Chapter 3 : Rivalry Ignited

*Lily*

"Miss Everhart," Professor Caesar's voice was steady, yet there was a glimmer of a warning in his tone, reminding me of where and who I was. "I believe the collaboration of such passionate minds can only yield exceptional results."

I turned to look at Adrian, whose expression was unreadable. Was that a spark of challenge in his eyes? Or perhaps amusement? Whatever it was, it inflamed my pride and set my nerves alight.

Within minutes, this man had managed to ruffle my feathers in a way no one else had before. And I hated it.

Adrian shrugged, leaning back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest–a picture of indifference.

"Fine," I muttered under my breath, forcing myself to look away from him.

"Very well." Professor Caesar clapped his hands together with finality. "I will now group the rest of you, and we can proceed with the project in the next class. We won't have time to discuss strategies today, but you can conduct some research as homework."

As he continued to form the teams, the rest of the class started chatting with each other, forming initial connections with their newly assigned partners.

I remained rooted to my seat. My brows furrowed, my lips pressing into a thin line as I considered the idea of spending my upcoming classes by Adrian’s side. The notion that I could learn anything from that infuriatingly smug was laughable.

Adrian didn’t seem to care about anything. Coming in late to class, acting as if he owned the place–how was I supposed to believe he would take this project seriously?

I, on the other hand, didn’t have that luxury. My grades, my scholarship meant everything to me, and I wouldn’t allow Adrian to ruin it.

"We're going to officially start in our next class, so you're all dismissed for today," Professor Caesar finally concluded. "Remember to do some research so you know where to start next Monday."

As if on cue, the bell trilled its dismissal, and the students eagerly started packing their belongings. I remained seated, the weight of the upcoming project anchoring me momentarily to the chair.

I tried to convince myself that this was just a project. How terrible could it really be?

But as I walked out of the classroom with Rachel by my side, Adrian was leaning against the doorway, that stupid knowing grin still on his face as he stared back at me, and I simply knew this would be my biggest challenge here.

"No need to be all worked up, Everhart. I’m sure we’ll do just fine working together," he mused, his tone filled with a teasing tone that made me want to punch that smirk off his face.

I rolled my eyes at him, trying to hide my current discontent. "Let’s see if your competence matches your confidence, Sterling," I shot back, brushing past him with a dismissive air.

My pace was swift, fueled by the tumultuous irritation and disbelief I was feeling at that moment. I could hear Rachel's lighter footsteps trailing behind me, her laughter a soft murmur amidst the sea of post-class chatter.

"Okay, that was interesting," Rachel cajoled, finally reaching my side. "But you don’t have to be so mad. It's not the end of the world."

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled. "You're not stuck with Mr. Smug for the foreseeable future."

"Maybe it won't be that bad," she suggested optimistically, her tone too amused for my taste. "I mean, that was a hell of a good debate. We were all holding our breaths the entire time."

"Glad I could provide some entertainment for everyone," I retorted, perhaps more bitterly than I intended. I didn't mean to be rude to Rachel, but it was hard to contain the rage boiling within me at that moment.

I was angrier at myself than anything else. I was struggling to understand why I had allowed Adrian to cause that much irritation within me in the first place. I didn’t even know him.

True, I had been infatuated by him when I saw him at the welcome event, but now I was scolding myself for being that stupid.

Of course a handsome guy like Adrian would be a dick. What was I expecting?

"Come on, Lily." Rachel nudged my shoulder with her own, trying to steer me away from the darker clouds of my mood. "You have to admit, there's something about the way you two spar. It's like watching a fencing match."

"Except I don't want to be in any match, fencing or otherwise," I said, my steps quickening as I tried to outpace the conversation while navigating through the swarm of students pouring out of classrooms.

Rachel effortlessly kept up, dancing around me, nimble as a cat. "Honestly, between us, didn't you feel anything? There was such a sexual tension between you two. From where I was sitting, it could've cut through steel."

"Sexual tension?" I nearly choked on the words, momentarily halting on my steps to look at her. "Don’t be ridiculous."

If lies were poison, I’d be dropping dead on the floor right now.

"Whatever you say," she sing-songed, shrugging at me, clearly unconvinced. "I know you think he is hot. I saw the way you were looking at him at the welcome event. I’m not blind." Rachel shot me a coy look, one eyebrow raised in challenge.

I felt my cheeks grow hot, a mix of anger and something else entirely. "What does it matter if he is? Good looks don't compensate for an insufferable personality. He's arrogant and entitled. And you were the one who warned me he was trouble. Well, I guess you were right."

I turned away, pretending to adjust the strap of my bag, desperate for a moment to compose myself. My mind recalled the heated exchange in class, and I mentally chastised myself for noticing the different tones of blue in Adrian’s eyes, and for the way my pulse raced when our eyes met.

"What was he doing in our class anyway?" I asked abruptly. "Didn't you say he was studying Cinema? That doesn't make any sense."

Rachel shrugged as if the question wasn’t as interesting as the previous topic. "Electives. I think he might need the credits to graduate, who knows? Whatever floats his boat, as long as we get the chance to sneak a peek of his handsomeness every now and then, who am I to complain?" She chuckled as we made our way to the next class.

"Delightful," I mumbled, my lips curling distastefully.

"Yep!" she mused, popping the 'p' for emphasis. "Adrian will be gracing us with his presence for the entire semester, whether you like it or not, so..." Her voice held a sing-song quality that grated on my nerves. "You better get used to that idea and learn to control your anger."

My frustration simmered into a rolling boil. "Fantastic," I growled, the word laced with as much sarcasm as I could muster.

