Bathroom Prank.

Kim clenched her fists, eyes snapping shut for a second as if to hold back the fire building in her chest. When she opened them, her gaze was ice. Without hesitation, she smacked his hand off her chin, her lip curling like his touch had contaminated her skin.

That smug smirk still lingered on Castillo's face, so casual… like this was all a game.

"Don't be so full of yourself, Castillo," she said through gritted teeth. "Nothing you say or do would make me give in to your demands."

His eyes narrowed, head tilting ever so slightly. "Really? You sure about that?"

He dared to step closer again—tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear like he had any right to be near her. She recoiled instantly, waving his hand off like a fly, disgust dripping from her stare.

"I'm not a pushover," Kim snapped. "And I'm certainly not a fool like the rest of this school who worships you like you're some self-proclaimed god."

A beat. She took a few steps away, then paused—her voice cold, but loud enough to echo slightly against the gym walls.

She turned.

"And one more thing," she added, locking eyes with him. "Can you stop chasing after me? You look so pathetic and needy."

Gasps rippled through the room.

Someone actually whispered, "Daaaamn…"

Phones were already up. Cameras held at chest level, recording this brutal takedown like it was prime entertainment.

And then Kim picked up her bag, swung it over her shoulder like a queen tossing her cape—and walked out of the gym without looking back, her ponytail swinging like punctuation.

Dead silence.

Even Tavi blinked, wide-eyed.

"Bro… she just verbally dropkicked you in front of half the gym."

Amelia's mouth hung open, the bottle in her hand slipping slightly.

Kyle whistled under his breath.

"I think I'm in love."

Castillo stood there, completely still—jaw tight, muscles clenched, pride bruised. That last line had sliced deeper than expected.

They all turned their gaze to Castillo.

The tension was so thick you could slice it with a blade.

Then—crash.

"Put your goddamned phones down!!" Castillo roared, voice echoing off the gym walls like a war cry. He kicked at the air, sending a nearby towel flying, his rage bubbling over.

Everyone flinched.

Silence.

Cameras dropped. A few students quickly shoved their phones into their pockets, while others glanced nervously at each other.

He spun on his heel, eyes burning holes into Lorenzo as he stormed toward him.

"You might want to teach your little brat a lesson," Castillo snarled, tone so cold it could freeze the blood in anyone's veins. He stepped in close, close enough for Lorenzo to smell the storm of sweat and fury off him.

"You know what I'm capable of," he growled. "And I won't go easy on her."

Then—shoulder bump.

Hard. Intentional. Meant to bruise more than just skin.

Castillo shoved past him and stormed out of the gym, jaw tight, fists clenched, chest heaving. The doors slammed behind him with a deafening thud.

Ivy let out a shaky breath.

"…that went south fast."

Tavi leaned back on the bench, still recovering from the verbal decapitation he just witnessed.

"Bro's ego just got hit by a meteor."

Amelia, on the other hand, looked murderous.

"She's going to regret this. I swear it."

"Wait....where on earth is Rhea?"Ivy asked, finally noticing her absence.

But Lorenzo?

He didn't speak.

He just stared at the door Kim had walked through… and the one Castillo had exploded out of.

Like he knew this wasn't the end. This was only the spark.

~LIBRARY~

The library was quiet.

Almost too quiet.

Hardin moved slowly along the polished floor, eyes gliding across spines of books in the Fiction section. His headphones rested loosely around his neck, soft music still humming faintly from them. But even through the hum-

He heard it.

Footsteps. Soft. Timed. Matching his every move. He paused. The sound stopped.

Brows furrowing slightly, he turned his head, not fully, just enough to glance over his shoulder. No one.

He kept walking.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

There it was again. Precise. Measured.

Like someone was mimicking his every move. He took a sudden turn toward the right aisle, quickening his pace slightly. Then stopped.

Then—

-

"Fuck!" Rhea's voice hissed from the next aisle.

Hardin, hidden just past the shelf, watched through the gaps in the books as she stomped her foot, biting her lip.

"How did he disappear so fast?" she muttered, frustrated, eyes scanning wildly.

He smirked. Quietly stepped behind her.

"Why are you following me?" His voice was right behind her ear.

Rhea yelped, half-screamed, and slapped her hands over her mouth. Her eyes widened. She spun around like a deer caught in headlights.

"I—I... I'm not following you!" she blurted, her voice two pitches too high.

Hardin tilted his head, a lazy smirk spreading across his face.

"Oh? Then why are you acting like you just got caught stealing cookies?"

Rhea took a step back.

He took one forward.

And again.

And again.

She was practically backing into the shelf now, clutching her bag like it could shield her from his gaze.

