DWTENTION WITH THE ENEMY

Monday morning curse

Chapter one

Monday mornings are cursed.
New week, new stress, and a fresh batch of assignments I’ll probably ignore until Sunday night.
“COMING!” I yelled, scrambling out of bed and dragging on my uniform. I had slept through my alarm. Again. My phone was face down on the floor, which explained everything.
I threw my hair up in a messy bun that barely passed as “school appropriate” and grabbed my blazer from the chair. One sleeve went in perfectly. The other… got stuck for a solid five seconds before I finally forced it through.
“Keeley! Come downstairs—breakfast!” my mom called.
“I’m coming!” I rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping over my own feet. “When will Sophia be here?”
I didn’t even wait for an answer before correcting myself.
“In five minutes,” I muttered.
Obviously, I didn’t have a car. I was too lazy to get my license over the holiday, and now I was paying the price every morning like this. Still, being a passenger princess had its perks — zero stress, maximum gossip.
“What’s for breakfast?” I asked, sliding into my seat at the table.
My older brother Mason was already home from college, completely unfazed by the morning chaos, halfway through his plate like he had all the time in the world. The twins—Gabriel and Gabrielle—were arguing over juice like it was a national emergency.
“That’s mine!” Gabriel snapped.
“No, it’s not, you literally drank half of it already!” Gabrielle shot back.
Normal morning chaos. Nothing new.
Just as I reached for food, a loud honk echoed outside.
Right on time.
I grabbed an apple instead of sitting down, picked up my lunch bag, kissed my mom on the cheek, and rushed out the door.
“Have a good day!” my mom called after me.
“Try not to get detention!” Mason added, not even looking up.
“Funny,” I muttered under my breath.
Outside, Sophia’s car was already waiting at the curb, music low but bass heavy enough to feel in your chest.
“What took you so long?” Sophia said the moment I got in. She was already checking herself in the mirror, adjusting her lip gloss like her life depended on it. “I need to get some lip action to start the day.”
This is Sophia.
Sophia equals: total flirt, zero commitment.
Meanwhile, I’m the complete opposite. A certified lover girl. The kind who overthinks text messages and re-reads romance scenes like they’re sacred texts. I’ve read every romance book on my shelf at least twice and watched everything from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before to The Kissing Booth to XO, Kitty like it was research.
“So,” I said, buckling my seatbelt, “who’s the lucky guy today?”
“Anyone with talent,” she replied casually, pulling into the school parking lot. Then she glanced at me with a smirk. “What about Josh?”
I scoffed immediately.
“We’re not talking anymore.”
“What? Why?”
I leaned my head against the window, watching students already flooding the gates.
“I overheard him telling his friends I ‘suck’ just because I didn’t kiss him.”
Sophia made a disgusted sound.
“Please. Forget him. You can do way better. I’ll keep an eye out for you, okay?”
I smiled a little despite myself.
“Thanks.”
We stepped out of the car, joining the noisy crowd of uniforms, lockers, laughter, and last-minute running.
That’s when I felt it.
The shift.
Like the air changed slightly — heavier, sharper.
Sophia noticed too.
“Oh no…” she whispered.
I followed her gaze.
And that’s when I saw him.
Lucas Brown.
Leaning against the school gate like he owned the entire place, backpack hanging loosely from one shoulder, expression completely unbothered. A small group of students avoided eye contact as they passed him.
Of course.
Because somehow, Lucas Brown always walked around like rules didn’t apply to him… and somehow, they never did.
My stomach dropped slightly.
“Tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking,” I said quietly.
Sophia slowly smiled.
“New week,” she said.
I groaned.
“New stress.”
We walked toward the gate.
And I didn’t know it yet…
but by 9 a.m., my “normal Monday curse” was about to turn into something way worse than I ever expected.