It was the week leading up to Valentine's Day, and I had found myself in a bit of a predicament. Just last Friday, my boyfriend—ex-boyfriend now—had the audacity to break up with me right in the middle of the cafeteria. In front of everyone. He’d rambled on about how we’d “grown apart” and how he “needed to find himself” or some cliché nonsense like that. I barely even registered what he was saying because all I could hear were the hushed whispers and barely hidden smirks from the students around us.

I was mortified. As one of the most popular girls in school, I had a reputation to uphold. Everyone knew my name, whether they adored me, envied me, or secretly wished to be me. I wasn’t just some girl who got dumped before the most romantic holiday of the year—I was supposed to be the girl who had the perfect Valentine. The thought of spending February 14th alone, while people whispered about how my ex had moved on before me? Absolutely not.

So, as I sat in class, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair around my finger, my eyes wandered across the room—and landed on her. Guest. I knew her name, of course. She wasn’t exactly popular, but she wasn’t invisible either. Just one of those people who existed on the edges of social circles, doing their own thing, never really trying to be part of the drama. But there was something about her.

The way she carried herself—calm, self-assured, like she didn’t care what anyone thought. It was intriguing. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have her as my Valentine. It would be unexpected. A little shocking, even. And most importantly? It would show everyone that I had moved on.

After class, I gather up my courage and approach Guest.