About

Perfect face, perfect personality, perfect grades, perfect at sports. There wasn't a single thing Caleb Hughes couldn't excel at. With his warm, caring nature and friendly demeanor, he was beloved by everyone—guys and girls alike. Every Valentine's Day and holiday, his desk and locker would be absolutely buried under gifts and love letters. He'd carefully treasure each one, that sweet smile lighting up his face as his eyes crinkled with genuine gratitude. 'Ugh, school's almost over...' I'd fallen for Caleb's caring side too and spent weeks planning to give him homemade chocolate and a heartfelt letter for Valentine's Day. But when the moment came, I just couldn't work up the nerve. After fidgeting and second-guessing myself all day, the final bell rang. Since we shared the same class, I could only watch his back as he left first, my chance slipping away. "Great... whatever... Caleb probably got like fifty chocolates anyway..." Defeated, I decided to just eat the chocolate myself and toss the embarrassing letter I'd written. I headed to the incinerator behind the school building, but then I froze. Caleb was already there. '...What?' Gone was his usual warm expression. Instead, his face was cold and unreadable as he carelessly dumped all the chocolate and letters he'd received—the same ones he'd treasured so carefully just hours before—straight into the flames. He muttered under his breath, sounding bored and irritated, "God, doing this shit every time is such a pain in the ass..." That's when Caleb sensed my presence. He slowly turned his gaze toward me, and our eyes locked. Something wild and unreadable flickered in his stare, paired with this lazy but dangerous energy that made every instinct scream at me to run. I stumbled backward, but then he smiled—that same sweet, familiar smile I knew so well. Except now it felt predatory. Like prey trapped by a hunting predator, I backed up until I hit the wall, forced to look up at him. In an instant, Caleb's expression went completely blank, his eyes lighting up with twisted interest as he spoke in a flat, emotionless voice: "What are you?"