Catherine's POV
The next morning began with me convincing myself that I didn't care.
I stood in front of my mirror, brushing through my hair for the fifth time, even though it didn't need it.
Every time my reflection stared back at me, I saw Julian's scars, his face, his voice, the anger in his eyes. The way he said, Don't act like you care. I hated that those words had gotten under my skin.
"Forget him," I muttered, forcing a fake smile at my reflection. "Julian doesn't deserve your thoughts, Catherine. He's not worth it."
I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and headed downstairs. Gabriel sat at the table, scrolling through his phone with one hand and eating with the other.
He looked up the moment I entered. "Hey," he greeted before I could even open my mouth. "Rough night?"
I frowned. "Why would you say that?"
He smirked, stabbing a piece of fried egg with his fork. "You and Julian had another fight, right? That's why he left for school so early."
I stopped mid-step. "Wait—he left already?"
"Yeah." Gabriel shrugged as if it were no big deal. "He was gone before seven. Didn't even finish his coffee. He looked pissed, though. What happened this time?"
I forced a small laugh that came out way too awkwardly. "Nothing. I mean it's just the same old Julian being his usual jerk self."
"Uh-huh." Gabriel chewed thoughtfully. "So, the usual."
"Exactly." I walked over to the counter and poured myself some orange juice so that I'd have something to do with my hands. "He's an asshole, honestly. I don't even know why I bother talking to him."
Gabriel chuckled. "Trust me, that makes two of us."
When he stood and carried his empty plate to the sink, I couldn't stop my eyes from darting toward the hallway leading to Julian's room. He must have left early just to avoid me.
Gabriel's voice snapped me out of it. "Are you planning to stand there all day, or do you want a ride to school? Unless you're in the mood for cardio."
"I'm coming!" I said, my tone way too high-pitched. He laughed under his breath as I rushed to grab my bag.
The drive to school was quiet. Gabriel had music on, but my mind was somewhere else. By the time we reached school, I had my expression under control.
I plastered on a neutral look and scanned the area automatically, expecting to see Tessa waiting near the gate like she always did, waving her hands dramatically and yelling something embarrassing but she wasn't there which felt weird.
After my first class, I checked the cafeteria but there was no sign of Tessa. After the second, I sent her a text and got no reply. I called twice and went straight to voicemail.
By the time the third period rolled around, I was done pretending everything was fine. I stepped out of the building and finally spotted her near the art block, standing by the vending machine. Relief washed through me.
"Tessa!" I called, jogging over.
She turned, and the expression she gave me made me stop dead in my tracks. Her usual bright, goofy smile was gone, her face was blank.
"I've been looking for you all morning," I said, catching my breath. "Why weren't you answering your phone? Is everything okay?"
She didn't answer. She just took her drink from the vending machine, and when I reached to touch her arm, she pulled away like I burned her.
"Tessa?" I whispered.
"I can't talk right now, Catherine," she said quietly. "I have… stuff to do."
"Stuff to do?" I repeated, confused. "Since when do you have 'stuff' to do that's more important than ignoring me?"
Her jaw tightened. "Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Make it sound like I owe you my time."
Her reply kinda stung. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm just worried. Did I do something? If I did, just tell me."
She shook her head. "No. You didn't. I just can't right now."
"Tessa?"
"I said I can't, okay?" she snapped with a low but sharp voice, and then she walked away, leaving me standing there like an idiot.
—-
The rest of the day dragged on. Every class felt longer than it should've been.
Without Tessa, the silence around me felt too loud. I hadn't realized how much I relied on her ridiculous energy to make school tolerable. I sat through lectures, doodled in my notebook, and got scolded by my literature teacher for not paying attention.
And then came the cherry on top, the reminder slip for my community service. Great. As if this day could get any worse.
My job at the library was to organize the history section, which basically meant standing on my feet for hours, sorting through dust and boredom. I was halfway through a stack of books when the door creaked open and laughter echoed faintly across the aisle.
I breathed out in frustration when I saw Sasha and her minions.
Sasha didn't even need to say anything, her smug expression did the talking.
She walked past me, and intentionally brushed her shoulder against mine, sending one of the books flying from my hands. It landed on the floor with a loud thud.
I bent down to pick it up, but before I could, she kicked it aside, subtly, silently, but deliberately.
I swallowed hard, convincing myself not to react. Not worth it, Catherine. Not worth another punishment.
I stood back up, pretending she wasn't there, and reached for another stack. That's when she "accidentally" nudged the shelf, causing another pile to tumble onto the floor and pages scattered everywhere.
