10| red

NADIA

I roll my eyes at the words that just came out of Barbara's mouth, my frustration evident. "Now I see why you look better with your mouth shut," I say, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Whatever makes you happy, Evens," I sigh, eager to move on from this topic fast. "I'll be expecting your end of the deal," I remind her, ensuring she doesn't forget or wiggle out of what she owes Blue.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it," she replies, her tone dismissive. "Well, I'll see you... later, I guess," she says before walking off, leaving me alone to focus on the spectacle unfolding before me.

My attention shifts to Elijah, surrounded by three girls, all vying for his attention. I shake my head, my jaw ticking in annoyance. Imbecile.

I grab my bag from my seat, navigating through the crowded lunch tables with a sense of purpose. With each step, my boot heels click on the floor, and I feel my passion rising. I roll my eyes once I'm close enough, grimacing at the sight.

Seriously, what do girls see in him? Sure, he's hot, but beyond that, what?

I clear my throat, and four pairs of eyes land on me. "I would appreciate it if you all let go of my boyfriend," I say, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I can't believe I just said that, and they seem surprised themselves. "Uhm, but—" the brunette starts to protest, but I cut her off.

"Couldn't care less, sweetheart," I say, my tone firm.

I pull Elijah, who's been leaning against the wall, by his hoodie, and once he's close enough, I take his hand in mine. The action sends a spark through my body, but I ignore it. "Thanks for keeping him company," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm, before dragging him away from the scene.

Once we're far enough away, I release his hand and hiss at him in the hallway. "Seriously?" I demand, my eyes flashing with annoyance. Elijah looks at me, his expression innocent.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He demands, causinh my anger and frustration to boil over.

"Me, Elijah? You wanna talk about what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" he shoots back, his eyes flashing with defiance. "You have all of us looking for you like you're some kind of lost puppy, but you're busy flirting with the whole school?"

"Okay, first of all," he begins, his voice low and smooth, sending a shiver down my spine.

Stop it, Nadia, I chastise myself. "You don't know me," he continues, his eyes locked on mine. "Second, it's my life, and I can flirt with whoever the hell I like. And third, you claimed to be my girlfriend for Ishan's measly favor?"

He takes a step closer to me, closing the gap between us, leaving no space for the air I desperately need right now. My heart races as he inches nearer, his presence suffocating me. "Come on, Evens," he says, his voice dripping with charm, "don't pretend like you're not enjoying this. You're not my girlfriend, but you're acting like you have a claim on me. What's it going to be, Nadia?" Elijah asks, his voice dripping with confidence, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Cause all it sounds like is that you're willing to find any excuse just to be near me, isn't that right?" He chuckles, clearly in his element, thinking he has the upper hand just because he has gazillions of girls swooning over him.

I roll my eyes, trying to appear nonchalant despite the butterflies in my stomach. "Well, it seems like you like the idea, so maybe it's you who wants me, no?" I say, trying to sound casual.

And then, without warning, he takes another step closer, his eyes locked on mine, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And what if I did?" he asks, his words sending a shiver down my spine.

My heart races as I struggle to find my voice, but before I can utter a word, the screeching sound of a mic on the intercom fills the air, forcing everyone's attention to the speaker.

The sudden interruption breaks the tension between us, and I breathe a sigh of relief, grateful for the reprieve.

"Attention, attention," I hear a familiar voice echoing through the hallway, growing louder with each word.

I turn around, my eyes scanning the area, and through the window, I see a familiar face, her light brown hair and blonde highlights giving it all away. I walk back in the direction of the cafeteria, Elijah following suit slowly behind me, his eyes fixed on me with a curious expression.

As we enter the cafeteria, I see Barbara standing in the center of the room, a mic in her hand, her eyes scanning the crowd."I would just like to address something that happened not so long ago in Everton High," she begins, her voice trembling slightly.

"The bullying that Blue Harrison was subjected to was my fault. Upon reflection, I have come to realize what I had done was not fair, and that she didn't deserve any of the treatment she received."

The room falls silent, with all eyes fixed on Barbara, awaiting her next words. But instead of apologizing, she takes a deep breath and continues, "So, with that being said, fuck you, Nadia Evens, if you ever think I'm apologizing to a social climber such as your friend. I'd rather jump off a damn cliff." I roll my eyes, not expecting any less from the bimbo.

The room erupts into a mixture of gasps, whispers, and snickers, and I can feel Elijah's eyes on me.

"Good luck finding a boyfriend that you oh- so-desperately want with that attitude," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm as she lets go of the mic and smirks at me. "Oh honey, your brother already called me," she retorts, her smile growing wider, and I make a mental note of killing my brother when I get home.

I can't believe he would stoop so low as to go around with Barbara behind my back.

I close my eyes, my jaw clenched in frustration, trying to composed myself. But before I can even take a deep breath, I hear a commotion from across the room.

I open my eyes to see Blue, marching towards Barbara. And then, out of nowhere, she does something that no one expects her to do - she punches Barbara square in the face.

I blink several times, my eyes wide in shock, trying to process what just happened.

"Seems like you got what you deserve now," Blue says, shaking off her fist, her eyes blazing with annoyance and satisfaction.

The room falls silent, with all eyes fixed on the scene before us. Barbara's face is red, her eyes watering from the impact, and I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at seeing her get what she deserves. "That will shut you up," said Blue.