No one ever looked at Raven Cortez directly in the eyes.
Not the teachers.
Not the students.
Not even the security guards.
He walked through the hallway like he owned the air everyone breathed. Black jacket. Hands in his pockets. Slow steps. Cold expression. A silent warning.
Raven wasn't just some ordinary bad boy.
He was the leader of the Black Serpents — the most feared gang in their city. Fights after school. Underground deals. A name that made people whisper.
And then there was her.
Elena Valdez.
Top of the class. Always early. Always prepared. Glasses slightly sliding down her nose. Hair tied in a simple ponytail. She hugged her books like they were armor against the world.
She wasn't invisible.
She was just… careful.
Elena knew exactly who Raven Cortez was. Everyone did. She made it a rule to stay ten steps away from him at all times.
Unfortunately for her, fate didn't follow rules.
It happened on a Wednesday afternoon.
Rain poured heavily, flooding the streets outside the school. Students rushed out, screaming and laughing as they tried to avoid getting soaked.
Elena stayed behind in the library, finishing her physics project. She needed perfect scores — scholarships didn't accept "almost."
When she finally packed her things, the sky was already dark.
The hallway was empty.
Except—
She heard footsteps.
Slow. Heavy. Familiar.
Her heart skipped.
Raven.
He leaned against the lockers near the exit, arms crossed. His face unreadable. A faint bruise on his jaw.
Elena immediately lowered her gaze and walked faster.
"Hey."
Her steps froze.
His voice was deep. Calm. Dangerous.
She didn't turn around.
"Y-Yes?" she whispered.
"Why do you always look like you've seen a ghost when I'm around?"
Her brain short-circuited.
Because you ARE the ghost of my peaceful life.
But she would never say that out loud.
"I… I don't," she lied.
Raven pushed himself off the locker and walked toward her. Each step felt louder than the thunder outside.
Elena gripped her books tighter.
He stopped right in front of her.
"Look at me."
She hesitated.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
Their eyes met.
His were dark. Sharp. Intense.
But not angry.
Curious.
"You dropped this earlier," he said, holding out something small.
Her calculator.
Her favorite scientific calculator — the expensive one she saved up for months to buy.
"Oh!" She gasped softly. "T-Thank you…"
She reached for it, but their fingers brushed.
It was only a second.
But it felt like electricity.
Raven noticed how she flinched.
He smirked slightly. "Relax. I'm not going to bite."
She nodded awkwardly. "I know."
But she didn't.
Thunder roared again, and the lights flickered.
"You're walking home?" he asked.
"Yes."
"In this rain?"
"I'll manage."
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then he took off his jacket and threw it over her head.
Elena blinked in shock. "W-What are you doing?"
"Don't argue," he said simply. "I'll walk you."
Her eyes widened. "That's not necessary—"
"It wasn't a question."
There it was.
The gangster tone.
But somehow… it didn't feel threatening.
It felt protective.
They walked out into the rain together.
Students across the street stopped talking.
Raven Cortez.
Walking.
With Elena Valdez.
Under one jacket.
The most feared boy in school.
And the quietest girl.
Elena's heart beat so loud she was sure he could hear it.
Raven glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
For the first time in years, something felt different.
He didn't know why.
He didn't know how.
But the nerdy girl with the trembling hands and brilliant mind had just walked into his world—
And he had a feeling she was about to change it.
To be continued…