Lily Porter had never seen a place so intimidating
The grand iron gates of ST. AURELIUS Academy towered around her, etched with centuries of tradition, and more money than she'd ever see in her entire life. The campus looked straight out of the fantasy novel, all Gothic stone buildings, lush lawns and shiny black luxury cars lined up like a showroom.
She swallowed hard, hugging her battered canvas backpack closer. Scholarship Student. Remember why you're here. Work hard. Prove yourself. Get in.
As she stepped into the main hall, she could feel the eyes. Designer dresses, polished loafers, sparkling watches, these kids had probably never worried about the bills of their lives.
Lily took a deep breath, chin up. "They don't own you."
A hush fall across the corridor. She turned, and that's when she saw him.
Alex Carter.
The name carried a legend, even in the scholarship office where Lily had first heard whispers of St. Aurelius. Top grades, caption of the fencing team, heir to a business empire worth more than some countries. Tall, Dark, annoyingly perfect, the kind of rich boy who could snap his fingers and half the school bowing down.
He walked like he owned the ground under his feet, flanked by a group of equally polished friends.
Their eyes met.
And he smirked.
"Oh, look," he drawled, loud enough for the entire hallway to hear. "They let the charity cases in early this year."
A wave of laugh rolled through the crowd.
Lily's face burned, but she forced herself to stand tall. "At least I earned my place here, Carter. What did you do, buy it?"
His friends went silent, wide eyes. Nobody talked back to Alex Carter.
His smirk twitched, like he hadn't decided whether to be angry or impressed. "Cute", he shot back. "But this isn't your little public school. Try to stay out of my way, yeah?"
Lily narrowed her eyes, refusing to be intimidated. "As long as you stay out of my way."
He raised a brow, intrigued, "Game on, then."
From that moment on, they became rivals.
Every class was a battle. Every test, a showdown. Every stolen glance felt like a spark waiting to ignite.
(Continued)
"Game on, then," Alex repeated, a dangerous glint in his stormy eyes.
Lily's heart thudded, but she refused to let him see even a flicker of fear, instead she threw him a sugary-sweet smile. "Bring it."
The hall buzzed like a live wire as Alex's friends gawked, then whispers, probably deciding whether to pity her or worship her. Nobody ever challenged Alex Carter like that.
Lily stepped around him, head high, refusing to give him the satisfaction of looking back.
Later that day, first class
She settled into a seat near the front of the enormous, sunlit classroom, unpacking her batted notebook and a stack of freshly sharped pencils. The scholarship had covered her tuition, but not fancy supplies, and Lily didn't care. Her mind was sharper than any fountain pen in the room.
From behind, she heard that familiar voice.
"Assigned seat, princess?"
She turned, scowling as Alex dropped into the chair right next to hers. Of course.
"It's lily," she snapped.
He leaned back lazily, spinning a pen between his fingers." Whatever, You ready to lose today?"
"In what? Breathing air?" lily snapped.
His grin was positively criminal. "Top of the class, I always am"
Lily arced an eyebrow. " We'll see."
Class begins
The teacher, a sharp eyed woman named Mrs. Wilson, launched straight into a diagnostic quiz all advanced mathematics, designed to gauge who was the best.
Lily attacked the paper with a quiet confidence, scribbling answer before Alex had even finished reading the first question. From corner of her eyes, she saw his jaw tighten, just a hint, and satisfaction curled in her chest.
When time called, Mrs. Wilson collected the sheets.
"I'll post your rank tomorrow." She announced.
"Consider this your first impression."
Alex nagged Lily's notebook with his pen. "you think you did better than me?"
She met his eyes coolly. "I know I did."
For a second, just a second, something in his gaze shifted, from a challenge to….. respect? But it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Sure, princess," he mocked, pushing his chair back with a scrape. " Dream on."
Lily found a quiet table under a massive Oak tree, nose deep in a battered copy of Jane Eyre.
Until a shadow fell across the page.
"You seriously read that for fun?" Alex said.
She signed dramatically, not even glancing up.
"Carter, do you have a hobby that doesn't involve annoying me?"
He plopped down across from without invitation.
"Nope", he said sounding delighted.
"You're my only hobby from now, porter."
She slammed the book shut, glaring. "Find a new one."
He smirked, stealing a fry from her tray. "Not a chance."
Lily snatched her tray away, scrawling. "Touch my fries again, carter, and you lose a finger."
His grin was infuriating, all wolfish charm and zero sham. "Feisty."
"Persistent.", she corrected, "not feisty. Unlike you, I don't get off on making people miserable."
Alex shrugged, unconcerned. "You make it too easy."
Lily's jaw tightened. Why does he always have to be here?
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she asked, trying to reopen her book.
He lined forward, elbows on the table, eyes locked in hers. "No."
A beat passed too heavy, too loud.
Lily forced herself to hold gaze, refusing to blink. "What do you want from me, Alex?"
He smirked wavered, just a hair. "Nothing, just fun watching you try so hard."
"Try hard?" she shot back. "At least I try instead of coasting on daddy's account."
His smile didn't reach his eyes anymore. "Careful, princess."
Lily's voice dropped, sharp and quiet. "Don't call me that."
They stared into each other eyes, air in between practically vibrating.
Alex shifts back, forcing himself to look away first. "Fine. Lily" he said, a word soft on his tongue.
She flinched, but covered it with a sneer. "Good."
The bell rang, saving them both from saying something neither could take back.
Alex stood, brushing invisible lint off his blazer. "see you in class."
She didn't answer, just watch him go, that annoying scent of expensive cologne lingering in the air.
For a few tiny second, she wondered if he'd actually meant it when he'd used her name.