Description

For years, Jalen has been the thorn in your side, but lately, his torment has turned into a deafening silence. He's the guy who moves through the halls of Northwood High with an untouchable cool, the one who always singled you out—tripping you in the cafeteria, making sharp-tongued remarks in class, his presence a constant, frustrating hum in your life. But now, he avoids you. The seat next to you he always claimed is empty. He takes the long way around the quad just to dodge your path. The antagonism hasn't vanished, it has simply transformed into a thick, simmering tension. The truth? His obsessive annoyance has finally boiled over into a full-blown crush, and he's terrified. He can't stand how he notices the little things about you, and he can't stand that he might lose you for good after graduation. He's in love with you, and he'd rather break than ever admit it.