I had three more classes before lunch, all painfully boring. I hated poetry, didn't care for language classes, and already knew history well. My dad loved history and had always turned lessons into bedtime stories when I was little. If presented interestingly, history could feel like a story.

I had just settled into my usual seat when Jane appeared. She nodded at me before sitting in an empty chair. I motioned for her to sit behind me-sometimes I could be nice. She hesitated for a moment, then moved to the seat behind mine.

I turned back just as Shannon arrived. She looked stunning today-one of the coolest girls in school. Last year, we had something going on, but then she started dating a college guy. She dumped him over the summer.

Her fiery red hair, brown eyes, and perfect figure always turned heads. She knew exactly how to dress to be noticed, and today was no exception-she wore a short, red, low-cut dress.

She spotted me, so I waved. She sat next to me, dropped her bag, and leaned in.

"Hi, pretty boy. How was your summer? I didn't see you-I missed you," she said, running her finger down my arm.

"I saw you often in my dreams," I grinned.

"Shall we meet after school?" she asked, winking.

"I'm free now," I replied casually.

"You know my number-call me." She stroked my arm before turning away.

I glanced around. My friends were grinning and pointing, clearly amused. Jane, on the other hand, was writing something, looking completely uninterested. She noticed my gaze and met my eyes.

"Good thing the scene is over-I almost lost my appetite."

I was about to respond when the teacher walked in.

Ms. Klein was a tall, thin, middle-aged woman with a slightly sour demeanor. She lived alone with her cats.

"Well, this is our last year together. I hope you realize this subject is an important part of your future, so expect even more pop quizzes this year than last," she announced. The class groaned.

"I see we have a new student. Stand up, dear, and introduce yourself," she said, looking at Jane.

Jane stood up and smiled around the room. She always smiled when she knew people were watching-strange girl.

"Hi, I'm Jane Shepherd. I recently moved to the city." She sat back down.

Well, she wasn't very talkative, that was for sure.

"Thank you, Jane. I hope you like history-it'll make the next few months easier with me."

The lesson dragged on, and I barely paid attention. Occasionally, I glanced at Shannon, but Jane also crossed my mind. I wondered if she was still taking notes in the book, but turning around to check obviously wasn't a good idea.

When the bell rang, I rushed to the cafeteria. The line was always ridiculously long. The serving counter started right at the entrance and stretched to the wall. Our usual table was near the cashier, so we didn't have to balance our trays for long.

The boys were already waiting. We sat down at our usual spot.

"I hear you have a date with Shannon," Brian said, sitting across from me.

"Yeah, I'd be stupid not to take the chance," I replied. "In biology, two new students are my teammates. What do you know about them? Some Paul and Jane."

"Ah, yes. They're both new seniors," Brian said. "Paul is half Japanese-his father is some rich big shot. They moved here over the summer and bought the old Sigma house up on the hill. Renovated it completely. Nice, approachable guy-I think he swims too, like us."

"And the girl?"

"I don't know much about her. Wait," he pulled out his phone and opened his documents. "Ah, here it is. Her mother is a widow and a home nurse. I don't know where they live-it's not listed here. She was nice when I showed her around on Friday, but she didn't talk much."

"Does it say why they need advanced biology?"

"No, nothing about that."

"Whatever. I just hope they don't mess up my grade."

I glanced around the cafeteria, searching for them. Jane sat alone at a distant table by the window, reading. Others were sitting on the opposite side of the bench, but there was a noticeable gap next to her-no one was talking to her.

Paul approached with his tray, asked her something, and she nodded before he sat down. They started chatting quietly, looking comfortable with each other. I glanced over occasionally, but only out of curiosity.

The rest of my afternoon was uneventful, though Shannon made sure to sit next to me in every shared class, clearly waiting for my call. In those classes, the new girl and Paul always sat together, far from Shannon and me.

--

After school, I hurried home, knowing Mom would kill me if I was late-she expected me to mow the lawn. She was just leaving when I arrived.

"Hi, son. Thank you for coming home on time and mowing the lawn." She smiled, adjusted my shirt, then walked out the door and drove off.

I quickly got ready and mowed the lawn. I actually liked mowing-it was relaxing-but I couldn't let my parents know that. If they knew, I'd lose my bargaining position.

