Naomi
"Ricardo, I didn't... I don't—"
"You electrocuted him, Naomi." Ricardo's voice was low, barely a whisper, but it cut through the air like a blade. "I saw it. Lightning... it just came out of you. That guy...he's not moving." I latched onto my chest like it would keep my heart in my chest. It was beating so quickly, I feared it would just explode. My breathing was rapid with my chest rising and falling faster than light.
My ears picked up the sound of footsteps. "Someone's coming," I whispered, my voice trembling as I shook my hands, pacing around the unconscious man. Panic was tightening its grip around my chest. Before I could react, Ricardo moved swiftly, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward one of the rooms.
He shoved me inside and quietly locked the door behind us. His movements were quick but silent, his face set with determination. He placed his index finger on his lips, signaling me to stay quiet. I nodded, feeling the adrenaline surge through my veins, my body going rigid with fear and uncertainty.
Ricardo's body pressed closer, cornering me against the door, his presence dominating the small space. He was so close I could smell the sweetness of his cologne, the warmth radiating from him only intensifying the tightness in my chest. His head bent down, his eyes locking onto mine. His hair fell messily over his forehead, and for a brief moment, we made eye contact—deep, unspoken tension passing between us.
"A man is lying unconscious on the floor," I heard a feminine voice say from behind the door.
"What do we do?" a male voice responded.
"Let's leave him. It's not our concern," the female voice answered. The only thing I heard after that was the sound of their footsteps fading away until I couldn't hear them anymore.
I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath longer than my lungs could bear. The two arms he used to corner me fell to his sides, and my insides felt like a tangled mess.
"Are you going to explain to me why you electrocuted that guy or just stare at me all day?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
My eyes scanned him from head to toe, racking up his attractive looks. He wore a black shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. His neat, side-parted black hair was so beautiful, I had the urge to run my fingers through it; it looked so soft to the touch. His light skin looked smooth, too. He seemed too real to be an android. Maybe I was wrong, and the things I felt were all in my head.
I was the one who had just shot electric current from my hand and knocked a guy unconscious. I wasn't even fully aware of what was happening to me or how it had happened. If anyone between us should be suspected of being an android, it would be me.
"Oh, please, it's not very appealing to even glance at an ogre," I shot back.
"Well then, why were you staring at the 'ogre' like you were starstruck?" he questioned.
"I was never staring at you. I don't know what you're talking about," I replied.
"Sure you don't," he said with a smug grin.
I rolled my eyes at the clear sarcasm in his response. "So tell me, are you some type of witch or something?" he pressed on.
"I don't even understand what happened," I replied, exasperated. "I was just panicking because that guy grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go, and the next thing I knew, sparks were coming out of my hand."
"So you don't know you're a witch and you're just now discovering it?"
"I am not a witch," I shot back, debunking his statement. "Whatever you say," he said, settling onto the edge of the bed.
A moment of silence enveloped us, and I could feel the tension building between us. My whole body felt like it might melt from being alone in the room with him. Sweat trickled down my back as heat surged through me. I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze while I stood in front of him, keeping a cautious distance. The quiet allowed the electricity of attraction to linger in the air.
Finally, he broke the silence. "Jeremy, huh? I didn't know he was your date."
"You sound jealous," I teased, raising an eyebrow and giving him a mockingly playful look.
"No, I'm just happy for my brother. He deserves love." Jeremy isn't bad-looking, but our personalities are quite similar, except he's more extroverted than I am.
"He isn't my date," I clarified. "I came with a friend. He just came over to keep me company since we both didn't have dates. He's a lovely person, which is quite the opposite of you."
Ricardo fell silent, his expression unreadable. The awkwardness hung in the air until I decided to break the tension. "You and Brianna looked good together," I said, teasingly.
"Do you know why I came up here?" he asked, his tone suddenly serious.
"No, I don't."
"Well, I got bored. Brianna is incredibly self-absorbed. The last time I checked, a conversation is supposed to be interactive, where both people engage, but with her, it was all about her rich parents, the places she's traveled, her social media influence, her pageant wins... blah blah. She didn't even bother to ask me anything, as if she was trying to get to know me too. It was all one-sided," he complained, shaking his head in frustration.
"I saw it," I said, smirking. "You looked completely bored. Let me guess—Brianna was going on about herself again? That girl's ego is as high as Mount Everest. She acts like she's better than everyone."
I got up from the bed and slipped into the bathroom. After emptying my bladder, I came back out to find him lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Jeremy told me you made Brianna invite me to the party," I said, breaking the silence. "Care to explain why you did that?"
He sat up, amusement flickering in his eyes as he chuckled. "Jeremy's such a snitch."
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest, waiting for the real answer. "Well?" I prompted.
A playful smile spread across his face. "Let's just say I wanted some entertainment."
"Entertainment?" I pressed, moving closer, standing just inches away. "How exactly is me being at a party entertaining?"
He bit his lower lip, doing that puppy dog eye thing that he knew I hated—or maybe secretly liked. If he wasn't so infuriating, I might've kissed him for it. Instead, I stayed put, not backing down.
"You know how it is," he started, his tone light but teasing. "When good girls like you show up at a party for the first time, you break all your rules, drink too much, and make a fool of yourself. Girls like you can't handle alcohol. One sip and you're done."
I rolled my eyes. That clearly wasn't his real reason, but I wasn't going to let myself get tangled in his games.
"You're so irritating," I muttered.
He grinned wider, clearly enjoying this too much. "Well, at least you didn't end up drunk, dancing on tables, shouting nonsense. No, you went ahead and zapped someone with your powers. Now that's straight out of a superhero movie. It was amazing."
His words made me roll my eyes even harder. "You'd better not tell anyone about that," I warned, my voice serious now.
He stood up, towering over me, forcing me to tilt my head to meet his gaze. "And what if I do? What are you gonna do about it?"
I crossed my arms, smirking. "I'll zap you next. How about that?"
He chuckled softly, but then his expression shifted, more serious, his voice dropping as he leaned in close, his breath grazing my ear. A shiver ran through me, butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
"Fine. I won't say a word," he whispered. "But on one condition."
I narrowed my eyes. "What do you want?"
He paused, still close, his breath warm against my skin. "On Monday, I'm trying out for the school's athlete team. I want you to come and watch. Do that, and your secret's safe with me."
I blinked, taken aback by the request. Of all the things he could've asked for, this was almost... sweet. Not what I expected. But I wasn't going to let him see that.
Shrugging, trying to seem indifferent, I said, "At least you didn't ask for something ridiculous."
I tilted my head, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. "Seems like you want to spend time with me."
He rolled my eyes, ignoring the teasing. "Are you in or not, Naomi?" he pressed, extending his hand as if the previous comment hadn't fazed him at all.
I hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Fine, I agree," I said, reaching out and shaking his hand.