Since that day, Adam followed Kara around like a lost puppy that had finally chosen its person.
It started innocently enough.
Study sessions that lasted far longer than necessary. Walks home that stretched into detours through side streets and parks just so neither of them had to say goodbye too soon. Adam always found a reason to be there—waiting by her locker, leaning against a wall with his backpack slung over one shoulder, smiling like he'd won something just by seeing her.
Kara pretended not to notice at first.
But she did.
She noticed everything.
She wore the clothes he bought her—at first awkwardly, self-conscious in fabrics that didn't feel like survival gear. Soft sweaters in warm colors. Jeans that actually fit. A jacket thick enough to fight winter properly. The first time she wore one of the outfits to school, Adam's face lit up so brightly it almost startled her.
"You look—" He paused, grinning. "Wow."
Kara had shrugged, pretending her heart wasn't pounding.
"They're just clothes."
"No," he said easily. "They're your clothes."
And somehow, that mattered.
She started smiling more without realizing it. Real smiles—not the stiff, defensive kind she'd tried over the years. When she smiled, it softened her sharp edges, brought light to her eyes. People noticed. Teachers. Classmates. Even strangers.
And something warm bloomed inside her chest.
Something unfamiliar.
Something dangerous.
That's when she realized it.
Every time Adam stood too close.
Every time his hand brushed hers accidentally—or not.
Every time he leaned in with that stupid, smug smile and called her cara mia—
Her face flushed uncontrollably.
Her heart raced.
She was falling.
Hard.
-
Two weeks passed in a blur.
Late afternoons at his desk. The scratch of pencils. Quiet arguments over data points.
"No, Kara, if we change that variable, the whole thing collapses."
"You're wrong," she said calmly. "Watch."
She was right.
They finished the project together, printed and bound neatly, hands brushing as they turned it in. When the grade came back—96%—Adam whooped loudly enough to earn them a warning glare from the teacher.
"We did it!" he whispered excitedly. "You're actually a genius, you know that?"
Kara laughed—a sound that still surprised her when it came out so easily.
To celebrate, Adam took her out for a treat. Nothing fancy. Just a small café with fogged-up windows and warm lights glowing against the cold evening. They shared fries and laughed when he stole the last one and she smacked his hand away.
Months passed like that.
Spring crept in quietly.
The snow melted. The air softened. Rain replaced ice.
And Kara changed.
She spoke more. Laughed louder. Didn't flinch when people brushed past her in crowded hallways. She cleaned her apartment, opened the curtains, sorted her clothes into neat piles. She earned a small raise at her part-time job. Her grades stayed high.
And best of all—
She had Adam.
He was her constant. Her safe place. Her favorite person.
Even when semester two started and they no longer shared classes, Adam still found her. Between periods. After school. Always waiting.
Some people noticed.
Especially his people.
The football boys with their loud voices and sharp looks. The cheerleaders who whispered too loudly and stared too long. They didn't like that Adam spent most of his time with Kara now. Didn't like that he laughed with her, walked with her, waited for her.
Didn't like that he chose her.
One afternoon, rain fell steadily from a dull gray sky.
Spring rain—soft but relentless.
Kara wore one of the outfits Adam had bought her: a cream-colored sweater tucked loosely into dark jeans, a light jacket draped over her shoulders. Her hair fell naturally around her face, slightly wavy from the humidity.
Mid-lesson, her phone buzzed.
She glanced down.
My Big Back:
come eat lunch with me today…
we always hang out but we've never actually had lunch together…
do this for me… pleaseeeee
Kara bit back a smile as she typed.
Kara:
Okay.
Almost immediately, a reply came back.
A photo.
Adam smiling at the camera, eyes bright, grin wide—pure puppy energy.
Her cheeks warmed.
She smiled softly, eyes gentle as she locked her phone and looked back up at the board.
At the same moment—in Adam's class, he was looking at his phone with the biggest smile, staring at Kara's 'Okay' message.
He had her contact saved as none other than cara mia, which earned a laugh from his other friends asking if he had fallen for her.
And when he remembered their words about asking if he had fallen for her—his face went dark.
His eyes narrowed slightly
His smile vanished
His mood was positively gloomy and stiff as he stared at her contact. Thinking.
Trembling.