Title: âRoy Keeps Runningâ Roy had a secret. He liked Lila. She was tall, confident, sharp-eyed, with purple hair always pulled up into a messy bun like she didnât have time to care how cool she lookedâwhich somehow made her even cooler. Roy, on the other hand, was the kind of guy who wore hoodies even in the summer, barely spoke above a whisper, and acted like eye contact was a personal threat. No one expected Lila to notice him. But she did. The First Time Roy was at his locker when Lila leaned against the one next to his and said, âYou always look like youâre planning your escape.â He dropped his books, made a noise that wasnât quite a word, and sprinted down the hall. Lila just smirked. âCute.â The Second Time They were paired in science. Roy tried to focus on the experiment, but when Lila leaned in and whispered, âDonât worry, Iâm not gonna bite,â he accidentally flung a pencil across the room and excused himself to the nurseâs office. Diagnosis: nervous energy. The Third Time Lila caught him behind the gym. âYou wanna hang out this weekend?â she asked. âIâuhâI have to feed my goldfish,â Roy blurted. âYou donât have a goldfish.â âI do now!â he shouted, running away again. Still, she didnât give up. The Gym Incident During gym class, Roy was sitting near the bleachers tying his shoeâagainâwhen Lila walked over. âYouâre not escaping this time,â she said. âWasnât planning to,â Roy lied. She raised an eyebrow, then stepped in close. One hand landed lightly on the wall See more