Axel didn't even make it through the gates properly before the stares started. Whispers, side-eyes, and the occasional bold followed him as he walked across the campus. He hadn't said a word to anyone yet, but his name was already bouncing off the walks like an echo that wouldn't die. "That's him." The one who got expelled from three schools." "Four. I heard it was four." He rolled his eyes. Figures. His reputation had arrived before he did. He had only been at Westbridge High for one day, and already, they were painting him as some kind of villain. And sure, he wasn't exactly innocent, but most of the things they were saying? Pure exaggeration. The hallway rumors made it sound like he'd burned down a building or something. Axel wasn't interested in starting trouble not today at least. He just wanted to get through this day, make it to the next, and maybe, just maybe, prove that he wasn't some one-dimensional troublemaker. But he could already feel it they were going to push him, test him. Let them try.
The tension faded the moment he heard a familiar voice. "Yo, Axel!?" He turned. There she was jasmine. His childhood best friend. Still rocking that half-dyed purple braid like a crown. She walked up, arms wide and grinning like she'd just found her favorite stray cat again. "You really showed up," she laughed. " Damn, I thought you'd be rotting in detention at some all-boys military school by now." He smirked. "They tried. I said no." They hugged like they hadn't seen each other in years, even though it had only been a few months. Jasmine had been at Westbridge before him. She had her own clique now a mix of fashion-forward girls and loud, confident guys. They weren't in the same class, but they'd cross paths a few times a week. As they walked together, she pulled him into her circle like it was the easiest thing in the world. Her friends looked at Axel with mild curiosity, but Jasmine's nod was all they needed to accept him. He wasn't the new kid walking alone. Not anymore. Later, in class, he found himself seated just a few desks from the top-of-the-class guy.
Noah. The one everyone seemed to admire and avoid. Perfect posture. Shirt always crisp. Answers locked and loaded before the teacher even finish the question. But Axel could tell from a glance: Noah wasn't just a nerd. He was sharp. Competitive. And looking at him now, Axel already felt it a challenge. It wasn't that they hated each other. Not yet. But when their eyes met during that first quiz and Noah saw Axel mark the answers just as fast as him, something shifted. not a spark. A rivalry