Chapter 13

ARIA

I froze where I was, my backpack strap tightening across my shoulder. The words repeated in my mind like a bell I hadn’t been prepared to hear. Hair tie? What hair tie?

I glanced at Jess, expecting her to give me some kind of hint, some silent clue that I hadn’t been paying attention. But she just shrugged subtly, her face neutral. Nothing. I swallowed hard, forcing my thoughts to slow.

Then it clicked. The memory hit like a slap—Maya’s so-called “prank” in class. Maya had taken it off my desk when I wasn’t looking and looped it around the handle of my drawer, tying it tight. I’d reached for it and realized it wouldn’t come loose. She had just smiled, told me to leave it, that it suited my desk better than my hair. Bitch.

The whole row had laughed, and I’d felt that sharp sting of embarrassment, helpless to reach the hair tie.

Now it clicked. That prank, that stupid, cruel little move, was what she was talking about. I could feel it, the memory of frustration, of the slight humiliation, of the tension as everyone had watched me struggle.

I looked back at Maya. Her eyes were still on me, the smile on her lips just enough to make me nervous, just enough to remind me she always knew more than she let on.

“Are you talking about the one that nearly buried me in embarrassment?” I asked cautiously, trying to sound indifferent but failing miserably.

Her smile widened. “Bingo. That one. Not so slow after all, are you?” She leaned a fraction closer, eyes bright with some mischief I couldn’t quite read. “Guess you’re good at remembering things, other than every little movement Blackwell’s cock make.”

I blinked. My stomach twisted. Why would she care about that hair tie now? I tried to process what she was implying. Was this just another one of her games?

Jess, sensing the tension, leaned forward quickly, whispering sharply, “Aria, shut up. Don’t give her more.”

I held her hand briefly, just enough to ground myself, to remind myself that I wasn’t alone in this, even though Maya clearly wanted me to feel exposed. “I’m fine,” I said softly, mostly to myself.

Maya straightened, resting her weight on one leg, and with deliberate patience, asked, “So, did you go back for it?” Her tone was light, but there was an edge to it.

I hesitated, then realized, yes, I did go back for it. Infact that particular hair tie had been the one tied around my wrist during the volleyball incident, after Maxwell had carried me to his office.

But it had never made it back home. I had remembered to take it, just like Maya suggested, though I hadn’t realized she was watching, or had any idea.

“Yes,” I said finally, my voice steady, trying to sound casual, though my pulse was literally hammering in my chest. “I did.”

Maya’s smirk returned, perfectly controlled. “I thought as much.” She gave a subtle nod and started walking away. Her eyes glanced briefly to Jess and me as she turned the corner. Nothing more needed to be said.

Jess let out a low whistle once Maya had disappeared. “What the hell was that about?” she asked, her voice tight with curiosity and frustration.

I shrugged, sliding my backpack further up my shoulder. “I don’t know. But that hair tie… I had it on yesterday when I fell. When Maxwell carried me to his office. I never brought it back home.” My chest tightened. “She knew. She had to have known.”

Jess shook her head, muttering something about Maya’s obsession. “That’s just… I can’t.”

I ran a hand over my hair, adjusting the strands around my face. The memory hit again, the sting of the prank, the chaos of the volleyball court, the pressure of being carried, the mix of relief and humiliation when Maxwell had helped me. And now Maya was dangling it in front of me like a chess piece.

I exhaled slowly. “I went back for it, obviously.

But this is odd. Why does she suddenly keep count of all her little pranks, every stupid thing she’s ever done to me, every ridiculous move she’s ever made in class?

Jess’s eyes narrowed as she studied my face. “It’s weird,” she said quietly, that look in her eyes like she could read the thought already spinning in my head.

I shrugged, trying to seem casual, though my stomach was tightening. “Yeah. Very weird,” I admitted.

Her gaze sharpened. “Wait… did you by any chance have it on you when—” She stopped herself, mid-sentence, and glanced at me, expectant.

I waved her off, brushing any question she had away before she could finish.

“Let’s just go,” I said, and we started moving toward the main corridor again. My mind was still whirling, trying to process the timing.

Jess kept quiet this time, letting me stew in my own thoughts. That was rare for her. She usually had something to say, a sarcastic jab, a sharp comment. But this time, even she seemed to recognize the weight of what had just happened.

As we reached the landing, I glanced at my watch. Plenty of time before my next class. And yet, I didn’t feel relief. I felt more tangled than ever, caught between the memory of Maxwell’s care, Maya’s knowing gaze, and the simple, stupid hair tie that had become this symbol of scrutiny I hadn’t asked for.

My hands flexed around the straps of my bag. I didn’t want to think about why Maya had focused on the hair tie, didn’t want to admit to myself that part of me enjoyed the subtle attention it drew. Part of me hated that. Part of me wanted to ignore it entirely. But the memory refused to leave me.

Jess exhaled sharply, muttering something about being insane for sticking around people like Maya.

I let out a quiet laugh, a small, bitter edge to it. “Yeah, insane.”

We reached the classroom, the doors already opening as students trickled in. Maya was nowhere in sight now, which made it worse. And I knew, without a doubt, that the hair tie wasn’t something at random. Shit was about to go down. I had a gut feeling, but what?

I took my seat, keeping my bag close. Jess sat across from me, quiet, her eyes darting toward the door occasionally, watching for Maya, for Maxwell, for any sign that the world was about to tilt again.

The professor arrived eventually, and the lecture began, but my focus was obviously elsewhere.

Just as we were about to dig in, they walked in.