The bell rang, scattering the class into chatter and clatter. Desks shifted, chairs scraped, voices rose like static.
I stood, still holding the last of the files, ready to set them aside. But before I could, Mia was there.
She leaned against my desk, arms crossed, chest pressing tight against her blouse until the seams threatened to give. Her pink hair spilled down, brushing the wood of my desk, glitter catching the light like fire.
"You carried them well," she said softly, tilting her head. "Guess I was right about you."
The way she looked at me sharp, predatory, playful wasn't the way a class rep should look at anyone. Her eyes weren't assessing my work ethic or my usefulness. They were peeling me open.
"Just paper," I muttered, sliding the stack aside.
Her smile spread slow, deliberate. "It's not about the paper. It's about how you handle weight."
She leaned closer, her perfume dizzying sweet, sharp, intoxicating. She pressed her hand flat against my desk, her nails grazing the wood as her body bent forward, giving me no choice but to notice the swell beneath her blouse.
My throat tightened. Every breath felt stolen.
"Kael," she whispered, eyes locking with mine, "you don't even realize how much you stand out, do you?"
Her voice wrapped around me like silk. Dangerous silk.
And then her knee brushed mine under the desk. Just enough to shock me. Just enough to tell me it wasn't an accident.
"Class rep—" I started.
She cut me off with a sly smirk. "Call me Mia."
Her lips curved as though she'd already won something, as though she knew exactly what this moment was doing to me. And maybe she did.
Because my chest was tight, my pulse faster than I wanted to admit.
But when I looked past her shoulder, I caught something else.
Aimee.
Sitting a few rows away, gathering her books with quiet care. She didn't flirt, didn't push, didn't scheme. Her skirt rode her thighs in the same way every girl's did, but on her it wasn't provocation, it was… natural. Warm. Effortless.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and in that tiny motion, my chest shifted. A different pull. Softer. Realer.
But Mia, Mia wasn't about to let me look away.
She leaned even closer now, whispering right against my ear, her lips barely brushing my skin.
"You'll see me after class, won't you?"
Her hand grazed my arm, sliding down slow, deliberate, until her nails traced the veins of my wrist. Her thigh pressed harder into mine beneath the desk.
The air thickened.
And just before I could answer, before I could even breathe she smiled that dangerous, victorious smile again.
"Good. I'll be waiting."
Then she pulled back, hips swaying as she walked out, her skirt clinging to her curves like it was painted on.
Aimee walked out a moment later, quiet, calm. Her eyes flicked to mine only once before she disappeared into the hall. No words. No seduction. Just that glance.
But somehow, it burned hotter than Mia's touch.
.....
The hallway emptied in waves. Students spilled out, laughter echoing against lockers, the smell of perfume and sweat blending into a haze. I adjusted my bag and started toward the stairwell.
But I didn't get far.
A hand grabbed my wrist. Firm. Warm. Pulling me toward a shadowed corner just before the exit.
Mia.
Her pink hair shimmered under the pale light, framing a grin that was half-dare, half-victory. She pressed me back against the cool wall, files still clutched against her chest like an excuse she'd long forgotten.
"You didn't answer me in class," she murmured, her lips so close I could feel the ghost of her breath.
My pulse kicked hard.
"I wasn't sure what to say," I muttered.
Her laugh was soft, low, dangerous. "Then don't say anything. Just let me show you."
Her body closed the gap. Her thigh slid between mine, firm, pressing—trapping. Her blouse strained as she leaned forward, her chest brushing mine in deliberate contact, each breath making her curves push harder into me.
"Do you feel that?" she whispered, tilting her head so her lips nearly grazed my jaw. "That's what happens when I want something."
My hands flexed uselessly at my sides. The heat of her body was impossible to ignore, every inch of her pushing, testing, claiming space she hadn't been given.
Her nails traced my forearm, up, slow, teasing, until she hooked a finger under my chin and forced my gaze back to hers.
Those eyes sharp pink fire searched me, daring me to resist.
"You can't hide from me, Kael," she breathed. "I see you. The way you try to hold back, the way your eyes betray you…"
Her lips brushed my ear, sending a jolt all the way down my spine.
"…the way you want me even when you don't admit it."
The wall felt hotter behind me. My chest tightened with every second she pressed closer, her hips grazing mine with the rhythm of someone who already knew how to drive men mad.
And then her hand slid lower, over my ribs, hovering dangerously at the edge of my waistband. A whisper away from crossing a line that would change everything.
