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The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow across my messy room. I let out a deep sigh as I forced myself out of bed, my feet hitting the cold wooden floor.

The prospect of another day at school was not exciting me, especially with the thought of dealing with my friends and their never-ending cheerfulness.

I stumbled towards the bathroom, running a hand through my unruly dark hair. The person who stared back at me from the mirror was not a morning person - dark circles under my eyes, a permanent scowl etched on my face.

I splashed some cold water on my face, hoping to wake myself up, but all it did was make my already grumpy expression more pronounced. I reluctantly got ready for school, throwing on my usual outfit of jeans and a black hoodie.

I didn’t see the point in trying to look good for school - it’s not like anyone would notice anyway. As I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door, I couldn’t help but let out another deep sigh. This day was already shaping up to be as unpleasant as they come.

As I made my way to school, I tried to mentally prepare myself for the barrage of happy faces and positive vibes that awaited me.

My friends were always so cheerful and enthusiastic about everything, while I couldn’t help being the grumpy one in the group. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate them, but their constant optimism grated on my nerves sometimes.

As I walked down the hallway, my friend Isaiah suddenly appeared beside me, a wide grin on his face.

“Hey, Hunter! Guess what?” I raised an eyebrow, bracing myself for some obnoxiously cheerful news. “What?”

“There’s a new kid in our grade today!” I rolled my eyes, not really caring about the new addition to our class. “And I’m supposed to care because...?”

Isaiah slapped my shoulder, completely unfazed by my grumpy attitude. “Come on, man. Lighten up! It’s exciting! You know how I feel about meeting new people.”

I sighed, knowing that it was pointless to argue with Isaiah when he was in his cheerful mood “Alright, fine. Tell me about this new kid then.”

Isaiah’s face lit up even more, his excitement practically radiating off him. “Well, his name is Conner, and he seems really nice! I met him this morning during homeroom. He’s super friendly and outgoing. I think you’re gonna like him!”

I couldn’t help but scoff at the mention of Conner’s friendly nature. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s a real gem. Just what this school needs - another cheery wannabe-popular student.”

Isaiah rolled his eyes dramatically. “You’re such a grouch, you know that? Give the guy a chance before you start judging him.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll believe it when I see it. So far, all the new kids we’ve had have ended up being annoying and pretentious.”

Isaiah chuckled softly, used to my constant pessimism. “Well, maybe this time will be different. Just give him a chance, alright? I think you two might actually end up getting along.” I let out a grunt, doubting that statement wholeheartedly.

As we continued down the hallway, Isaiah chatted animatedly about our new classmate. I half-listened, my mind already dismissing the possibility of actually liking this “Conner” person. In my mind, I already had a picture of the annoying, extroverted type that I always seemed to clash with.

As we entered the classroom, my eyes immediately landed on a boy standing near the back, surrounded by a small group of girls. He was tall, with messy brown hair and a wide smile on his face. Even from a distance, I could tell that he exuded a cheerful energy that made the girls around him giggle and blush.

I grumbled under my breath, immediately knowing that this must be the new kid, Conner. My initial impression was that he looked just as annoying and extroverted as I had expected. I let out a low huff, silently cursing Isaiah for thinking I would like this guy.

As if sensing my presence, Conner turned to look in our direction, his eyes locking with mine. For a brief moment, he stopped his animated conversation with the girls, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. But then, almost instantly, his smile widened, and he waved at us enthusiastically.

As Conner waved at us, I felt an irritated frown forming on my face. Isaiah, not noticing my annoyed expression, waved back excitedly. “Hey, Conner! Come over here, we want to introduce you to someone!”

I scowled at Isaiah, silently wishing he would shut up. But it was too late. Conner was already making his way towards us, that irritatingly cheerful smile still plastered on his face.

When he finally reached us, he stuck out his hand towards me, his eyes sparkling with a warm friendliness.“Hey, I’m Conner! I’m guessing you must be the grumpy one I’ve heard so much about.”

I stared at his outstretched hand, feeling a surge of irritation coursing through me. The audacity of this guy to already make such assumptions about me.

As Conner grinned at me, displaying his perfect, pearly white teeth, I felt a strange sensation in my chest. It took me a moment to realize that it was my heart skipping a beat.

I quickly pushed the feeling aside, trying to maintain my usual grumpy demeanor. “Yeah, that’s me,” I muttered gruffly, trying to hide the flutter of my heart. “The grumpy one.”

Conner’s smile widened even further, almost as if he could see through my attempts to remain aloof. “And I take it you’re not too happy about that?”

I grunted in response, struggling to find words under his intense gaze. Why was he looking at me like that? It was making me feel all... flustered.

His eyes sparkled with a playful gleam, as if he was enjoying my discomfort. I felt my cheeks heat up slightly, but hopefully, he didn’t notice.“You know, you’re cute when you’re grumpy.”

My heart skipped another beat, his words catching me off guard. Was he flirting with me? Or was he just teasing me to get a reaction?

I tried to act nonchalant, as if his compliment hadn’t affected me at all. “W-whatever,” I muttered, averting my gaze from his bright eyes. “Don’t get used to it.”

Conner let out a soft, warm laugh that sent shivers down my spine. It was a sound that was both pleasing and irritating at the same time. Why did he have to be so damn cute?

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll come around eventually.” He smiles at me again and I couldn’t help but huff in response, even more flustered now. He seemed so confident, so sure of himself. It was both irritating and oddly attractive. I hadn’t felt like this around anyone before, and I wasn’t sure if it was just his annoyingly cheerful nature or something else. Either way, I knew I needed to get a hold of myself before I made a fool of myself.

Before I could say anything more, the warning bell rang, signaling the start of class. Conner’s smile dimmed slightly, but his cheerful demeanor remained intact.

“Well, I guess we should take our seats. See you around, grumpy.” With a final wink, he turned and headed towards his desk.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, feeling my heart beating faster than it ever had before. What had just happened? And why couldn’t I stop thinking about that damn smile of his?

As I made my way to my desk, Isaiah fell into step beside me, a knowing smirk on his face. “You like him, don’t you?” I shot him a glare, hoping my flushed cheeks weren’t giving me away too much.

“What are you talking about? He’s annoying.” Isaiah chuckled softly, clearly amused by my denial.

“Sure, keep telling yourself that. But you can’t fool me. I saw the way you were looking at him. You’re smitten.” I scowled at Isaiah, trying to act disinterested. “I am not ‘smitten.’ Don’t be ridiculous.”

Despite my protests, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Conner, who was now chatting animatedly with a group of students surrounding his desk. His smile was still as bright and genuine as ever, and I felt my heart flutter against my will. Damn him and his annoyingly attractive smile.

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