THE ACADEMY HALLWAYS
“Wait! Trent! I need to talk to you”
I gasped, my lungs struggling to keep pace with his long strides. His towering figure effortlessly outpaced my smaller, hurried steps. I pushed myself harder, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Suddenly, he came to an abrupt stop, catching me off guard. I collided with his solid back, the impact jolting me. He froze, and I stumbled, trying to regain my balance. As I pulled away from him, I massaged my lightly bruised forehead, pouting.
“You could have warned me before you stopped”
I chided, sending him a frown and tucking loose hair strands behind my ear. Trent remained silent, his indifferent gaze fixed on me. He reached for my right wrist, and his warm, loose grip sent a tingling sensation through my body. I didn’t try to resist him as his grip, warm and loose, sent tiny sparks on contact.
Why am I allowing him to take me away?
Finally recognizing our destination, I realized we were heading to my newly discovered safe space.
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SWIMMING POOL AREA
As usual, the swimming pool area was empty and serene, the calm waters reflecting a tranquil blue. The smell of chlorine pungent in the air. Distracted by the beauty of the scene, I didn’t realize Trent’s hand had left my wrist.
“It’s calming”
Trent stated, his deep voice breaking the silence. I nodded in agreement, exhaling with a sigh of relaxation as I absorbed the soothing atmosphere. Trent stood beside me, his hands tucked into his pockets.
“Can I trust you to not mess this project up?”
he asked abruptly, his curt words jolting me from my reverie. Irritation creased my eyebrows, and I examined him with a critical look. He stared back at me, his expression unwavering, waiting for my response. I took a deep breath to calm my rising irritation, pinching the bridge of my nose. Taking a deep breath to calm down, I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation.
“Can I trust you to be civil during this project?”
I retorted, my words dripping with hostility. An uncomfortable silence settled between us as we locked eyes. Trent’s gaze hardened a show of dominance. I wasn’t backing down either.
“Best friends summit without me? Now, that’s cruel.”
a voice interrupted our standoff. Max appeared at the entrance, a book in her hand, directing her playful comment at us. Trent, attempting to walk away, moved in her direction, but her empty hand reached out to stop him. Reluctantly, he allowed her to guide him back to where I stood.
She turned to me, amusement dancing in her eyes, and quipped, “Have you both finally divulged your undying devotion for each other?”
Her words caught me by surprise, and I nearly choked on my breath. Max struggled to contain her laughter, observing our reactions. Glancing at Trent, whose eyes widened in shock, I noticed his vulnerable reaction. He quickly masked his emotions.
“Maxine! That’s not funny”. I let out in the fit of coughs.
I managed to say between fits of coughs. Coughing, I reached out to playfully swat her, but she deftly dodged my attempt. Despite my embarrassment, I couldn’t deny that I was intrigued to see Trent display emotions. I felt an urge to see more of them. Perhaps, I needed to push his buttons, just a little.
A mischievous smile formed on my lips as I gathered my hair into a high ponytail, exposing my neck. I sauntered toward Trent with a seductive sway in my step, his cloudy eyes tracking my movements. A knowing smirk adorned Max’s face; she could see through my little performance. My fingers lightly brushed across Trent’s chest, and I felt him momentarily stiffen beneath my touch. My facade almost broke as I moved closer to his face, our eyes locked, his confusion evident.
“What do you think? Should we prove Max right?”
I purred, feeling his breath on my face. I watched him swallow nervously, my body acting on instinct, drawing me nearer to him. My mind screamed for control, warning signs blazing in my head.
His confusion gradually gave way to mischief, and he took one of my hands, pulling me closer to him by the waist. I widened my eyes in surprise as I attempted to look away. His fingers gently brushed my chin, tilting my face upward. Slowly, he closed the distance between us, and my breath hitched with the closeness.
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He exhaled, mere inches from my lips, and whispered,
“In your dreams, Princess”
He pulled away, a triumphant glint in his eyes, leaving me with a mixture of surprise and confusion, and eventually, anger.
Well played, Trent. This is not over.
The awkward silence was broken by a cough, and Max wore an irritatingly smug expression. I could feel her excitement, her overwhelming satisfaction with our little performance. Uncomfortable with the situation, Trent made a hasty exit in the direction of the exit.
“Well, that was quite a performance”
Max commented, her voice hinting at her enjoyment. She approached me, placing her hands on my shoulders. “There are undoubtedly sparks between you two. I can distinctly see it. You both are just too adamant to acknowledge it.”
“You clearly need to get your lenses changed. We almost despise each other. He won’t even say more than two sentences to me.”
I replied, removing her hands from my shoulders. I walked over to a nearby bench and took a seat, exhausted from the strange encounter.
“Why does he hate me?” I wondered aloud.
“He doesn’t loathe you, Elise. He is just infuriated...”
