CHAPTER 1
THE UNTOUCHABLE
The shrill ring-ring—BAM of the old pink plastic alarm clock echoed through the room. It was one of the few things Ali had kept since changing high schools. She yawned deeply, still buried beneath the sheets. Another day.
She got up, washed her face, and began her ritual: black eyeliner, dark eyeshadow, black lipstick… and contact lenses with tiny sparkles that turned her blue eyes into a star-filled night sky.
The school uniform didn’t match her aesthetic, but that was never a problem. Ali had adapted it her own way: a padlock tied into the laces of her right boot and chains like spikes resting on the shoulders of her jacket.
Downstairs, her father shook his head in resignation.
“Are you going out like that again?” “Leave her alone,” her mother replied without looking up from her phone. “It’s her way of expressing herself, right, sweetie?” Ali didn’t answer. She didn’t need to.
“You look like a witch,” her little brother Theo sang teasingly. One glance from Ali was enough to silence him instantly. “Don’t bother your sister,” her father snapped, pointing at the boy. “And you, young lady… one day your luck at school is going to run out.”
Luck. She repeated the word mechanically, staring at her father. If there was one thing Ali lacked, it was luck.
She grabbed her backpack and left without saying goodbye. The morning sky was bright, a sharp contrast to Ali’s gloomy appearance.
Ahead of her, the massive high school building gleamed as if trying to intimidate her. It failed. Ali walked straight toward the old tree she always used as a refuge before the bell rang. No one bothered her there. Most students kept a careful distance—close enough to stare, never close enough to approach.
But that day, something seemed to disturb the balance she was so used to. Two new students were arriving. And in an elite school like Holly Valley, that never went unnoticed. In fact, the principal had organized a welcome gathering for the newcomers, knowing that joining halfway through the year would make them feel out of place.
Ali didn’t even hesitate. She hadn’t gone to her own welcome event—she certainly wouldn’t attend one for two strangers.
For her, an unspoken agreement ruled everything: Don’t intervene when someone is being harassed. Don’t get harassed. That’s it.
It was a strange balance, but it worked. Still, something felt off that day. Colorful posters covered the walls of the main hall: Welcome, exchange students. Photos, balloons, drawings… it looked like a children’s festival. Ali grimaced and frowned. Everything looked too happy. Too… artificial.
She passed by students whispering nonstop: “They’re arriving today.” “They say they’re beautiful.” “One’s a genius kid.” “I hope they’re in our class.” “There’s a welcome event this afternoon.”
She was heading toward her locker when a dull thud snapped her back to reality. A small boy with crooked glasses and a backpack far too big for him crashed at her feet after being shoved aside like a tin toy. “Help me…” he sobbed, clinging to Ali’s ankle. For a fraction of a second—less than a blink—a flicker of concern crossed her eyes. No one noticed.
Ali bent down, but only to remove him from her leg before continuing on her way. “Come on, get up, nerd,” one of the bullies growled, grabbing the boy by the collar to continue the “welcome.” “Make this the last time,” Ali said without looking back. “I hate being late.” It wasn’t a warning. It was an order. And everyone in that hallway understood.
The boy was dragged away again. Ali kept walking as if nothing had happened. The screams rose behind her, but faded the moment she turned her head. After all, life isn’t an amusement park. And if you don’t adapt, the strongest one devours you. She didn’t think about it any further.
CHAPTER 2
ANOTHER MARK IN THE CALENDAR
The week dragged on more slowly than usual.
Maybe it was because everyone seemed to be waiting for the second exchange student, who hadn’t arrived yet due to paperwork issues. Or maybe it was because, according to Ali’s calculations, there were still 136 days and two hours left until the school year ended.
Every morning, as soon as she got to class, Ali took a black marker and crossed out the previous day on her calendar. She did it with the solemnity of a prisoner marking off the days left until freedom.
Tsssh.
One more line. One less day..
She sighed, resting her forehead against the window glass. Outside, small birds fluttered back and forth, cheerful and carefree.
They’re so lucky, she thought. They come and go without schedules, without homework… without the weight of worrying about the same things we do.
Her brief moment of contemplation shattered when an explosion of laughter filled the classroom.
Ali didn’t bother looking. She knew exactly who it was: Anna and Luna, the two most popular girls in the grade… and probably the entire school.
“He’s a prince!” Anna exclaimed, waving her phone like a glowing trophy. “Let me see!” Luna squealed, snatching the phone from her. The moment she looked at the screen, her smile stretched almost to her ears. “Oh no… no, Anna, he’s perfect! Look at him!”
“How did you get his socials?” another girl asked, rushing toward them like a moth drawn to light. “I have my contacts,” Anna replied, flashing a smile that dripped with triumph and zero modesty.
