Chapter 4

I saw Alexander's face turn bright red, and he immediately tried to turn around and leave. Panic hit me hard. If he walked out of here right now, he was going to tell the whole school my secret. My mind raced—if my identity got exposed, my tuition money and my future would be completely ruined.

Without thinking, I lunged forward and grabbed his arm. I pulled him back inside, slammed the door shut, and pushed him gently against the wall. I put both of my hands flat on the wall on each side of his head to trap him so he couldn't escape.

Because of my sudden movement, my balance slipped, and the towel wrapped loosely around my body instantly gave way, dropping straight down to the floor.

Alexander's eyes widened in absolute shock. He dropped his gaze to my body before his face flushed an even deeper, burning crimson. He quickly looked up, staring at the ceiling as if his life depended on it.

I didn't care at all. To me, it was nothing. The only thing that mattered in this exact moment was making sure my secret stayed safe.

I tossed my wolf-cut hair out of my face and looked straight into his eyes with a serious expression. Alexander stared right back into my eyes, his throat moving as he swallowed hard.

"Before you go telling everyone that I'm a girl, you need to listen to me first," I said firmly.

I leaned a little closer, keeping my hands on the wall. "We're friends, right? Friends keep secrets together, right?"

Alexander blinked, stuttering as he tried to speak. "Wh-who told you we're friends?"

He tried so hard to sound cold and heartless like he always did, but I didn't miss the sweat on his forehead, his heavy breathing, and the way he kept swallowing over and over again. His hands were shaking slightly at his sides.

Annoyance spiked in my chest. "I already said we're friends! Besides, I'm keeping your secret, so you better not spread mine to anyone!"

Alexander knitted his brows in pure confusion, looking at me like I was crazy. "What secret? I don't have a secret."

A smirk crossed my lips and I shook my head. I dropped my arms, stepped back, and crossed them over my chest. Even as I moved, I caught Alexander quickly glancing down at my body one more time before he fast as lightning looked away, coughing nervously.

"You have a secret," I whispered with a grin. "I know you're gay. I know you have feelings for Kaden."

For a whole week sitting beside him in class, I had noticed the little things. I saw the way he occasionally glanced at Kaden, our class president. Whenever Kaden answered questions in class and got high scores, a tiny, soft smile would escape Alexander's lips. Whenever Kaden walked over to talk to him, his cold attitude completely melted away. And the moment Kaden left, Alexander would secretly check his reflection on his phone screen just to check his appearance.

Alexander's eyes blew wide open and his jaw dropped. "That's—that's ridiculous! I don't—"

"Don't bother denying it," I interrupted, leaning closer with a playful smile. "I see the way you look at him. Your secret is safe with me, as long as my secret is safe with you."

I smirked again. Right here, right now, I knew I had the ultimate blackmail to shut him up if he ever dared expose that I was a girl.

The next day, we were back in our usual classroom. I walked up to his desk and placed a small container of breakfast right in front of him.

Just like I expected, he crossed his arms and tried to push it away. "I told you yesterday, I don't need your food."

I leaned in close, right next to his ear, and whispered just one word: "Kaden."

Alexander flinched, his face going slightly red again. He let out a deep, defeated sigh. His shoulders slumped, and he reluctantly pulled the container toward him. A soft giggle escaped my lips.

As he started eating quietly, he looked around to make sure no one was listening, then turned his head and asked me in a soft, low voice, "How... how did you even manage to get into this school? It's an all-boys academy."

I blinked, giving him an honest shrug. "I don't even know myself."

Alexander's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "What do you mean you don't know? You just enrolled here like magic?"

"Pretty much," I whispered back, leaning my elbows on the desk. "One day I was stressing over tuition, and the next day here I am, wearing a boy's uniform and surviving on pure luck."

He stared at me like I had lost my mind. "You're crazy. This school has strict record checks. If the administration finds out—"

"That's why you're not going to let them find out, right, partner?" I winked playfully. "You wouldn't want me to get kicked out and leave you all alone here, would you?"

"I would prefer it, actually," he muttered, though he took another bite of the sandwich.

"Liar," I chuckled softly. "You love having me around."

Before he could argue back, our conversation was suddenly cut short. Footsteps approached our desks. Alexander instantly straightened his back and sat up ramrod straight, making me laugh softly under my breath at how fast he panicked.

"Looks like you two are getting pretty close, huh?"

We looked up to see Kaden standing right beside our desks with a warm, friendly smile. He was holding a stack of class papers.

I immediately nodded, flashing an easy grin. "We're deskmates, President. It'd be pretty sad if we didn't get along and become good friends, right?"

Kaden's smile widened, his eyes crinkling. "That's really good to hear. I'm glad Alexander is finally making a friend. Honestly, I've been worried that he'd graduate without talking to a single person here. I'm counting on you to look out for him, Avery."

"Hey, I can take care of myself," Alexander mumbled, his voice much softer than usual, refusing to look directly at Kaden.

A sly grin crept onto my face. Without hesitating, I threw an arm around Alexander's shoulders and pulled him in close. Alexander froze into stone instantly, his body going rigid as my breast brushed slightly against his arm.

"Oh, don't worry, President! I've got him covered," I said smoothly, tightening my grip on Alexander.

I turned my head to look at Alexander, who was staring right at me with wide, panicked eyes and blushing cheeks. I smiled and finished, "Because that's what friends do, right?"

With a final grin, I flashed Alexander a quick wink.