Fake it till you make it

Dante's voice was low, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.

"Did you just raise your hand at me?"

I stiffened.

The cafeteria was still frozen in stunned silence, every pair of eyes locked onto us. Some looked shocked. Others? Downright furious.

I let out a nervous laugh, my hands flying up in an attempt to salvage the situation. "Oh, did I? No, no, there was a fly on your cheek. Yeah, a fly..."

Dante's expression didn't change. His sharp blue eyes stayed locked on me like a predator analyzing its prey.

"You didn't slap me." he said, stepping forward. "You punched me. For a fly?"

I instinctively stepped back.

Oh no. No, no, no.

I can't get into trouble with him. I shouldn't get into trouble with him! What the hell did I just do?!

Dante took another step forward. My heart slammed against my ribs.

"I saved you." His voice dropped lower, steady and piercing. "And you-"

Oh, here we go again.

Here comes the self-righteous bullshit.

I cut in before he could get any further. "No, no, you're right! You saved me, but I hit you. That was wrong of me. I was careless. I- I sincerely apologize."

I forced out the words, bowing my head slightly. If I played my cards right, maybe-maybe-I could smooth this over.

But just as I was about to finish my sentence-

"Please play your role accordingly."

A voice.

A robotic, monotone voice.

My breath hitched.

What...?

I whipped my head around, scanning the cafeteria, expecting someone-anyone-to acknowledge what I just heard. But no one reacted. Not even Dante.

I swallowed. Maybe I imagined it.

I turned back to him, forcing another awkward chuckle. "So, as I was saying, I am sorr-"

"Please play your role accordingly."

My entire body froze.

I snapped my head upward as if I could glare directly at the source of the voice. Liaine.

The System.

The very thing that had been forcing me to follow the script.

What the hell does she mean, play my role accordingly?!

I clenched my fists.

No. I refuse to acknowledge this. I'll just ignore it.

I turned back to Dante, clearing my throat. "So, as I was saying, I am sorr-"

"Please play your role accordingly."

The voice cut me off again.

I gritted my teeth. Enough.

I snapped my head back up, glaring at the empty space above me, and shouted, "What the hell do you mean?! This isn't even part of the script! Why are you telling me what to do? And if you're gonna give orders, at least say something that actually makes sense!"

Silence.

The cafeteria was dead quiet, but not because of me-no one else had heard her.

I sucked in a breath, trying to calm myself. Maybe if I just ignored her, she'd-

"Please play your-"

Don't.

Don't you dare complete that shit again.

"-role accordingly."

I hate you.

Why does she keep repeating the same thing? What does she even mean-- wait. Let me test.

"Sorry-"

"Please play your role accordingly."

Alright, I get it. You don't want me to apologize to him? But why? Just because I'm the villain? Even villains are capable of remorse. So why are you so determined to drag me into trouble?

I can't apologize anymore and this bastard is still glaring at me.

Fine. You want me to play my role accordingly? I will.

"Yeah? So what if I hit you, huh?" I challenged, my voice defiant.

He scoffed, and I swear, everyone's eyes were burning into me, their stares sharp enough to kill.

Sure, go ahead—glare all you want. So what if I hit your so-called hero? I don't care anymore.

I forced myself to hold my ground. I knew what I had just done. I had poked the beast.

And he was about to snap.

"You really think I won't hit you back just because I saved you?" His voice was deceptively calm, but the underlying rage sent a chill down my spine.

I could hear whispers, gasps—people clutching onto the edges of their seats, waiting for whatever was about to happen next.

But I couldn't back down.

Because Liaine wouldn't let me.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and tilted my head, feigning boredom. "Yeah? And? I didn't ask you to meddle your ass in between, did I?"

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

One girl even covered her mouth in horror. Yeah, yeah, clutch your pearls, drama queen.

Dante's eyes darkened. His grip on his fists flexed, the veins in his arms becoming more pronounced.

"You speak so vulgar." he murmured, his voice now dripping with disdain. "Now I regret helping such an ungrateful, foul-mouthed person."