Her smirk deepened. "Say my name."
Silence pressed between us. My heart hammered so loud I thought she could hear it.
But just then voices echoed at the far end of the hall. A group of classmates turned the corner.
Mia pulled back in an instant, but not before dragging her nails lightly across my stomach, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She stepped away, hips swaying, lips curved like she'd already claimed victory.
"Later," she mouthed, then vanished into the crowd.
I exhaled hard, chest tight, trying to steady myself.
And just as I pushed off the wall, I caught her again Aimee.
She stood a little distance down the hall, books held tight against her chest. Her eyes had caught mine in that single moment, wide, shimmering, unreadable. She hadn't seen everything but she'd seen enough.
And the way she looked at me then…
not lust, not seduction. Something else.
Something I couldn't shake, no matter how hard Mia burned against me.
.....
By the next morning, things felt… different.
Not from class, not from friends. From Mia.
She'd burned her touch into my skin yesterday, and no matter how much I tried to push it aside, my body remembered.
"Kael!" one of the guys slapped my shoulder as we walked toward the library. "Man, you're turning into a magnet these days. Every girl's eyes are glued to you."
I laughed it off, shoving my hands in my pockets. "You're exaggerating."
"Am I?" another chimed in, smirking. "Didn't you see the way that sophomore bent over her desk yesterday? She didn't even need to, but she sure made sure you noticed her striped panties."
The guys cracked up. I forced a laugh, shaking my head. "You idiots watch too much."
But they weren't wrong. More and more, I felt the weight of eyes on me. Girls' laughter cutting sharper when I passed. Blouses clinging tighter. Skirts creeping shorter.
Still, all of that blurred compared to one presence.
Mia.
She found me again later that afternoon. Library quiet, sunlight pouring through tall windows, dust motes dancing in the golden beams. I sat at a table near the back, flipping through notes.
"Kael."
Her voice, low, honeyed, sliced through the hush.
I looked up and nearly lost my breath.
Mia leaned one hip against the table, a file in her hand she clearly didn't care about. Her skirt rode higher than it had yesterday, hem daring to give away more with every movement. Her blouse clung to her chest, the buttons straining against curves that looked ready to burst free.
"Carrying files for me once wasn't enough," she said with a sly grin. "Think you can handle it again?"
I swallowed. "You really like making me your assistant, huh?"
She leaned closer, the scent of her perfume wrapping around me sweet but sharp, like something dangerous dressed in flowers. Her hair slid across my arm as she set the file down with a deliberate bend.
And that was when it happened.
Her blouse gaped just enough, her chest pressing forward, the lace of her bra teasing my eyes before I jerked them away. But she saw. Of course she saw.
Her smirk curved into a flame.
"You looked," she whispered.
"Mia…" I started, but the word died in my throat when her thigh brushed mine under the table.
Slow. Testing. Then firmer, pressing into me, her eyes locked on mine with the full weight of challenge.
"You pretend you don't want this," she breathed, her voice dripping heat, "but your body's louder than your mouth, Kael."
I clenched my fists under the table. She leaned further, close enough that her lips brushed the corner of my jaw when she spoke again.
"Say the word, and I'll burn you alive."
The air between us thickened until every sound in the library faded into nothing. Just her. Her body, her sway, her curves molding against me like fire waiting for oxygen.
And just as I thought I'd snap
"Kael!"
A friend's voice cut across the aisle. Mia pulled back instantly, masking her devilish grin with a polite smile as our classmate approached.
"Hey man, we're heading to practice. You coming?"
I nodded, clearing my throat. "Yeah give me a minute."
My friend left with a shrug, and Mia leaned just close enough to whisper one last dagger:
"Later. You won't escape me."
Then she was gone.
Her sway down the aisle hips rolling, skirt rising with every step was seared into my mind.
And yet, at the edge of my vision… Aimee sat quietly at another table, pretending to read, but her eyes flicked to me once, soft and warm, before darting back to her book.
Two worlds. Two fires.
One burning to consume me.
The other drawing me in with nothing but silence.
.....
By the next day, everyone seemed to notice.
Mia didn't even hide it anymore.
It started in the classroom. The professor droned about literature while Mia slid into the seat in front of me. her skirt shorter than yesterday, her hair glowing pink under the ceiling lights.
