Arias

This is bad. The closer he gets, the faster my heart races. I shouldn’t be scared, but there’s something about him—something dangerous, unpredictable. And yet… I’m just as curious as I am nervous. How exactly does he plan to make me pay him back?

He finally lets go of my chin, reaches into his bag, and pulls out two notebooks along with a small piece of paper. I frown, confused. He hands them to me without a word, his expression unreadable.

“First of all,” he says, “you’re doing my homework from now on.”

I raise an eyebrow, eyeing him skeptically. “And the paper?”

His smirk deepens. “My number, shorty.”

My eyes widen. Seriously? I roll them, crossing my arms. “I have a name, you know. It’s Arias, not shorty.”

He lets out a small chuckle, tilting his head slightly. “Pretty name,” he says, as if making a mental note. “I’m Zyran. See you around, shorty. Make sure to finish my homework and text me back.”

Something in me deflates slightly, and he notices, raising an amused eyebrow. “Don’t look so disappointed,” he teases. “I’m only leaving because we’re already ten minutes late to our first class of the session.”

Wait… right! Class!

My stomach drops. Without another word, I spin on my heel and take off, practically sprinting down the hallway. Behind me, I hear his amused chuckle, echoing after me like he’s already won this game.