The courtyard of St. James Academy had never known silence like that — thick, heavy, disbelieving.
All eyes were fixed on the small, beautiful girl who stood between Leo Thompson and his tormentors.
Her chin lifted, her eyes locked with the biggest boy in the group, a blonde brute named Harrison Cole, whose father chaired the school’s board. His smirk faltered when she didn’t back down.
“Walk away,” Maya said calmly.
Harrison scoffed, but his friends shifted uneasily. The way she looked at him — not afraid, not pleading — made something in his chest twist uncomfortably.
Finally, he sneered. “You’ll regret that.”
Then, with a muttered insult, he turned away. The circle broke apart, and the boys dispersed.
The bell rang in the distance, and the courtyard returned to its usual rhythm — but nothing felt the same.
Leo stood frozen, staring at the girl who had just faced down his bullies without flinching.
“Why did you do that?” he asked quietly.
Maya smiled — not the shy, nervous kind, but warm and fearless. “Because someone had to.”
He blinked. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know you didn’t deserve that.”
For a moment, Leo couldn’t find words. No one had ever defended him. Not once.
He nodded, eyes burning. “Thank you.”
She shrugged. “Come on, robot boy. You’re going to be late for class.”
He laughed — actually laughed — for the first time in months.
1. Two Worlds Collide
From that day, everything began to shift.
Maya and Leo became inseparable. She walked with him between classes, shared her lunch when he forgot his, and ignored the whispers that followed them.
The other students couldn’t understand it.
Leo, the billionaire’s son — shy, reserved, always escorted by a driver.
Maya, the scholarship girl — smart, outspoken, and unapologetically herself.
They were opposites in every way, yet something about them fit perfectly.
At lunch, she told stories of her neighborhood in East London — crowded flats, street vendors, music that spilled from open windows. She laughed easily, and her laughter was contagious.
Leo, who had lived in mansions and penthouses but never known warmth, listened as if discovering a new world.
When she found out about his prosthetic leg, she didn’t look away.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
“Not much anymore,” he said. “It just… makes me different.”
“Different isn’t bad,” Maya said. “It just means you have a story.”
He smiled softly. “You sound like my mum.”
“Where is she?”
He hesitated. “She died when I was six.”
“I’m sorry,” Maya whispered.
Leo nodded. “My dad doesn’t like to talk about her. He just… builds more buildings.”
Maya looked at him for a long moment. “Then I guess you need someone to talk to instead.”
And from that day, she became that someone.
2. The Rumors Begin
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