The next morning, Aiden Scott did something he hadn't done in months. He arrived at school early. The hallways were still half-empty as he walked through the entrance, hands shoved into his pockets. A few students looked at him in surprise. Normally, Aiden was the type to arrive seconds before the bell rang.Or after. When he entered the classroom, only a handful of students had arrived. His best friend Noah immediately narrowed his eyes.
"Okay, what's going on?"
Aiden dropped into his seat.
"What are you talking about?"
"You."
"What about me?"
"You got here early."
"So?"
"You hate mornings."
Aiden shrugged.
Noah continued staring at him.
Then realization flashed across his face.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"It's the new girl."
Aiden nearly choked on his water.
"It's not the new girl."
"Sure."
"It isn't."
"Then why do you keep looking at the door?"
Aiden immediately looked away from the door. Unfortunately, it was too late. Noah burst out laughing.
"You're down bad."
"I'm not."
"You totally are."
Before Aiden could argue, the classroom door opened. Both boys looked up. Mia walked in. Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail today, and she carried a stack of books against her chest. She looked around the room before spotting Aiden. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Morning."
For some reason, that one word immediately improved Aiden's mood.
"Morning."
She sat down beside him and started organizing her books. Aiden waited for her to start talking. Yesterday, she had teased him constantly. But today she seemed quieter. A few seconds passed. Then a minute. Nothing. She simply opened her notebook and began reading. Aiden frowned.
That was strange.
"Studying already?"
Mia nodded.
"We have a quiz in chemistry."
"We do?"
She looked at him.
"You didn't know?"
"No."
"That's concerning."
Aiden laughed.
"There it is."
"There what is?"
"The judging."
Mia smiled despite herself.
"I'm not judging."
"You definitely are."
"Maybe a little."
For a brief moment, things felt normal again.
Then a group of girls entered the classroom.
As they passed Aiden's desk, they immediately started whispering. One of them glanced at Mia. Another giggled. Mia didn't react. But Aiden noticed. And somehow, he knew exactly what they were talking about. The bell rang before anyone could say anything else. Classes began. Throughout the morning, Aiden kept trying to talk to Mia. But something felt different. She wasn't rude.She wasn't angry. She was just... Distant.
Every answer was short. Every conversation ended quickly. By lunchtime, Aiden was officially annoyed. As students poured into the hallways, he caught up to her.
"Okay."
Mia looked at him.
"Okay what?"
"What's wrong?"
She blinked.
"Nothing."
"That's a lie."
"It isn't."
"It is."
Mia sighed.
"Aiden."
"What?"
"We've known each other for one day."
"And?"
"And nothing."
They continued walking.
For a few moments, neither spoke. Finally, Mia broke the silence.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"How many girlfriends have you had?"
Aiden nearly walked into a locker.
"What kind of question is that?"
"A normal one."
"No, it isn't."
Mia crossed her arms.
"See? That reaction tells me everything."
Aiden groaned.
"Oh, come on."
"I'm serious."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No."
Mia stopped walking.
"You don't know how many girlfriends you've had?"
"Not exactly."
Her eyes widened.
"That's ridiculous."
Aiden laughed.
"Why do you care?"
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
"You asked."
Mia rolled her eyes.
"Everyone keeps warning me about you."
There it was. The thing Aiden had been expecting. His reputation.
"What are they saying?"
Mia hesitated. Then she answered honestly.
"They say you're a player."
Aiden looked away.
"They say you get bored easily."
Silence.
"They say you don't take relationships seriously."
The hallway suddenly felt much quieter. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, Aiden shrugged.
"Maybe they're right."
Mia frowned.
"That doesn't bother you?"
"Why would it?"
"Because that's not a good thing."
Aiden laughed.
"Trust me, there are worse things people could say about me."
Mia stared at him. For the first time since meeting him, she looked genuinely disappointed. And somehow...That bothered him. More than he wanted to admit.
"You know what your problem is?" she asked.
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
"This should be interesting."
"You act as if nothing matters."
"Maybe nothing does."
Mia shook her head.
"That's exactly what I mean."
Before he could respond, she continued.
"You don't care about your grades."
"Correct."
"You don't care what teachers think."
"Also correct."
"You don't care what people say about you."
"Still correct."
Mia sighed.
"See?"
"What?"
"You hide behind that."
Aiden's smile faded.
"Hide behind what?"
"Your reputation."
The words hit harder than they should have. For a moment, Aiden didn't know what to say. Because no one had ever said that to him before. Most people either admired him or judged him. Mia was doing neither. She was trying to understand him. And somehow, that was terrifying. The cafeteria came into view. Students crowded around tables, talking and laughing. Mia adjusted the strap of her bag.
"I should go."
Aiden nodded.
"Yeah."
She took a few steps away. Then she paused.
"Aiden?"
He looked up.
"I don't think you're a bad person."
His heart skipped.
"But I think you're capable of being better than the person everyone thinks you are."
With that, she walked away. Aiden stood there frozen. Watching her disappear into the crowd. For the rest of lunch, her words replayed in his mind. I think you're capable of being better. No one had ever expected anything from him before. Teachers expected him to fail.Students expected him to cause trouble. Even his friends expected him to stay exactly the same.
But Mia? For some reason... She expected more.
And for the first time in a very long time, Aiden found himself wondering if maybe she was right.
Maybe he could be better.
The question was..... Did he want to?