Chapter 3 Bathed In Soup

Nova's

The copper taste of anger had finally faded by the time lunch rolled around, replaced by the literal smell of sweat and defeat. I had run all ten laps. Every single, excruciating one of them. My lungs had burned, my thighs had chafed, and my scraped hands stung like hell under the harsh afternoon sun, but I hadn't stopped. I wouldn’t give Dean Sterling the satisfaction.

Now, I was sitting in the packed campus cafeteria, trying to make myself invisible. It wasn't working.

"Nova, eat something. You're just stabbing that poor lettuce like it personally insulted you," Maya sighed, leaning across our sticky four-seater table.

"I am practicing my stabbing technique for the next time I see Chloe," I muttered, aggressively twisting my fork into a sad piece of romaine.

"Please don't. I can't see you go to the administrator's office a second time," Jax said without looking up from his laptop. Jax was our resident tech nerd and the third member of our misfit trio. He pushed his thick glasses up his nose, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "Besides, the security cameras in the cafeteria have audio. If you're going to commit murder, do it in the library basement. No cameras down there."

"Good to know," I grumbled, slouching back in my plastic chair.

My eyes, completely betraying my brain, automatically drifted across the chaotic room. The cafeteria was strictly segregated by an unwritten social hierarchy. And right at the center of the universe—under the large skylight where the afternoon sun made them look like literal gods—sat the rugby team.

And there he was.

Ashton King. The team captain.

He was wearing his varsity jacket, his broad shoulders easily commanding the space around him. He was laughing at something one of his teammates said, running a hand through his dark, messy hair. My chest tightened. It was a painful, stupid reaction I’d been having for two whole years now. He was beautiful, unattainable, and completely out of my league.

"Nova, stop it," Maya warned, reaching over to snap her fingers in front of my face. "Seriously. Stop staring."

"I'm not staring," I lied, instantly looking down at my tray. "I was just looking at... the structural integrity of that pillar behind them."

"Right. And I'm the Queen of England," Jax snorted, finally closing his laptop. "Look, Nova, you’ve had this massive crush on King since freshman year. It’s been twenty-four months of silent pining. It's time to get over him. The guy doesn't even know you exist, and his crowd is toxic."

"I know," I whispered, the reality poking a sharp hole in my mood. "I don't expect anything, okay? It's just a crush. A harmless, distant, self-destructive crush."

"It's not harmless if it makes you look like a longing puppy every lunchtime," Maya said gently, giving my arm a sympathetic squeeze. "You deserve someone who looks back at you, Nova. Not a guy who sits by while his psycho girlfriend terrorizes the school."

As if summoned by the mere mention of her name, the devil arrived.

The heavy double doors of the cafeteria swung open, and Chloe marched in. She had completely recovered from our morning brawl. Her hair was back in a flawless high ponytail, her makeup was immaculate, and she was wearing a fresh outfit. She scanned the room like a hawk looking for prey, and unfortunately, her eyes locked straight onto me.

A cruel, sharp smile sliced across her face. She didn't head toward the rugby table. Instead, she pivoted, taking long, deliberate steps straight toward our corner.

"Oh, look, the trash didn't get collected today," Chloe announced loudly as she stopped at the edge of our table. The surrounding tables instantly went dead silent. Everyone loved cafeteria drama.

I slowly let go of my fork, my spine stiffening. "Chloe. Back for round two? I didn't think your scalp could take another tug."

Jax and Maya instantly stood up, but I held up a hand, keeping my eyes locked on Chloe.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Chloe sneered, her voice carrying across the quiet room. She looked down at my tray, which held a small bowl of thick, creamy tomato soup. "Still stuffing your face after your little workout? Honestly, Nova, what the hell were you staring at over there anyway? Were you looking at my boyfriend?"

"The world doesn't revolve around your boyfriend, Chloe," I said smoothly, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the sudden pounding in my veins. "Though I understand why you're insecure. If I had a personality that insufferable, I’d be worried about losing him too."

A collective 'Oooooh' rippled through the nearby tables.

Chloe’s eyes flashed with absolute venom. "You fat, arrogant bitch. You think because the Dean let you off with a warning, you're safe? You're nothing but a disgusting blot on this campus."

"And you're a broken record," I replied, tilting my head with a dry smile. "Are we done here? Because your breath is ruining my appetite."

Chloe didn't yell this time. Instead, a terrifyingly calm look crossed her face. Before anyone could react, she reached down, grabbed the edges of my soup bowl, and lifted it.

"Let's see if this helps you eat more," Chloe hissed.

In one swift, violent motion, she flipped the bowl directly over my head.

The thick, warm, orange liquid poured over my scalp, drenching my hair, clogging my eyelashes, and rushing down my face in heavy, sticky streams. It soaked into my t-shirt, dripping down my chest and pooling in my lap.

The cafeteria erupted. Loud gasps turned into roaring, echoing laughter. Someone shouted, "Soup's on!" and a wave of mocking giggles washed over the room as everyone started taking pictures.

"Oh my god! Nova!" Maya yelled, grabbing napkins and trying to wipe my face, but the mess was too massive.

Jax slammed his fists on the table, glaring at Chloe. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I sat perfectly still for three agonizing seconds. The warm soup was dripping off the tip of my nose. My heart wasn't just breaking; it was completely shattering. The humiliation was heavy, suffocating, and blinding.

Slowly, I pushed my chair back. The plastic legs scraped against the linoleum floor, a sharp sound that cut through the laughter. I stood up, completely drenched in orange broth, pieces of parsley sticking to my shoulders.

I looked across the room and through the blurry, soup-covered vision of my left eye, I looked straight at the rugby table.

Ashton was looking right at me.

His face was a complete, unreadable mask. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't stopping it either. He just sat there, surrounded by his chuckling teammates, doing absolutely nothing.He just watched my public execution with total, freezing indifference.

And that hurt more than the soup or even   Chloe’s insults.

I looked back at Chloe, who was standing there with her arms crossed, looking incredibly proud of herself. I didn't yell nor did I fight back this time. The energy had completely left my body, replaced by a cold, hollow numbness.

I reached up, calmly dusting a stray splash of soup off my arm, and looked her dead in the eye.

"Enjoy the show, Chloe," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the roaring cafeteria noise.

Without waiting for Maya or Jax, I turned around and walked away and with every step I took left a dripping orange trail on the floor.