Julian’s POV
By ten in the morning, I had already heard Adrian Cole’s name four times.
The first time came from two girls walking past me on their way to class.
The second came from a guy complaining that Adrian had taken the parking space he wanted.
The third was from Noah, who had been watching me stare at the same page of my psychology textbook for the last ten minutes.
The fourth came from Ryan, who dropped into the grass beside us with three cups of coffee and said, “So, are we going to Adrian’s party tonight?”
I looked up.
“No.”
Ryan handed me a cup anyway.
“You didn’t even think about it.”
“I thought about it yesterday.”
“And?”
“I still don’t want to go.”
Noah snorted beside me. “He means he thought about it for three seconds and decided staying home with a textbook was more exciting.”
“It is more exciting.”
Ryan gave me a look.
“You’re nineteen. You can’t spend every Friday night studying.”
“Well i can and i will. watch me”
I took a sip of the coffee.
It was exactly how I liked it.
I looked at Ryan.
“You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered.”
That was Ryan. He noticed small things. The kind of things most people forgot five minutes after you told them.
Noah, on the other hand, remembered things for the sole purpose of embarrassing me with them later.
“You’ve been on that same page since I got here,” Noah said.
“I’m reading.”
“You’re staring.”
“I can do both.”
“No, you can’t.”
I closed the book.
“Are you two always like this?”
“Yes,” Ryan said.
“No,” Noah said at the same time.
I looked between them.
They laughed.
This was why I preferred being around them. They didn’t care about who was popular or who had the biggest house or who had been invited to which party. With them, I could just be Julian.
That was enough for me.
I glanced back at my textbook.
Then the noise around us changed.
It wasn’t dramatic. Nobody announced anything. There was no reason for everyone to suddenly pay attention.
But people did.
A few heads turned toward the main walkway.
Someone laughed.
A girl fixed her hair.
I didn’t need to ask who it was.
Still, I looked.
Adrian Cole was walking across the courtyard.
I’d never spoken to him before, but I’d seen him plenty of times. It was almost impossible not to. Adrian seemed to exist in the middle of everything at Westbridge.
He was tall, dressed like he had somewhere important to be even when he didn’t, and surrounded by the kind of people who somehow always seemed to know what was happening before everyone else did.
Marcus Reed walked beside him, talking about something that made Adrian laugh.
I watched for a second.
Maybe two.
Then Adrian looked up.
Straight at me.
I immediately looked down at my book.
Noah went quiet.
That was never a good sign.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
I looked at him.
He was smiling.
“Noah.”
“He was looking at you.”
“He was looking around.”
Ryan laughed.
“Sure.”
I took another sip of my coffee.
“You both need hobbies.”
“I have a hobby,” Ryan said.
“What?”
“Annoying you.”
“Clearly.”
I tried to return to my book, but curiosity got the better of me.
I glanced toward the walkway again.
Adrian was gone.
“See?” I said. “Nothing happened.”
Noah raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t say anything happened.”
“You were about to.”
“Maybe.”
I shook my head and went back to reading.
At least, I tried.
An hour later, I was leaving the school building when someone stepped into my path.
I stopped.
Adrian.
“Julian Hayes?”
I tightened my grip on my books.
“You know my name?”
“I’ve seen you around.”
“That still doesn’t answer the question.”
A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
“You’re always this suspicious?”
“Usually.”
He laughed.
It wasn’t the loud laugh I’d heard earlier. This one was quieter, almost surprised.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“There’s a party tonight.”
“I know.”
“You’re coming?”
“No.”
He blinked.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
He stared at me for a second, like he wasn’t used to people giving him simple answers.
“That’s it?”
“You’re difficult.”
“Well my friends keep telling me”i said nervously
His smile returned.
Before he could say anything else, someone called his name.
“Adrian.”
We both turned.
Ugh Sienna Blake
she was walking towards us
Even people who didn’t know Adrian knew Sienna. She was one of those people who seemed to belong anywhere she went. Perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect smile.
She reached Adrian and slipped her arm through his.
Then she looked at me with disgust
“Hi” i said
“Hi”
Her smile stayed in place, but her eyes moved between Adrian and me.
“Are you coming?” she asked him.
“Yeah.”
He looked back at me.
“Come tonight.”
I almost laughed.
“You really don’t give up.”
“Not when I want something.”
Something about the way he said it made me pause.
Sienna noticed.
I could tell she noticed.
“i will think about it ” I said with a smirk
Adrian smiled.
“I’ll see you there.”
He walked away with Sienna.
I stood there for a moment, watching them disappear into the crowd.
Then i headed to my apartment
i didn’t want to go to that party
At least, that’s what I told myself.
By the time I got home, i started looking for what to wear
I’d changed my shirt three times.
I stared at myself in the mirror.
“This is ridiculous.”
I changed again.
Then changed back.
“I wasn’t dressing for Adrian”
Obviously.
My phone buzzed.
Three messages from Noah.
You are coming
A second one arrived before I could answer.
Don’t make me come and get you.
Then another.
I know you’re home.
I laughed despite myself.
I typed back.
I’m not going.
His reply came almost immediately.
We’ll see.
I tossed my phone onto the bed.
Twenty minutes later, it buzzed again.
I picked it up without thinking.
The number wasn’t saved.
You better not change your mind.
I frowned.
Another message appeared.
I actually want you there.
I sat down on the edge of my bed.
I didn’t need to ask who it was.
Adrian.
But one question immediately replaced every other thought in my head.
How had he gotten my number?
And why did he care so much whether I showed up?
I stared at the screen for a long moment.
Then, despite everything I’d told myself all day, I smiled.
Maybe I was making a mistake.
Either way, I had a feeling that tonight was going to change my life