The weekend sped by, and Monday brought the usual flurry of students rushing through the crowded halls, scrambling to their lockers and collecting books before the start of the school day. Jayden and Daisy stood in front of her locker, exchanging casual conversations as they waited for the first period to begin.
 
"So, where'd you go after the drop tower? Me and William didn't see you. You could've joined us, you know," Jayden inquired, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
 
Daisy smiled but shook her head, her expression a bit less genuine this time. Jayden couldn't help but notice.
 
"Aw, come on! That's so not true! William actually really l-likes you! He said you're really... nice and... pretty and stuff. Yeah," Jayden stammered, awkwardly trying to convey his message.
 
In reality, William had never made such comments, but Jayden was keen to avoid giving Daisy the impression that William didn't like her. He had not noticed William's indifference toward Daisy, as he was preoccupied with his new friend.
 
"Really?" Daisy responded, her cheeks flushing slightly.
 
Jayden nodded, his awkwardness showing through. He let out a sigh of relief when Daisy didn't appear to notice anything amiss.
 
Daisy couldn't help but feel a giddy flutter in her stomach at Jayden's words, even though she had tried to suppress her excitement. Her thoughts kept returning to William's hand in hers from the fair, and she mentally replayed every interaction they'd had since that first accidental encounter in the hallway. The memory of his intense gaze and their close proximity in the art classroom sent her heart racing.
 
As she thought of William, her cheeks flushed once again. She mentally scolded herself, willing her blush to subside. However, her effort was in vain when she noticed someone approaching them. Her blush intensified.
 
William walked with his head down, eyes fixed on the floor, bag slung over his shoulder. Jayden spotted him and greeted him enthusiastically, waving him over.
 
When William looked up and saw Jayden and Daisy, his face broke into a light smile. It was a rare sight, as students were accustomed to his sarcastic demeanor. Their curious stares prompted them to wonder why he was smiling, and they concluded that it must have something to do with Daisy.
 
William ignored their scrutiny and approached the pair, sparing a brief glance at Daisy before greeting Jayden.
 
Daisy's heart quickened the moment William looked in their direction, and it continued to race as he approached. She reminded herself to act natural and not let her strange feelings show.
 
William was undeniably attractive, with his strong brows, chiseled features, dark hair, and slightly disheveled uniform. His appearance gave him an edgy, bad-boy image, which was perfectly complemented by his permanent scowl and the earrings dangling from his ears. Daisy couldn't help but find him handsome, and just the thought of him thinking she was pretty made her heart race.
 
Jayden took that moment to include Daisy in their conversation. "Hey Will, did you get that new game I told you about?"
 
William responded enthusiastically, "Yeah, it's amazing. The graphics are so much better in this one than the old one."
 
"Tell me about it. They're thinking of making a new version of the game soon too. Not going to be out for a few months, though. I'm gonna beg my parents for it," Jayden added.
 
The two boys continued their conversation in a mix of Japanese and English, making it hard for anyone to follow. Daisy, who had picked up a few stray Japanese sentences from Jayden, still struggled to grasp their discussion.
 
As they walked together towards their next class, Daisy trailed alongside them, lost in thought. She hadn't noticed what was happening until Jayden addressed her.
 
"Right, Daisy?" Jayden asked, snapping her back to reality.
 
Startled, she looked up to find Jayden and William both looking at her expectantly. "Oh yeah, of course!" she replied, not entirely sure what she had agreed to.
 
"Great! Well, guess we'll see you on Friday, then!" Jayden grinned at William.
 
William offered a small smile in return and headed off to his own class.
 
Daisy immediately turned to Jayden, her curiosity piqued. "What did I just agree to?"
 
"Party at your place. He's invited, right?" Jayden informed her.
 
Daisy had almost forgotten. Her eighteenth birthday was approaching on Friday, and her parents had agreed to let her throw a party at their house while they were away on a business trip. They trusted their daughter not to make a mess during their absence. Although Daisy didn't have a large circle of friends and primarily stuck to Jayden, she was friendly with almost everyone in the school. With Jayden's extensive list of friends, he had decided that this party needed to be epic and had invited nearly the entire student body.
 
Exasperated but allowing Jayden to have his way, Daisy sighed. "Fine, you can do whatever you want."
 
The thought of William being at her party filled her with anticipation, and she couldn't help but feel that no matter how the party went, it was bound to be a memorable event.