Her eyes locked onto mine.
And something inside me… shifted.
"You should be more careful," she said calmly.
I blinked, still trying to process what was happening.
"I I'm sorry," I stammered. "I didn't see you."
She tilted her head slightly, studying me in a way that made me uncomfortable… yet strangely drawn to her.
"Clearly," she replied.
There was a brief silence between us.
I couldn't look away.
Her face felt familiar… too familiar.
"Have we met before?" I asked.
She paused.
Just for a second.
But I noticed it.
"No," she said finally. "I don't think so."
She's lying.
I didn't know how I knew ,but I knew.
"Right…" I said slowly.
She stepped past me, but as she did, her shoulder brushed lightly against mine.
And in that moment
My heart skipped.
A strange rush of energy ran through my body, like electricity under my skin.
I gasped softly, grabbing my arm.
What… was that?
I turned quickly.
"Wait!"
But she was already walking away.
I stood there, confused, my heart still racing.
"Yo! New guy!"
I snapped out of it and turned to see a boy jogging toward me with a wide grin.
"You almost got lost on your first day?" he joked.
I let out a small breath. "Something like that."
"Name's Ethan," he said, extending his hand.
"Aaizah," I replied, shaking it.
"Come on, Aaizah. Let me show you around before a teacher starts shouting at you."
I nodded, but my mind wasn't there anymore.
It was still on her.
As we walked through the school, Ethan kept talking,about teachers, classes, and which students to avoid, but I barely listened.
Because every now and then…
I felt it again.
That strange sensation.
Like someone was watching me.
"And that's the science block," Ethan said, pointing ahead. "You'll probably spend most of your time there "
I stopped walking.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
I didn't answer.
Because across the courtyard…
She was there.
Standing under a tree, her eyes fixed directly on me.
Like she had been waiting.
"Who is that?" I asked quietly.
Ethan followed my gaze.
"…Oh," he said. His tone changed instantly.
"That's Leona."
My chest tightened.
"Leona?"
"Yeah," he said. "And if I were you…"
He lowered his voice.
"…I'd stay away from her."
I frowned. "Why?"
Ethan hesitated.
"People say she's… not normal."
I looked back at her.
She hadn't moved.
Still staring at me.
And somehow…
I knew one thing for sure.
Staying away from her…
Was going to be impossible.
Ethan and I had already become really close before break time.
He was easy to talk to, and somehow, being around him made everything feel less overwhelming.
But at the same time… something else was making things worse.
I was in the same class as Leona.
And the way she kept staring at me…
It wasn't normal.
It wasn't just curiosity.
It felt like she was watching me. Studying me.
And honestly?
It was starting to scare me.
During break time, Ethan and I sat together, talking about my old school back in the village.
"So it was really that small?" Ethan asked, laughing.
"You have no idea," I said, shaking my head. "Everyone knew everyone. No secrets."
"Sounds peaceful," he replied.
I forced a small smile.
Yeah… peaceful.
Before I could say anything else,
I bumped into someone.
Again.
My heart skipped instantly.
I didn't even need to look to know who it was.
Leona.
"Sorry," I said quickly, stepping back.
She didn't reply immediately.
For a moment, she just stood there.
Then she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.
Not as intense as before… but still enough to make my chest tighten.
And without a word…
She walked past me.
I turned slightly, watching her leave.
Something felt different this time.
Her stare… it wasn't as cold.
But it wasn't normal either.
"Bro?" Ethan called. "You good?"
I didn't answer.
Because something inside me had already made a decision.
I had to follow her.
I didn't know why.
It didn't even make sense.
But it felt like…
Something was pulling me toward her.
Like an invisible force I couldn't fight.
"I'll be back," I said suddenly.
"Wait,where are you going?" Ethan asked.
But I was already walking away.
Following her.
And deep down…
I had a feeling this was a bad idea.
But I couldn't stop myself.