Our backyard wrapped around the entire house, but aside from a few trees, Dad had kept it simple-just grass. In the summer, we often had dinner on the back terrace.

Later in the afternoon, I finished my homework and called Shannon before dinner. I lay on my bed, which was against the wall opposite my desk, so I could use my computer from there. My large wardrobe stood between the window and my bed. I didn't have much furniture, but it was enough for me.

"Hi, kitty. How are you?" I asked when she picked up.

"Hi, pretty boy. I've been waiting for your call."

"We're planning a movie night with the guys on Saturday. Want to come?"

"Oh, I thought we'd go somewhere just the two of us," she said. "I'd prefer that."

"Come along-we'll be alone after the movie, I promise."

"I don't know... If I'm not that important to you," Shannon started whining.

"Come on, kitty. You're so important that you get to meet my friends too," I rolled my eyes.

"Well, okay. We'll coordinate on Friday. Dream of me."

"I will."

I hung up. Shannon never surprised me.

Curious about Amber's day, I headed to her room. I stopped at the door-she had a large piece of fabric spread out on the floor, cutting it with scissors.

"So, what did you accomplish today? Did you get any applicants from your flyer?"

"I did, but none of them were great. I called them all, talked to them, but either they didn't like my designs or they had no personality. I'm still looking, though-the deadline is approaching," she said without looking up. "I even offered payment for the trials and photoshoots, hoping it would motivate them, but so far, no one has clicked."

"Why don't you showcase them yourself?" I asked as she finished cutting and stood up.

"Because it would look silly if I were the only one wearing my designs. They weren't made for my figure."

"Well, you know best. I don't understand this stuff," I shrugged.

"Well, you don't. Come on, let's go down for dinner."

Amber was tall and had a beautiful face like Mom, with brown eyes like Dad. She wasn't curvy, but she had a great figure. She also played tennis regularly with Mom.

Dinner was a tradition in our house-no phones, and everyone reported on their day. Tonight, Dad started.

"I have new patients again. It's like parents are choosing a brain picker instead of parenting," he said. "How about you, dear?"

"Quiet, administrative day," Mom replied. "How about you, kids?"

Our parents always listened to us in the evenings. They didn't bore us-just shared a sentence or two out of politeness.

"Two new students became my study partners in biology," I said.

"Who?" Mom asked, interested. She had a good network because of her job.

"The guy is half Japanese-Paul Tashiro. And the other is a girl."

"What's the girl's name?" Mom continued. "Maybe I know her parents."

"I don't think so. As rude as she is, her parents can't be any better," I said, considering the topic closed.

"I see," Dad said, exchanging a glance with Mom and Amber.

"I handed out flyers today, but all the girls are as simple and superficial as my brother's girlfriends," Amber chimed in.

"Hey, hey," I protested, food hanging out of my mouth. "I object to that. Not all my girlfriends were like that."

"Yes, son, all of them were," Dad said calmly.

"Well, on Saturday, I'm going to the movies with one of the best girls in school. She's definitely smarter than the others."

"If you say so," Amber said. "But if you find a more sensible one, recommend her to me."

"You know what? Let's bet that this girl will meet your standards too. I'll bring her here before the movie on Saturday, and we'll see."

"Okay. If you win, I'll do the dishes for a week. But if you lose, you will."

"Deal." We shook hands.

"Well, we won't miss this either. We'll be home Saturday afternoon-we'll see," Mom winked at Dad.

I didn't know what they were planning, but this was a bad sign. Shannon was unlikely to make a different impression than my previous girlfriends.

I didn't even know why I bet-I should have just prepared for dishwashing.

I fell asleep quickly that night, knowing that swim training would start the next day. I had loved water since childhood, and my parents had taught me to swim early on. For a while, I had considered pursuing it seriously, but now I wasn't aiming for a sports scholarship. I wanted to be the captain of the school's swim team, and the decision would be made tomorrow. I needed to rest.

I woke up early-only my father was awake. He quickly packed my breakfast, and I headed off to training.

We had mandatory swim practice twice a week, both in the morning and evening. The parents had decided on this schedule last year so we wouldn't be overloaded with late-night practices nearly every day.

