Chapter 4 Chapter Four
There comes instant attention.
“What?”
“Who?”
“How hot is he?”
She grins, her eyes wide as if she saw someone that looks like a fantasy.
“Not just hot,” she says. “ He's rich. Like crazy, rich and cute!”
“Oh My God!!.”
The girls are suddenly interested. Chairs scrape. People start moving. Excitement replaces everything as they run out to see this new God.
I tighten my grip on my bag. Good. I prefer it that way. But still, I feel like this day isn’t done with me yet.
I walk through the hallway, heading to my next class, eyes forward, minding my business like a peaceful citizen. But the noise? It's so impossible to ignore. Girls are literally gasping.
“Who is that?”
“Oh my God, he’s so fine”
“Is that a new student?”
“No way… look at that car!”
I frown slightly.
What is going on? A celebrity visit?
People are crowding near the front of the school, stretching their necks, standing on tiptoes like something life-changing is happening.
I sigh.
“Relax,” I mutter. “It’s probably just another overhyped.”
I stop. Okay. Now I’m curious. Just a little. I shift my bag on my shoulder and walk closer, squeezing through the crowd.
“Excuse me… sorry… move. Thank you…”
I finally manage to peek through. And then, I see it. A glossy black car. It looks ridiculously expensive. The kind of car you only see in movies or in front of billionaire houses.
My brows pull together.
“Okay, that’s new.”
The driver steps out first. He's strictly dressed like he belongs in a spy film. Beside him is the new king everyone's already worshipping.
He’s unfairly tall. The kind of tall that makes everyone else look slightly incomplete. His hair is perfectly messy like those guys in movies who wake up looking better than people who actually try.
And the way he walks boldly and unbothered. Each step is slow and controlled like the ground is lucky he’s even touching it.
There’s this aura around him. It's cold and powerful like he doesn’t belong here. Like he belongs somewhere higher.
The girls lose it.
“Oh my God, is that a Lamborghini?”
“He’s gorgeous”
“I’m actually going to faint”
Even I…I blink.
Okay.
Wow.
That’s a lot.
But then, something feels off. I narrow my eyes slightly. The way he walks, the slight tilt of his head, that annoying confidence. They're way too familiar.
My stomach drops. No. No way. I look closer. And then it hits me.
“Oh no…” I whisper.
Everything clicks into place. The car, the attitude, the height and the audacity. I take a step back, a frown settling on my face.
“Xen.”
Disgust immediately replaces everything else.
“Eww.”
I fold my arms, watching him like I just discovered something very unfortunate.
This rude, arrogant, annoying punk? Are girls seriously melting for him? This is what you’re all screaming about?
He walks past people like they don’t exist. And for a second, his eyes lift and I freeze because I swear, he just glances at me. Why is he looking at me? I don't want anyone to know we are connected in any way!
He looks away like I'm some dust. I quickly scoff in disgust. He thinks he's a president or something.
“Screw him ,” I mutter, turning on my heel. I start walking toward my class again, shaking my head.
“Out of all the schools in the world” I tighten my grip on my bag. “I had to end up with him.”
Behind me, the crowd is still losing their minds. But me? I’m just trying to survive the day and somehow, it just got worse.
The rest of the day feels long. Painfully long like time itself decides to slow down just to annoy me.
I sit through my classes, doing what I always do; listening, writing, pretending everything is fine. Avoiding eye contact, avoiding people. Everywhere I turn, it’s the same thing.
Love, noise and drama.
In my next class, a girl squeals so loudly the teacher actually pauses mid-sentence.
“Oh my God, they’re real roses!” she yells, standing up like she just won the lottery.
Her boyfriend, yes her boyfriend stands there grinning like a proud delivery man.
“They’re imported,” he says, like that makes him special.
“It does not,” I mutter under my breath, flipping a page in my notebook.
The class claps. They actually clap. I stare at my paper. I'm invisible. Invisible that I didn't even receive at least a candy from any guy. The question is, does any guy talk to me?
By lunch, it gets worse. The cafeteria looks like a Valentine’s Day commercial exploded. Pink bags, heart-shaped balloons, and chocolate boxes. Even a money bouquet! I blink in shock.
“Is that cash?” I whisper to myself. Lois would’ve loved this.
A girl flips her hair dramatically as her friends gather around her.
“He gave me real money,” she says proudly. “Not fake ones, okay?”
“Wow,” I mumble. “How romantic. Nothing says love like currency.”
I grab my tray and sit at the far end like a background character. Couples everywhere, laughing, feeding each other, taking pictures and planning their dates.
“We’re going to the lake after school”
“No, we’re doing dinner first”
“He booked a whole place”
I stab my food lightly.
“Hope the lake swallows you,” I mutter. Not serious. Just feeling left out.
It’s finally the last period. I rest my cheek against my hand, staring at the clock like I can force it to move faster.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Come on…” I whisper. The teacher is talking. Something about assignments. Important things I should care about. I don’t.
Behind me, two girls whisper.
“He said he’s picking me up at five.”
“Same! We’re going to this really expensive place.”
“I need to go home and change.”
I close my eyes briefly. I just need this day to end. I need peace. The bell finally rings. And I swear, I’ve never felt relief like this before. It's prep. Well finally. Not freedom, but close enough.
The classroom buzzes immediately as the teacher steps out. Chairs scrape, voices rise, and just like that, it’s no longer a classroom. It’s a gossip center.
And the topic?
Him.
