The next morning, J High was already buzzing by the time Jalen Creed stepped through the school gates.
Sunlight bounced off his clean blazer and perfectly styled black hair. Every step he took looked intentional, like he was walking down a runway. The breeze even seemed to work with him.
Students turned.
Girls stopped in their tracks.
Even some boys glanced his way, nudging each other.
Jalen didn't acknowledge any of it.
He didn't need to.
That's what made it worse or better, depending on who you asked.
He made his way through the halls, greeting no one, until
Mary Kim.
She stood near her locker, talking with the same two stylish friends from before. As soon as she saw Jalen approaching, her eyes narrowed slightly but not with annoyance.
It was expectation.
Jalen stopped beside her, calm and cool. "Good morning."
Mary gave a small nod, arms crossed. "You're becoming quite the celebrity."
He tilted his head slightly. "You sound almost impressed."
She smirked. "I'm just wondering how long the ego takes to catch up to the looks."
He laughed quietly. "Careful. That almost sounded like a compliment."
She was about to respond when he added
"Lady of Two Seconds."
Mary's expression froze for a split second.
Just a flicker.
Just enough to see the blush creep up her cheeks before she caught herself.
She raised an eyebrow. "Where did you hear that name?"
Jalen gave a half-shrug, lips tugging into a smirk. "Let's just say… I used to be a fan of judo. And yours, back in the day, was something else."
Her friends were staring now one of them visibly shocked. Mary straightened up, clearing her throat like she was brushing off dust.
"That was a long time ago."
"I know," Jalen said smoothly. "But some legends don't fade. I always wanted to see the Lady of Two Seconds in action."
Another blush. Slight, but unmistakable.
She tried to recover. "That nickname was ridiculous. Who pins guys that fast in high school?"
"You," he replied simply. "You did."
Mary turned her head to the side, pretending to focus on something else in the hallway, but her lips curled into the smallest, most stubborn smile.
"You really think flattery's going to work on me?"
Jalen leaned in just enough for her to hear.
"I don't flatter. I remember."
With that, he walked off slow, confident, like he hadn't just left the toughest girl in school slightly flustered in front of her crew.
Her friends were wide-eyed.
Mary stayed cool on the outside.
But inside?
She was thinking one thing.
"Who is this guy?"