And behold it was my nightmare.
Jake Bennett.
I stared up at him, my breath caught halfway between my chest and throat, like my own body was betraying me.
Jake Bennett.
The boy who humiliated me.
The boy I swore never to cross paths with again.
The boy who made high school feel like living in a cage.
The boy who shoved me to the ground and laughed like my pain was entertainment.
The boy I hated more than anything.
And yet, here he was, towering over me, smirk plastered across his face like he owned the world.
His lips curled in the same arrogant smirk I remembered too well from grade eleven. His eyes were darker now, sharper, still unreadable and cruel.
"Did you go deaf over the summer?" His voice dripped venom. "That's my seat."
My stomach tightened. My palms grew clammy.
"This… this is my permanent seat," I said, though my voice trembled despite how hard I tried to steady it.
Silence. The kind that wrapped around the entire classroom like a storm waiting to break. Even our teacher paused mid-sentence, as though she too knew better than to cross Jake Bennett. Nobody ever dared to.
Not the students.
Not the teachers.
Not when Jake's parents were powerful politicians and one of the richest families in the entire state.
All eyes landed on me, burning, judging, waiting. Just like that day in the cafeteria when he destroyed me.
But this time i wasn't the same girl. Or at least, I told myself that.
I forced myself to rise slowly, meeting his stare head-on. My heart beat like a wild drum, my knees wobbled beneath me, but I didn't let him see.
"There are plenty of empty seats," I said, steadying my tone until it sounded calm, defiant even. "Why can't you sit in one of those? Or the one you've always sat in?"
A murmur rippled through the class.
For a moment, Jake looked… surprised. His eyebrow arched, lips twitching as though a smile threatened. A smile or a challenge.
Without another word, he dragged the chair directly behind mine and sat down.
My insides sank. Of all places, he chose there.
"Why me?" I whispered under my breath. "Why now?"
The questions hammered in my head without mercy.
The bell rang, jolting me back. Lunch break. My least favorite part of the day. Not because of the food, but because of that memory.
"Lily!"
The familiar voice snapped me from my spiral. Bernice. Finally.
She rushed over, plopping into the seat beside me, her eyes practically glowing with the need for gossip.
"You didn't tell me he was back," she accused.
"I… I didn't know," I whispered, swallowing hard.
Her brows furrowed. "So let me get this straight. He came in today, and wait he sat directly behind you?"
I nodded miserably.
Bernice threw her hands up. "The burrito-wasting, ego-inflated, spoiled brat is sitting behind you? Are you kidding me?"
Her outrage made me laugh weakly. Bernice's hatred for Jake ran deep, even though she'd never directly clashed with him. Plot twist? Their families were friends. Well, at least on the surface.
She'd hated him ever since the day he dumped an entire burrito on my head in the cafeteria, then made a joke out of it while everyone laughed. From that day, Bernice carried my grudge like it was her own sword.
I used to feel guilty about that, that her hatred stemmed from defending me. But honestly? Jake deserved every bit of it.
We skipped the cafeteria, no way were we reliving that battlefield. Instead, Bernice and I camped out in my classroom. We spread our food on the desk, laughing, joking, smiling. For a while, it almost felt like normal high school life.
Bernice was my safe place. The kind of friend you could spill your darkest secrets to and never worry about them leaving her lips. She was wild and crazy, the sort of best friend who could convince you to do something reckless but in the best way possible.
By the time the bell rang, I felt lighter.
"See you soon, pretty girl," Bernice teased as she skipped out, blowing me a dramatic kiss.
I grinned and pulled out my sketchbook, pencil in hand. Drawing always calmed me, and after facing Jake earlier, I needed it.
But then, my skin prickled. That feeling.
He was behind me again.
I stiffened, gripping my pencil tighter. Slowly, I turned.
"What are you doing here?" I snapped before I could stop myself.
Jake smirked lazily. "Burrito girl, are you sketching yourself? Please don't. You look ugly enough in real life."
My chest tightened, words choking in my throat.
He leaned closer, his voice a low sneer. "Let me guess, you don't even have a boyfriend, do you? Makes sense."
Before I could fire back, he dropped into his seat behind me, completely unbothered. Like tormenting me was just… routine.
My cheeks burned. The old humiliation clawed back up my throat, the memory of sauces dripping down my hair, the cafeteria's laughter ringing in my ears.
I hated him. I hated him so much.
The door burst open.
Mrs. Smith, our biology teacher, stormed in. "Everyone in your seats. Now."
Instantly, the room scrambled into order. Nobody messed with Mrs. Smith. Strictest teacher in Evermore High.
"Good day, class," she began. "Before we start, we have a new transfer student joining us. Let's all welcome him."
Polite applause filled the room, except from Jake, of course, who leaned back in his chair, arms folded arrogantly.
I half-listened, distracted by my sketch, pencil sliding across paper.
Then
"I'm Conrad Fisher," the transfer student said.
My pencil froze mid-line.
That voice.
I knew that voice.
I looked up and my heart skipped a beat so hard, I thought it might stop altogether.