Page 26 of F*ckboys

"Alright, alright," he acquiesces, raising his hands in surrender. He smirks. "Just saying, man. You two would make quite the power couple. Most popular guy in school and a complete freak show. Isn't she meant to be a witch or something?"

I don't know exactly how she's developed a reputation for being different, but there's definitely something unique about her. I'm drawn to her magnetism, but it's like other people see her as an outsider no matter what she does. She has friends, but she always seems to be on the outskirts of the cliques that naturally form at a high school like this. Except for that one girlwho follows her around like a lost puppy dog. Marsha or Mieke or Myra or something like that.

"Fuck that," I growl, pushing off from the lockers and stalking away. I won't allow myself to entertain the idea of being in a relationship with Fallon, not when it could open the floodgates to all the other emotions I've suppressed for so long.

--Sophomore Year--

I see a flash of red hair and she zooms down the hallway, power walking on her way to her next class. She doesn't seem to notice me as she charges determinedly through the crowd. I smirk at her insistence on being early to each lesson, eager to grab a seat near the front. While she dresses a little edgier than most, her behavior belies her studious, nerdy behavior. She's always putting her hand up to answer questions, referring to her meticulously curated notes with a color-coded tab system that would drive any librarian wild.

"Hey, Aksel!" another voice calls out, breaking me from my thoughts. I turn my head and see one of our teammates approaching, wearing his usual grin.

"Yo," I reply, forcing a smile and reminding myself that I have an image to maintain—the King of Palm Falls High School can't afford to be caught daydreaming about some girl. Especially one like Fallon fucking Dempsey.

"Party at my place tonight," he announces, slapping me on the back. "You coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it," I say, my tone dripping with arrogance. It's all part of the act—the cocky demeanor, the confidence, the swagger. They're the building blocks of my carefully constructed persona, a shield against the vulnerability lurking beneath the surface.

"Great! See you there, man." He jogs off, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again. I can still see her out of the cornerof my eye, a flash of orange-red through the window of her classroom.

"King," a hand slaps me on the back, nearly knocking me off balance. I turn to see one of my so-called friends chuckling at his own antics. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," I snap, my eyes flicking away from Fallon for a moment. It's infuriating how she manages to steal my focus, even when our paths never truly cross. The unspoken tension between us is like an invisible thread that tugs at me constantly, defying logic or reason.

"Damn, man. Chill. Just making sure you're still alive in there." He grins and continues down the hall, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.

"I'm fine," I mutter under my breath, returning my gaze to the girl who has become an enigma in my life. A contrasting force to my brooding nature, a challenge to everything I thought I knew about myself.

As I walk away, down the hallway and past her classroom, I can't help but glance at Fallon one last time. She catches my eye through the open door, and our gazes lock, a silent recognition passing between us. For a fleeting moment, I wonder if she feels the same pull, the same inexplicable connection that tugs at my heartstrings. But then I turn away, burying my feelings beneath the façade I've spent years perfecting.

"Focus, Aksel," I mutter to myself, clenching my fists. "You're better than this."

Later that day

I round a corner and find myself face-to-face with Fallon once more. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, the world around us fades away. The pull between us is undeniable, but I know I can't let myself get lost in it. I need to stay focused, to remain untouchable.

"King," she says, her voice low and sultry, sending shivers down my spine.

"Dempsey," I respond, my tone equally measured. There's a challenge in her eyes, and I find myself rising to meet it. We're both playing our roles, maintaining the façades we've built up over the years. But beneath the surface, there's something else—a connection that threatens to break through and expose us both.

"See you at the party tonight?" she asks, as if reading my thoughts.

"Wouldn't miss it," I repeat, a little surprised she even knows about the party, and with that, we part ways—two lost souls drifting further apart, clinging desperately to the masks that keep us safe.

As I walk away, I can't help but think about Fallon and the way she makes me feel. It's unsettling. I get a lot of attention from other girls, but she's the only one who makes me feel anything like this.

"Rough day, King?" The voice is unmistakable—Fallon. She leans against the doorway, her fiery hair catching the dim light, her expression unreadable.

"Something like that," I admit, my defenses crumbling for a moment.

"Join the fucking club," she replies, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes meet mine, revealing a vulnerability that mirrors my own. For a split second, we're connected—two souls bound by a darkness that runs deeper than either of us can comprehend.

"Stay away from me, Fallon," I warn, fear and desire warring within me. The air crackles with tension, charged with unspoken emotions that threaten to ignite.

"Scared, King?" she taunts, that familiar fire dancing in her eyes as she pushes off the doorframe and walks away. And just like that, she's gone, leaving me grappling with the storm raging inside me.

I don't know when things got like this, some rivalry that appeared out of the blue.

"Fuck," I whisper again, slamming my fist against the locker. This game we're playing is dangerous, the lines between love and hate blurred beyond recognition. But it's a game I can't walk away from, no matter how much I wish I could.

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