A Reversible Curse

I feel so heavy dragging myself toward my next class. Lately, I've been completely worn out. Being the nerd who aces every subject and also the CEO of our family business is draining me faster than I thought possible. If it weren't for my cousin and Lonia always having my back, I'd probably have collapsed by now.

I swing open the door to my next class, and immediately, the teacher gives me a weird look. Okay, what now? I'm not late—am I? A quick scan of the room tells me I'm not. There are only a few students seated, casually chatting or scrolling through their phones. So what's her problem?

I try to walk past her like nothing's up, but she clears her throat loud enough to make me pause. Ugh. I turn to her reluctantly.

"Miss Stewart, aren't you supposed to be at the library right now?" she asks, brows raised like I'm supposed to know.

I blink, confused. Clearly, I have no clue what she's talking about.

She picks up on that right away. "Mr. Montier asked for your assistance in the library. You're excused from this class." And with that, she returns to her desk as if that explains everything.

It takes a second, but then it hits me. Vaughn? Seriously? What now?

If I was tired before, now I'm flat-out irritated. I've told him—as Kendall—that I don't want to be involved with him. What's not clicking? I've made it very clear that this nerd isn't getting into his bed anytime soon, so what's this little stunt supposed to accomplish?

I probably look ridiculous stomping down the hallway like a cartoon character, but I don't care. My patience is running on fumes. I burst through the library doors like I'm ready to fight someone and scan the room. And there he is—at the far back, as usual.

I inhale sharply and force myself to calm down before marching toward him. But it's hard. Really hard.

He's hunched over a cart, moving books from a box to another stack. When he sees me, he gives me a small smile like he's been expecting me. I force a shy one in return. Gotta keep up appearances.

"Come help me," he says casually, pushing the cart toward me. He lifts a couple of thick books from a cardboard box and starts placing them into neat stacks.

What is this guy even doing? If you're confused—believe me, same. But I don't drop the act. I smile like this is totally normal and begin shelving the books where they belong.

"Vaughn?" I ask, watching him reach for the top shelf.

He hums in response.

"You're not even in the library committee, are you?" I narrow my eyes.

He chuckles. "Nope. Just a good student helping out during my free time."

Right. The golden boy. The genius who'd rather make out with books than with girls. Got it.

"So why call for me? I still have classes, you know."

He doesn't even bother answering. Just shrugs.

Oh, he's so irritating. I pick up the pace, stacking books like my life depends on it. Almost done. One book left. Vaughn grabs it, but then... he stops.

He's staring at the cover like it's haunted. Curious, I lean in and see the title: Red Riding Hood.

Of course.

His face falters. He looks... not just thoughtful—sad. Like the book brought something up he'd buried.

No, Kendall. Don't go there, I warn myself. He's not that person anymore.

But temptation gets the better of me.

"Red Riding Hood," I murmur, like I just read it aloud on accident. He stiffens.

"You like it?" he asks, glancing at me. We're a little too close now. I quickly look to the side.

"I-I liked it when I was a kid, but it made me scared of wolves ever since," I say with a half-laugh, tinged with sadness.

"The wolf died in the end, right?"

I chuckle at his logic. "Yeah, but he tricked the girl first. Lied to her."

A beat passes between us. Quiet. Too quiet. I break it by taking a step back.

"Well, I should go. Class isn't going to wait for me forever."

But he reaches out and stops me.

"We're not finished here yet."

I freeze mid-step and sigh inwardly. Of course we're not.

"The way you stack those books... who are you really?" His voice is calm but laced with curiosity. The kind that pokes holes in your armor.

His words catch me off guard. But I manage to meet his gaze, steady and confident. Or at least, I hope I look that way.

This part is always hard—the quiet, nerdy, innocent Kendall act. Being bold is easier than acting timid and cute. Still, I stay in character.

"I'm Kendall Stewart," I say softly. "So please, Mr. Montier... stop bothering me."

I expect him to argue, to push back with another smart remark. But instead, he just looks at me. Really looks. Like he's trying to solve a puzzle he didn't realize existed until now.

And honestly? That scares me more than anything he could've said.