The last bell finally rang, and I swear, I'd never been more done with a school day — and that was the first day of the last year of senior high. Huh, ptffff, what am I even saying? My brain felt like mashed potatoes after all those lectures and dramas. I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed toward the parking lot, ready to drop Avery and Charlotte home like we always did. My black car was waiting for me in the parking lot under the same large tree it always sat beneath.
I leaned against the hood, scrolling through my phone and humming to whatever song was playing on my headphones. Avery had texted that she and Charlotte were stopping by the locker room, so I had a few minutes to kill.
That was when I saw them — the Doras.
Three of them, walking like they were filming a perfume commercial as usual — emphasis on that. Piper, the leader, had her pink sunglasses on top of her perfectly straight blonde hair. Her glossy lips looked like she'd eaten an entire box of strawberries, and her heels clicked against the pavement . Molly and Ronnie were whispering and giggling behind her like backup dancers.
"Hey, Tess," Piper called out in that sweet but fake tone that made my stomach turn. "Still pretending to be all serious with your little books?"
I tucked my phone into my pocket and straightened up. "Not pretending. I actually like studying. You should try it sometime."
Her smile twitched, and I could practically see the annoyance in her eyes. "Oh, that's cute. Adrian must really like nerds then."
I tried not to react, but I felt my heart do that stupid flutter thing. "What are you talking about?" I asked, keeping my voice as flat as I could.
Piper tilted her head like she was confused. "Oh, you didn't know? Everyone's talking about how you were all alone with him in the library today. Guess he's into charity now."
Her friends snorted behind her. My face burned, and I hated that she could see it.
"You know what, Piper?" I said, taking a small step forward. "You spend so much time talking about Adrian, it shows that you're obsessed with him."
For a second, her smile completely dropped. Then she laughed. "Please. You really think you stand a chance with him? Don't fool yourself, Barbie-wannabe."
That one stung — because I definitely wasn't a Barbie. My hair was in a messy ponytail, and I wasn't into the color pink, or skirts, or the girly-girl acts.
She smirked and leaned in closer, her perfume so strong I almost gagged. "Maybe if you spent less time reading and more time trying not to be invisible, boys would notice you."
Before I could respond, she flicked her hair and strutted away, her sidekicks following. I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Wow, what a queen."
I didn't even notice them glance back at my car before they disappeared.
A few minutes later, Avery and Charlotte finally showed up, laughing about something dumb. "Tess!" Avery waved, tossing her backpack into the trunk. "You won't believe what happened in—"
She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes going wide.
"What?" I asked, turning around.
Charlotte gasped. "Oh my God, Tess. Your car."
I blinked, stepping closer to the back bumper — and nearly choked.
There, written in huge, messy pink letters across the trunk, were the words:
"ADRIAN'S CHARITY CASE "
My jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?! They actually—"
"Who did this?" Avery snapped, already pulling a tissue from her bag.
"Who do you think?" I groaned. "Piper and her minions."
We all scrambled for water bottles and tissues, trying to wipe it off, but it only smeared worse. The bright pink smudges spread like cotton candy over black paint.
"This is so bad," Charlotte muttered. "Everyone's gonna see this tomorrow."
I wanted to crawl under the car and stay there forever. "Great. Perfect. Just what I needed — free advertisement for my humiliation."
That was when I heard voices behind me.
"Hey, what's going on?"
I turned, and my heart did that annoying flutter thing again. Adrian. Standing there in his white T-shirt and backpack slung over one shoulder. Will and Jasper were with him, looking curious — and slightly amused.
Adrian's eyes scanned the car, then moved to me. "Who did this?"
Before I could answer, a loud laugh came from across the lot. Piper again. She and her friends were pretending to scroll through their phones, but it was obvious they were watching and making videos.
Adrian's jaw clenched, and he took a step toward them. "Seriously?"
I grabbed his arm. "Don't. It's fine."
"It's not fine," he said, eyes still locked on Piper. "They shouldn't—"
"Adrian," Will said quietly. "Let it go, man."
Jasper nodded. "Not worth it. They just want attention."
Piper blew him a kiss, which made Adrian's frown deepen.
I sighed. "Can we just… focus on getting this off my car before I die of embarrassment?"
Adrian blinked, then looked back at me. "Yeah. Hand me that tissue."
We all worked together for a while — me, Avery, Charlotte, and the guys. It was ridiculous; everyone was trying not to laugh, but Jasper made it impossible by saying stuff like, "At least they picked your good side," which made me groan and toss a tissue at him.
Will was busy teasing Charlotte about her "super-serious cleaning face," and Avery looked like she wanted to sink into the ground because of the jokes Jasper was making.
Adrian stood beside me, rubbing at one corner of the trunk. "This stuff isn't coming off," he said, frowning.
I blew out a breath. "Of course it isn't. Why would life be easy today?"
He glanced at me, and for a moment, our eyes met. Everything felt… weirdly quiet. His blue eyes softened a little, and the corners of his lips twitched up.
"You always this calm when people mess with you?" he asked.
"Only when I'm trying not to shine in public," I said.
He laughed — an actual laugh — and it made something warm twist in my chest.
"Guess that makes two of us," he said quietly.
Before I could ask what that meant, he straightened up. "This isn't lipstick. It's permanent marker."
I groaned. "Of course it is. Of course. Piper couldn't just use normal lipstick like a decent human being."
Will whistled. "That's messed up."
"Yeah," Adrian said, still looking at the car. Then he turned to me. "You shouldn't drive this home. People are gonna take pictures or something."
"So what do you suggest? Magic eraser?"
"I'll give you a ride," he said simply.
For a second, I thought I heard him wrong. "Wait — you're offering me a ride? Like… with you?"
"Yeah," he said, smiling a little. "Unless you prefer staying here and advertising your new nickname."
I rolled my eyes, but I could feel my face heating up. "Fine."
Avery and Charlotte exchanged looks, trying not to grin.
Jasper waved his car keys. "We'll take them home," he said to Adrian. "You two go."
And just like that, I found myself in Adrian's car.
It smelled faintly like vanilla and something expensive I couldn't name. He drove quietly for a while, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping against his thigh.
"Sorry about… all that," he said finally.
"It's not your fault," I replied. "Piper just hates me because I breathe the same air as you."
He chuckled. "She's not worth your energy."
"Tell that to my poor car," I said.
We both laughed, and for a second, it felt easy — like we weren't two people from completely different worlds.
When I got home, Mom and Dad were furious. They called the principal, who promised to "handle the situation immediately." Dad even sent a few technicians to fix the car that night.
By the time I was in bed, I kept replaying that moment in the parking lot — Adrian's laugh, the way he looked at me like he actually saw me.
I told myself it didn't mean anything. Just a small spark.
But it felt like the beginning of something I couldn't quite name yet.
---
That Night
I was lying on my bed, still thinking about everything that happened — the lipstick, the whispers, the way Adrian looked at me when he asked if I was okay. My phone buzzed, and my heart did that stupid flip again.
Adrian: Hey, just wanted to check if you got home okay.
I stared at the screen for a second before typing back.
Me: Yeah, I did. Thanks again for helping today.
A few seconds later—
Adrian: Anytime. Don't let the Barbie-wannabe squad get to you.
I laughed out loud, shaking my head.
Me: Too late.
Adrian: Then I'll have to make it up to you tomorrow.
I didn't even know what that meant, but I smiled anyway, staring at the message until my phone dimmed.
And just like that, sleep didn't seem so easy anymore.