"William!" a voice called from down the hall, jolting William from his deep thoughts.
 
The voice belonged to Daisy, her soft tones contrasting with the one William longed to hear. He quickened his pace, unwilling to engage in conversation so early in the morning.
 
"William! Please, wait up!" Daisy called again, her desperation more pronounced this time.
 
William halted and turned to face her, his expression less than welcoming. He gazed down at Daisy's pretty face, his eyes tinged with irritation.
 
"What do you want?" he grumbled, his voice gruff.
 
Daisy blinked her wide eyes, momentarily taken aback by his abrupt response. Then she remembered why she had called out to him.
 
"Oh! Could I maybe speak to you after school today?" she asked nervously.
 
"Why?" William questioned. He tolerated Daisy mostly because she was Jayden's best friend, and if he were honest with himself, he had nothing against her. She was undeniably attractive, with shiny hair and a certain charm that made her appealing. Yet, William couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy toward her. Jealous that she had known Jayden longer than he had, that they were best friends, and that gossip around school sometimes hinted at them being a couple.
 
Daisy looked up at him, her cheeks blushing as she spoke confidently, "I have something to tell you, in private."
 
William was suspicious but nodded anyway, intrigued by her request.
 
"I'll be in the music classroom. Just find me," he said before turning to walk away.
 
Daisy's broad grin reflected her nervous anticipation as she watched him leave.
 
***
 
"Make it quick; I have places to be," William remarked, leaning against a sink in the music room.
 
In reality, his only destination was home, where he could retreat to his solitude. But he had no intention of revealing this to Daisy.
 
Daisy's breath hitched at how striking William appeared without even trying, casually leaning against the sink with his hair falling into his eyes. Her heart raced at the thought of what she was about to do, as she mustered the courage to confess her feelings.
 
Her infatuation with William had been growing steadily. She admired the way his hair moved when he played basketball, how his smile transformed his entire face into something light and pleasant, and how he defended her from those who spoke ill of her. Although William seemed intimidating and unapproachable, Daisy had observed the way he lit up when Jayden was around, and she yearned to be the reason for his smile every day.
 
As her feelings intensified, Daisy had resolved to confess her affection. She had missed her chance at her own party when she couldn't find William after he had disappeared with Jayden.
 
"Hello?" William prompted impatiently. "Are you going to tell me anything? Or can I just go?"
 
Daisy steeled herself and blurted out, "I like you William."
 
William froze, his posture stiffening like a statue.
 
"You like me?" he echoed, disbelief coloring his voice.
 
Daisy nodded; her nervousness evident as she shifted her weight but stood her ground.
 
He stared at her for a moment before bursting into incredulous laughter. He never expected Daisy to confess to him, but when he looked again, she was still blushing.
 
"What is this? Who challenge you to do this?" he scoffed.
 
Daisy was confused about why William was laughing. Did he not believe her?
 
"No one. I like you," she repeated.
 
William laughed mockingly. "Oh, you do, do you? And what exactly about me do you like?" he asked sarcastically.
 
"Is it that I'm the school's resident bad boy? Is that it? Do you like that I scare people away? Or, let me guess; you're going to say that you can make me a better person and you don't believe all those stupid rumors about me. You're going to change me. Well, guess what? I don't need any of that, thank you."
 
William let the words spill out, not caring about their impact. Daisy couldn't really care about him. No one did. Everyone left, and no one stayed. Why should he think she was any different, that she actually liked him?
 
Daisy's eyes filled with tears, and a hint of anger flared within her. How dare he accuse her like that?
 
Where was the boy who laughed until he couldn't breathe when Jayden tripped in the hallways? Where was the boy she saw smiling broadly when they won the school basketball tournament? Where was the boy who held her hand tightly because he was afraid of heights, pretending he wasn't scared? Why did that boy only surface occasionally, while this cold, mocking version always greeted her when she tried to talk to him? She was in love with a version of him that he never showed her.
 
"Must you act like a jerk all the time?" Daisy whispered, her voice trembling. "You could have just told me if you don't like me back."
 
He continued to laugh mockingly. "Yeah, okay. I don't like you back. Sorry, but what did you expect? A grand confession in return about how I've been in love with you this entire time? You don't care about me. No one does," he finished bitterly.
 
Daisy clenched her fists, her heartfelt confession turned into a cruel joke.
 
Her heart ached from the rejection, but what had she expected, really? Certainly not this, nor the harsh words William had uttered. She had hoped he would at least take her seriously and turn her down gently, not treat her like this. Conflicted about her feelings, she was upset and wanted to escape his mocking presence. She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room.
 
As she left the school, Daisy dialed Jayden's number, wiping her tears as he answered promptly.
 
"Yooo Daisy, what's up!" Jayden cheerily greeted.
 
"Jayden," she sniffed, her voice trembling. "Can I come over?"
 
Jayden's cheerful demeanor instantly shifted upon hearing her tone. "Yeah, of course," he replied softly.