Miss nobody strikes back

Dominic

Chapter Sixteen

Dominic’s POV

Today was the first day of school after a three-month summer break. I wasn’t exactly excited about it—just neutral. Kai, my best friend since kindergarten, walked into the living room and plopped down beside me on the couch.

“Are you excited for school today?” Kai asked, his tone hopeful.

“Should I be?” I replied, not taking my eyes off my phone. My voice was as cold as ever.

“Oh, come on, Dom. You don’t always have to be so cold and mysterious. Tone it down a bit. At this rate, you’re definitely not going to get a girlfriend.” He sighed, shaking his head. This was his everyday complaint, but it didn’t bother me. I was perfectly content being the way I was—different from everyone else. I rarely talked, and I hated being around girls.

“Exactly what I want,” I said dryly, causing Kai to roll his eyes.

“Looks like everyone had a nice summer break,” Kai muttered, trying to change the subject. Just then, my mom’s voice rang out from the kitchen.

“Boys, come on! It’s time to eat!” she called. Kai and I stood up and made our way to the dining table.

After breakfast, our driver took us to school. As soon as the car pulled into the parking lot, the students began snapping pictures. Kai and I were used to it by now. We were the most popular guys in school and were often considered the most handsome as well. Girls were always trying to get close to us, though I couldn’t stand the attention.

Kai and I walked into the classroom. It was still early, so there weren’t many people there yet. As usual, we headed straight to the back of the class, where we always sat. I was about to rest my head on the desk when I heard a voice that made my skin crawl.

“Dom, my love!” Sophia called out, rushing over to me. She was the daughter of a business tycoon, and our families had been close for years. Because of that, Sophia clung to me like a leech, always hovering around me no matter where I went.

“Sophia,” I muttered, my voice flat and disinterested.

“Oh my gosh, you’ve become even more handsome over the summer! And your voice—it’s so deep. I love it!” she gushed.

Before I could respond, Kai stepped in, his patience already worn thin. “Hi, Sophia. Dom and I need to work on something, so could you please get out of our faces?” Kai never liked Sophia, and he never missed a chance to make his feelings known.

She pouted dramatically before flipping her hair and walking away. “Geez, so rude. My love, I’ll see you later,” she said before sauntering back to her seat. Kai shot me a grateful look.

“You’re welcome,” he muttered as I rested my head on the desk, trying to tune out the world.

We were relaxing when the classroom door opened, and someone walked in. It was her. Hanna. She strutted in with a confidence I had never seen before. Her once curly red hair was now long, straight, and silky. She wasn’t wearing glasses anymore—probably contacts—and her skin was smooth and glowing. Her lips were a soft pink, and she had clearly been working out because her body looked more toned than ever. She was still Hanna, but... different.

The whole class turned to look at her, stunned by her transformation. Even her sister, Claire, had a look of disbelief on her face. It was as if no one could believe that Hanna, the quiet, nerdy girl, had blossomed into this confident version of herself.

She walked over to her seat, where her friend Jenny sat, and they started talking. I didn’t know why, but for some reason, I found myself staring at her longer than I should have. She was the only girl I’d ever really noticed in this way. I almost never paid attention to girls, but something about her today was different. Even Kai noticed.

“Wow, Dom, she’s looking hot. Some of the boys are drooling over her,” Kai whispered with a chuckle. I didn’t respond. Instead, I just laid my head back down on the desk, trying to shake the weird feeling I was having.

Class ended quickly since it was the first day back. When the bell rang for lunch, I decided to head outside for some fresh air. On my way back to the cafeteria, I wasn’t paying much attention when suddenly, someone bumped into me hard. The impact sent her stumbling backward, and she was about to fall when I instinctively reached out, wrapping my arms around her waist to steady her.

I looked down to see Hanna, her wide green eyes staring up at me in shock. For a moment, everything around us faded, and all I could focus on were those eyes. Her features were soft yet striking, and for the first time, I found myself thinking she was actually quite pretty. Her pink lips were slightly parted in surprise, and I could see the blush spreading across her pale skin.

Realizing she had been staring at me, she blinked and quickly tried to gather herself. “I... I am so sorry! I wasn’t looking at where I was going,” she stammered, clearly embarrassed. She bent down to pick up her fallen books, but I didn’t say a word. I simply walked away.

As I headed down the hall, I couldn’t help but think about her. Hanna had always been the shy, quiet type who kept to herself. She didn’t mingle with the popular kids like her sister did, and she definitely didn’t seek out attention. She spent most of her time in the library or alone. Claire, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—always in the spotlight and dating Shane. Yet, for some reason, it wasn’t Claire I was thinking about. It was Hanna.

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. Why was I thinking about her? This was so unlike me. I had gone years without letting anyone get under my skin. I barely smiled, rarely talked, and avoided girls like the plague. Sophia had been trying for years to catch my attention, but she never succeeded. So why was it different with Hanna? Why did her very existence seem to captivate me?

Author’s Note: Ooooh, things are getting intense! Who would have thought that Dominic had always noticed Hanna from the day she first came to school? What do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to share the story with your friends and family!