I tensed, holding my breath as Isaiah’s hold on me grew tighter again.

“No,” he said firmly. “She’s shy. She’s not ready for that.”

Randall and Elijah exchanged glances.

“She’s a student here, isn’t she?” Randall asked. “She must have seen us plenty of times already. We are campus Celebs after all.”

If only they knew…

Not only was I not a student at Redvers… I was from Crosswell. A spy. Sent here to blend in at prom and report back.

But neither Isaiah nor I corrected them.

“She’s not ready,” Isaiah repeated, his voice clipped. “So back off.”

Randall raised an eyebrow. “Damn. Now you’re acting so possessive.”

Elijah gave a faint hum of agreement. “Romantic. In a suspicious sort of way.”

“Shut up,” Isaiah muttered. “You’re just jealous I have a girlfriend now. That you two don’t.”

Randall laughed. “Hey, can you blame us?”

Elijah gave a quiet shrug. “I just didn’t expect you to suddenly make a girlfriend.”

Randall added, “We just want a peek. Just once.”

Isaiah’s grip tightened again.

“No. She’s shy. And if you see her now, you’ll never leave her alone. She gets flustered easily.”

Elijah blinked, then said simply, “Now I’m more curious.”

Isaiah’s voice dropped in warning. “Shut up. You’re not seeing her. Stop pushing it.”

Randall gave a playful sigh. “Alright, alright. But man… we just want to see who managed to melt the Smiling Prince.”

Smiling Prince? I see, I murmured under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

He let out a soft chuckle, and I felt the warmth of it vibrate through his chest.

“You’re not supposed to listen to them,” he whispered gently.

Randall caught the shift in his expression. “What did she say?”

Isaiah straightened quickly, putting on his poker face. “She didn’t say anything. You’re hearing things.”

Elijah’s voice was almost a whisper. “Or maybe you’re just bad at covering up.”

Isaiah sighed. “Hallucinations. I blame your poor diet.”

Randall only grinned wider, clearly not buying it.

Resting my forehead gently on Isaiah’s shoulder, I let my eyes drift shut for a moment, needing the comfort of his presence amid the chaos. Despite the tension hanging in the air, I couldn’t resist teasing him just a little.

“Ngl,  Smiling Prince is good,” I whispered, my voice so low it was meant only for him. “But I’d prefer the nickname ‘little mouse’ since you called me lost kitty first.”

His body tensed under my touch, and I felt his arm tighten around me slightly. When I peeked up at him, I noticed the faintest tint of pink brushing across his cheeks. He leaned down, murmuring close to my ear, his breath tickling my skin.

“Kitten… You’re going to drive me insane.”

Before I could process the flutter in my chest, I caught Elijah and Randall watching us from nearby, clearly amused by Isaiah’s unusual reaction.

Elijah tilted his head slightly. “Hmm. Is that a blush I see, or is the lighting just doing us a favor?”

Isaiah shifted stiffly beside me, his expression snapping back into its usual stoic mask. “I’m not blushing. You’re imagining things.”

But he was. Even I could tell.

Randall grinned like a cat who found a mouse. “Oh, really? Then what’s with the pink cheeks? Never seen you like this before.”

Isaiah huffed, clearly trying to collect himself. “I’m just... a little warm, that’s all.”

Elijah let out a soft chuckle, still leaning against the wall with arms crossed. “Warm, huh? Fascinating. Must be the emotional climate change.”

Isaiah groaned. “Shut up.”

Elijah’s eyes narrowed slightly, amused. “So this mystery girl’s the cause, huh? She must be something, to melt the infamous Smiling Prince.”

Isaiah’s flush deepened, and he shot a glare their way. “Shut up, okay? You’re not getting a glimpse of her, so just drop it and get lost already.”

Randall folded his arms with a mischievous smirk. “Oh, come on, Isaiah. Don’t be so uptight. We just want a little peek. What’s the problem with that?”

Isaiah’s hold on me tightened protectively. “The problem is that she’s shy, damn it. And she doesn’t want anyone to see her right now. So you two better stop asking, or I’ll kick your asses.”

Elijah raised a brow, completely unbothered. “Noted. Threats mean we’ve struck a nerve.”

Isaiah groaned, cheeks red in both annoyance and embarrassment. “Shut it, you two. Can’t you give me a break for once?”

Elijah and Randall exchanged a look and both raised their hands in mock surrender.

“Alright, alright, chill,” Elijah said mildly. “We won’t bother your little sweetheart anymore. Wouldn’t want to overheat the Smiling Prince.”

I stifled a laugh at that. Isaiah, not so much.

“We won’t bother your little sweetheart anymore, happy? We definitely don’t want to disturb your little love nest.” Randall commented.

“It’s not a damn love nest, you jerk,” he muttered, exasperated. “You’re just jealous because I have a girl and you don’t.”

Randall laughed loudly, clearly entertained. “Oh, look at you, all defensive over your girl. It’s adorable, really. But I gotta admit, it does sound a bit comfy in there. Maybe I should get a love nest of my own...”

Isaiah’s eyes narrowed. “Knock it off, Randall. Stop giving it weird names. And as for getting a love nest of your own, good luck with that. You’re too much of a player to settle down.”

Randall shrugged with a smug grin. “Hey, I like the ladies, what can I say? But seriously, Isaiah, you gotta chill. We’re just teasing you, man. We’re happy for you, really. But you gotta admit, it’s pretty hilarious to see you all flustered and protective over a girl.”

Isaiah drew a long breath, clearly trying to calm himself. “Yeah, well, it’s just because I don’t want you idiots scaring her with your stupid jokes.”

Elijah gave a small nod. “Understandable. Still amusing.”

Isaiah shot him a look.

Elijah sighed, completely unbothered. “Look, we’re just curious. Can you really blame us? Curiosity’s not a crime. Yet.”

Isaiah’s jaw tightened. “Yes, I can blame you. And I will. You two are too nosy and annoying. You don’t need to see what she looks like.”

Randall threw up his hands again. “Okay, okay, we get it, big guy. We’ll stop bugging you about it. But can you at least tell us her name? You can’t expect us not to be curious.”

Isaiah hesitated. “Her name is... uh... Lena. Yeah, her name is Lena.”

Elijah raised a slow eyebrow. “Lena, huh? Sounds suspiciously made-up.”

“It’s not made-up,” Isaiah snapped. “It’s her real name. Stop doubting everything I say!”

Randall chuckled. “Now, now, easy there, Isaiah. It’s just that ‘Lena’ sounds a bit... generic, don’t you think? Couldn’t you come up with something a bit more unique?”

I couldn’t resist jumping in with a grin. “Let me be unique. My name is Wilhelmina.”

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Grateful for every one of you who made it this far. Your time and interest keep this story alive. See you in the next chapter!