Tara’s POV
I listen carefully to what our homeroom teacher is telling us about preparing for our upcoming exams. She’s going through all the important dates and subjects we need to focus on, but honestly, I’m having a hard time concentrating. What I’m really worried about is the fact that Jane is not in her seat yet. It’s only Zoey sitting next to me, and I can tell she’s just as concerned as I am.
I keep glancing at the empty chair where Jane usually sits, checking the clock on the wall. It’s already twenty minutes into the first period, and Jane is never this late. She’s usually one of the first people to arrive at school every morning. Something must be wrong.
Zoey and I exchange worried looks. I can see the concern written all over her face, and I’m s
Tara’s POVI listen carefully to what our homeroom teacher is telling us about preparing for our upcoming exams. She’s going through all the important dates and subjects we need to focus on, but honestly, I’m having a hard time concentrating. What I’m really worried about is the fact that Jane is not in her seat yet. It’s only Zoey sitting next to me, and I can tell she’s just as concerned as I am.I keep glancing at the empty chair where Jane usually sits, checking the clock on the wall. It’s already twenty minutes into the first period, and Jane is never this late. She’s usually one of the first people to arrive at school every morning. Something must be wrong.Zoey and I exchange worried looks. I can see the concern written all over her face, and I’m s
Jasper’s POVThe moment Xavier says those words, I’m left completely dumbfounded. My mouth falls open, and I just stand there staring at him like he’s speaking a foreign language. Tara is dating someone? She has somebody that she loves?But why does this information hit me so hard? I don’t have anything for Tara. I never loved Tara. I’m not supposed to care about her personal life or who she’s with. She’s our enemy, the person we’re supposed to be getting revenge on. So why does hearing that she’s in a relationship feel like someone just punched me in the stomach?For some reason that I can’t explain, what Xavier just said strikes a chord deep inside me. It’s like something important has been knocked loose, something I wasn’t even aware was there.
Xavier’s POV I watch Tara walk away from me on the rooftop, her shoulders tense with anger. Deep down, I know I was supposed to warn my brother and not her. I’m completely sure that Tara would never be the one to make the first move. She’s not that type of person. When I approached Jasper last night after finding them together by the pool, he told me clearly that he was the one who made the move. He admitted it was all his fault.But I still can’t get that scene out of my head. The image of them kissing keeps playing over and over in my mind like a broken record. How could Tara, of all people, kiss Jasper? How could she respond to him like that? I saw the way she held onto his neck, the way she didn’t push him away even though she had every chance to do so.I’m jealous. I hate admitting it to myself, but I am. I’m angry too, and for some reason that I don’t want to think about too deeply, I know Jasper has feelings for Tara. Despite everything we’ve done to her, every plot we’ve made
Tara’s POVDuring lunch, I walk with Jane and Zoey through the hallway toward the cafeteria. The two of them seem to be lost in their own conversation about some drama happening in the class, but I’m not really listening. My mind keeps drifting back to what I told Tony earlier when he asked to be my friend.I remember the look on his face when I told him to get lost, that I didn’t want to be his friend. The words had come out harsher than I intended, but I was feeling so overwhelmed by everything that I couldn’t control my reaction. I told him that after what happened between us, there was no way we could be friends.Throughout the rest of our morning classes, I could see the hurt expression on Tony’s face whenever our eyes accidentally met. He looked like a kicked puppy, and part of me felt bad about being so mean to him. But I couldn’t bring myself to care too much about his feelings right now. I have too many other things to worry about.Everything in my life feels like it’s spinni
Tara’s POV“What!” Zoey and Jane scream at the same time after I finish explaining what happened between me and Jasper yesterday by the pool. Their voices are so loud that a few students from other tables turn to look at us, but I don’t even care right now.I’m losing my mind completely. How could I have kissed an enemy? Of all the people in this world, I kissed Jasper. The same Jasper who has made my life a living hell. The same Jasper who embarrassed me and tried to humiliate me every chance he got. And I kissed him back like some kind of fool.I put my head in my hands and tried to make sense of what happened. “I can’t believe I did that,” I whisper, feeling like I want to disappear into the ground.Zoey reaches across the table and touches my arm gently. “Tara, calm down,” she says in her soothing voice. “It’s not your fault since Jasper was the one who made the first move. You didn’t ask him to kiss you.”I lift my head and look at her. “I know that Jasper was the one who made t
Tara’s POVI am nothing but shocked. I cannot believe that I just kissed Jasper. My mind is completely blank, and I’m not even thinking straight because if I were, I would never kiss someone like Jasper. Never in a million years.I quickly step back from him, my heart beating so fast I think it might jump out of my chest. My hands are shaking, and I can still taste him on my lips. What is wrong with me? How could I let this happen?My eyes move to Xavier, who is walking slowly toward us, taking in the whole scene with a surprised look on his face. His mouth is slightly open, like he can’t believe what he just saw. I wish the ground would just open up and swallow me right now.“What are you two doing?”