Luca Moretti‡

4

Names: Luca Moretti — sarcastic, popular, annoyingly charming. Aria Bennett — smart, stubborn, never backs down from an argument. Aria couldn't stand Luca. He always had a smirk on his face, always had a comeback ready, and somehow managed to annoy her in every class they shared. "Move," Aria said, trying to get past him in the hallway. Luca leaned against the locker. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over your attitude." She rolled her eyes. "Funny." "I know." Unfortunately, they shared the same friend group. Every lunch, every football game, every weekend hangout—there he was. Then prom season arrived. Their friends decided to play matchmaker. "Absolutely not," Aria said. "She's obsessed with me," Luca told everyone. Aria threw a napkin at him. Things got worse when Madison, the school's biggest pick-me girl, started hanging around Luca. "Luca, can you carry my bag? It's soooo heavy," Madison whined. "It weighs two pounds," Aria muttered. Luca tried not to laugh. One rainy afternoon, Aria got stuck helping decorate for prom. To her horror, Luca was her partner. Hours passed. They argued over decorations, colors, and literally everything. Then the lights went out. The room fell silent. "You scared?" Luca teased. "No." "You're holding my arm." Aria immediately let go. Luca smiled. "Cute." For the first time, she noticed something different about him. Under all the sarcasm, he was actually making sure she was okay. And for the first time, Luca noticed that Aria's insults were almost as entertaining as his. Almost. A week before prom, drama exploded. Madison spread a rumor that Aria liked Luca. The entire school was talking about it. Aria was furious. Until Luca stood in front of everyone and said, "Maybe she does. Doesn't bother me." The cafeteria went silent. Aria stared at him. And Luca winked. Suddenly, being enemies didn't seem so important anymore...