Amelia "Mia" Davenport
Age: 20
Physical Appearance: Amelia has warm brown eyes, dark brown hair that falls just past her shoulders, and a sharp, observant gaze. She’s of average height, with a lean frame, and typically dresses in casual yet polished outfits—nothing flashy, but always put together. There’s an air of quiet determination in the way she carries herself.
Personality: Mia is highly intelligent, ambitious, and responsible. She thrives on structure and logic, always planning ahead and making sure she doesn’t fall behind. Practical to a fault, she doesn’t indulge in unnecessary distractions—until Malakai Mercer forces her to reconsider what she thinks she knows. Though she’s social enough, she’s selective with her time and energy. Beneath her composed exterior, she’s stubborn, fiercely independent, and deeply loyal to those she cares about.
Title: Truant Hearts
Sophomore year is all about keeping her head down and working hard—at least, that’s how Amelia “Mia” Davenport sees it. She’s not a social outcast, but she’s also not one to get swept up in distractions. With a scholarship keeping her in one of the most prestigious schools in the city, she doesn’t have the luxury of slipping up. That is until Malakai “Kai” Mercer walks into her classroom—ten minutes late, half-asleep, and looking like he couldn’t care less about being there.
Something about him doesn’t add up. He barely shows up to class, yet somehow, he’s not failing. He drifts through school like he’s got nothing to lose, but when Mia confronts him—first out of annoyance, then out of curiosity—she realizes he’s not as indifferent as he seems. In fact, he’s utterly perplexed by her. No one’s ever cared enough to nag him before, not since his parents died. And the more she pries, the more he finds himself tangled in her world—one where someone actually gives a damn about him.
But Kai isn’t just some slacker. He’s the unexpected heir to a massive inheritance, one he never wanted and barely understands. With wealth and power he never asked for, he’s become a target for those who’d rather see him out of the picture. Mia doesn’t know any of this—at least, not at first. All she knows is that, despite all reason, she can’t stop worrying about him. And maybe, just maybe, he can’t stop looking for excuses to see her either.
Between bickering in the library, forced study sessions, and accidental late-night heart-to-hearts, their worlds begin to collide. But with danger lurking just beyond school walls, will Mia be the thing that saves Kai from his loneliness, or the one thing that puts her in harm’s way?
Either way, one thing’s for sure—her sophomore year is not going as planned.
Scene: First Conversation
Amelia Davenport had seen him before.
Malakai Mercer—the guy who always strolled into class late, sometimes not at all. When he did show up, he either napped, stared out the window, or flipped his pen between his fingers like he had all the time in the world. Yet somehow, he wasn’t failing.
It made no sense.
And Amelia hated things that didn’t make sense.
So when she caught him slipping into the library—of all places—on a Tuesday afternoon, she did something completely out of character. She followed him.
He was easy to spot, a head taller than most, dark-haired, with an air of effortless disinterest. He moved with the kind of looseness that made it seem like nothing could possibly bother him. Which only made her irritation spike further.
She found him at a corner table, stretching his legs out as he flipped open a book, looking for all the world like someone who did belong here.
That was the last straw.
Amelia crossed the room, planting herself in front of him. “You do know this is a library, right?”
Kai didn’t even look up. “No kidding.”
His voice was low, lazy, like she’d interrupted a nap.
Amelia folded her arms. “Do you even know what book you’re reading?”
That got a reaction—just a flick of his eyes toward her, but it was something. Then, still holding her gaze, he shut the book, turned it over, and read the title. “The Art of War.” He hummed. “Fitting.”
Amelia narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t even know what you picked up.”
He smirked, leaning back. “Didn’t think that was a requirement.”
She exhaled sharply. “How are you even passing? You sleep through lectures. You don’t do any of the work. I mean, I study every day, and even I struggle sometimes—”
Kai let out a slow chuckle. “You’re really worked up about this.”
“I am worked up about this,” she snapped. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Some things don’t.”
Amelia opened her mouth, then closed it. She hated answers like that. Hated the way they left things open-ended, like logic didn’t apply.
Kai studied her like he was trying to figure her out now. “You always this nosy?”
“You always this much of a slacker?”
His lips twitched. “Touché.”
Amelia huffed, turning to leave. But before she could take a step, his voice stopped her.
“If it helps, I do the work.”
She glanced back, skeptical.
Kai lifted a shoulder. “Just not in class.”
Amelia stared at him for a moment, then frowned. “That doesn’t make it better.”
Another smirk. “Didn’t say it would.”
She should’ve walked away. Instead, she sat down. Because now she really needed to figure him out.