Defender's Heartbeat 2

Chapter 1

Mia

"I'm excited today," I said to myself twirling in front of the mirror. I was 17 years old and heading to my new school, St. Anthony School in Dulce Vista. It was a private school, and I had earned a scholarship by passing the scholarship exam. I had studied intensely for this. My family had moved to an area near Dulce Vista the previous week. Dulce Vista was a small town filled with wealthy people and natural beauty.

There was a large lake encircled by a road and trees, and I cherished the tranquil scenery. We weren't rich, so we rented a small, modest house. It had been expensive, but Dad had rented it because he cared a lot about my education. Mom had also started working part-time to help support us financially. My little sister, 13 years old, would be able to apply for the scholarship at St. Anthony School once she turned 15.

I loved the uniform at this school. Before, I had attended a public school that didn't require a uniform. Here, the uniform was a black coat, black skirt, and white shirt.

"Wow, you look great in that uniform," Mom said, smiling at me. I glanced at myself in the mirror once more. My dark hair was neatly combed, my brown eyes sparkled with happiness, and my cheeks were flushed with excitement. Grabbing my bag, I hurried to Dad's car. Since it was my first day, he had offered to drive me to school. After that, I could go alone since it wasn't far from our house.

After a few minutes of driving, we arrived at the school. Dad parked the car near the entrance. The school was situated on a hill, just above the main road. Inside, it felt like a paradise. We entered through the front gate, and I saw children scattered throughout the school garden. The grounds were spotless, with flower bushes and trees everywhere. The atmosphere was so peaceful, it felt unreal that I was actually a student here.

I headed straight to the principal's office. His name was Giovanni Rossi, a man in his 50s or 60s. It was hard to determine his exact age, as he looked young despite the strands of gray hair.

"You must be Mia Gomez?" he said, smiling warmly at me.

"Yes, sir," I replied, happy and respectful.

There were three other new scholarship students like me, and I soon learned their names: Ava Vargas, Tristan Moore, and Kevin Lee.

The principal talked with us briefly, and as school started, we headed to our classroom. The four of us didn't get to sit near each other. The teacher wanted us to blend in with the other students, so I was placed next to a girl named Liza. She was nice and seemed just as happy to meet me as I was to meet her. I knew most students here came from wealthy families, so I was afraid I might be placed next to a bully. But Liza, despite being rich, was incredibly kind, and my fear quickly faded.

"Pam, where are your friends?" the teacher asked a girl with blond hair and noticeable makeup.

"I have no idea, Ma'am," Pam replied nonchalantly.

The teacher glanced at her watch and sighed. "Oh, these kids," she muttered as four boys strolled into the classroom, acting as if being late wasn't a big deal.

Then I saw him—the most handsome, gorgeous boy I had ever seen in my entire life. I forgot to breathe. He had jet-black hair, dark eyes with thick lashes, and flushed cheeks like he had been out in the sun for hours. His lips were perfectly shaped, and his jawline was sharp and impeccable. Despite his looks, he didn't seem friendly, which made him even more intriguing. He had an air of toughness that added to his personality. It was insane that I developed a crush on a boy on the first day of my new school. This is bad.

"Don't be fooled by his looks. He's trouble," Liza whispered in my ear.

"No, I'm not!" I said, smiling awkwardly, embarrassed that she had caught me staring at him.

I watched as the boys made their way to the last row without acknowledging the teacher, and the entire class fell silent until they settled in their seats, as if they were royalty.

Thank God he's sitting in the last row, and I'm in the middle. At least I won't be distracted by him throughout the period.

During the break, I met up with the other scholars for lunch. We all sat together at a long table, enjoying our meal in peace when the bullies arrived.

"Oh, hello, poor people. Does free food taste good?" a boy sneered, and to my utter shock, it was my crush. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. I couldn't believe I had developed feelings for a bully.

At first, we were all stunned, unsure of how to respond. Then Ava spoke up. "It's not free food for us. We earned it," she said confidently.

Ava was a tall, thin girl with tan skin and black shoulder-length hair. She had mentioned earlier that she used to play netball at her old school.

"Wow... and how did you earn that, rat ass?" the boy with blue eyes asked, while the others laughed. I noticed some of the other students were laughing at us too, and my heart sank as I experienced the sting of bullying. I glanced at the other three, and they looked just as helpless as I felt.

"Why don't you find out for yourself, spoiled brats," Ava snapped, and then casually started eating. I wasn't like her—I was shy and terrified of bullies. Keeping my head down, I silently ate as if I didn't exist. Ava had already drawn the bullies' attention, so I felt safe from further humiliation. After they finally left us, I sighed in relief.

"I can't even imagine talking to them like you did," I whispered to Ava, still shaking. My heart was pounding.

"I'm not scared of bullies," she said confidently.

"Wow, I never thought we'd have to deal with something like that," Tristan said, his voice shaken.

"I kind of expected it. I heard this school is full of spoiled brats," Kevin added.

Since that day, I have taken care to steer clear of Lorenzo Perez and his friends as much as possible. I made it a point not to attract their attention. I was excellent at staying invisible, so they never noticed me. But I couldn't help stealing glances at Lorenzo, admiring his perfect looks from a distance. His eyes were the most mesmerizing part—if they locked onto yours, it felt like they could hypnotize you. Every time I saw him, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. Even the scent of his cologne drove me crazy, whatever it was. It was obvious I wasn't the only girl secretly infatuated with him. I'd seen other girls stare at him, looking just as captivated as I was. Sometimes, I overheard them whispering about Lorenzo and his friends, and a twinge of jealousy crept in. But he was someone I could never have, so why should I be jealous? Besides, I was terrified of him.

He had walked close to me so many times, yet he never noticed me. But my eyes always followed him, almost against my will.