But as I stood there, the dull weight of my anxiety remained. Ice. He hadn't smiled at all during the whole process. Was he satisfied? Did we do enough to make him proud? I couldn't quite shake the pressure. I was just relieved that it was over, but I knew—he wouldn't be. Ice always wanted the best, and the best wasn't just "good enough." It was "perfect."
The students began trickling out of the lab, walking towards the cafeteria. The break was a welcome escape from the tension, but my mind kept replaying the moments of the test. Could we have done better? Could I have done better?
Trying to distract myself, I grabbed a drink and some snacks before heading toward the familiar faces of Oriel and Dhylan, who were already seated together. It was hard to miss the two of them—always together, always inseparable.
"Hey guys!" I greeted them, sliding into the seat next to Ori, my eyes catching her exasperated expression as she shot a glare at Dhylan.
"Did you finish your cake on time?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. Oriel's glare told me everything I needed to know.
"Ask this fool!" she snapped, clearly irritated.
"Hey, Ori, don't call me a fool!" Dhylan responded dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest as if wounded. "You're hurting my feelings!" He stumbled backward, acting as if he were about to collapse from the 'pain.'
I couldn't hold back a laugh. That's classic Dhylan.
With a roll of her eyes, Oriel pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Stop it, you idiot!" she said, her tone half exasperated, half affectionate. Dhylan, knowing exactly how to push her buttons, continued his little act.
"Ouch! Now she called me an idiot," he muttered, clearly relishing every moment. Then, as if sensing an opening, he leaned closer to Oriel. "I'll stop if you give me a kiss," he teased, winking at her.
Oriel's jaw dropped, her cheeks turning crimson. This wasn't the first time he'd done this—no, he had a habit of teasing her like this. But the way he said it, so casually, always left her speechless. It was almost as if he knew how much it would make her flustered, and he loved every second of it.
"Go take pictures of them! Hurry up!" I heard some students whispering, and while they tried to keep it quiet, I caught enough of it to know they were talking about Ori and Dhylan.
Am I missing something here? I thought, raising an eyebrow as I glanced between the two of them.
"You two are so sweet. Are you sure you're just best friends?" I asked teasingly, still trying to piece together the weird energy between them.
"We're not!" Dhylan blurted out, but Oriel shot him a death glare that quickly silenced him. With a resigned sigh, Dhylan slumped into his seat, hands behind his head like a child who'd been scolded.
Oriel sighed and began to explain, shaking her head in frustration. "Back in our first year, there was a campus competition. It was all about who looked the best as a couple—there was a poll, and all these pictures went around the campus. DJ came up with the idea to sign us up."
Dhylan looked at her, as if he was about to protest, but Oriel's expression warned him to stay quiet. So, he did.
"I wasn't really into it, but I agreed because the prize money was good. We thought it wouldn't matter, no one would know we weren't actually a couple," she continued, her tone a mix of amusement and exasperation. "And then... we won. We didn't expect to, but we did."
I blinked, surprised. "Wait, so you weren't really a couple?"
"No!" Oriel groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "But after we won, no one believed us. We tried to explain it, but they just kept saying, 'You two look perfect together!'" She sighed deeply, her frustration evident.
I couldn't help but giggle. "Well, I can kind of see why they thought that."
"No, not you too, Fyre!" Oriel whined, but behind her, Dhylan gave me a thumbs-up, his face the picture of mischief. He quickly dropped his hands when Oriel shot him a look.
They're really cute together, I thought, watching their dynamic unfold. The way they bickered and laughed at each other—it was obvious there was something deeper there, even if neither of them would admit it. Their relationship was like a gentle dance, one where they were constantly teasing, but there was always affection underneath.
Just then, I caught a glimpse of Ice, moving through the cafeteria, scanning for an empty seat. I raised my hand, hoping to catch his attention. I was sure he saw me—he definitely did!
"Ice!" I called, excited to finally get a chance to talk.
But he ignored me.
He looked straight at me, then turned away, his face impassive. Ouch. Okay, that kinda stung.
The break ended far too quickly. The relief I felt earlier evaporated as soon as I sat back at my desk. With my heart still racing from the stress of the test, I knew exactly what I had to do: confront Ice.
I wheeled around in my seat, eyes fixed on his. "I was calling you at the cafeteria, you ignored me!" I said, my voice a little sharper than I intended.
Ice didn't even spare me a glance. His gaze was locked on the front of the room, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"You and your friends are noisy," he muttered, as if I were a mere distraction.
"We're not! We're just chatting normally!" I protested, though it felt like I was talking to a wall. He didn't even acknowledge my words, staying as cold as ever.
Okay, maybe I could try a different approach. "I'm sure we'll get a good grade for the cake. You plate it perfectly!" I tried again, hoping that a compliment would soften him up. Why does he always seem so irritated?
Ice turned his gaze toward me, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "I don't want a high grade. I want the highest grade," he said, his voice as flat and emotionless as before.
Gulp.
I felt a chill run down my spine. His glare seemed to say it all: You better not have screwed this up. I swallowed hard. Great. That pressure again.