Collisions of Worlds

The art room smelled of clay and paint—something Damon was becoming all too familiar with. He strolled in, fashionably late as always, his shoes squeaking lightly against the linoleum floor. Zendaya was already there, sitting at a table, scribbling furiously in a notebook, her brow furrowed in concentration. He grinned. Perfect.

"Am I interrupting?" Damon's voice cut through the silence like a playful breeze as he dropped his bag noisily on the table. "Or are you plotting the downfall of all disorganized people again?"

Zendaya didn't even bother looking up. "You're late."

"Late?" Damon smirked, pulling out a chair. "No, no, I prefer to think of it as arriving *fashionably.* You know, like those ancient royals you're so obsessed with. They probably kept everyone waiting too."

She shot him a brief glare. "This isn't a royal court, Damon. We've got work to do."

Damon leaned back in his chair, feigning nonchalance. "Sure, sure. But how about we make it fun? I was thinking for the sculpture, we could slap some sunglasses on the statue. Really bring it into the 21st century."

Zendaya set her pen down, finally looking at him with those piercing, serious eyes. "Sunglasses? On a classical sculpture? That's... completely absurd."

"Exactly!" Damon grinned. "It's absurd enough to work. Modern meets ancient, right? That's what the project's about." He leaned forward, voice dripping with faux sincerity. "I mean, what's the point of art if it's not a little provocative?"

Her face remained impassive, but he could see her gears turning. She wasn't buying into his humor, not yet at least, but he knew he had sparked something.

"We're not making a joke out of this project," she said, though her tone softened, just a little. "We need to respect the ancient form, its details, the history. You can't just... throw modern accessories on it and call it a fusion."

"Okay, okay," Damon raised his hands in surrender. "No sunglasses. But how about we compromise? Maybe add something subtle. A hairstyle that's more modern? A facial expression that breaks the classical mold?"

She considered this, and Damon saw a small spark of interest in her eyes. He'd cracked a tiny piece of the wall she kept so carefully built up.

"Maybe," she said slowly, "if we're careful not to take away the grace of the form. We could blend some modern aspects into the features... but it has to be subtle."

Damon's grin widened. "I can work with subtle. So, no neon lights, then?"

Zendaya's lips twitched, almost—*almost*—smiling. "No."

"But before we dive in, let's just go through the history. Do some research. Perhaps more ideas could come!" Zendaya thoughtfully suggested.

"Well, that's fine by me, but you're doing the ancient, and I'm sticking with my modern," Damon said with a grin.

"Whatever," Zendaya said, rolling her eyes.

Meanwhile, Kamsi walked into the library, her stomach twisted in knots. All eyes were on her, and she could feel the death glares burning into her skin. It was as if they were ready to devour her for her unforgivable sin: daring to cross their god—Xavier. The tension was thick, and she swallowed hard, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone as she moved swiftly through the aisles.

Once inside, she let out a deep sigh, relieved that the library wasn't nearly as packed as the hallways. She glanced around and found Gilbert's usual seat empty. That was odd. He was always punctual, and the clock was ticking past 3:23 PM. Where was he? Did he quit tutoring her because of what happened during lunch? Oh, no! What if he didn't want to deal with her anymore, considering she had insulted his friend?

Just as she was about to leave, her heart skipped a beat. Someone was approaching her, their demeanor calm yet dangerous. Kamsi felt her heartbeat quicken, her guilt and fear creeping up on her.

"Sit," Xavier's voice cut through the air, cold and commanding. Shivers ran down her spine, her body stiffening as she watched him drop a stack of textbooks onto the table. She recognized one of them as the same book Gilbert had used during their last session.

Wait... Was he going to tutor her?

"Are you deaf?" His sharp voice shattered her thoughts, pulling her out of her trance. She slowly lowered herself into the chair, still confused by what was happening.

"Where is Gilbert?" Kamsi finally mustered the courage to ask, though her voice was barely above a whisper. Xavier's gaze pierced through her for a long, uncomfortable moment, the weight of his stare heavy on her.

"Something came up," he replied coolly. "He asked me to fill in for him."

The words felt like a punch to her gut. Xavier found this situation completely bothersome, and it showed in the irritation that flickered briefly across his face.

"O-oh," Kamsi stammered, her voice weak.

Xavier's eyes narrowed slightly. "But if you don't feel like it," he added, his tone carrying a sharp edge, "you can leave. Your choice."

Kamsi's chest tightened, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She was stuck between fear and confusion, unsure of whether she should stay or flee. Either way, the choice wasn't as easy as it seemed.

But then something shifted inside her. Perhaps it was the fear of Xavier—looming and intimidating as it was—that paled in comparison to her fear of failing her next test. She couldn't afford that, not now. Her resolve hardened, and she stayed seated, her grip tightening on her bag.

Seeing her decision to stay, a smirk tugged at Xavier's lips.Gutsy, he thought. There was something oddly amusing about her determination to face him despite her obvious fear.

"Lemme have your book," Xavier ordered, his tone firm, causing Kamsi to gulp. She fumbled with her bag, slowly retracting her notebook, her hands trembling slightly as she placed it on the table.

Xavier's eyes scanned her work, and he sucked his teeth in disapproval, circling the mistakes with precise, deliberate strokes. His movements were quick, almost careless, but somehow exact.

"Maybe next time," he said coldly, "focus on being able to point out your own faults before you point out others'." The words hit her like a slap, the guilt from earlier resurfacing. She shifted in her seat, biting her lip.

Without missing a beat, Xavier began explaining her errors. His voice was steady, unhurried, and surprisingly clear. He broke down each mistake, simplifying complex concepts with an ease that caught her off guard.

"Here," he said, tapping on one of her circled answers, "you didn't factor in the limiting reagent in the reaction. It's the key here. Always start by identifying that first—then everything else falls into place."

He moved on to the next point. "And this? You overcomplicated it. The formula is straightforward. Don't add steps that aren't necessary. Stick to what you know."

Kamsi blinked in surprise. He made it seem so simple, so logical—far more than Gilbert had. She scribbled down notes, absorbing the information as quickly as she could. Despite his harsh tone and intimidating presence, Xavier was... a good teacher.

After giving her more problems to solve, he leaned back, closing his eyes as if completely disinterested now that his job was done. Kamsi worked in silence, but her gaze kept drifting up, curiosity getting the better of her. He looked so peaceful, almost harmless—completely contradictory to the menacing figure she had seen in the cafeteria earlier. It was hard to believe this calm exterior belonged to the same person who commanded so much fear and respect.

Suddenly, Xavier's eyes flew open, catching her off guard. "I didn't realize the answers were in my face," he teased, his signature smirk reappearing. "But that's a good thing. Then you'll only need to stare at me to pass your test."

Heat crept up Kamsi's neck, and she shot him a quick glare. "Too bad it isn't," she muttered under her breath, though not quietly enough.

Xavier chuckled softly, a light laugh that was somehow even more unsettling than his taunts. "Back to work," he said, his tone turning serious again, leaving no room for defiance.

Kamsi quickly bent over her notes, heart still pounding from the strange mixture of tension and intrigue swirling between them.