Threes a crowd

Jami

“If you check your hair in the reflection of that trophy case one more time, I’m calling the police,” Chloe says, nudging my shoulder.

“Ugh” I groan and quickly drop my hands from my skirt, my face feeling like a hot kettle. I always try to look put-together but today, I literally spent twenty minutes making sure my cream sweater was perfectly tucked into my beige skirt…but my hands won't stop shaking.

“I’m losing my mind, Chloe,” I whisper, glancing around the chaotic hallway as everyone slams their lockers shut for the holiday break. “It’s the last day of the semester. If I don't tell him today, he’s going to spend the whole holiday not even knowing I exist.”

Chloe groans dramatically. “Please. You’re literally gorgeous, you dress like a brand model for a simple errand, trust me…you look absolutely beautiful. Go get your man.”

My heart does a violent flip. Reid. He’s always so polite, quiet, and flawlessly organized. The exact definition of a safe, steady guy. I immediately fell in love the first time I transferred to Newport College, and out of the bastards who've never seen a transferred student…he was totally an angel.

He might be cold and withdrawn…yeah, a total nerd…still, he makes my heart flutter and today, I have made up my mind to let my heart be smashed or I'm getting incredibly lucky.

“Marcus said he was staying late in the empty homeroom to pack up his stuff,” I say, gripping a neatly folded note in my palm. Marcus is Reid's best friend and luckily Chloe's boyfriend.

“Come with me to the door?”

“Fine, but I’m staying in the hallway,” Chloe rolls her eyes playfully.

We walk down the quiet old school building toward Room 4B. The door is slightly cracked open, but before I can even reach for the handle, a sharp, angry female voice echoes from inside.

“I literally bought you a gift! And you couldn't even help me with the answers during the exam? Now I didn't pass!”

Chloe and I instantly freeze, peeking through the crack of the door.

Sitting at the back desk, casually throwing textbooks into a duffel bag, is Reid. Except his vibe is totally off, he looks completely bored and uninterested in whatever the hell the pitiful girl had to say.

He glances up at the crying girl, letting out a cold, sarcastic chuckle. “Sucks to be you, I guess. Maybe try studying next time instead of buying goodies.”

The girl’s face turns bright red with fury. “You absolute jerk!”

*Smack!*

Chloe and I both let out a loud, synchronized gasp, our hands flying over our mouths.

The girl’s hand connects right across his cheek, and a large ring on her finger visibly scratches his skin. She spins around, sobbing, and storms out the back exit of the classroom, completely missing us.

Inside, he just sighs, rubbing his jaw.

I slam the door open and rush inside before I can even think, leaving a stunned Chloe in the hallway.

Forget the confession, he’s bleeding! 

“Oh my god, are you okay?” I ask, my voice trembling as I drop my bag on a desk and immediately start digging through it. Luckily, I like to be prepared for literally anything, so I quickly pull out a small antiseptic wipe and a pastel-pink bandage.

He freezes, looking completely surprised as I step right into his space. 

Come to think of it, he's always so nice and usually only ignores people when he doesn't feel like giving an answer. Why on earth did he say something that mean to her? Still, it's crazy that she actually tried buying him gifts just to get help during such an intense exam week.

As I slowly position his face, up close my brain completely short-circuits. His jawline and face without that eyeglass is totally out of this world. But there’s a silver ring piercing his bottom lip. Another small silver bar through his eyebrow. And three studs lining his earlobe.

That's surprising, how did I miss all these details before? Could it be that he's under so much pressure from final exams and is going through a temporary rebellious phase… got pierced, and started snapping at people?

“Hold still,” I murmur softly, my heart hammering against my ribs as I gently press the wipe to the small cut on his cheek, then carefully apply the pink bandage.

He stays completely still, his eyes locked on mine. He looks totally caught off guard, a sudden, unreadable flash of amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Thanks, sweet girl,” he finally says. His voice is a low, raspy drawl, way deeper and rougher than his usual polite tone…but I’m too flustered at the remark to really question it. 

He turns back to the duffel bag, zipping it up.

I swallow hard, trying to build up the courage. I can't let him leave without saying it, I probably won't have this chance again. 

“Uhm... what would you be doing this holiday?” I ask after taking a deep courageous breath.

He pauses, his hand freezing on the zipper. Slowly, he turns his head back to look at me, a slow, wicked smirk spreading across his lips. He just stares at me for a few seconds, as if evaluating my question and actions, before leaning back against the desk.

 

“Not much,” he murmurs, his tone entirely playful. “Why do you ask?”

I take another deep breath, squeezing my eyes shut, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze. The words just pour out of me. “Because... I’ve liked you since our first year. I've always liked you. I know you’re always super busy, but I wanted to know if... if you’d give me a chance over the holidays?” I shamelessly let out my embarrassing lines. 

The room goes completely dead silent. My heart is beating in my throat as I wait for him to say something. Anything.

Shit! That wasn't how I planned to say it, I probably sound so stupid that's why he's quiet…?

When I finally open my eyes, he’s looking down at me with a curious, intense expression, his eyes tracing my face before a low, teasing chuckle escapes his lips.

He takes slow, deliberate steps toward me, completely crowding my space. “A chance, huh? Yeah. I think I can definitely do that.”

My eyes widens. I snap my head up to look at him, desperately searching for a little bit of mockery in his tone, or a sign that he's joking.

​I can swear my heart is close to popping right out of my chest. I did pray for a positive response... but this still doesn't feel real.