The three of them settled into the desk next to Ali’s and began whispering and giggling as if tomorrow didn’t exist.
Ali pretended not to see them, opening her biology book while waiting for the teacher to arrive. She tried to focus on memorizing concepts… with absolutely no success.
Maybe it was the girls’ shrill voices. Or maybe it was curiosity—wanting to see the photo of this new prince who seemed to already have dozens of Cinderellas waiting for him.
Just a quick look, she told herself, lifting her head slightly to try and catch a glimpse of the screen. Another one.
But every time she tried without drawing attention, it was as if Anna deliberately turned the phone away, blocking even the faintest shadow of the boy.
The entire classroom felt charged with a strange electricity. A boy nobody knew already seemed to be liked by everyone.
Even the guys—who should’ve been jealous watching the girls drool over him—were happy, having heard that he was a great athlete and hoping to get him on the school soccer team.
“They say he’s the best soccer player there is—like if Neymar and Messi had a kid.” “They say he’s really tall.” “They say he has a lot of money.” “They say he’s a genius, but not arrogant at all.”
Ali took a deep breath and returned to her book.
136 days, one hour, fifty-seven minutes… she told herself, trying to regain her calm.
She turned the page, the way someone flips through a fashion magazine, only paying attention to the outfits in the photos. Still, she couldn’t help feeling irritated. Everyone seemed hypnotized by a boy who would probably end up disappointing them.
Everyone disappoints us sooner or later, she thought. Ali rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze back to the window. The sky had clouded over, and the birds were gone..
his is going to be a long day, she told herself, while around her classmates played, took selfies, and shared their problems as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It probably was. For everyone except her.
She watched them with a mix of astonishment and quiet envy, and felt like a stone at the bottom of an aquarium filled with creatures of the most beautiful colors and shapes.
“I wish I could… get away,” she murmured, almost inaudible to the human ear. “Talking to yourself?” Julia asked, lightly tapping her desk to get her attention. “No—no,” Ali replied, startled by the intrusion.
“We’re organizing a surprise for Oscar,” Julia announced solemnly. When Ali didn’t even blink, she added, “The boy who arrives on Monday.” “Oh,” Ali said. “I’m collecting money to buy him a welcome gift.” “A welcome gift? That’s new,” Ali said, staring at her.
Uncomfortable, Julia nodded before continuing, “Whatever you can… will be appreciated,” she added with a forced smile.
Sighing, clearly annoyed, Ali pulled out her wallet and handed her a twenty-dollar bill. “Oh—wow, thank you!”
“Julia.” “Y–yes?” Julia stammered, surprised that Ali even knew her name. “If you make a card, I don’t want my name on it.” “But—” “I said I don’t want my name,” Ali interrupted, her expression darkening..
“All right,” Julia said quickly. She took a few steps away, then came back with another question. “What about going to the game arcades after school? We were thinking of inviting him so we can get to know him better.”
Ali looked at her as if she had just asked whether she wanted to walk on broken glass. “No.” “Oh… well…” Julia said, backing away, uncomfortable. “It’s going to be fun!” Ali reopened her book. “I’m not interested.”
This time, Julia didn’t insist. She went straight back to the other girls, who giggled quietly.
“What did you expect?” Anna whispered. “If you’d invited her to a cemetery, she probably would’ve said yes.”
Ali clenched her jaw
CHAPTER 3
THE NEW PRINCE OF HOLLY VALLEY
The rest of the week dragged on painfully slow. It was as if everyone had collectively agreed to waste time..
All anyone talked about ,was the boy who would be joining their class—what he was like, where he came from, why he had transferred so late in the school year… everything..
Even the teachers had eagerly joined in, sharing whatever information they had available.
“Has everyone completely lost their minds?” Ali muttered in exasperation after Mr. Bruck, the notoriously strict math teacher, willingly took part in the whole farce..
“This new young man,” Mr. Bruck said after an intentional pause meant to build suspense,“won the national math olympiads last year… and the year before.”
The class exchanged stunned looks, mouths hanging open. Apparently, the new boy wasn’t just handsome and a great athlete—he was also a math genius..
Just when it felt like the only thing left was for everyone to tattoo the newcomer’s name on their foreheads, the bell rang, breaking the spell that had nearly the entire class enchanted..
Ali hurried to grab her things—but to her horror, no one else moved. They stayed right where they were, continuing to talk to the teacher as if nothing had happened..
Damn it, she thought, sitting back down to avoid drawing attention to herself.
She rested her elbows on the desk, visibly annoyed, while the teacher continued listing facts about the boy.
He sounded more like a pop star than just another teenager.
Around her, the girls commented with exaggerated excitement. “They say he’s from the north, right?” Luna asked, dramatically fixing her hair. “From some super cold city, full of mountains.”
