Chapter 84 Chapter 84

Chapter 84 Chapter 84
Aria's Pov.

I found them in the corridor outside my first class.

Camille and Esme, they were  side by side on the bench by the window, sharing one earbud between them, Camille's head tilted slightly towards Esme's shoulder while they looked at something on her phone. 

They both looked up when they heard me.

"Aria!" Camille straightened slightly. 

"Hey." Esme smiled. Her smile was warm

I dropped into the seat across from them.

"You two look cosy," I said teasingly.

"We were just listening to something," Camille said poking my shoulder.

"I can see that."

"It was a song," Esme continued.

"A song," I repeated.

"Yes."

"With one  earbud."

"That's how you share a song, Aria." Camille said firmly.

I looked between them. Camille's ears had gone slightly pink and Esme was trying to avoid my eye contact.

"You two are so cute," I said giggling.

"We're not…" Camille started.

"I didn't say anything."

"You said cute…" she protested.

"I said cute. I didn't say anything else."

Esme pressed her lips together. Her ears had gone pink too.

"Moving on," Camille said firmly. "How are you? You looked like you were going to commit a crime when you walked in this morning."

"I’m fine."

"You had the face."

"I don't have a face."

"The specific face you get when something is annoying you and you're deciding whether to let it ruin your mode."

Esme looked between us. "Is this about Adrien?"

I looked at her. "Why would it be about Adrien?" 

"Just a guess." She shrugged. "You seemed annoyed in the limo."

"You saw us in the limo?"

"I was walking past. You both looked very separated for two people sitting together."

I said nothing.

"Couples fight," Esme continued. "It's normal. Is it about yesterday? The Elodie thing?"

Camille looked at me. "Did something happen yesterday?"

"Nothing happened," I said. "He just…didn't reply to my messages until later. He was with Elodie."

Camille's expression shifted.

"How late?" she said.

"Four hours."

"Oh."

"It's fine," I said. "It's not a big deal. I'm just…"

"Annoyed," Camille added.

"I was going to say tired."

"You're annoyed."

"Both," I said. "I'm both."

Esme was quiet for a moment. 

Then she spoke.

"Hey, Aria… how's your mum doing?"

I turned to look at her.

The question had arrived from nowhere. We'd been talking about Adrien, about being annoyed, about the limo  and then just, randomly , how's your mum doing?

“She’s fine.”

I frowned. “Why?”

Esme shrugged lightly.

“No reason.”

No reason?

The answer arrived almost too quickly.

She smiled exactly the way she always smiled. Warm and easy, like  she’d asked whether I’d finished my homework.

Something about it didn’t sit well.

Then—

“Oh.”

She laughed softly.

“I just remembered Camille mentioning your mum lives here.”

The explanation landed a bit too late, like she’d looked for one.

I looked at her for one more second and she held my gaze the way she always did. Open. Comfortable.

The bell rang.

Esme stood up immediately, gathering her things. "I've got a class on the other side of the building. I'll see you both at lunch?"

"Yeah," Camille said nodding her head.

"Aria?" Esme looked at me.

"Sure." 

She smiled then picked up her bag and left.

I watched her go down the corridor, her steps  unhurried, already pulling out her phone.

Then I turned to Camille.

"Isn't that weird?" 

Camille frowned. "What?"

"She just… out of nowhere asked about my mum. In the middle of a completely different conversation."

“I honestly think you’re overthinking it.” Camille picked up her own bag. "She's new. She's getting to know you. That's just what that looks like."

"She asked in the middle of me talking about Adrien…"

"People's minds jump around, Aria." Camille stood up. "She's not …she's not doing anything. She just wanted to know how your mum was."

I looked at the corridor where Esme had disappeared.

"Yeah," I said. "Maybe."

"Definitely." Camille linked her arm through mine. "Stop looking for problems. Come on, we're going to be late."

We headed towards class and I dropped the conversation.

Camille looked relieved.

I wasn’t.



By the last lesson, nobody was pretending to pay attention anymore.

Chairs scraped.

Someone behind me kept checking the clock every thirty seconds.

Even the teacher seemed to know everyone had mentally left already.

The final bell couldn’t come fast enough.

When it finally rang, the entire room exploded into movement.

Almost instantly the corridors flooded with students, lockers opening, bags slung over shoulders, voices overlapping until the whole building buzzed with the familiar end-of-day chaos.

I stepped out into the corridor just as someone called my name.

“Aria.”

I turned.

Adrien was making his way through the crowd, weaving between students before slowing a few feet away from me.

Like he wasn’t entirely sure I’d stop walking if he got there too late.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi.”

He stopped in front of me.

Opened his mouth.

Closed it again.

Then sighed.

“You’re mad at me.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Congratulations,” I said dryly. “You’ve solved the mystery.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, already smiling despite himself.

“I deserved that.”

“You definitely did.”

“I’m sorry.”

His smile faded just enough for me to know he meant it.

“I should’ve texted you. Even if I couldn’t leave, I should’ve checked my phone and let you know what was happening.”

I folded my arms, trying very hard not to smile back.

“You should have.”

“I know.”

A small silence settled between us before he shifted his weight slightly.

“So…” he said carefully. “Will you still go bowling with me?”

I looked at him.

He actually looked nervous.

But I let him wait another second.

“You know,” I said, unable to stop smiling anymore, “I don’t think I’m capable of staying mad at you for very long.”

His entire face lit up.

“Yes!”

Before I could even finish the sentence, his hands landed on my waist.

“Adrien—”

He lifted me clean off the floor.

The corridor spun once.

Then twice.

“Adrien!” I laughed, grabbing onto his shoulders as the world blurred around us.

“I knew you’d forgive me.”

“I never said that.”

“You literally just did.”

“I absolutely did not…”

He spun me one last time before setting me back on my feet.

I was still laughing as I steadied myself.

Then I looked up.

Across the corridor, standing near the exit with Daphne beside her, Elodie was watching us.

Her expression was perfectly composed.

But her eyes…

There wasn’t a trace of composure in them.

She’d seen everything.

Our eyes met across the crowd and neither of us looked away.

Fine.

If she wanted a front-row seat, I’d give her one.

I slid my hand around Adrien’s neck.

Pulled him down and kissed him.

When I pulled away, He blinked.

“…Should I annoy you more often?”

I smiled sweetly.

“Don’t even dare.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elodie turn sharply and disappear into the stream of students without another glance.

Good.

She’d gotten the message.

I slipped my hand into Adrien’s.

Better luck next time bitch.