Chapter 3
FOUR YEARS AGO
The bright sun beamed over the campus on a lively Wednesday. I eagerly anticipated the results of my final exam. Summer break was just around the corner.
The school publicly posted the final year students” results, sending a wave of anxiety through the halls. But when I saw my name on the notice board, I beamed with pride. My straight A”s were no secret, and everyone knew I had achieved them.
The pungent aroma of a strong cologne wafted through the air, signaling the arrival of someone important. As the scent grew stronger, the murmur of the crowd shifted, and bodies began to part like a human curtain. Heads turned, eyes fixed on the individual making his way through the sea of excited and devastated students, their faces a mix of thrill and despair.
He had a confident stride. He knew he belonged. He navigated the crowd with ease, his presence commanding attention. I turned to see who it was. My smile vanished when my brown eyes locked with the most famous ice-blue ones in all of Shelly Ford.
I didn”t consider myself as Leo”s friend. I thought, why would a cool athlete like him want to spend time with a bookworm like me? But, it seemed like Leo was well-known by everyone at Shelly”s High School.
Leo was the star quarterback of the football team, and he always seemed surrounded by a group of admiring classmates. His confident stride and easy smile made him stand out in the crowded hallways. Leo”s popularity was evident as he effortlessly navigated through different social circles, earning respect and admiration from all corners of the school.
He boasted an impressive pedigree, with a family lineage that commanded respect. However, it was his own accomplishments that truly set him apart. He had a reputation in his field. I, a recognized intellect, had come to see him as a worthy academic adversary. Our rivalry was built on mutual respect. We constantly pushed each other to new heights.
This dynamic drove us to question, to experiment, and to innovate, ultimately leading to breakthroughs that benefited our entire academic community. My acknowledgement of him as a rival was, in fact, a badge of honor, a testament to his exceptional abilities and dedication to his craft.
His tall frame passed through the space created for him like peasants for kings. He made his way to the female standing near the bulletin board.
As he stepped into my space, the pungent scent of his perfume wafted up, filling my nostrils and making me wrinkle my nose in distaste. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, and a faint furrow creased the skin between his eyebrows, a subtle sign of frustration. Then, in a voice that was deceptively soft, he hissed, ”Get out of the way.” The sudden harshness of his tone caught me off guard, and I blinked in surprise, my eyes snapping back to his as I stared at him with newfound confidence.“
What?” I didn”t hesitate to scoff. I wasn”t certain if that was the problem, but I was pretty sure that he was not blind. There was plenty of space around us for him to move but this jerk was showing unnecessary attitude.
Leo raised a brow. His expression darkened a bit at the sight of the woman not scrambling away. “You heard me, didn”t you?” He stated. His voice was now laced with irritation. His eyes bored into mine, trying to intimidate me. But, I wasn”t going to let him.
”I arrived at this spot before you did, so please find another place to view the results,” I asserted firmly. I met his unfriendly gaze with a determined look. I stood with my hands confidently on my hips and focused my stare on his chest to show my unwavering resolve.
I had always wanted to challenge my archenemy academically since they were freshmen. Fate had finally given me the chance to glare at his face while mentally asking how he kept up such great grades. Especially when he hardly showed up at school.
The tension between us was starting to increase by just the look he sent in my direction. But then, to my surprise, he relaxed. A slight smirk appeared on his face. His blue eyes quickly checked the notification behind me.
“Cassie Evans.” His gaze came back to settle on my face. “Is that you? The one whose plan to be the best student of the year always get failed by me?” Leo questioned with the most scrutinizing gaze of all time.
At this point, I couldn’t fight back a sneer at the insane amount of arrogance oozing out from every word he spoke. My eyes narrowed at his taunting tone. My fingers curled into fists as I clenched my dress to stop from punching him.
”Wow, I thought you never noticed. You”ve been so frustrating for four years,” I retorted sarcastically.
To my big surprise, I noticed a tiny smirk playing on his lips as I spoke. ”It might have been simpler if you didn”t wear those fashion-disaster outfits all the time,” he teased, giving me a disapproving look from the corner of his eye.
I felt my cheeks heat up at his remark, not being able to stop my shoulders stiffening at his words. He was mocking me. Oh God, he really was mocking me. I wasn”t the only one who had heard that. I could tell from the stiff chuckles and giggles a few meters away.
The disapproving stares from my classmates didn”t improve my mood. It seemed like every single person in the hallway gazed at me with a mixture of disappointment and anger, their eyes demanding that Leo Woodrow, the self-proclaimed ”school king,” take action against me for not following their unwritten rules.
The air was thick with tension, and I could almost hear their collective whisper: ”How dare you defy us?” It was as if they wanted Leo to summon his inner dictator and publicly humiliate me for my disobedience. The weight of their expectation pressed down on me, making my shoulders slump in defeat.
I could feel the pressure rising. I also knew the fight with Leo was not for me to win. Deciding to back down would be best. I didn’t want anyone to ruin my joyful day.
He took a step forward with a small smirk on his attractive features, the tip of his shoes touching mine. “Get out of here, Cass, if you don’t want me to create more problems than being the second-best student.” His words came in whispers. His low, raspy voice barely reached my ears. It sent an electric spark over my nerves.
My eyes flickered back to his. Then, they fell on his face, finding traces of amusement. It was written over his features. It was almost daring mine to stay there.
I sneered at him, stepping back slightly at his aggressive posture, my eyebrows furrowing tightly together. ”I don’t need a jerk to tell me what to do,” I spat. Then, I walked past him. I made sure to bump my shoulder into his chest.
Someone laughed softly, sounding mocking, as they left, but I didn”t care much since I knew who it was.
My eyes flickered back to his. Then, they fell on his face. I found traces of amusement written over his features. It was almost like he was daring mine to stay there.
I sneered at him. I stepped back at his aggressive posture. My eyebrows furrowed tightly. ”I don’t need a jerk to tell me what to do,” I spat. Then, I walked past him. I made sure my shoulder bumped his chest.
A soft chuckle filled with mockery bid me goodbye, and knowing from whom it came from, I couldn’t care less.
I had more important things to do than worry about that jerkish—if that was even a word— and arrogant son of a b**** Leo Woodrow.