“Yes, yes,” Anna replied. “But don’t get your hopes up. I saw him first.” With a mix of irritation and resignation, Ali muttered,“It must be exhausting being that incredible. Poor thing.”
No one heard her. The laughter and comments continued. “What matters,” the teacher added, “is that he’s an outstanding student. The principal says he’ll be a great asset to Holly Valley.”
Ali narrowed her eyes. “Everyone’s completely lost it,” she muttered.
The bell had rung over a minute ago, yet no one seemed willing to leave the classroom. They kept crowding the teacher with questions, as if the new boy were an international celebrity.
Ali checked the clock again, frustrated. Finally, Bruck raised his hands. “All right, all right. You can go. No need to keep bombarding me with questions. You’ll meet him on Monday.”
That seemed to unfreeze the entire class. Everyone stood up at once and poured out, discussing theories, rumors, and ridiculous assumptions.
Ali grabbed her backpack and headed toward the door unhurriedly, wishing only for the noise to fade.
As she walked down the hallway, she overheard: “He’s going to be the most popular guy in Holly Valley the moment he arrives!” “Definitely. No competition at all!”
Ali took a deep breath and turned toward the stairs. “If that boy doesn’t show up walking on a rainbow while handing out miracles,” she thought, “someone’s going to cry.”
CHAPTER 4 THE NEWCOMER
That Monday, Ali arrived earlier than usual.
The plan was simple: get there early, go straight to her spot under the tree, and be there when the entrance bell rang—without having to deal with the madness surrounding the boy’s arrival.
The moment she stepped into the school, she sighed in relief at seeing no one around. She opened her locker, put her things away, and as soon as she closed it, she found herself face to face with a boy staring directly at her.
He had blue gradient hair, a nose ring, and a stuffed animal hanging from his backpack.R
“Hi,” he said. “Do you think you could help me with this?” He pointed at the locker.
Ali looked at him without saying a word, turned halfway around, and walked off toward her tree, book in hand.
There was no way she was helping him. That new boy would bring nothing but trouble.
“With that teddy-bear-out-of-a-toy-store look,” she told herself, shaking her head, “he won’t last a single day.”
It didn’t take long for Oscar to find help. In fact, Anna ran over as soon as she saw him. She didn’t just help him with his locker—she also gave him a tour and handed him sweets she always carried in her backpack to share.
Ali felt relieved to be under her tree, reading and listening to jazz, without having to worry about another idiot who would surely end up beaten up and crying for his mommy.
The moment of peace didn’t last long. Soon enough, she had to get up and head to class.
Once there, she found the new boy waiting at the classroom door, a group welcome gift in his hands, surrounded by girls asking him endless questions, taking photos without even trying to hide it, and interrogating him like seasoned detectives.
As soon as the teacher arrived, she opened the classroom door and formally introduced him. “Class, we have a new student. Let’s give him a round of applause. Please introduce yourself,” she said, making him blush even more.
“My name is Oscar Campbell. I’m sixteen. My favorite subject is literature, and in my free time I like knitting, playing soccer and collecting anime figures”
Literature and knitting? Yeah, now he’s really done for, Ali thought, an involuntary smile tugging at her lips.
“Very well,” the teacher said. “I think I’ll ask for your help—I’ve always wanted to learn how to knit,” she added, pointing him toward his seat.
Oscar walked to his desk, greeting everyone along the way. It didn’t take long before he raised his hand to answer the question the teacher had just asked.
Ali, who had also raised her hand, glanced at him with irritation. He smiled back at her. Immediately, Anna congratulated him with a thumbs-up and a wide grin. “133 days,” Ali whispered to herself.
As soon as the bell rang, Ali grabbed the book she had been reading and headed for her favorite spot, dodging everyone as usual.
“What’s her deal?” Oscar asked, pointing toward Ali. Just seconds earlier—when Ali thought no one was watching—she had lifted the skirt that fell below her knees slightly and pulled out her phone from what looked like a garter strap.
Phones were forbidden at school. Everyone had to leave them in a basket at the start of class—but she had figured out a way to hide hers and use it whenever she wanted, to check something Oscar hadn’t been able to see.
“Don’t mind her,” Anna said, smiling from ear to ear. “She’s the weirdest girl in the whole school.”
“I asked her for help with my locker, and she just turned around and completely ignored me.” “That’s the Ice Queen,” said a short boy from their class who dreamed of becoming a national team goalkeeper.
“Touch her and you die. No one gets close to her. Even the upper grades make room when they see her coming. By the way, my name’s Marco.”
“Nice to meet you,” Oscar said, shaking his hand.
Annoyed by the interruption, Anna tried to grab Oscar by the arm, but the other boys stepped in and began questioning him about his skills as a player.
To Ali’s surprise, no one gave him a welcome beating.
But she was sure that… wouldn’t take long.