Chapter 2: Welcome to the Jungle

Ariana's POV

I could feel the tension hanging in the air like smoke.

They weren't expecting me. Not here. Not in Class D.

The moment I said my last name, the whole room shifted like I had just dropped a bomb in the middle of their little kingdom. Ramirez.

I smirked. Let them react. Let them whisper. I didn't come here to please anyone.

The teacher barely cared. He just sighed, waved me off, and returned to whatever existential crisis he was having. I turned around and started walking toward an empty seat when I felt the weight of someone's stare.

I knew before even looking.

Alex Miguel Sanchez.

The school president. The guy every teacher either feared or tolerated. The one who sat like he owned the place—like this classroom, this school, and everyone inside it was part of his empire.

And right now? He was watching me.

I met his gaze, tilting my head slightly. His expression didn't change, but something about the way he didn't look away sent a warning through my veins.

He's already thinking. Calculating.

I turned my attention to the seat I had been aiming for, only to realize someone was already there.

A guy with light brown, almost blonde hair and brown eyes. He looked up, blinking at me like I had just walked into the wrong movie scene.

"Move," I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "Did you just tell me to move?"

"Did I stutter?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "You've got guts, Ramirez."

I sighed dramatically. "And you've got my seat. Are we gonna drag this out or—"

Before I could finish, he chuckled, shaking his head before grabbing his stuff and moving to another seat.

"Thanks," I muttered, dropping into my chair.

I could still feel the stares. Alex. Mark. The entire class.

I didn't care.

If they wanted to watch, they better get used to it.

Because I wasn't going anywhere.