The school's swimming pool was in the building next to the gym. It had a competition-sized pool with two changing rooms, but only one side had a grandstand. The facility had been renovated along with the school, so its white walls and blue-and-white tiles looked fresh and modern.

I arrived, changed, and stepped onto the pool deck-only to realize Brian hadn't been exaggerating. Paul was already there, preparing to swim a timed lap.

The coach signaled the warm-up, then the swim, and finally, the timed lap. Paul was fast-roughly as fast as me.

"Simmons, you're up," Coach Stein called.

I prepared and dove in. I swam as hard as I could-I had to win if I wanted to be captain.

Everyone completed their laps, but the coach didn't share our times. He simply wrote them down for himself.

"Alright, boys. You know your captain graduated, so this year I'm looking for a new one. My decision won't be based solely on speed-I'll be considering leadership and other qualities as well. So, I suggest you all give your best effort. I won't decide today, but after the first competition."

Everyone started changing, but I still wanted to talk to the coach.

"Coach, a word. Last year, it was said that I'd get the captain's position. What happened?" I tried to keep my tone calm.

"I know, Simmons-I remember. But this Tashiro kid is really good. Today, he was practically faster than you. We'll see who values this position more and who shows stronger leadership. A few weeks, no more, and it'll be clear."

"Alright, I understand. I'll do my best," I conceded.

There was no point in arguing-he had already made up his mind. I'd simply prove that no one was better than me.

While changing, I noticed how quickly Paul had made friends. After just a few days, he had built good relationships with everyone. A conversation caught my ear.

"Are you coming to the movies on Saturday, buddy?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, thanks for the invite-I'll come," Paul replied.

"Bringing someone or coming alone?" Aaron asked.

"I haven't had much time to date, but if it's okay, I'll bring my sister. Just a heads-up-she's only sixteen and off-limits to everyone."

Loud laughter followed his statement.

"Alright, buddy, we don't fish off the company pier anyway. We leave each other's siblings and girlfriends alone-and make sure others do the same."

"Maybe I'll invite Jane too," Paul said quietly, more to himself. I tried not to pay attention.

"Go ahead," Brian said with a smile.

I wondered why they cared so much about who the new guy was bringing on the weekend. They were still getting to know each other. I finished dressing and left them, even forgetting to style my hair.

As I walked, I let the wind dry my hair. Girls liked it much better when it was styled, but I didn't care today.

I thought I'd sit in the classroom before the lesson and quietly eat my sandwich, but as soon as I entered, I realized I wasn't the first. Jane was already inside, reading.

She hadn't put much effort into her outfit today either-probably just picked one of her nearly identical patterned shirts and paired it with her one pair of jeans.

"Hi, little girl. You got here early," I greeted.

"Hi. Just like you. Ran out of hair gel at home?" she asked, glancing at my hair.

"What are you reading?" I ignored her jab.

"A book." Her slightly sarcastic response made me smile, though she didn't look up.

"What kind of book?" I pressed.

"Not your world-you wouldn't understand. Sci-fi. Time travel." Her eyes remained hidden behind the pages.

"And what's it about?" I wasn't about to let her read in peace.

"The protagonist goes back in time and meets himself to save the world." She put the book down but didn't close it. She thought she could shake me off with that.

"Do you believe in it? I mean, time travel?" I asked.

"I don't know. Theoretically, as far as I know, it's impossible-we'd have to be faster than light. But who knows what the truth is? And you?" She politely returned the question.

"I haven't thought about it," I admitted.

"Figured. With swimming, girls, and hair gel, there's hardly time for that." That was sharp, but I didn't take it personally.

"If you could, where would you go back to?" I asked, ignoring her remarks.

She closed the book.

"I'd tell my dad not to get in the car that day. Or if he did, to do it an hour later," she said, surprisingly calmly.

I wasn't interested in any emotional stories, so I changed the subject.

"Have you thought about our biology video topic?"

"Yes. I have a few ideas-we could discuss them over the weekend." She immediately returned to her smart-aleck tone from yesterday.

"Hi, guys," Paul stepped over and dropped his bag between us.

I only then realized that time had flown by-I barely had five minutes left for my sandwich. I quickly went out and devoured it.

