Chapter 2

The cafeteria buzzed, the usual lunchtime chaos.

My tray felt heavy, my appetite gone.

Across the room, Sarah Jenkins sat alone, sketching in her notebook.

"Most Likely to Go Unnoticed," the same poll had declared her. Art freak, some called her.

Glasses, baggy clothes, always lost in her own world.

An idea, reckless and fueled by a bitter anger, sparked in my mind.

I walked towards her table, the noise around me fading as heads turned.

I stopped in front of Sarah, she looked up, surprised.

"Sarah," I said, my voice louder than I intended, "will you go to prom with me?"

The cafeteria went dead silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Then, a sharp, derisive laugh cut through the quiet. Brittany.

"Seriously, Ethan?" she called out, her voice dripping with contempt. "First me, now her?"

Her clique of cheerleaders giggled.

"Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel!"

My hand tightened on the strap of my backpack, inside was the game demo, months of work, meant for Brittany.

I pulled out the sleek, custom-made USB drive.

Instead of walking it over to Brittany, I held it out to Sarah.

"I made this," I said, my voice steady now, meeting Sarah's wide eyes. "It's an indie game demo, thought you might like it."

Sarah stared at the drive, then at me, then back at Brittany, whose face was now a mask of disbelief.