After… the title read, I devoured a few pages. The story was captivating, but it wasn't my taste.
"This is a really good book, but I don't like toxic love stories," I murmured, a note of warning in my voice.
He looked at me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, his dark eyes shimmering. "You seem like a girl who enjoys romance," he observed, his tone low and mysterious.
"Yeah, I do… but good romance," I replied, my heartbeat quickening, anticipation lacing my words.
"The boring one," he chuckled, eyes glinting with mischief.
I rolled my eyes, a sly smile spreading across my face. "That's your perspective."
"I don't know… because for our project, I wanted us to write a toxic love story," he said, voice dripping with an undercurrent of danger.
I playfully punched him in the stomach. "What was that for?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Because of you, I didn't sleep; I had to sleep in class," I stated firmly.
"How is that my fault?" he teased, eyes glinting with challenge.
"Your call was good, and—" I stopped mid-sentence, realizing what I had just said.
He raised an eyebrow, amusement sparkling in his gaze. "What was that?" he inquired.
I looked away, cheeks burning. "I didn't say anything. Now leave me alone."
I walked toward the reception to stamp the book, and he followed, his gaze locked on mine like gravity.
"Didn't you say you don't like dark romance?" he asked, voice low and husky.
I turned to face him, my pulse racing. "You disturbed me," I grumbled.
He raised his hands innocently, eyes glinting. "I didn't do anything."
I sighed, defeated. "Whatever."
As we navigated the bustling school halls, his silence was almost deafening, his gaze fixed on me.
"What are we supposed to do for our project anyway?" I asked, breaking the tension.
He smiled, eyes twinkling. "Well, since you were sleeping the entire time…"
"Because of you—" I muttered.
He chuckled, leaning slightly closer. "Because of me—" he repeated, and my cheeks flushed instantly.
I looked away, heat rising to my ears. "Mmmm… carry on," I whispered.
He laughed softly, the sound low and warm. "Well, we have a three-month project. We'll write a captivating novel, and the best one will be performed in our school's year-end play at the South African Theatre."
I widened my eyes, heart pounding. "What! No, you're lying!"
This was a dream come true—I'd always wanted to be part of the South African theatre scene.
"I'm serious. Plus, it comes with lots of opportunities. Just to write this brief novel," he added, a glint of challenge in his eyes.
"How many words?" I asked, excitement mingling with fear.
"Fifty thousand and under," he replied, lips curling into a faint smile.
I nodded, my mind buzzing with ideas, thoughts flying faster than my heartbeat.
As we walked, I felt the weight of the students' stares upon us.
"People are looking at us," I whispered, a flutter of self-consciousness rising in my chest.
He smirked, eyes glinting. "That's their new favorite pastime—watching the new, beautiful girl steal their crush," he said, and my cheeks flamed with heat.
The bell rang for after school, and whispers surrounded me. The girls cornered me, scolding me about Slavvy.
"The entire school is talking about it," Bianca added, tone sharp.
"They're saying you're a slut, an easy hook," Trinity spat, and I felt a surge of fear mixed with anger.
"Testimony, I've known Slavvy since fourth grade. He's not someone you should be messing with. He may be nice for now until he gets what he wants. Then he'll crush you and leave," Ashly warned.
A shiver ran down my spine as I met Slavvy's gaze.
If that was true, then why me? He was the rugby star, popular, and impossibly good-looking. Why would he bother with someone like me?
"Plus, if Sky finds out, she'll kill you," Bianca added, eyes narrowing.
"Speaking of the devil…" Kim murmured.
I turned to see Sky storming toward us. My stomach twisted. What had I gotten myself into?
"Hey, you!!" Sky yelled, each word venomous.
"What do you want, Sky?" Kim shot back.
"Look, you ratty people, I don't have time for losers like you. I came to warn your friend. She better learn the rules of this school, or she'll regret the day her bastard mother gave birth to her," Sky spat, voice dripping with malice.
Anger surged in me, but I forced it down. Calm. Not worth it.
"Stay away from my boyfriend," she snapped, voice cold.
"He's not your boyfriend, Sky. He hates you, and you know that," Kim replied, standing firm.
Sky's eyes flashed with fury, but she knew she had lost. "This isn't over," she hissed before storming off.
We watched her leave, unease settling over me like a weight.
"Testimony, are you okay?" Zikhona asked, concern etched into her face.
I forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," though my stomach churned with worry.
"I have to go, guys—drama practice," I lied, needing an escape.
"Oh, I'm going home alone again," Ashly mourned.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, guilt tugging at me.
"Okay, girl. See you later," I said, quickly leaving.
Rounding the corner, I froze. There he was—Slavvy, leaning casually, a sly smile spreading across his face.
"You ready to go?" he asked, eyes twinkling with amusement.
I nodded, a mixture of excitement and trepidation in my chest.
As we walked, his gaze never wavered, burning with an intensity that made my heart stumble.
"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to pierce the tension.
He chuckled, dark and low, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Just making sure you're safe."
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Safe from what?"
His smile deepened, enigmatic. "From everything."
I blinked, unsure what to say, my thoughts swirling.
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