Chapter 2 First Impressions

I'd been awake since five AM, trying on and discarding half my wardrobe. Nothing felt right. The designer clothes Mom had insisted on buying me felt like costumes, and my old clothes from Chicago screamed "scholarship kid" louder than a megaphone. Finally, I settled on dark jeans, a simple white blouse, and the one pair of expensive shoes I actually liked-nude flats that didn't make me feel like I was playing dress-up. Westbridge Academy looked like something out of a movie.

Sprawling brick buildings covered in ivy, perfectly manicured lawns, and a student parking lot filled with cars that cost more than most people's houses. I clutched my class schedule and tried to ignore the stares as I walked through the main courtyard. "You must be the new girl." I turned to find a petite blonde with perfectly applied makeup and a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Everything about her screamed money and confidence, from her designer handbag to her flawlessly styled hair. "Maya," I said, managing a smile. "Maya Chen." "Sophia Winters." She looked me up and down in a way that felt like an appraisal. "I heard Richard Cross's new stepdaughter was starting today. Your mom certainly upgraded, didn't she?" Heat flooded my cheeks. "I should find my first class-" "Oh, honey, you don't need to be embarrassed. Half the girls here would kill for that kind of security." Her laugh was light and airy, but there was steel underneath. "What's your first period?" "AP Literature with Ms. Hartwell." "Perfect! I'll walk you. Consider it a welcome wagon." She linked her arm through mine before I could protest. "So tell me, what's it like living with Adrian Cross?" My stomach dropped. "It's fine. We barely see each other." "Really? Because Adrian and I have been... close friends for a while now." The way she said 'close friends' left no room for interpretation. "He's never mentioned having a new sister." We'd reached the classroom, and I was desperate to escape. "Thanks for showing me around." "Of course! We should have lunch together. I'll introduce you to everyone who matters." Her smile was sharp. "After all, you'll need allies at a place like this." AP Literature was my sanctuary. Books, analysis, critical thinking-things that made sense. I slid into a seat in the back corner and tried to focus on Ms. Hartwell's discussion of forbidden love in classic literature. The irony wasn't lost on me. "The theme of forbidden desire runs through literature precisely because it reflects our deepest human conflicts," Ms. Hartwell was saying. "The tension between what we want and what society deems acceptable creates the most compelling narratives." I was scribbling notes when the classroom door opened. "Sorry I'm late, Ms. Hartwell. Coach wanted to discuss tonight's game." That voice. Deep, familiar, and entirely too close. Adrian Cross walked into the room, and I swear every girl sat up straighter. He was even more devastating in daylight, wearing the school's uniform of khakis and a polo shirt like it was designer couture. His dark hair was perfectly tousled, and when he smiled apologetically at the teacher, I could practically hear sighs echoing around the room. "Take a seat, Mr. Cross. We're discussing the concept of forbidden love in Romeo and Juliet." Adrian's eyes swept the classroom, and I sank lower in my seat. Please don't see me, please don't see me, please- Our eyes met. Time stopped. His expression shifted from casual indifference to something I couldn't quite read. Surprise? Recognition? Something else entirely? "Mr. Cross?" Ms. Hartwell's voice cut through the moment. "Right. Sorry." But he didn't look away from me as he made his way to an empty seat three rows ahead. Several girls twisted in their chairs to watch him, but his attention remained fixed on me. I spent the rest of class staring at the back of his head and trying to ignore the whispers that had started around the room. This was exactly what I'd been afraid of. When the bell rang, I bolted for the door, but Adrian was faster. "Maya." He caught up with me in the hallway. "I didn't know you were in AP Lit." "There's a lot you don't know about me." The words came out sharper than I'd intended. "Fair enough." He fell into step beside me, ignoring the curious stares from other students. "How was your first morning?" "Fine." "Just fine?" I stopped walking and turned to face him. Big mistake. This close, I could see the flecks of silver in his blue eyes, could catch that scent that had made my pulse race last night. "Look, I get it. You're being polite because our parents are married. But you don't have to pretend to care about how I'm adjusting." Something flickered across his face. "You think I'm pretending?" "Aren't you?" He stepped closer, and I felt my back hit the lockers. Students flowed around us like water around a stone, but all I could focus on was Adrian-the way he was looking at me like he was trying to solve a puzzle, the way my heart hammered against my ribs. "Adrian!" A familiar voice cut through the tension. "There you are!" Sophia appeared beside us, her perfectly manicured hand sliding possessively onto Adrian's arm. "I've been looking everywhere for you. We need to talk about tonight's party." Adrian's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, but he stepped back. The spell was broken. "Of course," he said, his voice cooler now. "Maya, this is Sophia Winters. Sophia, my stepsister Maya." "Oh, we've already met!" Sophia's smile was brilliant. "I was just telling Maya how lucky she is to be part of the Cross family now. Adrian's practically royalty here at Westbridge." I watched as Sophia's grip on Adrian's arm tightened, as her body language screamed possession. Message received, loud and clear. "I should get to my next class," I said quietly. "See you at home," Adrian said, and there was something in his voice-regret? Frustration? I couldn't tell. I walked away feeling like I'd just survived my first battle in a war I hadn't known I was fighting. The rest of the day passed in a blur of introductions, curious stares, and whispered conversations that stopped when I got too close. By the time the final bell rang, I was exhausted. I found a quiet corner of the library and pulled out my phone to call Mom, but stopped when I heard familiar voices from the next aisle. "I don't understand why you're being so cold today." Sophia's voice was tight with frustration. "I'm not being cold. I'm being normal." Adrian sounded tired. "Normal? You barely looked at me during lunch, and don't think I didn't notice you watching your little stepsister all day." "Her name is Maya." "Whatever. The point is, people are starting to notice. And talk." "Let them talk." "Adrian." Sophia's voice turned softer, more manipulative. "We've been together for two years. Don't let some random girl your dad married into the family mess up what we have." There was a long pause. I held my breath, hating myself for eavesdropping but unable to move. "You're right," Adrian said finally. "I'm sorry. It's just... it's an adjustment, having someone new in the house." "I know, baby. But you can't let her think she belongs in our world. Girls like that... they get ideas." Girls like that. The words hit like a slap. I grabbed my bag and slipped out of the library, my cheeks burning with humiliation and anger. So that's what this was about. Adrian felt sorry for me-the poor scholarship kid who'd lucked into a better life. And Sophia saw me as exactly what I was: a threat to the established order. Fine. Message received. I'd spent one day trying to figure out where I fit in this new world, and the answer was clear: I didn't. Not with Adrian, not with his girlfriend, and definitely not at Westbridge Academy. But as I walked toward the parking lot where my driver was waiting-another adjustment I'd never get used to-I couldn't shake the memory of how Adrian had looked at me in that hallway. Like I was something more than just the poor girl who'd gotten lucky. Even if Sophia was right, even if I was just imagining things, some part of me couldn't let go of that moment. Some part of me didn't want to.