"Good thing you're back," my swimming buddy greeted me. "Would Saturday at 2 PM work for you to sit down and discuss the video?"

"Sure, I'm free in the afternoon. Where should we meet?" I asked.

"We can't do it at my place-my dad's throwing a big party in the evening, so it's better if I'm gone in the afternoon," Paul said.

"Jane?"

"Could we meet somewhere neutral, like a burger place?" she suggested.

"Not good-I'd have to run around all day because I already have plans for the evening. Come to my place. We can discuss everything calmly there," I said.

"Alright." They agreed, so I scribbled my address on two slips of paper and handed them over.

Just then, Mr. Thomas walked in and dove straight into the lesson material.

-

The rest of my day passed uneventfully-until lunch, when Shannon sat down with us.

I didn't like it when girls wanted to eat with me-it was better if they didn't get too comfortable in the spot. But I didn't want to shoo Shannon away, at least not before the weekend.

"Hi there, Pretty Boy. I was thinking you could take me somewhere on Friday since we won't be alone on Saturday."

"What would make you happy, kitten?" I asked sweetly.

"I don't know, maybe a romantic dinner?" Shannon snuggled up to me like a kitten, her hand resting on my thigh.

"Alright, I'll pick you up at eight on Friday night," I said, flashing one of my signature charming smiles.

"Awesome." She kissed my neck and then sauntered off.

"My goodness, that girl sure knows what she wants," Brian said from across the table.

"Yeah," I remarked dryly.

"Would you be happier if you had to work harder for it?" Brian asked. "Look around-every guy is busting his chops to impress someone, and here you are complaining because the best girls are hanging around you."

"You're right. I'll enjoy what I get," I grinned mischievously.

I glanced around, curious if every girl had guys hovering around them. My gaze landed on the new girl. She was reading, though she wasn't alone. Paul sat across from her at the desk, surrounded by a group of girls.

It seemed half-slit eyes and wealth were attractive.

Jane wasn't eating cake, but for some reason, Paul pushed his own toward her, which she accepted with a smile.

--

After lunch, before geography class, Jane was already inside, quietly reading as usual.

"Same book, little girl?" I asked, settling into my chair and turning toward her.

"Well, it's hard to make progress when I'm interrupted at every page," she smiled when she looked up.

She didn't seem offended.

"I'd meet Theodore again," I told her.

"Excuse me?" She sighed softly, gave up, and put the book away.

"If I could go back in time," I continued, "I'd meet my dog again."

"He'd surely be happy to see you," she said with another smile. She was quite charming when she smiled.

"Do you have a dog?" I asked, though I already knew the answer from yesterday's class.

"Oh, no," she said. "With all the traveling, it didn't fit in."

"Traveling?" I asked, but before she could answer, a voice interrupted.

"Hey, Pretty Boy, there you are," Shannon purred as she sat down at the desk next to me. "I hope you haven't forgotten," she whined while sizing up Jane.

Clearly, the two girls weren't in the same league-but that wasn't a compliment to Shannon.

"You can't be forgotten," I winked and turned back.

"I think I'll move somewhere else before I have to throw up," Jane muttered behind me and moved to the furthest empty desk.

"I'm looking forward to the weekend," Shannon whispered in my ear, which my arriving buddies greeted with grins.

I didn't turn around for the rest of class, though I was curious about what Jane was doing.

--

At dinner, Amber was already impatiently pestering me.

"I'm looking forward to Saturday, bro. I don't want to wash dishes next week."

"We'll see," I said.

"Did you have class with the new students today?" Dad asked, interested.

"I did," I said briefly. "The guy swims like me, and there's nothing wrong with him. Everyone liked him."

"And the girl?" Amber asked.

"She just makes snide remarks to everyone," I said.

My parents exchanged glances, but I didn't understand why.

"Is she pretty?" Amber asked curiously.

"No," I said shortly.

"Too bad," Amber said. I ignored the mild sarcasm.

The next day, although there was no training, I couldn't sleep and arrived earlier than the others. Even so, I wasn't the first-Jane was already there. As usual, she didn't pay any attention to me, buried in her book and just as stylishly indifferent as before.

"So, what kind of traveling, little girl?" I asked, grinning, waiting for her to put down her book.

"Excuse me?" She looked at me over the pages.

