"Hopeeee!"

The shrill call of my best friend's voice echoed through the classroom, causing a few heads to turn. I groaned inwardly, covering my ears with my hands, though I couldn't help but laugh. It was typical Lily—loud, dramatic, and completely unapologetic.

"Coming, coming," I said, shaking my head as I slowly made my way toward her.

Before I even had a chance to sit down, Lily sprang up from her chair, throwing her arms around me in a death grip.

"Lily—air," I choked out, tapping her on the back.

She released me with a sheepish grin, brushing her platinum-blonde hair away from her face. "Sorry! I just missed you so much. You're like my left leg—I can't function without you."

"Yeah, yeah," I teased, nudging her playfully. "You're hopeless."

Lily Roberts had been my best friend since the time we were in diapers. Our dads were inseparable back in the day, which naturally meant Lily and I were stuck with each other too. Not that I minded. She was practically my sister, and we'd been through everything together.

Of course, her bubbly personality often led people to ask... awkward questions.

"Are you two, like, together?" they'd ask with a knowing smirk, their eyes flitting between us.

I always rolled my eyes at the suggestion. "Nope, just best friends. She's the sister I didn't ask for, and trust me, I've tried to return her."

Lily always found it hilarious. "Don't worry, folks," she'd say, grinning. "I'm a lesbian, but she's not my type anyway. She's too much of a control freak."

As for me? Girls were definitely not my thing. I was 100% straight and not shy about saying so. Still, I couldn't imagine my life without Lily. She was my partner in crime, my confidante, and my constant source of chaos.

"So," Lily said now, leaning in with that mischievous look that spelt trouble. "What did I miss while you were gallivanting through the halls instead of gracing me with your presence?"

I snorted. "Gallivanting? I was getting my water bottle from my locker. And you didn't miss anything. What could possibly happen in the three minutes I was gone?"

"You'd be surprised," she replied, winking.

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About the new guys! Okay, listen. I'm not interested because, duh, but they apparently look like gods! Also, and this is the best part—rumour has it, they murder people or something crazy like that. Though, it could just be rumours."

I stared at Lily as she gestured dramatically, her platinum hair swishing around like she was in a hair commercial.

She leaned in conspiratorially. "I was thinking about setting you up with one, but then I thought, hmm, maybe my bestie deserves better than another fuckboy like last time."

Before she could dive any deeper into her rant, I slapped my hand over her mouth, silencing the endless stream of words.

"For the love of sanity, stop talking," I whispered, my eyes darting around to see if anyone was paying attention. To my relief, the rest of the classroom was blissfully unaware of her loud commentary.

Lily squirmed, mumbling incoherently against my palm until I finally pulled my hand away.

"There's a difference between a fuckboy and a killer, Lil," I said, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "Either way, I'm not interested."

She raised an eyebrow at me like she didn't quite believe it, but before she could start up again, our tutor walked in.

I exhaled in relief as Lily begrudgingly turned to face the front. Finally, a moment of peace. Well, for now. Knowing her, this topic wasn't over.

--------------

After the lesson, Lily and I strolled down the hallway toward our next class. My attention was glued to my phone, frantically trying to explain to my dad—yet again—that "wtf" does not stand for Wow, that's fantastic.

God only knows how many people he's sent that to. Sometimes, I seriously wonder what he'd do without me.

My parents split up two years ago, and I chose to live with my dad. We've always been close, and honestly, my mom wasn't exactly a joy to be around—especially after what happened to my brother.

Finishing my message, I hit send and glanced up, only to walk nose-first into Lily's back.

"Ouch!" I grumbled, rubbing my sore nose. "Why'd you stop—"

And then I saw them.

Three guys were standing right in front of us. Not just any guys—the new ones Lily had been obsessing over all morning.

To my utter disbelief, she wasn't exaggerating. They looked like they belonged on a runway, or maybe sculpted out of marble in a museum. All three towered over us, easily six feet or more.

The one in the middle caught my attention first. His tousled dark brown hair looked so soft it was criminal, and his deep ocean-blue eyes seemed to dance with silver flecks, like a storm contained within. His sharp, granite-like features gave him an air of authority, his expression as serious as it was captivating.

