Chapter 21 - Aftermath of Meeting Luca Diaz

The next few days were a waking nightmare. No matter where I went, Luca was there—either lurking at the back of the classroom with his arms crossed, eyes burning holes into me, or tossing snide comments just loud enough for me to hear. His presence wasn't just annoying; it was suffocating, like a dark cloud hanging over my every move. And the worst part? No one did a damn thing about it. Teachers ignored him. Students acted like they were blind. It was as if Luca had this invisible chokehold on the entire school, and I was the only one who hadn't fallen under his spell.

One class was particularly mind-numbing when a crumpled piece of paper smacked against my desk. I snapped my head around to see Luca sprawled out in his chair, that smug grin plastered across his face. My patience frayed to the brink.

"Got a problem?" I hissed, my voice low but sharp.

He leaned back, the picture of arrogance. "Yeah. You're the problem, freak." His voice was a blade, slicing right through my composure.

It stung more than I wanted to admit, but I wasn't about to show it. Why the hell did he hate me so much? This was personal now, and I was done playing nice.

The cafeteria was even worse. Every day, I tried to sit as far from Luca as possible, but it didn't matter. He always found me, like it was some sick game. His voice would ring out over the crowd, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Eating alone again, Wayne? No surprise. No one wants to be near you."

I clenched my jaw, stabbing at my food with more force than necessary. Don't react, I told myself. But it was hard. Something about his taunts hit deeper than they should. I'd dealt with jerks before, but Luca? He knew exactly how to get under my skin.

Nick and Kimmy were my only refuge, sitting with me when Luca wasn't lurking around. But even they were always on edge, waiting for him to show up and ruin everything.

Then came the showdown.

I was halfway through my lunch, trying to maintain a low profile, when I felt his presence looming over me. I didn't need to look up to know it was Luca.

"Move," he demanded, his voice cold and commanding.

I barely glanced at him. "No. Find another table."

Luca leaned down, his face far too close. "Wayne, you're testing me. And you won't like what happens if you don't move."

My heart was racing, but I wasn't about to back down. "I'm not scared of you."

For a second, something dark flickered in his eyes—he clearly didn't like being challenged. He straightened up, and without warning, grabbed my tray and dumped it onto the floor. The entire cafeteria went dead silent.

Humiliation burned through me, but instead of shrinking away, I grabbed the nearest apple and hurled it straight at his head as he started walking away from me.

Thud.

The room filled with gasps and whispers. Luca froze, his shoulders stiffening. He turned slowly, eyes filled with rage and something else—shock, maybe?

For a brief moment, I thought he was about to flip the entire table. But instead, he simply nodded, his voice low and menacing. "Did you just dare throw that apple at me? You're gonna wish you never moved to this town. I will make sure of that."

My heart was pounding, but despite his threat, I couldn't help the small, defiant smile that crept onto my face. I'd stood up to him. For once, I felt like I'd won.

The rest of the day, I was on edge, hyper-aware of every room I walked into, expecting him to be waiting. My nerves were shot by the time my final class came around. Sure enough, Luca showed up late, making a scene as usual. He didn't even glance at me, but I knew he hadn't forgotten.

As the teacher droned on, I felt a sharp tug on my ponytail. I whipped around, glaring at him.

"What the hell? You're such a child!" I snapped under my breath.

Luca just grinned, slow and smug, like he had all the power in the world.

I clenched my fists, barely containing a scream. But just as I was about to lose it, he tugged on my hair again, harder this time. I bit my lip, refusing to let him see me break.

"Miss Wayne, is there a problem?" the teacher called out, her voice cutting through the tension.

My cheeks flushed as the whole class turned to look at me. "No problem," I muttered, sinking deeper into my seat.

When the bell finally rang, I bolted from the classroom, determined to avoid him for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side. The next day, as I turned a corner, Luca appeared out of nowhere, grabbing my arm and dragging me into a secluded alcove.

My back hit the wall with a thud, and before I could react, he was inches away from my face.

"I will continue to make your life a living hell," he said quietly, his breath warm against my skin. "Go back to wherever you came from, Wayne. I know that by now, you wish you could."

He's not wrong. I did start to feel like that and I grew to despised him—from far away. But standing so close to him, with the air between us practically crackling, I couldn't deny the pull, the tension. And it annoyed me.

Before I could respond, he took a step back and smirked. "See you later, freak," he said, walking away as if he hadn't just turned my whole world upside down.

I stood there for a moment, knees weak, trying to catch my breath. I hated him. So why did I feel like I was drowning every time he got close?

By the end of the week, the apple incident had already spread through the halls like wildfire. Whispers followed me everywhere—some impressed, some disgusted. But I wasn't about to let Luca, or anyone else, push me around. Not anymore.

As I fumbled with my locker, I felt it—the prickling sensation on the back of my neck that could only mean one thing.

"Miss me already, Wayne?" His voice was laced with mockery.

I slammed my locker shut, not bothering to turn around. "What do you want, Luca?"

He leaned against the lockers, eyes scanning me like I was some kind of puzzle he was dying to solve. "Just checking if you've started packing boxes yet."

I rolled my eyes. "You mean if I've started unpacking boxes and you want to help? Nah, I'm good."

His grin widened, eyes darkening. "Yeah? You won't be for long."