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THERE WERE TIMES when Aaliyah Banerjee wished she didn't lose her temper so quickly, to the point of steam coming out of her ears. Of course, that regret would come years later, when she lay alone in bed at 3 a.m., thinking about all the embarrassing things she'd ever done in her overtly bland life.

At this point, however, Aaliyah's head almost blew up with rage. She was a short, hot-tempered Indian girl chasing an irksome Malaysian-American boy across a playground. They were just a pair of five year olds but their fights were never small. Rowan Knight had pushed her off the swing set and she had scraped her knees. Aaliyah was out for his blood, nothing less.

It was never easy between them. Kindergarten saw Rowan throwing her candy to the ceiling fan. First grade started off with Aaliyah dropping a dead fly in his underpants, and he got back by dunking her bag in the school swimming pool. In second grade, she punched him in the gut and he retaliated by shoving expired cheese in her face.

All of these fights began with earth shattering events like the last slice of apple, or the best box of crayons, or even races to get to the school gates. Rowan cheated his way through half of these competitions and Aaliyah would rather stab him with a pencil than let him get away.

It must be explained that Aaliyah had extended her hand of friendship, not once, but two whole times. Every single gesture was shot down with a tug on her ponytail and a "Scared, Potter?" No self respecting child would grovel after that insult.

She hated every inch of him. That smug smirk, those dark curls that bounced on his stupid head, that air of arrogance he carried everywhere he went. The way he could play victim at the drop of a hat. His uncanny ability to be light with his fingers when he stole her stuff. Rowan's seamless perfection was all so stiffing and eye roll worthy to young Aaliyah.

Their communications were a constant war, unrelenting battles that got uglier and uglier. But before they could turn ten, Rowan left Greenstone mysteriously. Not that it bothered Aaliyah much; now that he was gone, she could have her much deserved peace.

That tiny girl was now an anxiety poster child with a thirst for everything bad, and a crazy obsession with numbers. She lived fast and had panic attacks even faster. Her best friends, Jess and Nathan were as crazy as horses on steroids. Which was not ideal.

With a dysfunctional home life she knows would knock other Wattpad heroines out of the park, Aaliyah was set to start her senior year, leaving all thoughts of the last horrific year behind. She just needed to be the valedictorian, steer clear of boys (ew), and she would be living her best life yet.

But that's the thing about life. It takes sadistic delight in handing out shit to anyone and everyone who dares to breathe. That was exactly what happened: the reason for Aaliyah's childhood headaches and nightmares had returned a month ago.

Rowan Knight was back in Greenstone, Lucifer's favourite heir and resident troublemaker. He didn't seem to realise that they were grown ups now, a yawning gap of eight years separating the past and the present. To make matters worse, he seemed even more insufferable than usual.

And Rowan had no intention of letting his history with Aaliyah stay dead and buried, for reasons known to him alone.