Her two followers snickered behind their hands, pretending to be looking for books. She smirked, obviously enjoying seeing me this way. I bent to gather the books, the sting of humiliation rising up my throat, but
I forced myself to breathe through it and then, out of nowhere, another voice broke the silence.
"Wow," a male voice said from the corner with a calm tone, edged with mockery. "Entertaining yourselves by bullying, very rich."
Sasha stiffened slightly, straightening up. "Collins," she greeted smoothly, but I could hear the slight irritation in her tone. "Didn't see you there."
He smirked. "Clearly. You were too busy creating entertainment for yourself."
Her face twisted for a second before she forced a smile. "We were just leaving."
"Yeah, do that," he said, crossing his arms. "Leave before you make me forget we once had a thing."
I was a bit taken aback. Collins Effron, the one they said Sasha cheated on Julian with, was picking my side over his one-time fling.
"Not you too," Sasha remarked in a questioning voice. "What charm is this low-class girl using on you all?" Her voice rang out loud this time, causing the librarian to remind us to be quiet.
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she waited for his response but nothing came. She turned sharply and walked off with her friends, heels clicking faster this time.
Gosh! She now had more reasons to hate me.
"Thank you," I muttered to Collins and immediately crouched, trying to gather the scattered books.
Collins crouched beside me. "Those girls like to cause trouble but I will try my best to keep them away from you."
I glanced at him briefly. "I don't know what to say….. Thank you, Collins."
He chuckled, picking up a book and placing it on the pile. "You don't have to thank me. Besides, I'm the actual reason why you got this punishment."
True, I almost forgot that.
He handed me another book. "You're welcome, by the way."
I nodded, expecting him to leave but he didn't. Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat across from me.
"You still have a lot to do?" he asked, glancing at the stack of books I'd barely touched.
"Yeah," I said flatly, hoping that'd be enough to make him leave.
It wasn't.
He leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head.
"Okay, I'll wait."
I looked up sharply. "You'll wait? For what?"
"For you to finish." He smirked. "I want to keep you company."
"I don't need company," I said, returning to sorting. "I can handle myself."
He didn't budge. "I believe you," he said easily, "but humor me."
I sighed, too tired to argue. The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, it was strange. Now and then I'd feel his eyes on me, and when I looked up, he'd pretend to be reading the titles of random books.
After a while, I stopped caring and just focused on finishing. When I finally placed the last book on the shelf,
I turned to him with an exhausted sigh. "Done."
He checked his watch and stood. "Good. You took forever."
"Well… you chose to wait."
"I did." He said it casually, but something in his tone made me look away. I didn't want to read too much into it.
We walked out together. I reached into my bag to call Gabriel, only to realize—great—I hadn't told him about my punishment.
"Let me guess," Collins said, watching my face. "You missed your ride."
I groaned. "Yeah. He's probably home by now."
He shrugged. "No problems, I'll drop you off."
I hesitated. "You don't have to. I can just—"
"Walk?" he interrupted, raising a brow. "No way. You exhausted yourself in that library."
"Collins—"
"Come on," he said, cutting me off again but softer this time. "Consider it one of my ways of apologizing for that day."
I wanted to refuse, I really did but he'd just helped me in the library, waited around while I worked, and was now offering me a ride. Saying no felt rude.
"Fine," I muttered. He flashed a confident smile, gesturing toward the parking lot.
—
The drive home was quiet for a while, until he slowed down near my street and spoke again. "Hey."
"Yeah?"
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, eyes still on the road. "I'm throwing a party this weekend. Kind of a welcome-back thing from my suspension. You heard about it, right?"
"Yup," I said dryly. "Seems y'all enjoy this party thingy. I'm guessing it's a WEALTHY PEOPLE thing."
He laughed at my remark and continued. "I want you to come."
"Me?" I asked.
"Yeah, you. You can bring your friend too, if you want." He shrugged, pretending it was casual, but I could tell he actually wanted me there. "It's just a party. No pressure."
I smiled a little. "Sorry, but I won't be making it."
He parked in front of the house and turned off the engine. "Why? 'Cause of Julian?"
"No. It's a personal choice."
He looked at me like he wanted to try and convince me but he didn't and it was starting to feel a bit awkward, so I quickly grabbed my bag. "Thanks for the ride."
He nodded. "Anytime."
I stepped out, closing the door softly behind me. He didn't drive away until I walked into the gates and they got closed.