I scoffed. "Oh yeah? Guess what—I don't care."

And that was it. That was the moment I realized I had pushed too far.

Dante's body moved before I could react. His hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the front of my shirt and yanking me forward.

Hard.

The air rushed out of my lungs as I stumbled, my chest nearly colliding into his.

His grip on my collar was tight—too tight.

I sucked in a sharp breath as I felt his strength pressing down on me, his knuckles grazing my throat.

And for the first time since this entire mess started…

I realized something terrifying.

Dante wasn't just strong.

He was dangerous.

His eyes bore into mine—so close now that I could see the specks of silver hidden in his irises.

"Say that again." His voice was low. Deadly.

His breath was warm against my face, but there was nothing comforting about it. It was a warning.

A shiver crawled down my spine, but I forced myself to hold my ground.

If he thought I'd break that easily—he had another thing coming.

I let out a breathy chuckle, forcing a smirk onto my lips. "Why? Didn't hear me the first time?"

His grip tightened.

My smirk faltered slightly as my collar began pressing against my throat.

Shit. This guy wasn't bluffing.

The whispers in the cafeteria turned into frantic murmurs. Some students moved forward, as if debating whether to step in or not.

But no one did.

They were afraid of him.

Dante scoffed, his fingers curling tighter into my shirt. "You've got a sharp tongue." His gaze flickered over me, analyzing, calculating. "You think you're fearless, don't you?"

I swallowed. "No, I just think you're an overdramatic asshole."

Another gasp from the audience.

Dante chuckled, but there was zero amusement in it.

"You should be careful who you pick fights with." he murmured, voice like a blade against my skin. "Because I don't take disrespect lightly."

His grip yanked me closer.

My nose nearly brushed against his. My breath hitched.

And that's when I realized—

I had just made a massive mistake.

Dante's grip on my collar was iron-tight, his fingers digging into the fabric like he was about to crush my windpipe if I said one more word.

His eyes burned, cold and sharp, promising violence.

I needed to get out.

I needed to not get punched in the face.

So, I did the only thing I could think of.

I jerked my head forward—fast and hard.

CRACK!

Pain exploded through my forehead, but Dante took the worst of it.

His mouth.

My skull slammed directly into his lips, and he stumbled back, hands immediately flying to his face.

"Tch—!" His hiss of pain was muffled by the way he cupped his mouth, fingers pressing against his now busted lip.

A pin-drop silence filled the cafeteria.

The students stared, horrified.

Some had their mouths open, others had eyes blown wide as if I had just committed an unforgivable sin.

Because I had.

I had just headbutted Dante Ashbourne.

I had just attacked the most feared person in this damn school.

And he looked pissed.

Blood trickled from the corner of his lip, dripping down his chin. He pulled his hand away, staring at the red staining his fingers like he couldn't believe what just happened.

His jaw tightened. His shoulders squared. And then—

He looked up at me.

And that's when I knew—

I had about two seconds before he murdered me.

So, I did what any reasonable person would do.

I smirked. (Fake it till you make it, right?)

I took two steps back, raised my hand—

And flipped him off.

A very clear, very deliberate middle finger straight to his face.

"That's what you get for grabbing me, dumbass." My voice came out cockier than I felt, but my legs were already moving.

Before anyone could react, before Dante could lunge forward and rip me apart,

I turned and ran.

Bolted.

Like my life depended on it.

(Which, let's be honest—it probably did.)

I shoved past a group of students, nearly tripping over someone's bag, but I didn't stop.

Not even when I heard a loud crash behind me—

Not even when I heard Dante's furious voice growl my name.

I flew out of the cafeteria, sprinting down the hallways like a maniac.

Shit, shit, shit, shit—

I barely made it through the door of my next class before I slammed it shut behind me.

Panting. Sweating. Heart pounding.

The students in the classroom blinked at me in confusion.

I forced a breathless smile. "What? Never seen a guy in a hurry before?"

Then I collapsed into my seat.

And prayed to whoever was listening that Dante wouldn't murder me after class.