The Alpha Queen She strikes to conquer

I held my books tightly against my chest, praying to stay unnoticed as I made my way through the chaotic school hallway. Not that I really needed to try. Most people didn't even know I existed-except to make fun of me.

Thanks to my parents' rules on extreme modesty, I was "Elizabeth, the nerd"-the quiet girl with oversized glasses that slid down her nose, braces that glinted under the fluorescent lights, and skirts so long they nearly swept the floor.

A group of girls strolled past, their laughter sharp and cutting.

"Hey, Saint Elizabeth!" one of them called, eyeing my skirt with a sneer. "Love the skirt-very fashionable in 1910!" Her voice rose in a mocking laugh.

Heat rose in my cheeks, but I kept walking, my gaze fixed on the floor. I had learned the hard way that ignoring them was easier than trying to fight back.

When I finally reached my classroom, I slipped into my usual seat near the window-safe, distant, and just out of the teacher's direct line of sight. I pulled out my notebook and pen, determined to focus on the lesson. But the bell rang, and then he walked in.

Daniel.

My heart skipped, and I ducked my head, pretending to be busy. But I didn't need to look to know exactly what he looked like. I'd memorized every detail. His warm golden skin always caught the light just right, and his perfectly trimmed dark hair never seemed out of place. But it was his smile that got me every time-effortless, dazzling, the kind of smile that left every girl giggling and made even the guys envy him.

"Morning, everyone," he said casually, his deep, honeyed voice washing over the room like a spell.

"Good morning, Daniel!" a group of girls chorused, their voices overflowing with adoration.

I glanced up quickly, catching sight of his dimpled grin before he slid into his favorite seat in the middle of the room. My heart pounded as I turned my eyes back to my notebook, doodling little spirals in the margins.

He didn't even know I existed.

But what if he did? What if he smiled at me, or leaned over and asked me to borrow a pencil? My thoughts spun faster than I could control. It was ridiculous, really. Someone like him noticing me? Impossible. And yet, the fluttering in my chest refused to stop.

"Elizabeth!" The teacher's voice cut through my daydream like a knife.

I jumped in my seat, my pen slipping from my hand and clattering to the floor.

"Are you paying attention?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Y-yes, ma'am," I stammered, quickly straightening in my seat.

The class erupted into muffled laughter, and I felt my face grow hot.

By the time the bell rang, I was ready to escape, but as I stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice called out behind me.

"Elizabeth, wait!"

I froze. Was that-?

I turned slowly, tightening the grip on my books to ease my racing heart, and there he was-Daniel, standing a few feet away, holding out a pen.

"You dropped this," he said, his easy smile lighting up his face.

"Oh, t-thank you," I mumbled, my fingers brushing his as I took the pen. The touch sent a jolt through me, my chest tightening with a mixture of nerves and exhilaration.

"No problem," he said with a nod before walking off, disappearing into the crowd as if nothing had happened.