I walked out of the principal's office after being called out of class that morning. According to him, my dad had traveled out of state for a business trip. That was it. Just information—nothing urgent, nothing alarming. And yet, it left me unsettled.
I walked through the hallway with my hands akimbo, my brows knitted together as I wondered why my dad had to pass such simple information through the principal instead of calling me directly. The thought bothered me more than it should have.
A group of male students walked past me, laughing loudly, and suddenly my nose caught it—that same masculine perfume.
The exact one I had perceived the night before.
My steps slowed, then stopped completely.
Without thinking, I rushed toward the boys and stopped them. They exchanged confused looks, some of them wearing wild, amused grins as I leaned closer and sniffed each of them one after the other. Their scents were different—body spray, sweat, cheap cologne—but not that one.
My chest tightened.
I sniffed the air again, turning slightly, trying to locate the source, but the scent was already gone. Vanished. As though the owner had never been there at all.
What's going on? I thought.
I stared at the boys for a few seconds longer, my heart pounding, before turning around and walking away.
"Fuck," one of them muttered behind me. "I thought she finally noticed me the moment she held my jacket and sniffed it."
I heard the words clearly, but I ignored them and continued back to class, my thoughts far too tangled to care.
As soon as I sat down, Chloe leaned toward me. "What happened?"
"Nothing much," I replied quietly. "Just a message from home."
Ivy let out a sigh of relief. "For a moment, I thought we'd been busted for last night."
"Look who's suddenly scared of trouble," Jasmine teased. "Yet she is trouble herself."
They burst into laughter—everyone except me.
My mind wasn't in the classroom anymore. The girls noticed my distraction and nudged me slightly, snapping me back to reality.
"Are you okay?" Jasmine asked, concern replacing her playful tone.
"Honestly," I said slowly, "I don't know if I'm okay at all."
Chloe frowned. "Is your dad alright?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Then what exactly is the problem?" they asked in unison.
"I said I don't know!" I yelled, my voice louder than I intended.
The room fell silent.
"Lower your voice, Miss Kaliyah," the geography teacher warned before continuing the lesson.
Heat rushed to my face. I asked for permission to leave and stepped out of the class. As I walked slowly through the hallway, guilt settled in my chest for snapping at my friends. I was so lost in thought that when someone tapped me from behind, I whimpered slightly.
I turned around.
Jason.
"Are you alright?" he asked, worry written all over his face.
I stared at him for a moment, my emotions crashing all at once. Then I stepped forward and hugged him tightly, tears spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them.
"You're safe now," he said softly, patting my back.
"I feel monitored," I admitted between sobs.
"And that scares you?" he asked.
I nodded.
"You don't have to be scared," he said gently, pressing a kiss to my head. "You're Kaliyah—bold and confident. Nothing should scare you. If anything, they should be scared of you."
I pulled back slightly and looked at him. A faint smile found its way to my lips.
"Thank you," I said.
He kissed my forehead. "Do you want to go back to class or to the hostel?"
"Hostel, please. My head aches."
We walked back together and stopped in front of his room. He opened the door, and once inside, he prepared a warm bath for me. He carried me to the bathroom, undressed me gently, and placed me in the bathtub.
"Freshen up, sweetheart," he said before leaving the room.
After bathing, I changed into the pajamas he brought for me and sat on his bed. He fed me the cereal he prepared, then tucked me into the blanket and kissed my forehead.
"Go to sleep. It'll help your headache."
"Okay, Doctor," I teased.
He pinched my nose lightly. "Don't worry. I'm right here."
I wrapped my arms around him, making sure he didn't move an inch. A few minutes later, I drifted off.
When I woke up, I rolled on the bed and opened my eyes slightly. Jason wasn't there.
Panic shot through me as I sat up immediately. Just then, he walked out of the bathroom and rushed toward me. I held him tightly against my chest while he ran his fingers through my hair.
"I'm sorry I left your sight," he said. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better. My headache's gone."
"Yeah, I noticed," he said with a smile. "You slept so peacefully."
I checked the time just as our friends walked in. I groaned softly and fell back onto the bed.
"Fuck. I slept for so long."
"You left us really worried," Jasmine said, sitting beside me.
Ivy placed the back of her palm on my forehead to check my temperature, but I gently pushed her hand away. "I'm fine."
Chloe studied me for a moment before sitting down. I looked at my fingers, then back at her.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you girls earlier," I said, biting my lower lip. "I was overwhelmed."
"It's fine, Kal," Ivy said.
"But next time," Chloe added gently, "you can confide in us instead of blowing up."
"Alright," I said, resting my head on Jason's chest.
Later that evening, I was alone in the room when I heard a knock on the door. My friends had left to grab food from the cafeteria, and besides—they never knocked.
I walked over and opened the door.
Crystal.
"You've got a lot of nerve knocking on my door," I said flatly.
"Oh, darling," she replied, smiling. "Won't you let me in?"
"This room is Crystal-proof," I said.
"Ouch," she said with a smirk. "That hurts."
"I'm aware you guys snuck out last night," she added just as I tried to slam the door.
I paused.
Slowly, I opened it again. A sly smile spread across her face.
"So?" I asked. "Are you here to blackmail me? You of all people should know blackmail doesn't work on me."
She giggled softly. "I just wanted you to know that I'm aware. I'm too busy to blackmail you." She tilted her head. "I would've reported to the principal, but I don't want to endanger my Jason."
Did she just call Jason hers?
Anger and jealousy surged through me. I lunged forward, ready to pounce—but she was already gone.
I kicked the wall in frustration and slammed the door shut.