Chanelle stood at the entrance of the hallway, her perfectly manicured nails digging into the strap of her designer bag as she watched Felix walk away. The sight of him laughing with Faerie ignited a storm of fury within her. How could he choose that nobody over her? She had always been the one he was meant to be with, and now it felt as if he were slipping through her fingers like sand.
Faerie walked into the classroom alongside Felix, her head held high, an almost defiant smile playing on her lips. As she scanned the room, she immediately spotted her best friend, Sunny, seated by the window with an empty chair beside her. Without missing a beat, she made her way over and sat down, ignoring the wide-eyed shock on Sunny's face.
Sunny leaned closer, her voice barely a whisper. "You and Felix? Together? What is happening?"
Faerie smirked, shrugging lightly. "Nothing you need to worry about, Sunny. Just keeping things... interesting." There was a glint in her eye, a hint of amusement at the ripples she knew their entrance had caused.
The moment Felix took his seat, the room plunged into a thick, awkward silence. Every head seemed to turn their way, curiosity burning in their eyes, quickly followed by the quiet buzz of gossip. But Faerie didn't flinch; she welcomed the attention, knowing exactly how to handle it. Her ears caught the whispers, sharp as knives, but she didn't let them cut deep.
"Did you see that? Faelix just walked in together!"
"She really thinks she's something, doesn't she? As if a scholarship kid has any business being around him."
"Felix could do so much better. Who does she think she is?"
Faerie's smile only widened as she crossed her arms, her voice rising just enough for the gossipers nearby to hear. "You know, Sunny, it's funny how people have so much to say when they're hiding behind their whispers. I wonder if they'd be this brave to my face."
The whispers faltered, a few of the gossipers quickly looking away, embarrassed at being caught. Sunny stifled a laugh, shooting Faerie a look that was equal parts admiration and disbelief. "You really don't care, do you?"
Faerie glanced at her friend, her expression cool and composed. "Why should I? They can talk all they want—it just means I'm living rent-free in their heads." Her gaze flicked briefly to Felix, who was watching the scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and admiration of his own.
Across the room, Felix couldn't help but smile at the way Faerie handled the situation. The fire in her voice, the way she seemed completely unbothered by the rumors—it was a side of her that he was starting to admire more with each passing day. He leaned back in his chair, letting the tension in the room roll off his shoulders.
Faerie was far from the helpless charity case the others made her out to be, and he found himself wanting to know more about the strength behind her defiant smile.
The room slowly filled with the usual shuffling of books and murmured conversations as the teacher prepared to start the lesson, but a tension still lingered, an undercurrent of unspoken questions about what exactly was going on between Faerie and Felix. Faerie could feel the lingering stares, but she brushed them off with ease, focusing on the notes in front of her like she hadn't a care in the world.
Sunny leaned in again, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You know they're all losing their minds right now, right?"
Faerie's smile turned wicked, her eyes glittering with a hint of satisfaction. "Good. It's about time someone gave them something worth talking about."
Across the room, Felix caught the way Faerie held herself—unbothered, almost relishing the whispers. He couldn't help but admire the way she seemed so unaffected by the social games that thrived at Hera Academy. He could almost hear the rumors spreading, but Faerie's confidence created a barrier around her, shielding her from the sting of their words.
As the teacher finally began the lecture, Felix found himself stealing glances at Faerie. She was focused on the lesson, but he caught the faint trace of a smirk still lingering on her lips, as if she knew exactly the kind of chaos she'd left in her wake.
The class dragged on, with the teacher's voice droning in the background, but Felix's mind was elsewhere. He kept turning over the morning's events, replaying Faerie's words and actions. There was something undeniably magnetic about her, a sense of defiance that set her apart from everyone else he knew at Hera Academy. And even though he couldn't fully explain why, he found himself wanting to spend more time around her, to see what else she was hiding behind that cool exterior.
The bell rang, breaking him out of his thoughts. As students gathered their things, Felix caught up to Faerie and Sunny at the door. He could feel the eyes of their classmates following them, but he ignored it, falling into step beside Faerie. "You handled that back there pretty well," he said, his voice low enough that only she could hear. "Guess you're not afraid of a little attention."
Faerie glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Trust me, Felix. Attention is the least of my worries." She shot him a knowing look, a secret smile playing at the edges of her lips. "But you might want to watch out for Chanelle. She doesn't take kindly to being shown up, even if she's not here to see it."
Felix chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I figured as much. But I think I'll survive."
Faerie's expression softened for a moment, a fleeting glimpse of something more vulnerable beneath her confident exterior. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, she turned back to Sunny, the two of them walking ahead as Felix lingered behind, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and admiration. As he followed them down the hall, Felix couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping into uncharted territory—one where the rules he'd always known no longer seemed to apply.