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The morning sun filtered through the blinds as Caleb Jacobs dragged himself out of bed, his body still heavy with sleep. The remnants of last night's argument with his father hung in the air like a dark cloud, casting a pall over the start of his day.
As he shuffled into the kitchen, Caleb's father sat at the table, his face etched with anger. "Late again, Caleb? he sneered, his words dripping with disdain.
Caleb clenched his jaw, refusing to rise to his father's bait. "since when do you care if I'm late to school" he shot back, his tone defiant.
"Look who finally decided to join the land of the living," Max teased, nudging Caleb playfully.
"Hey, I'm fashionably late," Caleb quipped, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Hey don't steal my lines" Maxine said with a funny tone while punching Caleb to the side little weak.
As they walked to school, Maxine couldn't help but comment on Caleb's choice of reading material. "Seriously, Caleb? A book?" she exclaimed, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
Caleb shrugged, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "What can I say? I'm a man of many talents," he replied, flashing the cover of the book for emphasis.
Caleb Jacobs strolled down the bustling corridors of East Highland High, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces of his classmates.
First, there was Nate Jacobs, Caleb's twin brother and resident golden boy. Nate sauntered past, his cocky grin firmly in place as he exchanged banter with his entourage of jocks.
"Morning, bro," Nate greeted, flashing Caleb a half-hearted nod.
Caleb rolled his eyes, unimpressed by Nate's usual bravado. "Morning, Nate. Try not to trip over your ego," he shot back, earning a snicker from one of Nate's lackeys.
"Hey! That's mine buy your own" Nate yelled with an irritated look, while Caleb walked down the corridor, taking a big bet from the chocolate bar.
Next, he spotted Maddy Perez, the quintessential queen bee, strutting down the hallway with her posse of equally glamorous girls in tow. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped out a rhythm against her phone screen as she chattered animatedly.
"Watch where you're going, Jacobs," Maddy snapped, shooting Caleb a withering glare.
Caleb smirked, unfazed by Maddy's icy demeanor. "Wouldn't want to mess up that flawless facade of yours, Maddy," he retorted, dodging out of the way just in time to avoid colliding with her.
As he continued down the corridor, Caleb spotted Rue Bennett, the enigmatic outsider with a penchant for trouble. Rue's eyes darted nervously around the hallway as she hurried to her next class, a hint of sadness lingering in her gaze.
"Hey, Rue," Caleb called out, offering her a friendly wave.
Rue's lips twitched into a small smile, gratitude flickering in her eyes. "Hey, Caleb," she replied, her voice soft and tentative.
