The city never stopped. It hummed through the streets, bright lights cutting through the night, but I didn't need to pay attention to any of it. It was all the same to me—just noise. The world was filled with people desperate to be seen, to matter, but none of them ever caught my eye.
I was seventeen, but I didn't feel like it. I was older in the ways that mattered—sharp, focused, and impossible to get close to. Men, they tried. They always tried. But it was never enough. They'd throw themselves at me, desperate for something I didn't feel. And when they saw that, they kept coming back. It was like they thought I was a challenge. They had no idea how much of a waste it was.
I wasn't cold, not exactly. I just wasn't interested in pretending. I'd learned long ago that people—especially the ones who wanted something from you—were better kept at arm's length. It was easier that way. Detached. Untouchable.
I let them admire me, sure. Let them look. But that's all it was. They could want me all they wanted, but I didn't need them.
And that made all the difference.
---
I was there to get a Diet Coke. Just a simple stop at the corner store, nothing more. But when I walked up to the counter, the guy behind it didn't ask for my money. Instead, he just slid the bottle across to me, his eyes fixed on mine, his gaze too steady, too intense.
"On the house," he said, voice low, like he knew something I didn't.
I raised an eyebrow, not bothering to mask my indifference. "Is that so?"
He didn't answer, just smiled. The kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes, the kind of smile that suggested he knew exactly who I was—what I was—without needing to ask. Maybe it was the way I carried myself, or maybe it was just the way people always seemed to gravitate toward me. Either way, it wasn't the first time I'd been offered something without even asking for it.
I didn't take the drink immediately, just held it in my hand, watching him. His stare didn't waver. He wasn't going to let me walk away without some kind of reaction, without acknowledging the unspoken tension between us. But I wasn't about to make it easy for him.
"You're lucky I'm thirsty," I said, finally breaking the silence as I grabbed the bottle, twisting off the cap.
He didn't flinch. "Guess I'll take that as a thank you."
I didn't respond, just turned and walked out, the faint echo of his gaze on my back making the air feel a little heavier.
It wasn't about the Diet Coke. It never was.
---
As I stepped outside, the cool night air hit me, but I didn't let it slow my pace. My mind was already elsewhere, processing the strange encounter with the guy at the counter. I wasn't interested in whatever game he was trying to play. But then I saw her.
She was standing across the street, chatting with some guy. Dark hair, just like mine, but hers was cut in a sharp, trendy bob, and she wore a coat that looked way too expensive for a random Tuesday evening. She didn't notice me at first, too caught up in whatever conversation she was having.
I knew her, of course. She was the sister of a girl in my brother's year. A few years ago, we might have crossed paths at a party or in the hallways of school, but we'd never spoken much. Yet, there was something about her that felt… familiar.
And then it clicked—she was the one dating Alex. My old classmate. The one who used to hang around my group until we all parted ways. The one who didn't quite fit in, but made himself known anyway.
I couldn't help but stare for a second. There was something about her, the way she held herself, that bothered me. Maybe it was her effortless confidence, or maybe it was because she had what I didn't care enough to chase—people's attention.
I wasn't jealous, of course. I didn't care about Alex. But it was curious. She was dating someone I knew, and for some reason, that felt like a complication I didn't want to deal with.
As I passed by, I noticed her glance over at me, and for a split second, our eyes met. It wasn't long enough for anything to register, but it was enough to stir something.
And just like that, I knew this was going to be a lot more complicated than I thought.
---
As I passed, our eyes met for just a moment. She froze, like she hadn't expected it, and I gave her a small smile—just enough to acknowledge her presence without saying anything.
It wasn't an invitation. It wasn't a challenge. It was just a smile—cold, calculated, like I was taking her measure. She didn't respond immediately, but I saw the slight shift in her expression. A flicker of recognition, maybe even a bit of hesitation.
Then, she looked away, back to her conversation, but I knew she felt it. The shift. The little ripple I'd caused in her calm.
I wasn't interested in her, not really. But in that moment, I wondered how long it would take before she started paying attention to me.
After all, I was always the one who was remembered. Whether I wanted to be or not.
---
---
I didn't linger much longer outside, my thoughts already drifting elsewhere when I heard her voice—light, almost curious.
"Hey, Alex," she called out to the guy she was talking to, her tone like she was asking a question she already knew the answer to. "Who is she?"
Alex glanced up from his phone, his eyes narrowing as he looked in my direction, then back at her. "Her? She's… well, she's one of those people everyone knows about, even if they don't talk to her. We were in the same class for a bit."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh... I saw her on my IG suggestions all the time. She's always popping up, but I never figured out who she was." She paused, eyeing me again like she was piecing something together. "She doesn't seem like the type to just show up in my feed by accident."
Alex shrugged. "Yeah, she's a bit of an enigma. Doesn't really care about keeping connections, you know? You should've seen her back in school—never gave anyone the time of day."
I could hear the faint edge in his voice, but I didn't pay much attention. The comment didn't bother me. He was right—none of them ever really mattered.
I wasn't sure if she bought his explanation, but I could see the curiosity lingering in her eyes, the way she was still looking my way like she was trying to crack a code.
I didn't care to make it easier for her. I turned my head, letting the silence between us sit heavy before I kept walking, the sound of her voice following me as I vanished into the night.
---
As I walked away, I caught a glimpse of her again in the corner of my eye. She wasn't just standing there, lost in her thoughts. No, she was eyeing me—like she had something to figure out, and it was starting to annoy me.
Then, I heard her voice again, this time softer, muttered under her breath but still loud enough to carry.
"She's… damn, she's a baddie. Like, hot hot," she said, glancing over at Alex, her tone almost surprised, like she hadn't expected me to look the way I did.
I didn't pause or turn around, but I knew exactly what she meant. I'd heard it all before—people loved to talk about how I looked. Compliments. Criticism. All of it. But it wasn't the first time someone had whispered about me behind my back, especially not some girl I barely knew. I could already picture my junior friend probably gushing about it, hyping her up about how I was the one everyone couldn't stop staring at.
Alex didn't respond right away, but I heard his quiet laugh, and I imagined the way he probably smirked, the same way he always did when he was enjoying the show. "Yeah, she's something alright. But don't get too close. She's not the type to make it easy."
Her eyes followed me for a moment longer before she turned back to him, clearly still trying to process everything. But I could feel the shift, the way the air changed. They were talking about me now, even if they weren't saying it directly.
And I could already tell: This wasn't the last time I'd be in her thoughts.
---