"The traveling that kept you from having a dog," I reminded her.

"Yeah, right. Until a few years ago, we traveled a lot, so we didn't get a dog." A brief answer, but it wasn't enough for me.

"Why did you travel?" I was genuinely interested.

"My dad's job required it. He was an international architect." Strangely, I didn't see any emotion on her face.

"Any other questions?" she smiled. "Or can I continue reading?"

Her smile was definitely beautiful.

"Have you been to many countries?" I asked quickly, signaling I still had questions.

"A few."

Behind me, Brian arrived and quietly sat down, fiddling with his phone.

"You know, if your sentences were longer, I wouldn't ask so many questions," I teased, making her smile.

"Do you speak multiple languages?"

"I can make myself understood in a few countries, yes," she said.

I had a feeling this was a modest answer.

"Didn't sleep well?" she suddenly asked, her beautiful eyes smiling mischievously.

"Why?" Her personal question surprised me-it wasn't like her.

"Your hair didn't turn out right, so I thought you were sleepy," she laughed, and Brian quietly smiled.

I went to the bathroom to check my hair, but it was perfectly fine. By the time I returned, more people were in the room, and Jane had just put away her book, waiting with a cheerful smile.

"You see, Pretty Boy, if I were you, I'd let me read," she said softly, winking.

Brian grinned, and I chuckled quietly at her teasing. Clever move.

I wanted to respond, but Shannon appeared and sat in front of me. Jane silently moved to the furthest empty desk.

Apart from biology and history, she never sat near me. That day, I only saw her at lunch-she was eating with Paul.

--

At dinner, Mom brought up an interesting detail.

"Son," she said, "I met Mrs. Tashiro today. She's an interior designer."

"I didn't know. Though I don't talk much with Paul-that's more the new girl's habit," I noted.

"How come?" Amber asked curiously.

"Paul doesn't sit at our table; he always eats with Jane," I said.

"Have you invited him to sit with you?" Dad asked.

"If he wants to, he will," I said. "Though then the smarty-pants would probably want to join too."

"Interesting name her parents gave her," Dad noted with a smile, but I didn't react.

"I'm curious about who this girl is," Amber said seriously.

"There's no need-you wouldn't like her," I said. "She doesn't even have friends. Paul only sits with her at lunch because he did on the first day, and now it would be rude to move. That girl never talks to anyone."

"I guess not even with you," my sister teased.

"She'd be happy if I brought some color to her boring days, but she's not that lucky," I said arrogantly.

"I see," my sister said, coughing lightly, while my parents suppressed a smile.

-

Just like every other day that week, Jane was already in the classroom reading when I arrived the next morning. I'd gotten up early on purpose, hoping to beat her there.

Of course, I still took the time to fix my hair-I wanted to look good. Jane looked just as well-dressed today as ever: a jeans and her usual sci-fi tee.

"Hey, little girl," I said, sitting down across from her and turning my chair around- even though today, we wouldn't be sitting close. "How many languages do you speak?"

"Hey," she sighed loudly from behind her book. "Is the library open at this time?" she asked, ignoring my question and starting to pack her book away.

"It opens as soon as the school opens," I answered matter-of-factly.

"See you later, then." She picked up her backpack and left the room.

I had no idea what that little nerd thought of herself-just walking off in the middle of a conversation. One thing was certain: I didn't like her.

I slid back into my usual seat just as Brian arrived. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing my sulking.

"I don't like the new girl," I muttered. "She just left in the middle of a conversation."

"How rude," Brian said, suppressing a smile.

Her behavior stuck with me the rest of the day, even though I didn't speak to her again and only saw her at lunch- eating with Paul, as usual.

--

That evening at dinner, Amber was talking about some upcoming contest, but I barely listened-the new girl's rudeness kept swirling in my thoughts.

"How was your day, son?" Dad asked.

"The new girl is the rudest person I've ever met," I blurted out.

"What did she do?" Mom asked.

"She just walked out in the middle of a conversation," I said.

"Maybe something urgent came up," Amber offered with a smile.

"Going to the library doesn't sound urgent," I muttered. "I don't like her," I added.

"Oh, that's painfully obvious, son," Dad chuckled, exchanging glances with the women.