The damp blades of grass in front of Ruby held a strange fascination, capturing her attention more than the Math textbook she held in her hands. Her thoughts were interrupted by Luke's furious voice beside her, expressing his strong desire to harm Caden for the pain he had caused her. It was at that moment that Ruby realized her gaze had been fixed on Caden for an extended period of time. He stood a few meters away, completely unaware of the invisible daggers being thrown his way from Ruby's eyes. Swiftly redirecting her attention, Ruby shifted her focus to Luke, who stood by her side. Classes had ended early that day, and while her initial inclination was to head straight home and bury herself in piles of notes and study material, she made the conscious choice to stay behind with Luke. Although it was just a friendly football match, she felt indebted to him for providing a shoulder to lean on when her heart had been trampled by her intense crush. In addition to her gratitude, Ruby h

"Since when do you care about him and me?" Olivia snapped at Ella, her eyes piercing into hers, demanding an answer. Ella hesitated, shaking her head slightly. "I don't," she finally admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Then don't ask me," Olivia retorted, her frustration evident in her tone. She held her gaze, refusing to back down. Ella swallowed nervously and decided to stand up. Sensing Olivia's unwavering resolve, she muttered, "I see you want to be alone right now." "I'm so glad your specs actually work," Olivia couldn't help but taunt Ella as she left with a frown, a small act of defiance in response to the prying questions. Soon, Luke, who had been observing the exchange, commented from behind Olivia. "That was mean." A smile tugged at Olivia's lips as Ruby rejoined her, taking her seat beside her. "I missed you two so much," Olivia rejoiced, her voice filled with genuine joy as she enveloped Ruby in a tight hug. Luke chimed in, teasingly remarking, "We can

Ruby let out a slow exhale, attempting to steady her racing heart. Several minutes elapsed before she caught sight of Mr. Grover making his way towards the staffroom. Rising from the bench, she noticed that Caden also stood up, yet he made no effort to acknowledge her presence. It was evident that he was aware of her proximity, but he deliberately avoided greeting her.Doubts crept into her mind, questioning whether her previous words had caused him hurt. Ruby couldn't help but wonder if her blunt dismissal had affected their already strained relationship. As Mr. Grover approached them, her confusion deepened."Good to see the two of you here," Mr. Grover greeted them, prompting Ruby to furrow her brows in bewilderment. "Come inside immediately."Ruby hesitated momentarily, stealing a quick glance at Caden, who now stood behind her. "Both of us, Sir?""Yes, of course," Mr. Grover affirmed.Unsure of what lay ahead, Ruby reluctantly followed Mr. Grover into the staffroom. Taking their

Caden was equally surprised at the sudden change the weather had made—evident from the way he cursed at the sky as they sprinted to get cover from the rain. He used her book to shield himself from the downpour, prompting Ruby to smack his arm, but she withdrew the thought before she could take action on it. Ruby’s cheeks flushed all of a sudden as the dream flooded her mind once again, slowing her pace. Caden turned to look at her, as if sensing her thoughts. He was a few steps away from her, standing beneath the cafeteria shed. “What are you doing? Come on, run!” he yelled. Shaking her head, Ruby made herself cover the distance between them. Surprisingly, the place was deserted. Not a single soul was in view and the air smelled of fresh paint. “Don’t you know?” Caden asked. “It’s being renovated.” ‘Did he just read my mind?’ Ruby thought to herself, feeling alarmed. She made sure to keep her eyes everywhere but on his face. She nodded at his words, realizing it had been a while

The party roared on, but Luke never made an appearance. Ruby had been dancing and laughing with her friends, and as the night wore on, she found herself letting go and having a good time. She found herself gaining confidence and she was almost certain it was due to the dim lighting. The music was loud, the atmosphere electric, and the drinks flowed freely. It was easy to forget the recent tension with Caden, at least for a while. “I’m parched,” Olivia said, fanning herself with her hands as she emerged from the pool of glistening bodies she had just vanished into. Only then did Ruby notice the liner that covered her eyelids. “Do you want something to drink?” “Uh, yeah,” Ruby replied, trying to remember if she had ever seen Olivia wearing makeup before. It really brought out the beauty of her eyes that always almost closed whenever she was laughing. “Anything without alcohol.” A minute later Olivia was back with a pink coloured drink. “Some fruit mix,” she guessed as she passed her t