The moment Conrad stepped off the bus, the atmosphere shifted.
Girls straightened their uniforms.
Some discreetly checked their reflections in their phone screens.
Others pretended not to look at him while very obviously looking at him.
I couldn't help rolling my eyes.
It was ridiculous.
As the rest of the boys spilled out of the buses, laughter and excited chatter echoed across the courtyard. Teachers struggled to keep everyone organized, though it was a losing battle.
"Alright, everyone!" one teacher called through a megaphone. "Let's head back inside. We'll begin with the welcome assembly."
A chorus of groans followed.
Nobody cared about speeches.
They just wanted to socialize.
The crowd slowly shuffled back into the meeting hall, squeezing through the doors until the spacious room suddenly felt far too small. Conversations overlapped into one loud, constant buzz.
I purposely hung back.
Crowds had never really been my thing, and lately…
They made me anxious.
I waited until most of the students had disappeared inside before making my way down the staircase.
The wooden steps creaked beneath my feet as I descended at my own pace.
Almost there…
"Puppy."
I froze.
That voice.
I didn't even have to turn around.
"Puppy," he repeated, amusement dripping from every syllable.
Slowly, I looked over my shoulder.
Conrad stood a few steps below me with that same infuriating smirk plastered across his face.
God…
How I hated that smirk.
"Long time no see."
"What do you want?" I asked flatly.
His grin widened.
"Ouch."
He placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"Can't I say hi?"
"No."
"…Fair."
He laughed.
I resisted the overwhelming urge to shove him down the remaining stairs.
"You know," he continued, "I almost thought you'd missed me."
I stared at him.
Then blinked once.
"In what universe?"
"The one where you don't look at me like you're planning my funeral."
"I wasn't planning it."
I smiled sweetly.
"I was imagining it."
He actually laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Which somehow annoyed me even more.
"You still hold grudges."
"You still breathe."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It wasn't."
"No?"
"No."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah… sounds about right."
I sighed dramatically.
"Are we done here?"
"Not even close."
Of course we weren't.
Conrad had made pestering me his life's mission ever since middle school.
And I had absolutely no idea why.
Actually…
Scratch that.
I knew exactly why.
I'd hated him ever since eighth grade.
Back then, I'd made the incredibly unfortunate mistake of admitting—to one person—that I thought his older brother, Corey, was cute.
Just cute.
That was it.
By lunchtime, the entire school somehow knew.
According to Conrad, I was "hopelessly in love" with Corey.
The teasing lasted for months.
Teachers laughed.
Students laughed.
Even people I'd never spoken to laughed.
The worst part wasn't even the embarrassment.
It was Corey.
Before the rumors, he'd occasionally smile at me in the hallway or wave whenever our schools had joint events.
Afterward…
He acted like I didn't exist.
No.
Worse.
He avoided me.
Every single time he saw me coming, he'd suddenly find somewhere else to be.
Looking back, maybe he was just uncomfortable.
At thirteen, though?
It felt like the end of the world.
So I'd sworn an oath.
A completely dramatic, slightly childish oath.
I would never willingly speak to Conrad Holloway again.
Unfortunately…
Conrad had never agreed to those terms.
"So," he said, leaning casually against the stair railing, "still mad?"
I gave him a deadpan look.
"What do you think?"
"I think…" He pretended to ponder the question. "You've secretly forgiven me."
I barked out a laugh.
"That's adorable."
"You haven't?"
"I'd forgive a mosquito before I forgave you."
"Ouch."
"I'd forgive food poisoning."
"Harsh."
"I'd forgive stepping on Lego bricks."
"Okay, now you're just being mean."
"I'm just getting started."
He laughed again, shaking his head.
"You've gotten funnier."
"I've gotten better at insulting you."
"I noticed."
For a brief moment…
Neither of us spoke.
The noise from the meeting hall drifted into the stairwell—music, laughter, teachers trying unsuccessfully to get everyone's attention.
Conrad looked at me a little more carefully.
"You okay?"
The question caught me completely off guard.
"What?"
"You look tired."
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"You've got these…" He gestured vaguely toward my face.
"These what?"
"I don't know."
He frowned.
"You just seem… different."
My stomach tightened.
Had it become that obvious?
For a split second, I considered telling him.
About the dreams.
The monster.
The deaths.
The scar hidden beneath my sleeve.
Then I remembered who I was talking to.
Conrad.
The human loudspeaker.
If I told him, the entire town would probably know before lunch.
"I'm fine," I repeated, firmer this time.
He studied me for another second before lifting his hands in surrender.
"Alright."
The teasing smile returned.
"But if you've secretly joined a vampire cult or something, I expect a formal invitation."
I couldn't stop the tiny snort that escaped me.
His grin immediately grew.
"That was almost a laugh."
"It wasn't."
"It definitely was."
"It definitely wasn't."
"You snorted."
"I breathed."
"You snort-breathed."
"Oh, for the love of—"
"D!"
Kennedy's voice echoed from inside the hall.
"There you are!"
She walked toward us, Parker right behind her.
Parker glanced between Conrad and me before raising an eyebrow.
"Should we be worried?"
"No," Conrad answered before I could.
"D was just threatening my life."
"I was considering it," I corrected.
"See?"
He pointed at me.
"I'm the victim here."
Kennedy burst out laughing.
"I'll be honest," she said, "I'd pay to see that."
"Wow."
Conrad clutched his chest again.
"I thought we were friends."
"We tolerate you," Parker replied.
"There's a difference."
Conrad sighed dramatically.
"I am deeply wounded."
"I can fix that," I muttered.
He heard me.
Of course he did.
"You know," he said with a grin, "one day you're going to admit you actually enjoy talking to me."
I stared at him for exactly three seconds.
Then smiled.
"The day that happens…"
I leaned in just enough for him to hear me clearly.
"…is the day pigs grow wings."
Without waiting for a response, I brushed past him and walked toward the meeting hall.
Behind me, I heard Kennedy laughing.
Parker snorted.
Even Conrad laughed.
I hated that laugh.
Almost as much as I hated the fact that, for the first time in days…
Talking to him had distracted me.
Even if only for a few minutes.
I just wished that feeling would last.
Because deep down…
Something told me today wasn't going to stay this normal for very long.