The Firecracker
Max didn’t arrive quietly. His laughter echoed down Main Street, his voice carried across the schoolyard, and his energy seemed to ignite every room he entered. The townsfolk called him “the firecracker,” and he wore the name proudly.
Clara first noticed him at the library steps, joking with a group of kids. He was everything she wasn’t—loud, fearless, impossible to ignore. She tried to slip past unnoticed, but Max caught her eye and grinned.
“Hey, you’re Clara, right? You look like you’ve got secrets.”
Clara blinked, clutching the diary tighter. She wasn’t sure if she liked his boldness—or if she needed it.
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