Chapter 19: Stuck With Him

VANESSA’S POV

The first thing I did when my eyes opened was reach for my phone. I didn't even wash my face or rub the sleep away. I went straight to the school group chat, scrolling as fast as I could.

There was nothing. No video of me in the woods. No Melissa drama. Nothing at all.

I let out a breath so loud I thought my lungs would pop. Melissa really didn't post it. She’s a brat, but she’s not a fool. She knew she couldn’t show that video without people asking why she was out in the dark without her neck brace.

Plus, the specialists didn't find anything last night, so the school finally felt safe again. For the first time in days, I could actually just breathe.

I got dressed quickly and left the room. For the first time in days, I actually felt a little lighter.

"V! Wait for me!"

Lena caught up with me near the stairs, looking like she barely slept, but somehow she still had more energy than the rest of us put together.

“The specialists were everywhere last night,” Lena said, bumping her shoulder against mine. “I was so scared they would catch me with my extra heater. They’re finally leaving now, thank God. This place was starting to feel like a prison.”

“I’m just glad it’s quiet today, Lena,” I said. “I just want a normal day. No drama at all.”

"In this school? Good luck," Lena laughed.

We got to the lockers and there she was. Melissa was standing with her group, but the neck brace was nowhere to be found. She was moving her head around like nothing ever happened. The moment she saw me, her face just changed. She looked so bitter and angry, probably because her fake injury didn’t get me kicked out like she hoped.

"Hi, Vanessa!"

I froze. It was Chloe Miller. She was just a few steps away, and she actually waved at me. A real wave. Like she was happy to see me.

Can this girl just stop? Seriously. I spent weeks trying not to get noticed, and now Chloe Miller, of all people, is calling my name like we’re best friends.

“Hey, Chloe,” I said. I kept it short. I didn’t want it to turn into a big thing.

I could feel Melissa staring at me from down the hall. Seeing Chloe, the one girl Melissa expected to hate me, actually being nice was clearly driving her crazy.

"Wait, why is Chloe Miller acting so friendly?" Lena whispered, her eyes wide. "First you save her from the fire, now she’s behaving like you’re her long-lost sister. V, you’re finally entering the spotlight, and I’m loving every bit of it.”

"She’s just being polite, Lena. Let's go to class," I muttered.

Biology was the first period. I usually sit at the back and keep to myself, but Mrs. Higgins was already at the front, standing beside a jar on her desk. She looked tense, like she was already tired of everyone in the class.

“Sit down, everyone!” she shouted. “Quiet! I don’t want to hear any noise or gossip. We have work to do.”

We all took our seats. Lena sat beside me as usual, but Mrs. Higgins just pointed at that jar on her desk.

"We're starting a genetics project today," she said. "And since I know most of you are lazy and only care about gossip, I'm choosing the partners myself. I don't want anyone sitting with their friends and doing no work at all."

Everyone started complaining at once. I felt a bad feeling in my stomach.

Mrs. Higgins frowned. “When you are done complaining, we can begin. When I call your name, you will go and sit with your assigned partner,” she barked.

She reached into the jar and started picking names. Each time she called out two people, the class reacted loudly and people started talking at once.

"Sarah and Jude!"

"Kyle and Mark!"

"Chloe and Lena!"

Lena gave me a sad look. "Sorry. See you later," she whispered and moved to sit with Chloe.

Now I was really nervous. There weren’t many names left. I looked toward the front row. Adrian was sitting quietly, waiting for his name to be called.

Mrs. Higgins reached into the jar again.

"Melissa and... Alex."

Melissa looked like she was about to explode with anger. She had to move her things and go sit with Alex the gamer, and she was not happy about it. She kept looking at Adrian, but he didn’t even look at her.

Finally, there were only two names left. My heart was beating so fast it was starting to annoy me.

Mrs. Higgins pulled out the last two slips of paper. She looked at them, then looked straight at me.

"And the last pair... Vanessa Vance and Adrian Thorne."

The room went very quiet. Nobody said a word. Everyone turned to look at me, then at Adrian. Melissa looked like she was going to explode. Even the teacher looked a bit surprised.

Adrian didn't even wait. He stood up, picked up his bag, and walked to the back. His face was calm, not the usual smirk, just something more serious.

He pulled out the chair next to me and sat down. The smell of peppermint and rain hit me immediately.

"Looks like you're stuck with me again, Vanessa," he whispered.

He leaned in closer, his shoulder almost touching mine. After what he said in the woods last night, the air between us felt different. It felt heavier, like something had changed between us.

"What the heck," I muttered, staring at my empty notebook. "Is this a joke?"

"Maybe it's just luck," he said. He pushed his textbook between us. "Don't look so mad. I'm actually a pretty good partner."

"You're a pest," I said, but I didn't move away.

I could feel Melissa staring hard at the back of my head. I could also feel the whole class watching us. I wanted to disappear, but as Adrian sat there, his pen tapping on the desk, I knew there was no hiding anymore.

I wasn’t just a scholarship girl anymore. I was now paired with the guy who noticed me too much. I kept telling myself it was just a project, but it didn’t feel like that. Not with him sitting so close. Not with the way he kept looking at me like he could tell I was not as calm as I was pretending to be.

This was going to be a very long two weeks.