A whole semester of enduring Adrian Sterling’s smug face and infuriating debates was not what I had signed up for when I chose to come to Elysium University.

"Let's focus on surviving this week first, okay?" Rachel advised, and I could tell by her change of tone that she was just trying to make me smile and get me out of my bad mood. "One day at a time."

"Fine, I can do that," I chimed in, feeling relieved that this topic was finally over.

"Speaking of surviving," Rachel carried on, looping her arm through mine, her voice taking on a lighter note that seemed almost out of place. "There's a welcome party this weekend. You're going, right?" She looked at me expectantly.

"Party?" I asked with a frown, thrown off by the sudden change in topic.

"Yep, the big welcome bash," she replied with a grin. "Everyone who's anyone will be there. It's the perfect place to mingle, make friends..."

I sighed, the thought of socializing feeling akin to an additional assignment. "Not really in the mood for a party, Rach."

"Come on, it's tradition! Freshers' week isn't complete without it," she insisted, her enthusiasm bubbling like a fizzy drink. "Trust me, it's an experience," Rachel assured me. "And you need to blend in, meet people…" Rachel's voice trailed off as her gaze shifted toward something in the distance.

I followed her line of sight and felt an involuntary hitch in my breath.

Adrian Sterling was there, across the flowering quad, his presence like a gravitational pull, both unwanted and undeniable. His plain black shirt accentuated his athletic build, sleeves tightened around his biceps revealing his toned muscles and strong forearms.

"Uh-oh," Rachel added teasingly. "There she goes."

I felt an odd twinge at the pit of my stomach as I moved my gaze from Adrian to the person approaching him.

The girl was stunning, with long blonde hair that fell in waves down her back, high cheekbones, and a figure that any designer would kill to dress. She wore a pink cropped top and jeans shorts that clung to her curves and complemented her fair skin, her poise exuding an air of untouchable grace.

Suppressing the urge to delve deeper into the situation, I tore my eyes away and focused on a nearby cluster of daisies swaying gently in the breeze. Rachel, however, always too perceptive, probably caught the fleeting look of curiosity that must have flitted across my face and nudged me with her elbow.

"I know you're too proud to ask," she coaxed. "So I'll save you the trouble. That's Louise Chambers."

I hummed, trying to sound disinterested. Inside, however, I was a tumult of curiosity and annoyance. Why should I care who Adrian Sterling talked to? It wasn't like he mattered to me.

But to my distaste, in such a short amount of time, Rachel had learned to read through me with so much ease that it got me irritated and feeling vulnerable.

"Fine, don't ask," she carried on with a shrug. "I will tell you anyway. Louise is pretty much royalty here at Elysium. She's from the Silver Wing—"

"Shocker," I interjected, unable to hold my tongue.

Rachel laughed softly, leaning in conspiratorially. "Rumor has it she's got her sights set on Adrian for years now," she continued, oblivious to my discomfort. "But they’ve never officially dated—or at least, no one's ever seen them acknowledge each other in public."

"How come you know all of this?" I asked in awe, though 'awe' was hardly the word. My chest felt tight, and annoyance bubbled up inside me. It was ridiculous to feel this way. Adrian Sterling was obnoxious, arrogant, and the last person I should be thinking about.

I was confused as hell to be feeling this way about him, if mere seconds ago I was fuming because of our argument and wanting to punch the guy.

"A year here made me learn more than I wanted," Rachel explained, missing the sarcasm in my voice as she watched Adrian and Louise. "Anyway, I've witnessed them arguing a few times last year, and I assumed they were breaking up or having a couple's fight. But to be honest, I've never seen Adrian act sweetly toward her."

"I don't think Adrian Sterling is capable of doing something sweet," I said, trying to quicken my pace, but being stopped by Rachel who seemed eager to share more.

"A man can do all sorts of things to get into a woman's pants," Rachel pointed out, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Which, to be fair, kind of matches his style a bit more. If you ask me, I think they were just a thing. You know, just casual sex."

I could feel the muscles in my jaw clench as I tried to stifle the unwelcome surge of displeasure that washed over me by hearing those words. For some reason, it bothered me even more to imagine Adrian having sex with Louise instead of assuming they were a real loving couple back in the day.

"However," Rachel carried on. "There's talk that Louise might have been the one to break things off. But she's still orbiting around him like some kind of satellite, which doesn't make sense."

"Maybe she enjoys the attention, and wanted him to go after her," I suggested half-heartedly, my gaze drifting once more toward the pair in the distance. Simultaneously, as if on cue, Adrian met my eyes from across the lawn and smirked knowingly at me.

I fought the urge to gasp, but then I noticed Louise following his gaze, and as our eyes met, her expression instantly hardened. In that fleeting exchange, I thought I caught something in her eyes—a subtle flicker of recognition or understanding of something that wasn't entirely clear to me at that moment.

Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that she already didn’t like me.

"Can we go now? We’re already late for our next class," I quipped, trying to mask the unease that settled in my stomach. The image of Adrian and Louise together was irritatingly persistent in my mind's eye and I was dying to get out of here.

"Sure," Rachel mused, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder.

As we walked away from the gardens, a strange tightening gripped my chest, and I frowned, unable to shake off the discomfort settling in my stomach.

Why did Adrian's existence disturb me so much? He was nothing more than an arrogant classmate who had managed to get on my nerves. That was all.

His smug grin, his dismissive attitude—I should be glad he was someone else's problem.

I had no claim over Adrian Sterling—no reason to feel anything beyond indifference. Yet, the image of him with Louise sparked an irrational spark of...what exactly? Jealousy?

It couldn’t be.