"I said you're stalking me. You denied. So what are you doing here?" Raymond asked with that smug smile that made my hands itch.
"How confident," I shot back.
"You wouldn't just accept it, would you?" His smirk deepened.
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not one of your fangirls. I'm here to look for something."
"And what would that be?" he tilted his head.
"I should be asking you the same. Why are you here?"
He lifted a cracked phone, the screen a spiderweb of damage. "Lost my phone. Came back to get it. Found it."
"Oh my God—your phone!" My stomach twisted. It must've cracked when he yanked me out of the road.
He gave a dismissive sigh, as if the sacrifice meant nothing.
"I didn't lose my phone," I admitted. "It's… a bracelet."
"A bracelet?" He raised a brow. "You walked all the way back here for a bracelet?"
"A special bracelet," I snapped. "And you came for a phone you can easily replace. Don't judge me."
He pointed lazily toward his car, smirk intact. Of course he drove. No wonder he and Desmond were friends—they shared the same brand of infuriating confidence. I ignored him and started scanning the ground.
"My mom gave it to me," I added softly.
Something flickered in his eyes before he nodded and crouched to help.
"It's customized," I explained, almost rambling. "The J looks like a dragon, the last "a" looks like a bunny."
"That's cool." His voice had dropped, almost careful. "You seem excited when you talk about it."
"It's not just a bracelet. It's a piece of my family. I have to keep it safe." My throat tightened.
"Don't worry," he said gently. "We'll find it."
I sighed. "I was so sure it was here. Or with you. But now…"
"Come on." His hand pressed lightly to my back, guiding me toward his car. "Ride with me. We'll figure it out."
I hesitated. "And your phone?"
"I'll just buy a new one."
"And that one?" I pointed at the cracked screen.
"I've got important stuff on it. I'll make sure it's safe." He shrugged, as if it was nothing, and I nodded, sliding into the passenger seat.
He smirked as I fumbled with my seatbelt. "Better buckle up."
"You better not speed," I warned. His only response was another smile before we rolled onto the road.
By the time we reached school, I regretted everything. Heads turned. Whispers spread. His flashy car might as well have had neon lights spelling out Look here!
He parked and unbuckled smoothly. I reached for my seatbelt, but it wouldn't budge. Of course. The smirk he'd worn earlier suddenly made sense.
He had locked it.
Raymond circled to my side, the screams of girls already echoing in my ears. I glared daggers at him. He thrived under the attention, every eye on him as if he were a prince granting blessings.
He leaned into the car, his face far too close to mine, and pressed the release button. Click.
"You're dead," I hissed, shoving his head out before he could smirk any harder.
He only laughed, holding the door open with a mock bow. "My lady."
The moment I stepped out, a wave of squeals and murmurs rippled through the courtyard.
"Wait… is that the scholarship girl?"
"She came out of Raymond's car?!"
"No way. Since when did he start giving rides?"
"Are they… close?"
A mix of awe, confusion, and envy colored the air. Some students exchanged knowing smirks, others whispered like they had just uncovered scandal.
Then came the sharper whispers from a cluster of girls, their voices tinged with envy.
"Tch, what's so special about her? Just because she has long hair and acts bold?"
"Scholarship or not, she doesn't belong in his world."
"Raymond must be pitying her, that's all. She should know her place."
"Hmph, watch — she'll embarrass herself soon enough."
I could already picture the rumors spreading like wildfire.
"Raymond, you just find yourself a fast way to get killed" I said giving him a very wide smile, before storming past him.
"See you later, my lady," he called after me, his voice laced with mischief. "Take care."
See him later? Oh, I would. With claws out. Raymond was going to regret this.
---
"Damien!!!"
The scream. The sound of his brother's voice. Tires screeching. A car crashing.
Desmond jolted awake, drenched in sweat, his hand reaching out into the dark as if he could still stop it—stop him. His chest heaved as he tried to steady his breath.
It's fine. It's just a dream, he told himself, pressing his palm against his chest. But his heart didn't listen.
Sleep was useless now. He pulled off his damp pajama shirt and threw on the clothes from the night before, deciding to walk instead of sulk. Three floors up, he climbed the stairs to the rooftop. The night air met him—cool, steady, almost kind. The city stretched before him, quiet except for the breeze whispering past his ears.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring into the starry sky. His mind was loud, but here… it was quiet. The thought made him chuckle. Someone once called herself a breeze, the air of a starry night.
He pulled something from his pocket and studied it in the dim light.
"Juliana. A dragon… and a bunny," he muttered, running a thumb over the engraved bracelet.
Yesterday, she almost died. The moment those cars flew past him, panic had slammed into his chest. He had grabbed his bike and raced after her, but he was too far. When he turned the corner, the sight nearly broke him: Juliana froze in the road, headlights bearing down. He couldn't move fast enough—someone else had dragged her out of harm's way just in time.
He remembered how his own legs had buckled. The scene was too close—too close—to the day he'd lost Damien.
When it was over, after Juliana had left with her rescuer, Desmond had returned to the spot. And there, lying on the pavement, was this bracelet. The chain was broken from the force of being pulled, but the letters—J shaped like a dragon, A like a bunny—were intact.
