Carcel Evander Dawson

I thought this would be easy. Turns out, it's more exhausting than I expected. Working all night, then dragging myself to school in the morning with just four hours of sleep, is brutal.

If I keep pushing like this, my body's going to give out whether I like it or not. There's a breaking point for everyone, and mine is creeping closer. Sooner or later, I'll have to choose between work and school and I'll definitely choose the latter.

"You look tired man, are you alright?" Crue asked as we entered the on campus.

It wasn't my choice to be here on campus with nothing else to do, as much as I want to work non-stop, Jordan has this habit of dragging me out of my office, forcing me to take breaks before my brain explodes. I couldn't argue with the man. And even when I stay home, I can't sit still. I always end up back at my desk.

"I don't look tired," I said, shooting him a bored glance. "I am tired."

"You know what I just found out?" Crue kept talking as I trudged along, barely listening. "There's a membership program they offered, where you can get your own private workspace. You could turn it into a bedroom or something."

That made me stop dead in my tracks. At this point anything that involves sleep could take all my money, if it meant I could get some sleep, or even a nap, I don't care if it's a run down room, as long as it's quite then its fine.

"Where?" I demanded, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

Crue raised a brow, smirking a little. "Why are you snapping all of a sudden? Did sleep deprivation turn you into a maniac?"

I clenched my jaw, trying to keep it together. "Just tell me."

"Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands like I was about to lunge at him. "Calm down, sleep-deprived grandpa." He rolled his eyes.

"It's some kind of an extension rooms in the library, I heard Galini has one," He continued. I wonder where he heard this from.

"Which part? That place is fucking huge you cannot possibly make me walk around there." This lack of sleep was seriously messing with my temper.

"I don't know, okay?" He shrugged. "But instead of going through the hassle of getting one of those rooms, why don't you just ask Galini if you can crash in her space?"

Actually, it's not a bad idea, it would save me a lot of time. This university has everything-except what I really need right now-a bedroom room. Imagine a room with a king-sized bed, cool air conditioning, blackout curtains, and maybe some scented candles to top it off.

Yeah, I should pitch this to the admin. They always talk about how school's supposed to be your second home, how can they say that when there's not a single bed in sight?

"Okay, let's go," I said, motioning for Crue to follow. We didn't know exactly where Galini might be, but it was a safe bet she's at their booth.

We made our way across the quad, and I couldn't help but notice the odd quietness from the students around us. Was it just me, or was the campus unusually still today? As we moved further, the buzz picked up again.

A crowd had gathered near the booth, and students began parting like the red sea as we walk through them. Whispers rippled through the air, some bolder voices shouting, but I barely registered them. Then, I saw what had them so worked up.

Ace was sitting dead center inside a massive, over-the-top frame, casually swiping left and right on air like he was picking out snacks. So that's where the spoiled brat had been hiding-doing the same stupid game I got roped into. But the cherry on top? Right next to him was a giant, cringey portrait of himself in full football gear, plastered with the label "Artwork" at the bottom.

Even though I felt like I was seconds away from passing out, I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. It was the kind of absurd display that only Ace would be proud of.

I scanned the area, and my eyes landed on Kalila, glaring at me like she wanted to set me on fire with just a look. The sight of her, all angry and worked up, actually made me feel less tired for a second. The bunny was pissed, and somehow, that lifted my spirits.

We strode right into the booth, ignoring the shrieks and excitement from the girls outside. They were acting like they'd seen a celebrity. Yeah, go ahead, scream your lungs out, waste your damn time and see if we care. Their noise was nothing more than background static-meaningless and easily dismissed.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, hands deep in my pockets as I nudged Ace's shoulder, his eyes glued to the girl in line.

He glared up at me. "I should be asking you that. You're trying to distract my line." He gestured to the girls, and sure enough, they were all staring at me, screaming like it was a concert.

I glanced at them briefly before turning back to him with a smirk. "That's not your line, my friend. You're just borrowing it."

I left him with a pat on the back, making my way over to Crue and Kalila, who were deep in conversation off to the side.

