Leo was still brooding about the lunchroom showdown as he wandered the campus aimlessly. Kai’s warning replayed in his head on an endless loop.

"Stay away from Ethan."

Easier said than done. Leo wasn’t someone who gave up easily, but this new school was starting to feel more like a battlefield than a fresh start.

His wandering brought him to the art wing, a quieter part of campus where the hum of activity faded into the faint scratch of pencils and the low murmur of voices.

As Leo rounded the corner, he found himself in an open art studio. The room smelled of paint and turpentine, and large canvases leaned against the walls.

In the middle of it all was a guy.

He was leaning back in a chair, sketchpad balanced on his knee, pencil moving in fluid strokes. His sharp cheekbones and tousled black hair gave him a rakish, untamed look, but it was his smile that caught Leo’s attention—lazy, confident, and devastatingly charming.

The guy glanced up, catching Leo staring. He didn’t seem fazed. Instead, his smile deepened, morphing into something wickedly playful.

“Well, well, well. Who do we have here? Lost puppy?”

Leo blinked. “Uh, no. I’m not lost.”

“Really?” The guy arched an eyebrow. “Because you have that ‘I don’t know where the hell I am’ look.” He tilted his head, studying Leo like he was a particularly intriguing subject. “What’s your name, puppy?”

Leo bristled. “It’s Leo. Not puppy.”

The guy chuckled, the sound low and rich. “Leo, huh? Doesn’t suit you. You’re definitely a Puppy.”

Leo frowned. “Can you not call me that?”

“Why not? It fits,” the guy said, standing and stretching with a feline grace. His fitted black shirt clung to his lean frame, and his ripped jeans gave him an effortlessly cool vibe.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I’m Adrian, by the way,” he said, extending a hand. His smile turned teasing. “You’re welcome to call me your guardian angel, though.”

Leo hesitated before shaking his hand. “Guardian angel?”

“Sure.” Adrian’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “You look like you need saving, Puppy.”

First Impressions

Leo crossed his arms, trying to shake off the uncomfortable nickname and the strange pull of Adrian’s energy. “I don’t need saving.”

“Mm, could’ve fooled me.” Adrian gestured to a stool nearby. “Come on, sit down. You look like you’re about to explode.”

Leo hesitated but eventually sat. There was something oddly disarming about Adrian, even if he was annoying.

“So,” Adrian said, settling back into his chair. “Who pissed you off? Let me guess: a jock, a teacher, or some girl who thinks she’s all that.”

Leo sighed, not in the mood to spill his guts to a stranger. “It’s nothing.”

“Ah, a classic denial.” Adrian smirked, leaning forward. “C’mon, Puppy. You can tell me. I’m an excellent listener. Plus, I’ve got nothing better to do than poke at your obvious drama.”

Leo shot him a look. “You’re really annoying, you know that?”

“Yep.” Adrian grinned, unbothered.

Leo shook his head but found himself relaxing despite his irritation. “Fine. It’s this guy… Ethan. We have some… history.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his teasing tone replaced by something sharper. “Ethan? You mean the Ethan? Westwood’s golden boy?”

Leo nodded, surprised by the shift in Adrian’s demeanor. “Yeah, I guess.”

Adrian leaned back, crossing his arms. “And let me guess, he’s treating you like crap now?”

Leo hesitated, then nodded again.

Adrian let out a low whistle. “Figures. That guy’s got the whole ‘perfect on the outside, mess on the inside’ thing going on. Trust me, Puppy, he’s not worth the headache.”

Leo frowned. “You don’t even know him.”

Adrian shrugged. “Don’t need to. Guys like him are a dime a dozen. But you…” He gestured to Leo. “You’re interesting. And not just because you’re clearly bad at hiding your feelings.”

Leo’s cheeks flushed. “I’m not bad at hiding my feelings.”

“Uh-huh.” Adrian’s smirk returned. “Sure, Puppy. Whatever you say.”

The Artist’s Touch

Adrian reached for his sketchpad and started doodling again, his movements quick and fluid.

“What are you drawing?” Leo asked, curious despite himself.

Adrian tilted the sketchpad toward him, revealing a cartoonish sketch of a sad puppy with big, teary eyes.

Leo groaned. “Seriously?”

“What?” Adrian laughed, his smile wide and ridiculously charming. “I’m capturing your essence.”

“You’re impossible,” Leo muttered, but he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips.

Adrian noticed and grinned. “There it is. A smile. I was starting to think you didn’t know how to do that.”

Leo shook his head. “Why are you even talking to me? Don’t you have, like, a moody artist thing to do?”

“Maybe I do,” Adrian said with a shrug. “But like I said, you’re interesting. And I like interesting.”

Leo wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Adrian was a whirlwind—charming, infuriating, and utterly impossible to ignore.

The Start of Something New

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Adrian stood and grabbed his bag.

“See you around, Puppy,” he said, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he walked away.

Leo sat there, staring after him, feeling more confused than ever.

Who was Adrian? And why did he feel like the guy had just blown into his life like a storm, leaving everything slightly off balance?

One thing was certain: Leo wasn’t going to forget his "guardian angel" anytime soon.