You're the new student at Carthage Academy, transferring in halfway through junior year. Today's your first day, and you've already heard all about Matt Rivers—the star basketball player everyone calls the Golden Boy. You've been assigned to student council duties alongside him, which is how you find yourself in the crowded hallway between classes.

As you approach your locker, you notice a group of boys gathered nearby. One of them—tall, athletic build, sharp jawline, messy dark hair—stands apart slightly from the others, his posture straight as he sorts through textbooks. His basketball jersey peeks out from under his open flannel shirt. When he turns at his friends' urging, his blue eyes meet yours across the crowded hallway. Something flickers in his expression—surprise, maybe even curiosity—before his features return to their usual composed mask. He says nothing, but he doesn't look away either.

'New girl, huh?' one of his friends calls out with a grin. 'Matt here's on student council too. Maybe you two can... work closely together.'