falling for 13 || Johnny Kavanagh

New Day

G R A C E

The next day at school, everything felt... off. Not in a bad way, but different. There was this tension in the air, and I could feel it every time someone looked at me or Johnny. It was like the whole school knew about us before we'd even had a chance to figure out what we were.

Walking down the hallway with Clara, Aoibh, and Orlaith, I could hear the whispers as we passed. People weren't subtle—especially not in Tommen College. It wasn't like Johnny and I had done anything major. Sure, we'd kissed, but it wasn't like we were dating. But that didn't stop people from speculating, and by the looks of it, everyone had a version of what had happened last night.

"Seriously, they act like they've never seen a couple kiss before," Orlaith muttered, noticing the stares.

I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. Mostly because my stomach was doing somersaults at the thought of seeing Johnny again. Yeah, we'd kissed, and yeah, it was intense. But we hadn't really talked since. Not about the kiss, not about what it meant—nothing.

"Are you gonna see him today?" Clara asked, her voice low as if we weren't already the center of attention.

I shrugged, trying to play it cool, though I knew I was failing miserably. "He's in half my classes, I'll see him at some point."

Aoibh raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "Yeah, right. Bet you two will be sneaking off behind the sheds before lunch."

"Shut up," I muttered, but I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips.

We turned the corner just as Johnny and his group came into view by the lockers. He was leaning against them, his hair still slightly messy from the morning rush, wearing that same cocky grin I'd gotten used to seeing. The one that made me want to both slap and kiss him at the same time.

My heart did this annoying flip in my chest when I caught his eye, and for a split second, I thought about turning around and pretending I hadn't seen him. But that would've been pointless—and immature. So I just kept walking, lifting my chin a little higher.

Johnny's eyes locked on me as I passed, and I couldn't help but glance back at him. There was something in the way he looked at me, something that made me feel like he was still thinking about last night, too. His lips quirked into a small smile, and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks before I quickly looked away.

God, this was ridiculous. I wasn't supposed to get all flustered around him.

"Hey, Kavanagh," Orlaith called, not bothering to lower her voice. "Enjoy the rain last night?"

I shot her a glare, and she just grinned, completely unapologetic.

Johnny raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh, yeah," he replied, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Best weather we've had in ages."

I rolled my eyes, unable to help myself. "You're insufferable."

He shot me that cheeky grin, the one that always got under my skin in the most irritating way. "Only when I'm winning."

I crossed my arms, leaning back slightly. "Winning? You think you're winning?"

His grin grew wider. "I mean, you kissed me back, didn't you?"

Cocky bastard.

Before I could come up with a decent retort, I spotted Bella Wilkinson coming around the corner, walking straight toward us with her signature "I own this school" strut. Instantly, the air in the hallway felt colder. My heart sank a little.

Bella stopped right in front of Johnny, her gaze flicking between the two of us, but her smile was all for him. "Johnny, can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked, her voice sickly sweet.

I didn't have time for this.

I stepped to the side, muttering something to Orlaith about class, but Bella's gaze shifted to me before I could make my escape. "Looks like someone had a busy night," she said, her eyes narrowing as she looked me up and down. "Funny, isn't it? How things always seem to circle back to you, Grace."

"Sorry?" I replied, forcing my voice to stay calm.

Bella shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, first Cian Starky, and now Johnny? I guess I'm just wondering what they even see in you."

My heart stopped for a second at the mention of Starky. The blood drained from my face as I felt everyone's eyes on us, waiting for my reaction. For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I just stood there, staring at her ugly fucking face.

Then Johnny stepped in, his voice low but firm. "Bella, don't bleeding start."

Bella turned back to him, her eyes wide with fake innocence. "I'm just saying, Johnny. She's got this way of getting under people's skin, doesn't she?"

"I don't know how she's getting under yours," Gibsie chimed in, "Snakes have scales." Bella just rolled her eyes at his words.

"Fuck off, Bella" Johnny replied, clearly irritated.

Bella huffed, clearly pissed off. She shot me one last glare before storming off down the hall, her heels clicking against the floor. The tension in the hallway was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Johnny sighed, running a hand through his hair before looking at me. "You alright?"

I swallowed hard, "Yeah. I'm fine."

But the truth was, I wasn't fine. Not at all. Bella's words had hit harder than I'd like to admit, dragging up memories I'd been trying to bury for months.

Johnny stepped closer, his voice softer now. "Gracie—"

"It's fine, Johnny," I interrupted, giving him a small smile. "I don't care, she's just a psycho."

He studied me for a second, his eyes searching mine like he wasn't sure if he should believe me. But eventually, he nodded. "Alright. But if she comes near you again—"

"Don't worry," I cut him off, forcing a smirk. "I can throw a punch better than you think, Kav."

Johnny laughed, shaking his head, but there was a seriousness in his eyes. "I don't doubt it."

I gave him a quick nod before turning to head to class, my heart still racing. As I walked away, I couldn't help but wonder what exactly this thing was between us. Whatever it was, it felt like we were walking on the edge of something big. Something that could either pull us together or tear us apart.