Chapter 2:
You know how new assassins take a job and put some drops into someone's drink, mix it up so that the poison blends in well and at the end links their fingers? That was so me, going back to the same spot I ran away from. So, I went to school extra early to check on my "spying spot" and see if my necklace was still there.
Now, you might think it's just a necklace or worse, that I was looking for an excuse to see Jack again. But no! Let me explain, my late grandmother gave me that necklace. It's a small silver butterfly with tiny colorful gems, and even if it's old, it's precious. I guess the clasp broke when I was running away yesterday.
As I walked down the school corridor, I turned left toward the stairs, head bent low, eyes scanning the floor for any sign of silver. That's when I bumped into someone.
"I'm so sorry," I said quickly, before even looking up.
And then I did.
Jack.
My heart started racing. My brain immediately went into panic mode.
What if he saw the necklace and knows I was the one spying yesterday? What if he's been waiting for me?
He didn't seem like the type to laugh it off, more like the silent, scary kind of calm.
I froze. Then survival instincts kicked in.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking! Excuse me, I'm in a rush!" I blurted, walking faster, hoping to escape.
"Wait, hey," he called behind me.
But right then, a teacher called his name for some transfer papers. I didn't wait to see how that turned out. I was gone before he could finish his sentence.
During lunch break, I made sure to leave the classroom first; the earlier I disappeared, the less chance he had to talk to me. My next stop was the janitor's office to see if anyone had found a necklace while cleaning, but no luck.
Feeling defeated, I headed up to the rooftop for some fresh air. There's this quiet little spot up there where I sometimes have lunch when I need a break from the Beau community, yes, the people who still worship that guy.
The rooftop was peaceful, and the soft wind helped calm me down. I thought back to bumping into Jack earlier. Seeing him that close, even for a second, was… kind of nice. I hate to admit it, but he's definitely good-looking. But my necklace is gone.
As I went back down the stairs toward my classroom, I saw him again, standing at the end of the hallway.
Oh no. Not again.
I considered turning around, pretending I forgot something, maybe even flying out the window, but before I could escape, he called out:
"Weren't you looking for this?"
I turned, and there it was, my necklace glinting in his hand.
My heart leapt. "Yes! I was looking for it! Can you please give it back to me?"
He tilted his head slightly. "Is that what you were doing this morning? And yesterday too?"
"This morning? Yesterday? no..." I tried to sound casual. "I don't know what you're talking about. Can I please just get it back?" I mumbled, staring at the floor.
He stepped closer.
Then, gently, he lifted my chin.
"At least look at me if you're grateful that I found it for you," he said.
Everything froze. My brain short-circuited. My face, his eyes, his hand on my chin, it was straight out of a drama scene.
What the heck is happening? Can he just give me the necklace already? Why am I blushing? Oh no, I'm actually blushing!
"See? I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly.
"Can you… let go now?" I managed to whisper.
He did, immediately after seeing my embarrassed and shy red face. I lowered my gaze again, and he placed the necklace in my open palm.
That's when Faye, the girl from yesterday, appeared. She stopped mid-step, watching us.
Perfect. Of course, this is happening now.
"I think I should go," I said quickly.
Jack nodded, then, to my surprise, took my arm lightly. "Yeah, we should. I think our next class is about to start."
And somehow… I just followed him.
In my head, I was screaming, Is this really happening? A guy is holding my arm. This totally counts, right?
Luckily, when we reached the classroom, people were already gathered, so there were no "Jack fan club" girls crowding around. But just before we walked in, he suddenly stopped, because Faye had stopped too, behind us.
He sighed. "I'm sorry about that. I know you were there yesterday. You… kind of overheard our conversation." His tone was awkward, like he didn't know how to explain himself.
I laughed nervously, trying to sound chill. "I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't listening! I was just passing by. I might have seen you, but I didn't hear a thing, Promise."
He turned slightly, chuckling. "You don't know how to lie, do you?"
I looked away, cheeks burning. Like seriously, He looked even cuter when he laughed like that, which, honestly, wasn't helping.
Then he turned to face me fully, eyes meeting mine again.
"Do you want to go out with me?"
My brain exploded.
Wait. Wait. WHAT?!