She looks at Max, waiting for her to complete her sentence.
“Not at you. He is...complicated. It’s not my tale to tell. But he’ll come around when he is willing”
Max assured me, offering a reassuring smile. I exhaled, giving her a nod. I knew there had to be a reason for his harsh treatment. The memory of his embarrassed look brought a small smile to my face.
“Okay, fine. But if he does something I don’t like, I’ll freeze him... by accident”
Max laughed, pushing her glasses in place before getting up to her feet. She got to her feet and pulled me up with her, leading me out of the pool area.
“Let’s get started on the task before you turn the pool into an ice rink”
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THE LIBRARY BUILDING
1ST FLOOR
The library smelled of old books, and the scent wafted into my nostrils as we ventured deeper. I walked past Max, who was engrossed in her new discovery hidden among the shelves. Seeing a rest area ahead, I made my way toward it and took a seat. I laid my head on the table and closed my eyes for a brief nap.
I need some rest before I can process any more information with my weary brain.
Suddenly, I felt calloused, slender fingers push my hair away from my face, and their touch lingered around my neck. The desire to touch those freckles grew stronger as heat sparked when his hands brushed down the sides of my face. His scent enveloped me in a daze.
“Why do I feel this way around you?”
he whispered so softly that I almost missed it.
I wet my bottom lip with the tip of my tongue, causing his fingers to graze over them. Then, his touch retreated.
My eyes snapped open, and I blinked, allowing them to adjust back to consciousness. I was still in the library, alone. Stiff from my uncomfortable nap, I stretched my joints and gathered my papers scattered all over the table. Judging from the brightness outside the window, I wasn’t asleep for long.
Gathering my thoughts, I slowly rose from my seat, trying to shake off the remnants of a vivid dream that lingered like a forbidden secret. My cheeks flushed as the sensation of the dream still coursed through me. I couldn’t tell if it was my hormones or the adrenaline from my earlier stunt that had me feeling this way. I could almost still feel his hands on me. Shaking my head, I scoffed at the absurdity of such fantasies.
“Maybe I’m slowly losing my mind,” I mumbled to myself. “There’s no way such things can happen in real life.”
The room’s silence was broken when her voice cut through the air. My body tensed, and I felt her penetrating gaze on me. She stood with her arms folded, slanted eyes fixed firmly upon me.
“How is research proceeding— Were you sleeping?”
My pulse quickened as I met her gaze. A sheepish smile tugged at my lips.
She sighed in resignation and made her way to a nearby shelf, retrieving a stack of books. “I took the liberty of fetching your research materials,” she said, dropping them on the table in front of me.
“You’re welcome. Now, I expect you to analyze them, or else I won’t be able to protect you from Trent’s flames. Understood?”
I quickly shot her a salute, a mix of amusement and respect in my eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”
I dived into my study materials, hours slipping by in a whirlwind of information. Finally, when my brain felt saturated, I pushed myself out of my chair, stretching to alleviate the stiffness in my joints. Slowly, I gathered the scattered papers, arranging them neatly.
“Max, I’m heading out,” I announced as I stacked the books.
She approached me, holding a book, and I knew not to expect a verbal reply from her. Falling into step beside her, we made our way out of the library together.
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CLASSROOM BUILDING
YEAR 5 HALLWAY
s we neared the classroom hallway, the ominous gray clouds above us grew heavy with rain. Thunder rumbled ominously, almost drowning out the sound of a heated argument emanating from one of the classrooms. Confusion etched across my face, I turned to Max, who wore a matching expression of bewilderment. Without a word, we rushed toward the source of the commotion, the weather growing more volatile by the minute.
Sarah was at the centre of the tempest.
She stood facing two individuals, her gaze a fiery intensity, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Her fists clenched at her sides, as she grappled with the struggle for control. It was an intense standoff. The two victims of her wrath looked familiar.
“Max, who are those two guys?”
“That’s Sanya and Tome. I remember that Sarah has a connection going on with Sanya.”
The taller, copper-haired male was involved with Sarah. Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind. These were the two I had caught in the exit room earlier. My gaze settled on them once more.
Sanya positioned himself protectively in front of Tome, the smaller of the two, his face betraying the immense pressure he was under. The other man tried to reason with Sarah, desperately attempting to calm her down.
“Sarah, calm down. Please, let me explain, okay?”
But her anger flared into an all-consuming rage, lightning crackling across the darkening sky outside. The look on her face sent shivers down my spine.
Her eyes locked with Sanya’s, and she lashed out, revealing the shocking truth.
“Explain? You were sleeping with him! Sanya, how do you explain that!”
The room fell into a shocked silence, broken only by the ominous rumble of thunder.
And just like that, the secret was out.
Like and Comment because a ship just left the harbour but it might sink before sailing.
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