New year flowers 💐
~~~

The security at the school gate was so distracted that I managed to slip through unnoticed, heading for the junction to grab snacks at the nearby shops. We weren't supposed to leave unless we were heading home, but who would notice?

I wiped my mouth with my handkerchief, letting out a satisfied sigh after finishing the fish roll and buns I’d bought. The sweetened yogurt was my final indulgence of the day, and I twisted the cap off, taking a long, satisfying swig.

"Get out! Everybody, get out!!"

I choked on my yogurt, sputtering as it splashed across my chin and onto my shirt.

I heard the scramble of footsteps as my classmates rushed out. I scrambled to join them, frantically wiping yogurt off my shirt, when I heard the voice again.

"Get on your knees."

I froze, looking up to see Senior Nathaniel Johnson standing there, looking as impossibly handsome as ever, his gaze burning through me.

We were alone.

I knelt without thinking, my heart racing.

"Senior Nathan..." I began, but he cut me off.

"Do you want to stay in this suffocating place?!" he snapped.

I blinked, thrown off by the aggression. What had I done? I wasn’t the one to blame here.

"Do you know how many times I’ve sent people to call you?" His tone was sharp, cutting through the air.

I furrowed my brow. "Senior, no one came to call me."

He closed the distance between us, his anger palpable. "Or would you rather walk?"

I raised my hands, defensive. "No one came to call me, Senior Nathaniel!"

"I sent eight students!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the room. "Where were you?"

I bit my lip. I could have apologized, but the anger he was directing at me felt misplaced. He was taking out frustration, and I wasn’t the cause of it.

A long pause stretched between us, both of us glaring at each other. I was careful not to speak, knowing anything I said would only make things worse.

There was a knock on the door, and we both turned to see Senior Jeremiah, the head boy, entering. The guy Susan had been fawning over for years.

Tall, dark, and effortlessly charming, Senior Jeremiah was everything most girls could dream of. Well, almost. There was still Nathaniel. I caught myself comparing them. Why?

"Nathaniel, we're about to leave, so..." He glanced between the two of us. "Round up whatever you guys are doing."

And just like that, he left.

Nathaniel groaned, rubbing his temples as if he could already feel the impending headache. "Get up. Where are your bags?"

I stood up, dusting off my knees. "It’s the one on my desk," I said, pointing.

He walked over, picking up my bag without a second thought, his muscles flexing as he did so. I couldn’t help but notice the strength in his movements, though I was still irritated with him.

I grabbed my yogurt and followed him down the corridor, unable to shake the tension in the air. Finally, I broke the silence.

"Why did you do that to her?" I asked quietly. "What did she do to deserve it?"

Nathaniel shot me a look. "What are you talking about?"

"Senior Skylar," I said. "You embarrassed her in front of everyone."

She had embarrassed herself, but it wasn’t lost on me that Nathaniel could have handled it differently. He could have taken her somewhere private, away from the eyes of everyone.

His expression darkened. "It’s none of your business."

I pressed on. "Thanks to you, it’s now everyone’s business. Couldn’t you have done it in private?"

He glanced over at me, his eyes cold. "Like I said, it’s none of your business."

I dragged my bag from his grip, my hands shaking with the effort to hold onto some semblance of control. "I can carry my bag," I muttered, irritation bubbling up.

But as soon as I lifted it, I wished I hadn’t said anything. The weight of it was too much, and I immediately regretted not letting him carry it.

~~~

The ride was uncomfortable.

There was no space for me in the car, so Nathaniel had no choice but to carry me.

The proximity of his body, his thighs pressing against mine, was more uncomfortable than the sound of the engine, which felt like it was screaming for mercy. It confused me; everyone in the car had prestigious last names that came with generational wealth. Surely, they could afford a better car. So why were we in a dead car.

My opinion didn't matter.

I stared out the window, trying to ignore the voices of Nathaniel and his friends. They talked about their plans for the break, the places they’d go, and, disturbingly, the girls they'd hook up with. Nathaniel didn’t speak much, but he laughed with the others when one of them made a crude comment.

The tension in the car seemed to build with every passing minute, and when Nathaniel leaned close to my ear, his hand on my waist, I froze. His breath on my skin sent a shiver down my spine.

"I’m sorry for yelling at you back there," he murmured, his voice low and almost gentle.

I barely processed his words, my mind scattered. "Okay."

"The thing with Skylar is complicated," he said, and for a moment, I swore our faces were inches apart. If the driver hit a pothole, we might have kissed, and the thought sent a strange flutter through me.

"How?" I asked, even though I knew it was none of my business.

"I’ll explain later," he promised, his smile softening his sharp features. "I don’t want you to hate me."

I smiled in return, though I felt a little unsure of what to make of his words. "Okay."

He chuckled softly, and before I could respond, one of his friends pulled him back into their conversation. I relaxed a bit, staring out the window, wondering how my mid-term break with Nathaniel would unfold.

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