"Really? Are you a stalker?" Hardin's voice came sharp from behind her, making Rhea flinch. "This isn't the first time I've noticed you popping up where I am."

She froze on the spot, her body stiffening as her butt bumped into a chair behind her. Before she could recover, Hardin had already stepped in front of her, closing the distance. He wasn't touching her—he didn't need to. The intensity in his eyes was enough to make her squirm.

"Don't be so full of yourself," she muttered, trying to sound indifferent. "This is a library and I'm just here to... to... take....I mean, borrow a textbook. For class."

"Textbook?" His brow arched. "You're in my department, right? As far as I know, you don't find chemistry textbooks in the literature section."

Rhea's eyes widened. Her jaw parted slightly before she squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. Busted.

"Alright, fine," she muttered, arms folding. "I was stalking you, okay? I just wanted to say hi." She forced a small smile. "We could be friends."

Hardin stared at her like she was speaking another language.

"I don't want anything to do with you," he said, his voice colder than the AC vent above them. "You and your little squad are a walking storm in this school. Loud, dramatic, and always up to something."

"But I'm not like them," she tried again, softer this time.

"You're no different," he snapped, gaze dropping briefly to the ID clipped to her jacket. "Rhea."

The sound of her name on his lips made her breath catch.

"Stop following me."

With that, Hardin stepped past her and walked away without looking back. Rhea stood frozen, staring at the space he left behind. Her cheeks were burning. She pinched both of them lightly.

"He knows my name," she whispered to herself, heart hammering in her chest.

Then, with a small squeal muffled into her palms, she spun on her heel and stomped off down the aisle- flustered, embarrassed... and definitely not over him.

~ LOCKER ROOM~

Kim stood in front of her locker, one arm propped against the cool metal as her thumb scrolled down her phone screen.

The post was everywhere. A short clip of the gym showdown of her and Castillo, captioned with something sensational and stupid like "The New Girl's Got Guts."

💬 She must have a death wish.

💬 No one talks to Castillo like that and breathes easy the next day.

💬 Just wait till the Black Venom gets their hands on her.

💬 Pretty face, zero brain. Should've bowed when she had the chance.

💬 Hope she knows CPR. She'll need it after they're done with her.

Kim's brows furrowed. Her jaw clenched as she turned off her phone and shoved it inside her locker like it had personally offended her.

She stood there for a moment, breathing hard, her fingers curling into fists by her sides. Then-

SLAM.

The locker door snapped shut with a loud clang and standing right behind it… was Lorenzo. His arms crossed, calm as ever, eyes trained on her face.

Kim blinked. Her expression shifted instantly, guarded, annoyed, exhausted. She wasn't in the mood.

"You should stay away from Castillo," Lorenzo said gently, stepping a little closer. "Him and his crew… they're poison, Kim. Trouble follows them everywhere they go."

Kim crossed her arms, her tone sharp. "I didn't do anything wrong, Enzo. I won't let some entitled, arrogant prick walk all over me. I don't care who he is or how many people worship the ground he walks on."

Her voice was firm. Fire in her eyes. Lorenzo sighed, watching her as she turned and stormed off toward the bathroom.

MINUTES LATER…

Steam filled the tiled bathroom, warm and cloudy. Kim ran her fingers through her damp hair, sighing as she stepped out of the stall. A white towel clung to her body, wrapped tight across her chest, stopping mid-thigh. She padded barefoot across the cold tiles and reached for the shelf where she had placed her clothes.

Gone. She blinked.

Once. Twice.

"W-What the hell…" she muttered, checking the other shelf. Then another. Then under the bench.

Still gone.

Reality sank in like a bucket of ice. Her chest rose and fell sharply.

"Castillo," she whispered, rage curling into her voice.

Her fists clenched at her sides, knuckles going white.

SLAM. The door burst open.

She stormed out into the hallway, soaking in the stares and snickers that surrounded her like flies on rotting fruit. Phones were out. Students were recording. Some laughed behind cupped hands. Others whispered out loud, shameless.

"Holy shit, is she naked?"

"No way… towel only?"

"Damn, Castillo really did it-"

"Should've bowed, newbie."

Kim's breathing was ragged, the humiliation red-hot on her cheeks. Her wet hair clung to her shoulders. She halted at the center of the hallway, her voice cutting through the chatter like a blade.

"CASTILLO!!" she screamed.

Gasps. Heads turned.

"Hey, bitch! Up here."

Kim froze, eyes lifting. Amelia. Leaning over the upstairs barricade with Ivy beside her, arms folded, smirk wide.

"You look good in white," Amelia called, loud enough for the whole hallway to hear. "You should consider making it your school uniform."

Laughter erupted below.

Kim's eyes didn't leave her.Not for a second. She was burning and they were about to feel the heat.