"Ugh, I can't believe you didn't tell me earlier," I grumbled, stuffing my clothes into my gym locker with my backpack. Ruby was leaning against the lockers beside me, an amused look on her face.

"What was I supposed to do? Tell you while we were walking?" she asked. "Besides, you were the one who kept ranting about him the entire time." She reached over and closed the door of my locker for me. "Anyway, the point is, you should have seen it coming." She started walking towards the exit doors and I followed after her.

"I know, but I still can't believe he's on the soccer team," I replied. "I thought he was an exchange student. Why would he join the team?"

"Because he's good at it," she replied. "Everyone was surprised too when they found out. Apparently, he was recruited by the coach during tryouts. He was so fast and had such good control over the ball. He could have easily joined the football team, but he didn't."

"Huh," I said, impressed. I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about it until now.

We reached the football field and headed for the bleachers. There were already a few people there, sitting and talking. Most of them were girls, and they were all staring at the field. I followed their gaze and spotted the soccer team. They were running laps, and the sight of them made my heart race. The way their muscles moved, their shirts clinging to their bodies, sweat dripping down their skin. It was mesmerizing.

Ruby nudged me in the ribs and grinned. "See something you like?" she teased.

Before I could reply, the PE teacher blew the whistle, startling us when he appeared in front of us. He shook his head disapprovingly.

"What are you guys doing out here? You're supposed to be playing volleyball back in the gym." He pointed to the building behind him. "Go on. Get out of here."

We all scrambled off the bleachers and hurried back inside. As soon as we entered the gymnasium, we were greeted by the sound of shouting and cheering. It seemed like the volleyball game had already started. Everyone was divided into two teams, and they were all taking turns trying to hit the ball over the net.

I was paired up with Ruby and we were on the same team. It wasn't long before she managed to spike the ball and score a point. She jumped up and down, laughing as she celebrated. The other girls on the court cheered and clapped for her. It was obvious that she was good at it. Meanwhile, I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. I had never been good at sports. My height always made it difficult to jump high enough to hit the ball. Even if I could, my aim was terrible. I usually ended up hitting the net or missing completely. So, instead, I opted to cheer for my teammates. Which wasn't much fun either, but at least it didn't require any effort on my part.

"Hey, why don't you try serving the ball?" Ruby suggested. "I'll set it up for you."

She ran over to the cart and grabbed a ball, then tossed it over to me. I caught it easily and held it up. I looked around the gym, trying to decide which direction I should hit it.

 Then, I saw him. He was sitting on the bench, watching the game. His dark hair was disheveled, and his black jersey was wrinkled and stuck to his body from all the sweat. He was drinking from a water bottle, and his dark eyes were fixed on me.

I stared at him for a moment, wondering what he was doing here when he should be running laps with the soccer team, before shaking my head and looking away. This was not the time to be distracted. I needed to focus. So, I turned around and faced the net. Then, I took a deep breath and threw the ball as hard as I could. It sailed through the air, landing on the other side of the net. The girls on the opposing team scrambled to get it, but they were too late. It bounced off the floor and rolled away from them. The PE teacher blew the whistle, signaling that we scored. Ruby and the others cheered. They ran over and hugged me.

"Good job, Peyton!" Ruby said. "You finally got a point!" She gave me a high five, and the others joined in.

I smiled sheepishly, embarrassed by all the attention. I wasn't used to being praised. Especially not by the other girls. Normally, they just ignored me. But, apparently, scoring a point was enough to get them excited.

After the game ended, Ruby and I went to the locker room. The girls were still talking about the match, and I couldn't help but notice how happy they were. They were smiling and laughing, joking around with each other. It was weird seeing them like this. Usually, they only spoke to one another when necessary. Like if they needed someone to pass the ball or help them with something. But now, they were acting like actual friends. I guess it was because they were having fun. But, whatever the reason, I didn't mind. It made me feel good. It made me feel included.

As we walked into the locker room, the chatter died down. The other girls were already gone, leaving the two of us alone. We took our time getting changed, talking about the game. Once we were dressed, we headed back to the gymnasium. The rest of the students were filing out, heading home for the day.

"Well, that was fun," Ruby said, stretching her arms above her head. "I can't wait to see what we'll do next time." She glanced over my shoulder and smiled. "Hey, Enzo."

Enzo was standing near one of the exits in the gymnasium. His hands were in his pockets, and his expression was impassive. He nodded at us as we approached.

"Well," Ruby said, looking between us. "You kids have fun walking home. I heard the cheerleaders are practicing today after school so I'm going to stay behind and watch them." She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned. Then, she turned and left the two of us alone.

Enzo didn't say anything, but he did look at me expectantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I grumbled. "Let's go."

We started walking towards the exit. As soon as we stepped outside, the bright afternoon sun blinded me. I shielded my eyes with my hand and squinted. Enzo didn't seem to be affected by it. He was still looking ahead, his expression neutral. I couldn't understand how he could remain so calm. Even on a sunny day, he looked cold and distant.

"I heard you joined the soccer team," I said. "Congratulations." It was an attempt at small talk, but he didn't respond. He didn't even acknowledge that I had spoken. It was as if I hadn't said anything. I sighed. "Fine, ignore me."

I started walking faster, wanting to get away from him as quickly as possible. But he was keeping pace with me, and his longer strides made it easy for him. He was always like that, staying by my side no matter how fast or slow I was walking. He never seemed to mind. It was irritating.

