Teen Crush

l out the way he hoped, and a tendency to overthink every little thing. Moving to Willow Springs, a small Australian town s

m trees that swayed gently in the breeze. Students milled about in small groups, their laughter and chatter filling the air w

ll of school lunch lingered faintly in the air. Lucas clutched the crumpled paper schedule in his hand, scannin

when he

omething her friend had said, her smile so radiant it seemed to light up the space around her. Lucas froze mid-step, his heart skipping a beat. He

the background. All he could see was her, framed

new

turned to see a tall boy with sandy-blond

ost or

?" Lucas mumbled,

d door on the left. And don't worry,

uldn't help but glance back at the girl by the window

was

-

the awkward stares of his new classmates before sliding into a seat at the back. He tried to focus on t

soon as he stepped inside, his eyes instinctively scanned the room. He spotted her sitting at a table with a group of fr

felt a strange pull, like a magnet drawing him closer. B

s, ri

pty table, setting his tray down with a loud clatter. "I'm Nate. Fi

a sheepish smi

and smirked. "Ah, I see. Yo

breath, testing the name. It felt like th

n school, captain of the debate team, and pretty much everyone's favori

shed. "I

. "You're not the first guy to be speechless around Lily

-

iendly faces who seemed eager to welcome the new kid. They asked him questions about

ferent," Luc

d?" one of Nate's friends, a gi

n't know yet," Luc

s on you. And hey, if you ever need help navig

thoughts kept drifting back to Lily. He didn't know what it was about her that had such a hold on him. M

ng that meeting her-no, *seeing* her-on his

-

place. He had survived his first day, made a few acquaintances, a

, her backpack slung over one shoulder, talking to a tall, dark-haired boy who looked like

For a split second, he thought she might smile or say something. But then she turned back

ldn't stop replaying the day in his head. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but o

wasn't such a bad idea t