Miss nobody strikes back

First day of school.

Chapter Fifteen

I was dressed in my school uniform, complete with knee-length socks and shoes. My hair was tied up in a neat ponytail, leaving a few loose strands to fall delicately across my face. A little lip balm was all I needed to finish the look.

"Look at you, wow, your uniform fits nicely! You look so pretty," Aunt said, smiling brightly at me. I returned her smile, grateful for all her help. "I also packed you some breakfast and placed it in your bag with a bottle of water."

"Thank you, Aunt. I think I’m ready," I replied, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. We both got into the car, and soon we were headed to school.

When the car rolled into the school parking lot, Aunt and I stepped out. I gave her one last hug.

"Don’t worry, I'll come visit. Now go in there and make me proud," she said, her voice full of encouragement. She gave me a small kiss on the forehead, and I waved goodbye as she drove off.

I stood in front of the school for a moment, taking a deep breath. I wasn’t scared or nervous this time—this was the new Hanna. Confident and sure of herself. I made my way into the building, heading straight for my locker. As I walked down the hallway, I could feel the stares of students who seemed to be confused. Some probably thought I was a new student. After all, I had been invisible to most of them before. I grabbed my books and was about to head to class when a girl popped in front of me.

"Uh, hi," I greeted her, a little taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"Hi! I love your hair. Did you dye it?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"No, it’s my natural hair color," I replied with a small smile.

"Wow, a real redhead. That's so cool and pretty!" she said, still beaming at me.

"Thanks," I said before walking away. That was a pretty good first interaction. Now I just needed to find Jenny—I was sure she’d be in class by now.

I opened the door to our classroom and stepped in, immediately realizing the entire class was already seated. Every single head turned to look at me, surprise written all over their faces. I walked in with confidence, like I owned the place, ignoring the whispers that erupted as I passed by. Clearly, they didn’t recognize me, and they weren’t sure if it was me or a new student.

Before I even reached my seat, I heard a familiar voice scream out my name.

"Oh! My! God! Hanna, is that you?" Jenny practically yelled from behind me. I turned around to see her standing there, eyes wide and her jaw hanging open.

"Yeah," I said with a smile as we ran toward each other and hugged like we hadn’t seen each other in years.

"When you told me you were getting a full makeover, I had no idea you were going to come out looking this pretty!" she exclaimed. We made our way to our seats, still chatting excitedly.

"Thanks! It was all my aunt's idea. I have to admit, I feel a lot better about myself now," I said. Jenny was smiling from ear to ear.

"You look amazing too," I added, noticing the pink highlights in her hair.

"Aw, thanks! I just got my hair done, my nails, and bought a ton of new beauty products," she said with a grin.

"Oh god, I missed you so much," I said, realizing how much I had been longing for this moment.

"I missed you too! It didn’t feel right without you around. And now, you’re a completely new Hanna, and I love this makeover! Your true beauty is finally shining through," she said, fanning her face dramatically like she was about to cry.

"Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you, Aunt, and Uncle. You guys are my real family," I replied, my voice full of emotion.

"Oh my gosh, I’m going to cry. My best friend is back!" Jenny exclaimed, fanning her face even more. She was so dramatic, but I loved it.

"I missed one whole week of class. Did anything interesting happen?" I asked.

"Ah, there it is. Still the same old bookworm Hanna," she teased, laughing.

"That’s never going to change," I responded, joining her laughter.

"Don’t worry, I'll fill you in on everything that happened. But first, tell me all about New Jersey!" Jenny said. I spent the next few minutes explaining everything, and in return, she told me all about her own holiday. She even filled me in on Claire—apparently, she had gone to a club, gotten herself drunk, and took a three-day trip to Hawaii with Shane. It seemed she was living her dream life, but I didn’t care. Claire and Shane were no longer my problem.

The teacher soon entered the classroom, and we began our lessons. We didn’t cover much since it was the first day back, and before long, I was finishing up some schoolwork, planning to meet Jenny in the cafeteria afterward. As I was reading over a paper, not paying attention to where I was walking, I bumped into something—no, someone—solid. I was certain I would fall, but a strong pair of arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me before I could hit the ground.

I looked up, my heart racing, and found myself staring into the most mesmerizing pair of icy blue eyes I had ever seen. He was tall, towering over me, and looked like he had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. His black hair was perfectly styled, his skin flawless, his jawline sharp and defined. He was the epitome of male beauty, and his cologne was intoxicating.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. I was completely lost in his gaze, captivated by his handsomeness. He looked like a Greek god, impossibly perfect in every way. He gently positioned me so I was standing on my own, snapping me out of my daze.

"I... I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going," I stammered, my face burning with embarrassment. I bent down to pick up my books, and when I stood up, he was already gone. I blinked, wondering if I had imagined the whole thing. Was I dreaming? Did I really just run into the most handsome guy on the planet? I shook my head, trying to get a grip. I probably looked like a blushing, lovestruck teenager.

I quickly headed to my locker, dropped off my books, and made my way to the cafeteria. Thankfully, my face had returned to its normal color by the time I got there. A major downside of being a redhead was how easily I blushed, and it was so noticeable with my pale skin. I really didn’t like that.

A/N:Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for—the male lead has arrived! What do you think of their first meeting? Let me know in the comments!