"Hey, you can go ahead," I told him. "I'll catch up later." He didn't move. Instead, he looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "What?" I asked. "Are you deaf or something?" He tilted his head slightly and stared at me. He didn't look angry, just confused. It made me feel stupid. "Oh, whatever," I muttered, turning away from him.

I started walking in the opposite direction, hoping he'd take the hint and leave me alone. But he didn't. He continued following me, his footsteps echoing on the pavement. The sound of it made my blood boil. I pulled out my AirPods and plugged them into my ears, turning up the volume on my phone. It was the only way I could tune out his presence. If only it would last...

"Damn him," I muttered, shoving the device back into my pocket. It was no use. He was still there. I could hear him breathing behind me. His steps were steady and even. They matched mine perfectly. It was infuriating. I quickened my pace, trying to outrun him, but it was futile. He was still right beside me. He didn't even seem winded. I glared at him. "You're so annoying," I told him.

He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. His silence spoke volumes. It said everything. He knew exactly what I meant. And he didn't care. He was doing what he wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sighing defeatedly, I kept my eyes ahead. The small bookshop appeared in the distance, and I smiled, quickening my pace. It wasn't far from the school, and I liked stopping by after school every now and then. The owner, Mrs. Blanche, always had a new book recommendation for me. She was an avid reader, and she loved sharing her passion with others. She had even given me a free book once, saying that I reminded her of her granddaughter. I didn't know what she meant by that, but it made me feel special. And I enjoyed her company. She was the only person besides Ruby who actually seemed to enjoy spending time with me. It was nice.

"Hi, Mrs. Blanche," I greeted her as I entered the store. The bell above the door chimed, signaling my arrival.

"Peyton! Welcome back," she said. Her white hair was tied back in a loose bun, and her kind eyes crinkled as she smiled. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm good," I replied. "How are you?"

"I'm wonderful," she replied. "Busy as usual, but that's no surprise." She glanced behind me and raised an eyebrow. "I see you have a friend with you."

"Oh, that's just Enzo," I explained. "He's not my friend. He's an exchange student. He's staying with me and my family."

"Really?" she asked. "Interesting."

"Yeah," I replied. "My mom thinks I need more friends, so she forced me to hang out with him."

"Your mom is right," she said. "Friendships are important. And I bet it's nice having someone close to your age in the house."

"Yeah, right," I snorted. "Anyway, do you have any recommendations for me? I've been reading a lot lately, and I'm almost out of books to read."

She grinned. "Come, I've got just the thing for you." She led me to a shelf in the corner and pulled out a book. It was a hardcover copy of Jane Eyre. "Here, this one's for you. It's one of my favorites." She handed it to me. "It's about a young woman named Jane who falls in love with a man named Mr. Rochester, but he has a dark secret. It's quite tragic." She gave me a wink. "And I think you'll relate to her."

"Really? How come?" I asked.

"You'll see," she said, cryptic. "Just read it." She turned to Enzo and gave him a once-over. "And you, young man. You should read it too. It'll help you learn the language faster." She tapped her chin, deep in thought. "Here, let me give you something too." She walked over to another shelf and pulled out a book. It was a slim hardback copy of Wuthering Heights. "Here, this one's for you. It's another one of my favorites. It's about a man named Heathcliff and a woman named Catherine. They're star-crossed lovers, but their love is forbidden. It's quite a passionate story." She smiled at him. "I think you'll enjoy it." He took the book and glanced at the cover. There was a faint flicker of recognition in his eyes, and I wondered if he had read it before. Or maybe, it just looked familiar. He didn't say anything, though. Instead, he tucked it into his backpack. "Now, run along," she told us. "And make sure to come back and tell me what you think of the books."

"Thanks, Mrs. Blanche," I said. "We will." I headed towards the exit with Enzo following me. Once we were outside, I turned to him. "You don't need to read that book if you don't want to. You can always give it to me and I'll return it to the bookstore the next time I come and tell Mrs. Blanche that you enjoyed every minute of it."

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze boring into mine. He looked confused. It was an expression I was beginning to recognize. It was the same look he gave me whenever I tried to be nice to him. He shook his head, his expression returning to its usual indifference. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. He looked away. Sighing, I continued walking. He fell in step with me but didn't try to speak.

 We walked in silence until we got home. The moment we entered the house, my mom was waiting for us. She looked worried. "Where were you two?" she demanded. "I was starting to get worried." She glanced at the clock. "It's almost dinner time." She looked at me, and then at Enzo.

Enzo glanced down at me, and I sighed. "We just went to the bookstore. Mrs. Blanche gave us some books."

Mom didn't say anything. Instead, she chewed on her lip for a few seconds, staring into space, before sighing and running her hands through her hair. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she stopped herself and gave a forced smile. "Well, why don't you kids go get cleaned up? Dinner's in thirty minutes."

She turned on her heels and walked back to the kitchen. Enzo and I stared at each other. I was confused by my mom's behavior, and he seemed to be equally baffled. We were both thinking the same thing. Something was wrong. But, neither of us knew what. And it was clear that my mom wasn't going to tell us. Not yet. So, we just did as we were told. We went upstairs and got ready for dinner.

 But, the entire time, the question lingered in my mind. What's going on?