tis the damn season

"I feel so high school"

The fluorescent lights flickered above me as I walked down the crowded hallway, my backpack slung over one shoulder. The familiar hum of high school chatter buzzed in the air—lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking on the linoleum floor, laughter bouncing off the walls. I should've been focused on getting to my next class, but my mind was elsewhere.

Or more accurately, on someone else.

Rafe Cameron.

I wasn't proud of it. I wasn't supposed to be thinking about him. I had Pope. Steady, loyal, kind Pope. But there was something about Rafe that I couldn't shake, like an itch I couldn't quite scratch. He wasn't like anyone else—reckless, unpredictable, and utterly magnetic.

He was standing by his locker when I saw him, casually leaning against the metal door, his eyes scanning the hallway. His hair was a little longer back then, tousled in that effortless way that drove half the girls at school crazy. He wore a worn leather jacket over a plain white tee, and the smirk playing on his lips told me he knew exactly how good he looked.

I tried to look away. I really did. But then his eyes locked onto mine, and my heart did that stupid, traitorous thing where it skipped a beat.

"Jules!" Kiara's voice jolted me back to reality. She was standing beside me, waving a hand in front of my face. "Earth to Jules. Are you even listening?"

"Yeah, sorry," I muttered, tearing my gaze away from Rafe. "What were you saying?"

Kiara narrowed her eyes, following my line of sight. When she saw who I'd been staring at, her expression darkened. "Seriously? Rafe Cameron? What is it with you and bad decisions?"

I flushed, adjusting the strap of my backpack. "I wasn't staring."

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure you weren't."

I rolled my eyes, determined to shake off whatever weird spell Rafe had over me. "It's nothing, Kie. Let's just get to class."

But as we walked past Rafe's locker, I felt his gaze follow me. I could practically feel the heat of his stare burning into the back of my neck. And just when I thought I'd made it past without incident, I heard his voice.

"Hey, Juliette!"

I stopped, my heart thudding. Kiara shot me a look that clearly said, Don't do it. But I couldn't help myself. I turned around.

Rafe was leaning even more lazily against his locker now, his smirk deepening. "You drop something."

I glanced down, confused. "What?"

He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Your attention. You dropped it back there when you walked past me."

Kiara groaned beside me. "Oh my God, did you seriously just use that line?"

Rafe ignored her, his eyes never leaving mine. "Well? Did it work?"

I knew I should roll my eyes. I knew I should laugh it off and walk away. But instead, I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Maybe," I said, tilting my head. "Is that the best you've got?"

His smirk widened. "Depends. Are you interested in hearing more?"

Kiara tugged on my arm. "Come on, Jules. We're going to be late."

I hesitated, but before I could answer, Rafe stepped closer, his voice dropping so only I could hear. "You know you're curious."

My breath caught in my throat. He was too close—close enough that I could smell the faint scent of his cologne, something crisp and dangerous.

"I have a boyfriend," I whispered, my voice wavering.

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, the playful facade slipped. "Yeah. I know."

I expected him to back off, but he didn't. Instead, he leaned in just a little more, his voice low and rough. "But if I didn't get under your skin, you wouldn't still be standing here."

My pulse raced. I hated how well he could read me. I hated how he made me feel—like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, both terrified and exhilarated.

Kiara tugged on my arm again, harder this time. "Jules, seriously."

I blinked, snapping out of whatever spell Rafe had put me under. "Right. Yeah. Coming."

Without another word, I turned and followed Kiara down the hallway, my heart pounding. But even as I walked away, I could still feel Rafe's eyes on me, and I knew this wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.