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After that fight with Adrien, the atmosphere in the house felt oddly tense, almost as if it was holding its breath. I mostly stayed holed up in my room, doing a half-hearted attempt at studying while getting lost in my webnovels, all the while trying to ignore the sound of his footsteps echoing in the hallway.
I'd come out only when I needed food or when Mom called, doing my best to dodge him entirely. I could sense that both Mom and Keith noticed the sudden chill between us, but they stayed silent about it. Maybe they figured we just needed some time to 'adjust.' If only they knew that this adjustment felt more like navigating a battlefield.
Avoiding Adrien at school was a whole different level of torture. It felt like the universe was piling on, since he was in nearly every one of my classes this year. I couldn't look around without spotting him—two rows behind me in English, across the room in math, and of course, right behind me in history, because fate really knows how to mess with me.
And if it wasn't him, it was his circle of friends. Kris, Liam, Jace—the same jerks who used to trip me in the hall and laugh about it. They still did that. But this time, Adrien was watching. Sometimes, he didn't even hide his amusement, just standing there with that smug, satisfied grin, as if my embarrassment was the highlight of his day.
It happened again today. Liam 'accidentally' bumped into me by my locker, sending my books flying.
"Whoops! Sorry, faggot!" he laughed, strutting away.
The hallway erupted with laughter before I could even pick up my stuff. I was crouched down, gathering my scattered notebooks, when I noticed a pair of shoes stopping in front of me.
Adrien.
He crouched down a bit, leaning in close enough that I could feel his breath near my ear. His voice was low, almost sweet but with that taunting edge that sent chills down my spine... and not the good kind. "Come on, Noah," he murmured, dripping with that same arrogance that twisted my stomach. "Where's all that fire?"
I just froze. Hearing his voice sent an involuntary shiver down my back, one that made me mad at myself. I wanted to throw something at him or yell that I hated him and his stupid smirk, but instead, I just bit my tongue.
That fire had fizzled out.
My hands shook as I finished gathering my books, staring at the floor until his footsteps faded away, leaving only the laughter and that burning sting of humiliation.
By the time I finally stood up, my throat felt tight. I kept telling myself it didn't matter, that none of it meant anything. But deep down, I knew every word, every smirk, every nasty glance chipped away at something inside me, something I wasn't sure I could ever reclaim.
At lunchtime, the school buzzed with gossip. It wasn't about some scandal, a fight, or even Vanessa's latest breakup... no, it was all about Ethan Seymour coming back from his summer trip abroad. The Ethan Seymour. The golden boy of Ridgeview High.
Everywhere I turned, I heard whispers of his name, girls giggling by their lockers, guys trying to act cool about it but clearly envious. Apparently, he'd spent the whole summer in Spain. And apparently, he looked even more stunning now. Not that I needed anyone to tell me that.
When Gigi and I finally settled at our usual cafeteria table, she immediately propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, wearing a mischievous grin that made it clear I couldn't escape the conversation.
"So…" she began, dragging the word out like a cat playing with its prey. "The love of your life is back. How does it feel, Romeo?"
I groaned, stabbing my fork into the sad-looking salad on my tray. "He's not my love of my life, Gigi."
"Mm-hmm," she hummed, clearly not convinced. "You've had a crush on Ethan since freshman year, don't even try to argue. Maybe this is your shot. He's single, you're single—"
"Gigi." I shot her a look, but she just laughed harder.
"Come on, Noah! He was always so nice to you. Remember when he helped you pick up your books after Vanessa tripped you in the hall? He even told her to back off. I swear, that guy had your back."
I rolled my eyes, though a small smile crept onto my lips despite myself. "He's nice to everyone, Gigi. That's just who he is. He's polite, friendly, charming—basically a walking Disney prince. Guys like him don't notice people like me."
Besides, there's a good chance Ethan didn't even swing that way. He probably found it weird and disgusting that a guy even liked him.
"Please like you?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You mean smart, cute, and criminally underrated?"
I chuckled softly and shook my head. "More like awkward, average, and doomed to a lifetime of bad luck."
She gasped dramatically, placing a hand on her heart. "Blasphemy! I won't stand for this slander against my best friend. By the way, you look amazing lately, even if the bullying hasn't really stopped... no one can deny how cute you are."
"Yeah, yeah," I replied dryly.
Gigi burst out laughing, almost spilling her drink. "You're impossible."
Maybe I was. But deep down, even though I tried to brush it off, hearing Ethan's name made something flutter in my chest. No matter how much I told myself he was out of my league, I couldn't help sneaking glances toward the cafeteria doors, hoping to see him walk in any second.
The sun was dipping low as I started my walk home. Normally, Gigi would've driven me, but her aunt had called with some emergency across town. I told her I was fine walking. I'd done it before; I just hadn't expected it to feel this lonely today.
I was halfway down Ridge Street, the long road leading to the gated part of our neighborhood, when the screech of tires sliced through the air.
For a split second, all I saw were blinding headlights and a silver car speeding toward me. My heart raced, and pure instinct kicked in. I stumbled backward and hit the pavement hard, scraping my palms on the rough asphalt as the car swerved at the last second.
It missed me by inches.
"Jesus Christ!" I gasped, my heart pounding in my ears.
The car slowed just enough for me to see who was inside. Jace, one of Adrien's dumb friends, was behind the wheel, laughing like it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen.
"Watch where you're walking, fucking pussy!" he yelled, his voice fading into a mocking cackle that made my blood boil.
And in the backseat, tangled up with Vanessa, sat Adrien.