LOGINGwen POV:Shouts and profanity had just reverberated across the classroom, dragging along an atmosphere so dense and heavy it felt almost tangible."What is your deal?!" Chris spat, raising a hand to swipe across the bruise slowly turning purple on his cheek, his voice laced with defiance. "What the hell are you losing your mind over this time?""Can you honestly stand there and ask me that?" I stared back at him, my gaze bitter and hollow with disappointment. "Do you have any idea why you were hit?"Faced with his blank expression—acting as if he were completely innocent—a raging inferno flared up inside my chest, threatening to consume me. I clenched my fists tight, glaring at him as I bit out every single word:"You deserved it. You deserved to be hit a hundred times harder than this. And not just a simple punch, either. I want to tear you to pieces just to take the edge off this anger, do you hear me?!"My unyielding attitude and venomous words pushed Chris past his breaking point
Gwen's POV:Recess was almost over. I made my leisurely way back to the classroom after a trip to the library to borrow a few study guides for the upcoming exams. The steady thud of my shoes echoed against the granite floor of the long corridor, blending with the loud, boisterous noise drifting in from the schoolyard through the wide-open arched windows.Suddenly, right up ahead, Mina and Chloe abruptly stepped out and blocked my path."Gwen!" The moment she spotted me, Mina called out with a sense of urgency, her expression unmistakably flustered.I halted right before the staircase leading to the upper floor, casting a cold, impatient glance at the two figures blocking the way."Move," I flatly demanded."Let's talk for a minute, it won't take long," Mina pleaded in a conciliatory tone."I'm busy."Without sparing a second for their petty drama, I moved to brush past them, but caught sight of Chloe's eyes—red and swollen, looking as though she'd spent the entire morning crying. Inst
Chris POVMidday breaks had long since lost their appeal, devolving into a tedious, meaningless routine. Most of the student body stampeded toward the cafeteria or clustered together in the classrooms to share bento boxes. I couldn't muster a fraction of an ounce of interest in any of it. For reasons I couldn't quite place, a restless, suffocating irritation had taken root deep within my chest.Sparring with Gwen had once been my favorite pastime, but that diversion was gone. She was genuinely furious with me. For days now, even though I had shamelessly hauled my belongings over to sit right beside her desk, she continued to ice me out completely. Not a single glance, not a single word in response; a chilling mask of indifference settled over her features whenever our eyes accidentally met.The gap between our desks was less than a single arm's length—close enough that a slight stretch of my fingers would brush against her. Yet emotionally, the distance had stretched out to the horizo
Gwen POVThe air around the desk in the far corner—right beside the rear classroom exit—was as thick and heavy as cold lead.Ashton hadn’t said a single word since I pulled out the chair and sat down right beside him. He simply drifted his gaze away from me, turned his head toward the blackboard, and completely ignored the presence of the person who had just abruptly invaded his personal space.His silence didn’t bring any of the relief or safety you usually hope for when dodging an argument. On the contrary, my spine stiffened, every single muscle along my shoulder blades tightening as though bracing against an invisible weight. Sitting next to someone who radiated such restrained menace was like sitting on a live wire; my breathing turned sudden, shallow, and rapid in the suffocatingly thick air.I swallowed hard, shoved my books haphazardly into the desk compartment, and scrambled to drag out my workbook just to hide my slightly trembling hands. Mr. Kenneth’s chalk scratched across
Gwen’s POVFor a few agonizing seconds, we locked eyes. Chris clenched his jaw, then slammed both hands onto the wooden desk as he bolted to his feet. The sharp bang echoed through the room, making nearby textbooks shudder and drawing a dozen startled glances in our direction. Dark, dangerous heat flickered in his gaze."Watch your mouth, Gwen Miller!" he snapped, his voice booming across the classroom. "Who do you think you are, picking a fight out of nowhere?""Are you calling me a liar?" I shoved my chair back and stood up to face him, my eyes narrowed, raw with fury as I met his defiant glare. "You are a jerk, Chris Vance!"The entire classroom fell dead silent. You could have heard a pin drop. A few students who had been slumping over their notebooks slowly raised their heads, and a ripple of hushed whispers began to spread from row to row."Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today, or did you just forget to take your meds?" Chris smirked, his tone dripping with condesce
Gwen’s POVI froze in place. A sudden, suffocating tightness seized my chest, squeezing the air right out of my lungs. It wasn't until the roar of a passing motorcycle ripped through the quiet roadside that I snapped back to reality.I swallowed hard, forcing my tense facial muscles to relax. Blinking rapidly, I managed to carve a strained, brittle smile onto my face. "It's nothing..."I pretended to brush an invisible speck of dust from my jacket, carefully avoiding the screen of his phone."I'm just starving, that's all," I blurted out, my voice laced with fake urgency. "We'd better hurry, or the guys will eat everything before we even get there!"Without waiting for Ashton's reaction, I spun on my heel and took long, brisk strides toward Lucas and Mr. Kenneth, who were standing a short distance away, loudly debating where to eat. Beneath the sweltering midday sun, my thin field shirt felt heavy, soaked with sweat, and plastered against my clammy skin.Lunch at the cramped BBQ joint







