Perfect Spirals & Broken Rules

She's the cheer captain everyone watches.
He's the quiet boy no one notices.

On the surface, Roxanne "Roxy" Carter has it all-popularity, parties, and the captain's title she fought to earn. But behind the smiles and perfect routines, her grades are falling, her future is slipping, and the pressure is suffocating. One more mistake and she loses cheer, her dream school, and the only identity she's ever known.

Enter Noah Blackwood-emo-looking, honour student, karate-trained, and painfully private. He's disciplined, controlled, and completely uninterested in her reputation. Being assigned as her tutor is the last thing he wants... especially when he sees right through her act.

They don't get along.
They argue.
They push each other's limits.

Forced into late-night tutoring sessions, empty classrooms, and unwanted closeness, tension turns into something dangerous. Something secret. While Roxy is willing to choose him openly, Noah hides-afraid of judgment, afraid of losing control, afraid she'll eventually realize she deserves better.

As parties spiral, alcohol becomes a coping mechanism, and emotions crack wide open, they're forced to confront the parts of themselves they've been running from.

Because falling for each other was never part of the plan-
and surviving it might cost them everything.

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His hands are on her hips -just to steady her, he tells himself.

"If you keep looking at me like that," she whispers, "you're going to break your own rules."

He swallows.

"You already did."