I thought the hallway tension was bad.
I was wrong.
We walked into our first class—Advanced Strategy and Survival (because of course it was)—and the room already felt wrong. Too quiet. Too aware.
Rows of desks. Green on one side. Red on the other.
I slid into a seat with Mila beside me, Bella already whispering, Adrian smirking like he knew something, Daniel scanning exits like always.
Then—
The door opened.
And my soul left my body.
Keifer-Mark Keifer Watson.
The president.
Same calm walk. Same unreadable face. Same I-own-the-air-you-breathe vibe.
And then—because the universe hates me—he sat down.
Right. In front. Of. Me.
I froze.
Mila slowly turned her head."…Jay."
"No," I whispered.
Bella leaned over, eyes sparkling. "YES."
Adrian slapped his hand over his mouth. "Oh this is GOLD."
Keifer glanced back.
Our eyes met.
Just for a second.
His lips twitched.
A smile.
A knowing one.
Oh. Absolutely not.
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.
Daniel whispered, dead serious, "Statistically, this is the worst possible outcome."
The teacher entered—tall, sharp, zero patience. "Take your seats. No talking."
Keifer leaned back slightly, just enough for me to hear.
"Well," he murmured, "looks like fate has a sense of humor."
I kicked the leg of his chair.
Hard.
He didn't even flinch.
Instead, he chuckled.
I hate him.
"Miss Mariano," the teacher said suddenly.
I snapped upright. "Yes?"
"You'll be partnered with—"She checked the list."—Mr. Watson."
The room exploded.
Gasps. Whispers. Someone actually said "NO WAY" out loud.
Bella grabbed my arm. "YOU'RE PARTNERED."Adrian whispered, "I give it three days before one of you commits arson."Mila looked like she was watching a slow-motion disaster.
Keifer turned fully this time, resting his arm on the back of his chair.
"Try not to kick me again," he said quietly. "It's distracting."
"You sat in my life," I hissed. "That's worse."
His eyes softened just a little. "Did you miss me?"
I scoffed. "In your dreams, President."
He leaned closer. Too close.
"Careful," he said. "People might think you enjoy challenging me."
"I enjoy winning," I shot back.
His smile sharpened. "Good. So do I."
The teacher clapped once. "Partners will work together all semester. Trust is key."
Trust.
I laughed under my breath.
Keifer heard it.
"This should be interesting," he said softly.
Behind me, Bella stage-whispered, "ENEMIES. TO. LOVERS."
"I heard that," Keifer said without looking back.
I dropped my head onto my desk.
This school was dangerous.The rules were terrifying.The ghosts were real.
But sitting behind Mark Keifer Watson—feeling his presence, his calm, his interest—
Yeah.
That was the most dangerous thing here.
And somehow…I didn't want to escape it.