The next morning, Julliy was already by the lockers—face red with rage, practically vibrating like an overheated kettle.
The moment Jace and I walked past, she turned sharply.
"Where's that bitch Thea?" she demanded.
Jace smirked. "How would I know? Ask your bestie," he said, laughing under his breath.
She huffed and then turned to me. "Forget him—you tell me. Where is she?"
I didn't even blink.
"First of all, I don't like your face. Second, your voice sounds like a broken speaker. And third—" I tilted my head with a smirk, "—you don't even have the authority to demand answers from me. Now move."
Her jaw clenched, and Jace burst out laughing.
Right then, Zim and Nova appeared, both laughing like they'd caught the best part of the scene.
"Oho, Kael sir roasted someone first thing in the morning," Zim teased, high-fiving Jace.
Nova raised a brow. "What's this, Julliy? Came here to get insulted, or just thought we'd enjoy staring at your big face this early?"
Julliy's anger spiked. The fact that Miss School herself had just been called ugly in front of her little fan club? Unforgivable.
Her temper flared, and she suddenly raised her hand to hit me.
But before she could, Jace stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous.
"Try it. Just try laying a finger on him."
And for a second, it genuinely looked like Jace would kill her if she touched me.
Zim and Nova were already ready for a fight.
Julliy froze, swallowed, and lowered her hand. She was about to walk away when Thea and Aven showed up.
Thea took one look at her and groaned. "Oh, shit. Trash first thing in the morning? What a mood-killer."
Aven, meanwhile, was silently praying no chaos would break out.
But the moment Julliy saw Thea, her fury reignited. She lunged forward, trying to grab Thea's hair—
Only for Thea to catch her wrist and twist it sharply.
The hallway fell silent, every eye locked on them.
Before it could escalate, Aven and Nova rushed in, separating the two.
Leo walked up just in time, frowning. "What happened?"
Thea pointed at Julliy. "This trash tried to touch me. Let her try again, I dare her."
Julliy's friends quickly dragged her away.
Leo turned to Thea, voice low but certain. "Devil child—always do what feels right. Some people deserve it."
Nova cleared her throat. "Alright, kids, exams start next week."
"Oh, crap," I muttered.
Immediately, Leo, Nova, Aven, and I exchanged a look—eyes lighting up with that competitive spark.
Meanwhile, Jace, Zim, and Thea groaned in unison.
"Ughhh, now we actually have to study."
We all laughed.
But Nova's mind was elsewhere. She kept thinking: What exactly did Julliy do that made both Thea and Leo hate her? They used to be friends… and even Jace despises her. Something's off.
Her eyes flicked to Jace. Never thought I hate her too.
---
Later, the library was dead silent—except for Zim's stomach growling.
All eyes turned to her, and she grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."
Thea leaned in to whisper, "I'm hungry too."
"Same," Jace muttered suddenly, making both girls flinch—they hadn't noticed him listening.
The librarian glared at us, pressing a finger to her lips.
The three of them slipped out quietly, trying not to draw attention. They barely made it a few steps before Nova's hand landed on Zim's shoulder.
She froze. Slowly turning around, she saw everyone standing behind her—Nova, Aven, me, even Leo.
"Let's just go to the canteen," Aven suggested.
Thea snorted. "Wow. I thought you guys only eat books."
"If that was possible," I said, "you'd see it happen today."
Leo looked bored, so Thea asked, "Did you even sleep last night?"
"No," he said simply.
Zim and Jace shared a teasing look. "So, what were you doing? And with who?"
Leo gave them a deadpan look. "Studying."
"Liar," Zim said instantly.
"Believe what you want," he shrugged
---
We finally reached the canteen, still tossing snark at each other.
Zim went straight for the snacks counter, grabbing a bag of chips like it was life support.
Thea ordered coffee, muttering about "needing caffeine to tolerate this school," while Jace leaned on the table like he owned the place.
Aven, ever the peacekeeper, handed out water bottles like we were in some sports event.
Leo slid into the seat across from me. "So," he said casually, "still mad at me for… existing?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Still breathing near me? Yeah, pretty much."
He smirked, leaning forward. "Good. I'd hate for things to get boring."
Nova caught the exchange and sighed. "Can you two stop? I feel like I'm babysitting a cat and a dog who secretly like each other."
"Excuse me?!" I blurted at the same time Leo said, "You wish."
Zim, oblivious, was too busy trying to convince Jace to trade her chips for his fries.
Then Thea leaned in, scanning between me and Leo like she was watching a rom-com trailer. "Oh, this is gonna be fun to watch."
"Fun for who?" I muttered, grabbing my sandwich.
"For all of us," she grinned.
Jace rolled his eyes. "God, I hate this table already."
We all went to the club room, the usual noise replaced by the quiet rustle of pages. Everyone was buried in their books like their life depended on it—Aven flipping notes, Nova scribbling furiously, Zim pretending to read but probably daydreaming.
I tried to focus, but that prickling feeling on the back of my neck wouldn't stop.
When I finally looked up… there he was.
Leo.
Leaning back in his chair, chin resting on his hand, those stupidly sharp eyes locked on me like I was some puzzle he was about to solve.
My brows furrowed. "Why the hell are you staring at me like that?"
He smirked, slow and infuriating. "Someone once told me… if you look at your opponent long enough, you'll find their weakness."
I tilted my head, fighting the urge to throw my pen at him. "Oh yeah? And who the hell gave you that crap advice?"
His smirk deepened, eyes never leaving mine. "My elder brother."
Something about the way he said it—calm, almost too calm—made my heartbeat stutter. He wasn't just staring. He was studying me. And for a second, it felt like he already knew my weakness.