CHAPTER 3 THAT'S HOW I GOT HER NAME

"Only the first, third, and last rows will draw from our magic ball to assign partners for this task," Ms. Gonzales announced, waving a clear glass sphere filled with folded slips of paper. "Whichever name you pull will be your other half for this project. Let’s begin with the first row."

It was an eccentric teaching method, but I had to admit it kept the classroom from sinking into its usual morning lethargy.

As the first row took their turns, Ms. Gonzales had them read their results aloud. My name wasn't called, nor was Jaz's. My gaze drifted to the third row, where the class president sat rigidly in her seat.

Hmm, I wonder who she’ll get. A thrill of anticipation shot through me. If by some stroke of luck she drew my name, I was golden. I wouldn't have to lift a finger and I'd still breeze through the subject with an A.

"Okay, let's proceed to the third row," Ms. Gonzales said, stepping up to Jaz's desk. "Ms. Amanda, who is your other half?"

Jaz stared down at the paper. Silence stretched over the room, thick and heavy.

[JAZ AMANDA POV]

Usually, the quarterly assignments Ms. Gonzales dreamed up were an easy path to a high grade for me. But this was different. Having a partner meant factoring in an unpredictable liability. I knew exactly why the professor did it—it was a charity system designed to let the top students carry the weakest ones to a passing grade.

I unfolded the tiny slip of paper I had drawn, expecting to see the name of a grateful classmate. Instead, my heart dropped.

Anika Hodgens.

My jaw practically went slack. I had never heard this name before today. Don't tell me... it's the newbie. Oh, good lord. When a bad day starts rolling, the avalanche just keeps coming. The very girl who had just systematically destroyed my reputation in front of the teacher was now tethered to my academic record. What a sick joke.

"Ms. Amanda... I am waiting," Ms. Gonzales prompted, her tone sharp.

Hesitantly, I tried to salvage the situation. "Ma'am, may I please draw again? I really cannot work with this student."

Ms. Gonzales raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to my desk as the entire class turned to look at me. "And why is that, Ms. Amanda? Since when do you have personal grievances with your peers?"

"It's not that, it's just..." I stammered, my voice trailing off. I averted my eyes, desperately trying to mask the burning embarrassment on my face.

"Read the name," the professor commanded, unyielding. "Only then will I decide if a redraw is warranted."

Why was today turning into such an unmitigated disaster? Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Anika leaning back in her chair. A knowing smirk played on her lips, as if she could already sense the cosmic joke written on my paper.

"It's Anika, Ma'am," I blurted out, sitting down abruptly. "I drew Anika Hodgens."

From the row behind me, a low, quiet chuckle vibrated through the air. I clenched my fists. What was this girl's problem?

[FAST FORWARD >>> LUNCH BREAK]

The sharp chime of the bell signaled the start of the lunch hour. The moment Ms. Gonzales dismissed the class, Jaz marched straight toward Anika's desk to establish the ground rules for their project. But before she could even open her mouth, Anika cut her off with a dismissive wave.

"Just let me know when you're finished with the whole thing, Ms. President," Anika said, her voice dripping with lazy indifference. "There's really no need to involve me."

"What? What did you just say?" Jaz snapped, her face twisting into a furious scowl. She looked like she was on the verge of a total meltdown.

"I didn't realize you were hard of hearing on top of everything else," Anika replied coolly.

Pissed off beyond belief, Jaz took a step closer, losing her grip on her tightly managed composure. "Is this why you were expelled from your last school? Because you act like a total degenerate?"

Anika paused. She slowly crossed her arms, tilting her head as she locked eyes with the class president. "You really have fun throwing tantrums, don't you? Honestly, it's a stellar performance. Bravo." She clapped her hands in a slow, mocking rhythm.

"Then give me one good reason why you transferred here!" Jaz demanded, her left eyebrow arching aggressively.

Anika mirrored the expression, her voice dropping into a sharp, dismissive edge. "None of your business, baby girl. You'd better get a head start on that project if you want an A. End of story."

Anika spun around, turning her back to leave the room.

"Oh! So you're just a parasite?" Jaz shot back, a bitter, sarcastic smile spreading across her lips. "Living off the hard work of others just to scrape by?"

Anika stopped, looking back over her shoulder with an expression of pure boredom. "Think whatever you want, princess. I don't care. Do you get it? I literally do not care." Without waiting for a reply, she walked out into the crowded hallway.

Left standing alone, Jaz trembled with sheer exasperation. The thought of dealing with this girl for an entire quarter was already giving her a massive headache.

"Hey! Wait! I'm not done with you, Anika!" Jaz yelled, suddenly remembering the blatant lie Anika had told Ms. Gonzales about her having a boyfriend.

Determined to get an apology, Jaz sprinted out of the room. She scanned the hallways, the cafeteria, and the courtyard, but Anika was nowhere to be found. Finally, she ventured toward the restricted, overgrown area behind the old campus building.

Jaz skidded to a halt. The words died in her throat.

There, leaning casually against the brick wall, was Anika, leaning back and calmly puffing a cigarette. Jaz stood frozen. In all her years at this strict academy, she had never seen a student brazenly light up a cigarette on school grounds.

This was it. The perfect weapon for revenge. Jaz's fingers instinctively twitched toward her pocket to pull out her phone and take a photo for evidence. But oddly enough, a strange hesitation held her back.

[ANIKA HODGENS POV]

I couldn't help but smirk as I leaned against the brick wall, the memory of Jaz’s horrified face when I invented that boyfriend rumor still putting me in a great mood. It was a well-deserved lesson. If you stick your nose in my business, expect to get burned.

The lunch break lasted an hour, and since my appetite was nonexistent, I had retreated to the isolated space behind the building to smoke. The quiet, hidden spot was quickly becoming my favorite place on campus.

A soft rustle of gravel broke the silence. I turned my head and internally groaned. Speak of the devil. What was this girl's issue? Was she stalking me now?

I figured she was going to scream bloody murder, take a mental note of my violation, and run straight to the principal's office to pay me back for the classroom stunt.

But to my absolute amazement, she didn't say a word. Instead, she marched right up to me, closed the distance, and snatched the burning cigarette straight out from between my fingers.

I opened my mouth to bark an insult, but the words caught in my throat as she brought the filter to her lips and took a long, practiced drag. She exhaled a perfect plume of grey smoke into the morning air.

A sudden laugh escaped me. Look at that. The pristine, untouchable class president was hiding a wild side beneath that crisp uniform. I had pegged her as a fragile, textbook hall-monitor—the exact type of girl I used to break back at my old school. But this? This was interesting.

I shrugged, thoroughly amused. "Well, well. So the princess smokes?"

"Why?" Jaz countered, a faint, defiant giggle breaking through her rigid exterior. "Are you the only one allowed to have a vice? Don't worry, I'll pay you back for the stick."

"Keep your money," I replied, my tone shifting into something almost resembling camaraderie. I pulled a fresh cigarette from my pack, lit it up, and within seconds, the two of us were smoking like a chimney against the old brick wall.

Jaz took another slow drag, the tension leaving her shoulders before she turned her eyes to me. "But seriously... why did you transfer here? Don't take it the wrong way, I'm genuinely just curious. No hidden motives. And... thank you. For handling that creep in the classroom earlier."