"They went to get more supplies for the booth," Kalila said, arms crossed, looking like she was already having a bad day and we just made things worst.

"You want to wait for Galini?" Crue chimed in, looking at me.

I shrugged, feeling the exhaustion creeping back. But something about getting under Kalila's skin felt like it might actually wake me up. "I've got time."

Then Kalila surprised me with a direct question. "What do you need with Evara, anyway?"

"I'm going to sleep in her workspace," I said flatly, not bothering to sugarcoat it.

Kalila raised a brow, clearly confused. "Her workspace? You mean the base?"

"Yeah, I think so." I shrugged again, just as Galini and Kalila's friends, Akira and Sumer, appeared, loaded down with bags.

"What are you guys doing here again?" Galini asked, her irritation clear as day. Crue, being his usual gentlemanly self, grabbed the heavy bags and set them inside the booth while Akira and Sumer followed, giving me a curious glance.

"Why are you always causing trouble for us?" Galini shot at me, her finger practically jabbing through the air in my direction.

"I haven't done anything-yet," I replied coolly, barely hiding the smirk tugging at my lips. "And honestly, it's a bit unfair. Crue and Ace get the red-carpet treatment, but you act like I'm about to burn the place down."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Carcel?"

"I just want to crash at your base," I said casually, meeting her glare with the same coldness.

"No." it took less than a second to reply and she didn't even hesitate.

I raised an eyebrow, amused. "Why not?"

"For starters, your lovely fiancée would kill me if she knew I was hiding you from her line of sight, and don't say I'm exaggerating because you know she's a crazy bitch" she snapped, and I couldn't help but chuckle. "Second, you're filthy rich. Go buy yourself a membership and get your own damn workspace."

Ah, classic Galini. Always ready to spit venom at those she despise. Not too long ago, we'd been on good terms, but apparently, I'd earned a spot on her hit list.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't realize you were afraid of Ciel."

Her eyes flashed. "I'm am not."

"Really? Because it sure sounds like I hit a nerve." My voice was cold, calculated, and I knew she was seconds away from throwing a punch at me.

"You-"

"I'll take him," Kalila interrupted sharply. Her voice cut through our argument making Galini and I both turned towards her, genuinely thrown off.

My eyes narrowed in surprise, and for a moment, I couldn't tell if she was serious or just trying to get me off her back. Of all people, Kalila stepping in? That was the last thing I expected.

Without another word, Kalila dragged Galini away, whispering something to her. I leaned back, watching with mild interest. Whatever Kalila was saying, I wasn't sure if she was saving Galini from herself-or if she had some plan to make my life more difficult. Either way, this was going to be interesting.

I watch them both come to an agreement but it looks like Galini was force to do some shit because of Kalila, they both walked back, Galini hands was on her hips, she glared at me like a crazy psychopath, and I didn't even feel a single ounce of terror from that stupid glare.

"Listen, you dipshit," she snapped, jabbing her finger into my chest. "If you even think about touching a single strand of Kalila's hair, I'll carve you up and toss your sorry ass to the sharks. Got it?"

I chuckled, completely unfazed. "Don't you think a war would break out if you tried that?" I smirked, leaning in just enough to provoke her. "Let's not make empty threats, Galini."

Her face turned beet red, and for a second, I thought she might actually explode. Kalila quickly stepped in, trying to calm her down, her hands lightly pulling me back. "I'll be back, okay? Just take care of the booth while I'm gone," Kalila said to Galini, her voice soft and soothing. She smiled at her like she was leaving for some big mission, making it way more dramatic than it needed to be.

Women. Always with the theatrics.

We walked away from the booth, Kalila leading the way, while I trailed behind, fixating on her ponytail again swaying back and forth. My eyes narrowed-there was something absurdly tempting about the moment. Should I let my intrusive thoughts win?

I sped up, getting close enough to grab that strange ponytail of hers. I pulled her hair tie down gently, watching as her hair unraveled in a cascade, soft strands falling around her shoulders. It was surprisingly cute, in a messy, unintentional kind of way.

