Between Bruises and Butterflies

St. Augustine Academy – Hallway (7:55 AM)
The hallway is a loud mess — students shoving past each other, lockers clanging shut, and gossip buzzing like static.

Sienna strides through the chaos, her headphones blasting music, a blue raspberry lollipop twirling between her fingers.

But even with the music, she can feel it.

Someone watching her.

She glances back — and, of course, it's Damien, leaning against a locker, arms crossed, smirking like he invented the word arrogance.

DAMIEN (calling out): Morning, sunshine.

Sienna rips out her headphones, spinning around.

SIENNA (voice dripping with venom): Did you crawl out of the sewer just to annoy me, or is this your natural habitat?

CUT TO: STUDENTS WATCHING
Heads turn. Phones come out. The spectacle begins.

ZEPHYR (munching on chips): Ooh, this is getting good.

JAYJAY (whispering to Cass): I should sell tickets.

CUT BACK TO: DAMIEN AND SIENNA
Damien pushes off the locker, stepping way too close.

DAMIEN (softly): You think you're so untouchable, huh?

Sienna smiles sweetly, tilting her head.

SIENNA (mocking): And you think you're so intimidating, but you look like a bargain-bin villain.

CUT TO: DAMIEN GRINNING
He leans down, voice low enough for only her to hear.

DAMIEN (whispering): Careful, Castillo. You're making me obsessed.

Sienna steps closer, lollipop stick dangling from her lips.

SIENNA (quietly): I'll call animal control.

CUT TO: THE CROWD
The hallway erupts with laughter, students hyping up the argument like it's a boxing match.

Zephyr nearly falls over, clapping like a seal.

ZEPHYR (wheezing): She just called you a stray dog, bro.

CUT TO: CLASSROOM (8:10 AM)
The tension hangs thick as Sienna and Damien sit on opposite sides of the room — but their eyes are locked like it's a duel.

Mr. Salcedo starts writing a math problem on the board, grumbling under his breath.

MR. SALCEDO (muttering): One of you is gonna give me a stroke.

CUT TO: SIENNA'S DESK
She taps her pencil against her notebook, glaring at Damien.

SIENNA (V.O.): If I commit murder, maybe they'll let me off on good behavior.

CUT TO: DAMIEN'S DESK
He casually flips through his notebook, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

DAMIEN (V.O.): She hates me.
DAMIEN (V.O.): ...Good.

CUT TO: LUNCH BREAK – COURTYARD (12:45 PM)
The courtyard is filled with laughter and chatter, students sprawled across benches and grass patches.

Sienna sits with Jayjay, stabbing her salad like it insulted her ancestors.

JAYJAY (softly): You're gonna kill the lettuce.

SIENNA (snarling): I'm pretending it's Damien's face.

CUT TO: DAMIEN & ZEPHYR AT A TABLE
Damien sips his water bottle, still watching Sienna from across the courtyard.

ZEPHYR (laughing): Bro, she looks like she's planning your funeral.

Damien wipes his mouth, eyes still on her.

DAMIEN (smirking): Let her.

ZEPHYR: Why are you like this?

DAMIEN (shrugging): It's fun.

CUT TO: ART CLASS (2:05 PM)
Sienna aggressively paints a canvas, splattering red paint everywhere like she's committing a crime scene.

Damien sits at a nearby table, watching her like she's the most fascinating disaster he's ever seen.

CASS (whispering to Jayjay): Why is he obsessed with her?

JAYJAY (whispering back): Maybe he has a death wish.

CUT TO: DAMIEN WALKING BY SIENNA'S DESK
As he walks past her, Damien tilts her canvas with his finger.

DAMIEN (mocking): You forgot the blood splatter.

Sienna's jaw tightens, and she flicks her paintbrush — splattering red paint across Damien's shirt.

The class gasps, and even the teacher freezes.

SIENNA (innocent voice): Oops.

CUT TO: DAMIEN'S REACTION
He looks down at the paint, then slowly back up at Sienna — and instead of getting angry, he just... laughs.

Like a full-blown, chaotic laugh.

DAMIEN (grinning): You're a psycho.

Sienna leans back in her chair, grinning right back.

SIENNA (sweetly): Takes one to know one.

TO BE CONTINUED...