Now, the cool night air brushed against him, settling the storm in his chest. He clutched the bracelet tightly, letting it ground him, he went back to his room and for the first time in a long time, he fell asleep again—still holding it.
By morning, he was late. He dressed up, pocketed the bracelet before heading to school, whispering to himself:
"I'll just give it to her at lunch."
---
Walking into the homeroom, I immediately noticed the stares. Too many eyes. Too many whispers. I made my way to Matt, hoping to use him as a shield.
"You… came to school with Raymond?" Matt asked, incredulous.
"I met him while coming to school," I muttered.
Matt smirked. "Well, that explains the weird looks."
Before I could even defend myself, my name rang sharp from the doorway:
"Juliana Johnson."
Juliet. And whenever she used the full name, it meant trouble.
Juliet marched over, hands slamming down on my desk, frown in place.
"Raymond, huh?"
I shook my head quickly. "No."
"What happened last night? How did you lose your bracelet? Were you attacked? Did you get into a fight?" Juliet fired question after question, her tone growing more serious with each one.
"No!" I rushed.
Juliet exhaled, relieved, then narrowed her eyes again. "Are you keeping something from me?"
"I'm not. I'll tell you at lunch," I promised.
"You'd better," Juliet said, finally backing away. Juliana sighed in relief—interrogations with Juliet always felt like police interviews.
Later, I ran into Raymond outside the tennis club room.
"Hey, Julie," he greeted casually.
I ignored him.
"Come on, Julie."
Still ignored.
"Juliana. J. JJ. Johnson—"
I clenched my fists. This idiot. I stormed into the dance room to escape him.
Inside, Mr. Andre was already waiting with seniors and Jake, the handsome senior with piercing blue eyes. I nearly smacked myself to focus while registering for the Diamond Dancers. When Jake told me he looked forward to working with me, I nearly exploded inside, I was screaming but managed to keep my cool.
When I finally left the dance room, I expected Raymond to be gone. But no—he was outside, flirting with a group of girls, making them laugh until he spotted her.
"See you later, beautifuls," he winked, then hurried toward Juliana.
"Juliana, Juliana… Bunny J," he teased.
"Do I know you?" I snapped.
"Come on, I thought we were past that. We're friends now, right?" he grinned.
"Friends? You're the reason I was thrown under the spotlight. Is that what friends do? Adding to my problem,making everyone misunderstand me?" My voice softened, almost sad.
Raymond's smile faltered. "Juliana, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
"Forget being friends. You're this close to disappearing," I warned, raising my fist.
He actually shielded his face. I burst into laughter.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
"You're toying with me."
"I'm doing the same thing you did to me," I smirked.
He tilted his head. "So… you're not actually mad?"
"I was. But I don't care what people think."
He looked almost… earnest. "I just didn't want you to run away from being my friend."
"Are your other friends not enough?" I asked him.
"Are they even my friends?" he muttered quietly.
I hesitated, then smirked again. "Fine. One punch, and we're even."
He braced himself, but I only tapped his shoulders lightly. "Get out of my face."
"Till when?" he teased.
"Till tomorrow. Don't let me see you till then, or I'll break your nose."
"Then see you tomorrow," he called after me as I walked away. I know he's grinning right now.
---
Meanwhile, in the tennis club room, Desmond stood cold as ice.
"Where's Collins?" he asked sharply.
"He's your senior," one guy sneered. "Don't ask like that."
Desmond's glare was deadly. "I'm here to kill him. You can join if you like, you're all the same."
Collins appeared, smirking. "The Diamond heir himself. What do I owe this pleasa—"
Desmond's fist cut him off. Collins staggered back a step, hand flying to his face, but he didn't swing back. His eyes locked on Desmond's, sharp and calculating. The juniors in the room froze and some the seniors wanted to intervene.
"Stop!" Collins raised a hand, rubbing his bruised face. "What is it, Desmond?"
"You don't even realize you almost killed someone yesterday, do you?" Desmond's voice was sharp, furious.
Collins blinked. "Oh…"
"I don't care if you organize or run races. But do it with some fucking brains. No safety measures? No flags? No linesmen? Your little game nearly killed a girl."
He turned to leave, then stopped, his voice quieter. "Don't hurt someone. And don't hurt yourself either."
Collins watched him leave, rubbing his jaw. Such a complicated bastard.
"So he came here because of a girl?"One of the seniors scoffed.
Collins shot him a side glance.
"No. He was here because he cares.
I may not be close to Desmond, but I know more about him than you do. He's not what he seems."
At the door, Desmond found Juliet waiting. She had clearly heard everything. He ignored her at first, then stopped and handed her the bracelet.
Her eyes widened. "How did you get this?"
"I didn't give it to you," Desmond said flatly. He meant Juliana must never know. Then he walked away without another word.
Juliet stared down at the bracelet in her hand, still wondering what was going on.
-----
At the cafeteria, looking at the bracelet Juliet put on the table, amazed.
Where did you say you found the bracelet? I asked excitedly.