The guy on the left was equally striking. Midnight-black curls framed a tan, chiselled face. His dark brown eyes were intense under perfectly arched brows, his cheekbones so defined they looked capable of cutting glass.

Finally, my gaze shifted to the one on the right. He had a razor-sharp jawline and cheekbones so pronounced they almost looked unreal. His eyes were a fiery green, like emeralds set ablaze, framed by dark brows pulled together in a frown. Dark chocolate-brown hair fell across his forehead, the perfect complement to his intense gaze.

How do guys like this even exist, let alone attend our college?

Suddenly, one of them cleared his throat, snapping me out of my shameless ogling. I coughed awkwardly, dragging myself out of daydreamland, and Lily whispered beside me, "Told you."

The one in the middle spoke first, his voice low and smooth like molten honey. "You know, it's rude to stare."

I froze. Wow. His voice was just as gorgeous as the rest of him—if you ignored the subtle edge of arrogance.

"S-sorry," I stammered. "You're new here, right?" Desperate to regain composure, I forced a smile. "I'm Hope, and this is Lily."

I nudged Lily's arm lightly, praying she'd take over. She usually couldn't shut up, but for once, my human megaphone was dead silent.

The guy on the left smirked, his warm brown eyes glinting. "Hope and Lily. Nice to meet you." His gaze lingered on us, mischief glimmering in his smile. "I'm sure we'll get along... very well."

He winked at us, and that finally snapped Lily out of her trance.

"Yeah, no. You're not my type," she said flatly.

The guy grinned wider. "I'm everyone's type, baby."

"Not mine. Gross. And don't call me that."

"I'm definitely your type. You just don't know it yet."

She rolled her eyes so hard I thought she'd pull a muscle. "I like girls, not boys, so, no, you're definitely not my type."

"That's so hot."

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

Finally, the one with green eyes stepped in, his deep voice soothing and surprisingly kind. "Sorry about him. I'm Jace, the brooding one here is West, and that idiot is Callum."

Jace smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. It was warm, genuine, and such a stark contrast to the cocky energy radiating off the other two.

"Nice to meet you," I said, my voice steadier now. Callum, of course, couldn't resist throwing in another wink, while West just stared at me with those intense blue eyes, as if trying to read my thoughts.

Before I could figure out how to respond, I realized the hallway was eerily empty. Where had everyone gone? The atmosphere felt heavier somehow like the air itself had thickened.

I grabbed Lily's hand. "Well, nice meeting you. See you around."

We turned to leave, but as we rounded the corner, my stomach dropped.

Mason. Of all people.

The cocky smirk plastered across his face made me instantly regret not skipping school today.

"Well, hello, princess," he drawled, and I cringed at the nickname he'd given me when we were together.

Before I could respond, I glanced back at the boys. Their gazes had shifted—no longer on us, but on Mason.

And they weren't friendly.

Their expressions were dark, predatory, and downright terrifying. The tension in the air became suffocating, and I felt Lily's grip on my hand tighten.

"Um, everything's fine!" I said hurriedly, tugging Lily along. "We should really get to class. Bye!"

We practically sprinted down the hall, not daring to look back. Just as we turned the next corner, a loud bang echoed behind us.

"What the hell was that?" Lily whispered, her voice trembling.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know," I muttered.

We kept walking, though my mind was spinning. How did those guys know Mason? Why did they react like that? And what the hell was that sound?

Stopping outside our classroom, Lily turned to me, her eyes wide with panic. "See? Told you they were scary! And what the hell was Mason thinking, trying to talk to you? After what he did, he's lucky I didn't kick him where it hurts. Hard."

I snorted, unable to hold back a laugh. "I know you would."

"Oh, I would. I'd kick him so hard, he'd never even think about making mini-Masons."

That made me laugh harder.

"Come on," I said, smirking. "Let's get this class over with. I'll buy you chicken nuggets for dinner."

Her eyes lit up like I'd just offered her a winning lottery ticket. She bolted into the classroom without hesitation, leaving me shaking my head in amusement.

God, I love that girl. She's crazy, but she's my kind of crazy. Even if her obsession with chicken nuggets sometimes borders on concern.

At least she makes life interesting.