uld feel the attention burning in the air. I slipped into my seat, pressing myself into th

aned over the seats, trying to get a better look. One of them, a lanky guy with

modeling agency around here," he called out,

hen I didn't want it. My long, midnight-black hair spilled over my shoulders like dark water, and my skin, smooth and fair, looked almost otherworldly

s, were a captivating greenish-hazel, able to change from soft to fierce in an instant. My lips were

hole small town was different. I tried to stay invisible, bu

out the window at the passing scenery. I reminded myself I'd get used to this. The attention w

patterns on my bag with my fingers, pretending not to notice the glances from the other students. I had already got

stop before school. I looked up, curious despite myself, as eight boys scrambled onto

, calling out to friends. They moved with this easy confidence, like they owned everything around them. I had never seen

ther boy slid into the seat in front of them, throwing his arm over the backrest and smiling flirtatiously at the girl behind him. Each of them seemed to

were loud and carefree, this boy had a quiet energy about him. He stepped o

was A

just grazing his cheekbones, but perfectly styled in that effortless way. His skin was a warm olive tone, like he'd spent hours

eld secrets no one could guess. His gaze could go cold in a second, but there was always warmth underneath, like he didn't give it t

oice cut through the bus noise, lig

ng. Her blonde hair fell in perfect waves, framing her bright blue eyes and dazzling smile. She was the type of girl everyone knew-the one all t

e lit up as she leaned in, chatting away while he listened with a quiet smirk. The way they interacted, the way Daphne seemed to hang on eve

ise, Asher sat calmly, grounded, like he was an anchor in the middle of a storm. There was something mysterious about him, something quiet and intriguing that

why, but there was something magnetic about Asher, something that made him stand out from everyone else on