Every time she leaned forward, her blouse strained, and the buttons whispered with danger. She didn't take notes. She posed. Elbows tucked in to push her chest higher, hips swaying every time she shifted. She would glance back over her shoulder, lips slightly parted, as if every move was meant to hook me.
And hell, it worked. My pulse beat heavy every time her skirt lifted a little too high.
"Bro," one of my boys muttered beside me, trying to hold back a laugh. "She's about to kill you with that ass."
Another nudged my arm. "You don't even need to look. Half the class is watching this show."
I forced my gaze down to my notebook, jaw tight. But Mia knew. She could feel the way I tried not to burn.
Later at lunch, she turned it into a full scene.
The cafeteria buzzed with noise, trays clattering, friends joking around. I sat with my usual group, Aimee not far away with her circle, quiet as always but with her eyes sometimes flicking toward me.
Then Mia appeared.
Not with food. Just with her presence. She slid into the empty space right beside me like she owned it. The scent of her perfume hit again—sweet, dangerous, addictive.
"Kael," she purred, crossing her legs so high the hem of her skirt kissed her thigh. "You forgot the files from yesterday. Should I punish you for that?"
The table went silent. My friends' heads whipped between us like it was a drama playing out live.
"Damn," one of them whispered.
"She's not even trying to hide it," another muttered with wide eyes.
Mia leaned closer, her lips brushing the shell of my ear. "Say yes, and I'll make it fun."
My tray shook in my hand. Heat flared through my skin, my friends' shocked laughter only making it worse.
"Kael," one of them hissed, barely containing himself, "she's about to eat you alive in front of everyone."
Mia smiled like a wolf hearing that, then trailed a finger down my forearm, slow enough for the entire table to see. "I don't mind if they watch," she whispered, eyes locked on mine.
My friends erupted, slapping the table, whistling, trying to cover their nerves with laughter.
But beneath the noise, my chest hammered.
She was winning. Every sway of her hips, every daring press of her body in public—she wasn't just after me anymore. She was making everyone see it. Making it impossible to pretend.
And still…
Through the chaos, I caught Aimee's eyes again. Just for a heartbeat. She looked away, her lashes lowering, her expression unreadable. But something about that silence hit me harder than Mia's fire.
Two traps.
One blazing in public, daring me to burn.
The other sitting quietly, waiting for me to notice.
.....
The classroom buzzed the way it always did before lectures, everyone talking, laughing, moving around. But lately, it was different lately, it felt like all eyes drifted toward me one way or another.
Or maybe it was just Mia making sure of that.
She strolled past my desk like she was on a runway, her pink hair swaying, her skirt cut so dangerously high it almost counted as a dare. She bent a little too far reaching for her bag, her blouse clinging like it was painted on. Her perfume floated in waves, and she didn't miss the way my friends' eyes followed her every step.
"Damn…" Jace whistled under his breath beside me. "Our class got too many hot girls, man. Every day feels like a movie."
"Facts," Malik grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Half the time I don't even pay attention to the lecture. Just thighs, curves, skirts… bro, it's hell and heaven at the same time."
The guys cracked up, throwing in names, teasing each other about who they'd never stand a chance with.
Jace elbowed me suddenly. "But you, Kael? You're different, bro. They're all orbiting you like moths to a flame."
I smirked, shaking my head. "Orbiting? Man, chill. You're imagining things."
Malik leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Imagining? You blind? Even the assistant class rep, Mia. She's been trying to get at you, bro. Like, not subtle at all."
That made them laugh harder, clapping the desk.
I sighed, pretending to brush it off, but the truth slipped out before I could stop it. "She's been… yeah. Trying."
"'Trying'?!" Jace almost shouted, then covered his mouth when the professor glanced over. "If I was in your place, I'd take that opportunity so fast, man. Mia's fire. She's literally throwing herself at you. I wish I had that chance damn."
"Same," Malik added, shaking his head with a grin. "If she was on me like that, I'd either lock it down or at least play along. Don't tell me you're slipping, bro. Don't let that kind of girl just burn past you."
They both laughed, but my chest tightened.
Because right then, I noticed Aimee.
She sat a few rows across, pretending to be focused on her notes. Her calm, shy warmth always made her stand out against the chaos. But now… her expression was unreadable. Not anger, not jealousy but not nothing either. Something quiet, shadowed, and impossible to name.
For a second, I forgot the jokes. Forgot Mia's perfume, even.
I was caught between the fire in front of me and the silence that pulled harder than heat.
And that silence… might be the one that killed me first.