[Rosella's POV]
By Thursday, the high of day-one adrenaline had fizzled, and reality hit like a bad cafeteria sandwich.
I was tired. My feet hurt. My brain felt like mashed potatoes. And every hallway came with bonus stares and whispers.
They weren't subtle about it, either.
> "She's the one."
"The Carter girl."
"God, she's brave or just plain stupid."
I wanted to scream, I'm right here, but I didn't. Instead, I rolled my eyes and kept walking — because letting them get to me would mean they'd won.
Spoiler alert: I don't lose.
---
Chemistry class was the final straw.
I walked in late, thanks to a wrong turn and a teacher who directed me to the "other science lab, dear." I found an empty spot, slumped into the seat… and realized, too late, who I'd landed beside.
Damien. Again.
What is this? Academic stalking?
He didn't say anything. Just looked at me with that same unreadable expression. A smirk hovering like it lived rent-free on his face.
> "Late again?" he murmured.
"Worried about me, Carter?"
"Not exactly. But I do like a pattern."
Before I could clap back, the teacher clapped her hands and launched into something about safety goggles and combustion. Which felt fitting. My mood was halfway there.
---
We got paired for a lab experiment, because of course we did.
I swear the universe is a petty little gremlin.
Our task? Something with magnesium, bunsen burners, and strict instructions not to burn the school down.
I handled the instructions. Damien lit the flame. Somehow, we worked in silence — but it wasn't peaceful. It was that tense kind of quiet where every motion felt watched. Not just by him. But by everyone.
At one point, I fumbled a test tube. He caught it before it rolled off the table.
Our fingers brushed. Briefly.
Electric.
And absolutely annoying.
> "You're jumpy," he said.
"You're annoying."
"You keep saying that. But you haven't walked away yet."
I glared at him.
He smiled like it was a victory.
---
After class, I slipped out fast, needing air. But the second I turned the corner, I ran right into someone's shoulder.
Hard.
"Watch it," the girl snapped. Veronica. Again. Flanked by her designer drones.
I tried to sidestep, but she blocked me.
> "Just a little tip, Rosella," she said, voice dripping fake sugar. "People like you? You're entertainment. Nothing more."
I smiled sweetly. "Then I hope I'm charging rent for all the space I take up in your head."
Gasps. One of her girls dropped her lip gloss.
Veronica's face hardened. "You'll regret this."
"Oh, I already do," I said. "Regret wasting ten seconds on you."
Then I walked away, pulse racing but posture perfect. Because that's the rule:
Never let them see you sweat.
---
In my dorm that night, I collapsed onto my mattress and stared at the ceiling. Every inch of this school was a battlefield, and I didn't even have armor.
But you know what I do have?
Stamina.
And fire.
And Damien Carter's attention — which might be a curse, but it's also a weapon.
Let them come.
I'm not folding.
---