers would brush against his during group work. A small touch. A fleeting moment. But it lingered, a slow burn in the back of his mind.

  One afternoon, after their group study session, the two of them were alone in the classroom. Most of the students had left, but Savannah was packing up her things. Eli lingered by the door, not sure if he should go or stay.

  Savannah turned to him, her gaze soft, almost shy. “You know,” she said quietly, “there’s something about you. Something... different.”

  Eli swallowed, heart racing. “What do you mean?”

  She shrugged, the playful edge to her voice now gone. “You don’t try to be anything you’re not. It’s... refreshing.”

  The words hit him harder than he expected. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear them.

  Without thinking, he closed the distance between them. His hand brushed against hers once more. A soft spark. Neither of them moved, and for a moment, the silence between them felt thick with possibility.

  Savannah’s lips parted, and for the first time, Eli felt like he could hear the world between their breaths. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he leaned closer.

  The moment was electric. Neither one of them pulled away, but before it could go further, the bell rang loudly in the distance, shattering the quiet tension. Savannah stepped back with a breathless laugh, clearly shaken, though her eyes never left his.

  “Maybe we’ll finish this conversation later,” she said, the lightheartedness returning to her voice.

  Eli nodded, though he was certain of one thing: his life at Edison High had just become a whole lot more complicated.

  End of Chapter 1.