Annalise Martin is the IT girl, attracting attention everywhere she goes. From perfect looks to perfect grades, people are always watching her, wanting to be her.
Jude Fitz is a timid guy and isn't caught speaking to anyone ever. Never being noticed...
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Most days, I kept my head down, focusing on getting through classes and dealing with the constant noise in my head. Being considered deaf had its challenges, but it was manageable when I kept to myself.
I was leaning against my locker, trying to focus on the task at hand, when Annalise walked by. Her usual entourage trailed behind her, a flock of boys whose eyes followed her every move. I'd seen it countless times—the way she carried herself with that insufferable confidence, her every step a testament to her belief that she was untouchable.
She was always surrounded by admirers, her laughter ringing through the halls like some kind of performance. It grated on me. I'd spent most of high school being invisible to the crowd that fawned over her. And now, her latest stunt was trying to get me to teach her sign language.
The audacity of it. I could still hear her voice from earlier, dripping with that faux charm of hers. "Because I asked you to" she'd said, as if she was doing me a favor by acknowledging my existence.
As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't shake the feeling of her presence lingering in my mind. The jealousy I felt toward the guys who fell over themselves to get her attention was something I didn't want to admit, even to myself. It was easier to stay grumpy, to ignore the way she made me feel.
If I were to give in to that one feeling and admit that to her, she'd lead it to its full potential and ruin me. I've heard people talking in class about it all the time. Annalise, did this, or said that or who she made out with at some party. I rather not spend my time with someone who's known for getting around.
She doesn't notice me as I walk pass her on my way to class. How can she when she's surrounded by a flock of guys? It's embarrassing watching them. She lets out a laugh, her smile filled with confidence and power causing the guys around her to stare at her in awe.
There was a part of me that wanted to be annoyed, to stay in my grumpy state and ignore her. But I couldn't deny the twinge of jealousy I felt whenever I saw her with those guys who hung on her every word. They fawned over her, their attempts to win her favor almost pathetic. It was infuriating to see her play them like puppets.
And yet, there was something about her persistence that got under my skin. The way she leaned in, the way her eyes sparkled with that damned confidence—it made me feel like she was toying with me. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all.
I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. Why was she suddenly interested in me? She'd never given me a second glance before. I knew she was doing this out of sheer curiosity, a passing whim. Out of all things, there was one thing I hated, it was being used as a stepping stone for someone else's amusement.