Kalila whipped around, her eyes blazing, and before I could react, her palm cracked against my face. It wasn't a punch but it sure felt like it—she slapped me, sharp and deliberate. The sting burned through my cheek. Damn, for someone so small, she hit like she meant it. I didn't move. Couldn't. My cheek throbbed, and she just walked off like it was nothing.

I ran a hand over my face, not to soothe the sting but to hide the heat rising up my neck, it wasn't from the slap—its something about her touch that got under my skin. I chuckled, glancing at the hair tie now wrapped around my wrist like a trophy and followed her behind.

This girl never ceases to surprise me. I wonder if she'll tell Galini about this. And yeah, I touched her hair, technically—so does that mean this fight between us is officially about Kalila now? Good. Because I'm definitely not losing. At least not to her.

We entered the library, Kalila a few steps ahead of me. I didn't say a word—mostly because I wasn't in the mood to get slapped again. That, and I wasn't sure I could keep the flush from creeping up my face if it happened, This girl had me all twisted up, and I didn't like it.

The hallway of bookshelves felt endless, and I was starting to get annoyed by the silence. Finally, we reached a massive set of double doors. Inside, the room was all glass walls, with students huddled in their little corners, some having meetings, others lost in their books.

This place was actually impressive. Why the hell didn't I get one of these workspaces? We walked to the last room, where Galini's initials were engraved on the door. Kalila pushed it open and flicked on the lights.

"Sorry, we've been using this room for a while," she said, tidying up the papers scattered on the desk. I watched her move around the room, organizing things like she was trying to make the place presentable.

The room had a certain... chaotic order to it, but it wasn't dirty. The scent of coffee lingered in the air, and while Galini's taste in decor wasn't anything to write home about, it was good enough.

I dropped onto a bean bag, shrugging off my jacket and kicking off my shoes, settling in. To my surprise, the bean bag was actually pretty comfortable.

Kalila reappeared from the small pantry area, holding a cup of something. She sat down beside me, carefully, so as not to spill whatever it was.

"You want some warm tea?" she asked, her voice soft. My eyes narrowed. Why the sudden act of kindness?

"How do I know you're not poisoning me?" I shot back, crossing my arms and smirking.

She rolled her eyes. "Relax, I'm not rich, dude and I'm not like you guys." She shoved the cup toward me. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "Drink it while it's warm. Helps you sleep better."

I narrowed my eyes again. There had to be a reason for this sudden change of attitude. "Is this because you feel guilty for slapping me?" I asked, watching her flinch slightly. I took a sip of the tea-surprisingly, it was actually good, better than what Jordan usually brewed.

"Nah," she said, shrugging. "You totally deserved that. I'm just being nice." She pulled her knees up and hugged them. I finished off the tea and set the cup on the small table beside me.

"Exactly," I leaned back, sinking deeper into the bean bag as the comfort nearly pulled me under. "Why are you being nice?" My eyes started to close, the exhaustion seeping into my bones.

"Look, I wanted to clear something up." Her voice held hesitation. "You wanted to talk about that wrong message I sent, right?" I didn't respond, keeping my eyes closed.

"I want to apologize for swearing at you in the text. I was panicking." Her voice softened. I remained quiet, not really interested in the details about the things she's rambling about.

But I also didn't want her to stop talking. Her soft voice was like a lullaby I wanted to play on loop, soothing, calming and almost hypnotic, making me wish I could listen to her forever.

"I know you didn't expect your picture to blow up like that." She paused, sounding more unsure. "And I blame you for that. I'm so sorry."

I smirked inwardly. Oh, Kalila, if only you knew how wrong you were. Of course, I expected it to blow up. That was the whole point. Crashing her little experiment had been the most entertaining bet I'd ever lost.

"And... I'm also sorry for slapping you," she added, exhaling deeply like it had been weighing on her. "I was just... surprised."

"Since I let you crash here and gave you tea, we're even now, right?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope. The question jolted me awake, pulling me from the brink of sleep. I sat up in the bean bag, catching her off guard with my sudden movement. How naïve to think that a cup of tea and a spot to nap would be enough to shake me off your back.

Your wrong bunny.