12 - The Assessment

Nova's POV

The rumor from yesterday was dead.

I walked into class and nobody looked at me twice. No whispers, no quick glances. No phones angled in my direction. The scandal about the male teachers had vanished overnight, replaced by something much more interesting: Harper Caldwell's meltdown in the hallway.

The whole school had seen it. The screaming. The smashed phone. The running mascara. Everyone was talking about that now. Nobody cared about me.

I took my seat between Chase and Priya. Chase smiled at me, warm and easy, like he always did. Priya gave me a small nod. She was still playing it cool in public, keeping her distance, but I knew where she stood now.

The classroom filled up. Students chatted, everything was normal.

Then Harper walked in.

She moved like nothing had happened. Her hair was perfect. Her makeup was flawless. Her outfit was expensive and intentional. Her minions flanked her like a royal guard, Courtney on her left, Mia on her right. They looked untouchable.

The teacher, Mr. Grey, didn't say anything about them being late. He never did.

Harper scanned the room, everyone avoided her gaze. She smiled, she was still in control.

Then Ryker walked in.

He was late too. His hair was still damp from the rink, his jacket thrown on carelessly. He looked like he'd rushed straight from practice. Harper's face lit up when she saw him. The transformation was immediate. Everything about her softened.

Ryker didn't look at her. He walked to the only seat left. The one beside Harper.

He sat down.

Harper leaned toward him, said something I couldn't hear. He nodded without really looking at her.

I turned back to my notes. I had a plan, and it didn't include watching Ryker Lennox for the rest of the period.

______________

Mr. Grey stood at the front of the class and picked up a stack of papers.

"Your first assessment results," he announced. "I'm pleased with the overall performance. Most of you showed improvement from the diagnostic."

He started handing them out. Students grabbed their papers and studied their grades. Some smiled. Some frowned. Most just shrugged.

"Ms. Reyes."

I looked up. Mr. Grey was holding my paper with a small smile.

"Top of the class. Excellent work."

He walked over and placed it on my desk. The grade was at the top. Ninety-eight percent.

I hadn't expected to do that well. I'd been running on no sleep and too much coffee. But the material was easy. I'd studied harder than anyone in this room because I had to. Because I wasn't here for fun.

"Thank you, Mr. Grey."

He nodded and moved on.

The room was quiet for a moment. Then Harper spoke.

"That's impossible."

Her voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. I turned. She was looking at my paper like it had personally offended her.

"You've only been here for what?" She counted on her fingers. "A little over four weeks. There's no way you could pull that off."

Courtney nodded. "She's right. That's not fair."

"You must have studied really hard," Mia said. The words were nice, the tone wasn't.

Harper smiled. The same smile from the party. The same smile from Lily's memory.

"Unless..." She let the word hang. "Unless you're... you know. With the teacher."

The classroom erupted. People whispered. Someone laughed. Chase stiffened beside me.

"Ms. Caldwell!" Mr. Grey's voice was sharp. "That's enough."

Harper smiled at him. Sweet. Innocent. "I was just asking a question."

I watched her. The way she sat back. The way her minions rallied around her. The way the class was suddenly looking at me with fresh suspicion.

She was doing it again. The same thing she'd done to Lily. The same quiet, patient destruction.

And she had no idea I could see it coming.

"Hmm," I said. Loud enough for everyone to hear. "My dear friend Harper. I think your problem is that you think being rich is coterminous with being stupid."

I turned to face her directly.

"News flash, Harper. You can be both."

The classroom went very quiet.

Harper's face flushed. Her smile cracked. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Her minions were frozen beside her. They'd never seen anyone talk to Harper like that.

Mr. Grey turned to me. There was something in his expression. Respect, maybe. Or just surprise.

"Ms. Reyes, that's also enough."

"Of course, Mr. Grey." I smiled sweetly at Harper. "I apologize. That wasn't appropriate."

Harper's hands were shaking. She grabbed her paper and stared at it, refusing to look at me.

Mr. Grey moved on. He reached Ryker's desk and handed him his paper.

"Mr. Lennox. You have to try harder if you're going to pass this class."

Ryker took the paper without looking at it. "I know, sir."

He glanced at me across the room. His expression was unreadable.

_____________

The bell rang.

Students filed out of the classroom. I was packing my bag when Chase appeared at my side.

"Hey," he said. "That was..."

"Risky?"

"Brilliant." He smiled. "Nobody talks to Harper like that."

"Maybe someone should."

He laughed. "Listen, I was thinking. We never got to finish our conversation from the party. About us hanging out. Just the two of us."

I looked at him. He was genuinely hopeful. Genuinely nice. He had no idea he was collateral damage in a war he didn't know existed.

"Chase, I—"

"Nova."

Ryker was standing at my desk. He held out his hand.

"Give me your phone."

I stared at him. "What?"

"Your phone. Give it to me."

Chase's expression shifted. He was watching Ryker with narrowed eyes.

"Why do you need her phone?" Chase asked.

Ryker didn't answer. He just looked at me, waiting.

I pulled out my phone, unlocked it and handed it over. He typed something in, then he handed it back.

"There," he said. "Now you have my number."

He turned and walked away.

I looked at my phone. He'd opened the contacts app and typed in his number. Then he'd called himself from my phone. My call log showed an outgoing call to "Ryker."

Chase was still standing there. His face was carefully neutral.

"He's always like that," Chase said quietly. "He does whatever he wants."

"Chase, I'm sorry. I didn't ask him to—"

"It's fine." He forced a smile. "We can talk later."

He walked away.

I stood there for a moment, staring at my phone.

Then Harper appeared.

She moved like a predator. Slow. Deliberate.

"I see you've caught the attention of the two Crestwood princes," she said.

I didn't respond.

"You must really have your way around men." Her smile was sharp. "No wonder Mr. Grey gave you top of the class. You have them all wrapped around your little finger."

I said nothing.

She stepped closer. Leaned in. Her voice dropped to a whisper that only I could hear.

"I let you have Chase out of the benevolence of my heart. Ryker is mine. So stay away from him."

I looked at her. Her face was inches from mine. Her perfume was cloying and sweet.

I smiled.

"And if I don't?"

Harper laughed.

It was a beautiful sound. Light and musical. Her friends joined in, laughing at the joke they didn't even understand.

She leaned in again. Her lips brushed my ear.

"You really shouldn't make me your enemy, Nova dear."

She pulled back. Her eyes were cold and flat.

"Because I can make my enemies disappear."

She smiled. Bright and friendly. Like we were having a conversation about the weather.

Then she turned and walked away. Her minions followed.

I stood alone in the empty classroom.

I touched my chest. Lily's heart was beating fast and hard.

I can make my enemies disappear.

I thought about the balcony. The fall.

I thought about Lily's voice in my head, Lily's fear in my bones, Lily's unfinished business in my blood.

You have no idea, I thought.

I'm already your enemy.

And I'm not going anywhere.