If I thought going to school with the weight of those rumors about me was bad, this Monday was thirty-three levels higher on the suffering scale. Rumors, I could somewhat ignore. Ari and I had exchanged a few messages over the weekend, but not a single word was said about Friday's events. And now, I had to go to school knowing that somewhere in those halls would be the person who wiped my tears, confessed to me, and kissed me. Kissed me enough that I went home with smudged lipstick on my lips, earning curious stares from people on public transport who probably thought I was an idiot.
I screamed into my pillow. Curses, groans—anything to vent my feelings. But I had to pull myself together. No one wants an unexcused absence.
The journey to school was surprisingly smooth—I didn't even run into those annoying twins. Instead, I nervously scanned the male students, wondering if I'd recognize Ari. No luck. Of course.
What I didn't expect, though, was my phone buzzing with a message while I was at my locker.
Ari: you look amazing today
Me: ?
Confused, I glanced up. There were way too many students loitering around for my liking.
Me: Stalker, where are you?
How was it possible that I could never find him? Shouldn't he feel at least vaguely familiar to me by now? After all, we'd been messaging for ages, and just a few days ago, we'd kissed. Well. He'd kissed me.
Ari: no self-respecting stalker would reveal their location, hmm?
Me: Haha.
Me: But you're embarrassing me, so stop staring.
Ari: that would be a shame. right now, you look absolutely delicious.
Frustrated, I slammed my locker shut and scanned my surroundings one last time. But Ari was clearly a master at stalking his prey.
I laughed and shook my head. Describing him like that made it all the more amusing.
Ari: something funny?
Me: Yeah. Want to meet up?
Five seconds. Ten. I began weaving my way through the crowd toward my classroom.
Ari: ...fine. can you make it by three in the afternoon? the "scary" abandoned park?
Me: Planning a murder? I'm already getting chills.
Ari: maybe just cannibalism.
Me: Liar.
Ari: <3
Me: I'd better ask the chemists to make me some pepper spray for creeps.
Ari: you could—but I'M a chemist too. I'll whip up an aphrodisiac from ginseng and spiders.
Me: Idiot. And… spiders? Does that actually work?
Ari: hard to believe, but historically, yes. want to try it?
Me: I'd rather protect my chastity.
Ari: you won't. you can't resist me.
Me: Haha.
Ari: sarcasm won't save you—we both know I'm right.
I didn't reply to that. It felt like admitting he was right just by responding.
I switched my phone to silent and shoved it away, resisting the urge to keep texting him. Otherwise, I might've fried my brain with overthinking. It had never occurred to me just how much Ari enjoyed teasing me. When I first saw him on Friday, he struck me as dangerously captivating and elegant. In his messages, he always sounded both clever and silly. Like some hyper, playful lunatic. But hearing him speak? That was different. His teasing took on a whole new dimension, stirring entirely different feelings.
Now that I knew his voice, every single one of his cheeky messages made me blush all the way to my toes.
If I thought sitting through classes was slow on a normal day, today was unbearable—but I didn't mind. I had plenty to think about, especially my upcoming meeting with Ari. Would he let me see him? Or not? I could have spent forever wondering. I just wanted to see him—without the makeup, without the mask, in casual clothes.
Simply put, I wanted to know who he was. What could I possibly hold against him? Could it be that he's rich? Maybe he acts like a jerk? Or is he a player?
No, I didn't think so. Ari, despite flirting like a complete libertine, always came across as intelligent and genuine. I'd never peg him as superficial or shallow. But then again, people can seem different online than they are in real life.
The final bell rang. My classmates emptied out of the classroom, and I shuffled through the halls to my locker before heading outside into the autumn chill. Before making my way to the neglected corner of the school garden where we'd agreed to meet, I checked my phone. Sure enough, there was a message from him.
Ari: when you get there, don't look. do you have something to cover your eyes?
Me: A hat.
There was no point in arguing that he was being a coward again, avoiding revealing who he was. I had a feeling Friday's encounter had triggered a series of events, and it wouldn't be long before he showed himself. He wouldn't hold out.
At least, that's what I thought.
When I arrived at the meeting spot, there was no one there—of course.
I leaned against a tree and pulled my hat down low, so the only thing I could see was the ground. Why did I trust him so much? Wasn't that incredibly naive of me?
It was.
But for some reason, I felt like I could trust him, even though he clearly didn't trust me as much in return.
I heard footsteps approaching. I tried to relax, but my body tensed instinctively. Was it Ari? Or someone else?
The steps were purposeful, heading directly toward me—no one but Ari could walk with such intent. He stopped right in front of me.
He didn't say a word. Not a single word.
Just as I was about to speak, his scent hit me, followed by the warmth of his breath on my lips before he kissed me. Briefly, but irresistibly. He was right. I couldn't resist him. I'd fallen for him long ago.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," he whispered softly against my lips before pulling back entirely.
Without hesitation—and without fully understanding why—I reached out, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and pulled him back into a kiss. He was warm. And it felt so good.
He was surprisingly tall—so tall I had to tilt my head back to meet his lips.
Lips on lips. Our breaths mingled, and his cold fingers sent shivers down my neck as he cradled my head, tilting it for better access. He parted my lips with gentle pressure, slipping his tongue inside.
It was warm. Incredibly warm. As if his saliva really did have aphrodisiac properties.
I pushed him away when I couldn't catch my breath anymore. His breathing was heavier too.
It comforted me to know I wasn't the only one affected—even if it was just kissing.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," I repeated his words, licking away the excess and grinning at him.
"Don't play with fire, Teo," he warned, his voice low, dangerous, and amused.
"Hm?" I pouted. "And what would you do about it?"
"There are a few things I could do," he mused, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around my waist. He leaned into my ear. "I haven't used that aphrodisiac I mentioned. I'm starting to think a consensual kidnapping might be in order. Then we could both drink it. Not a bad idea, huh? We'd be like hamsters in heat for a few days."
His voice was so close and so deep that it sent vibrations through my entire body.
"Pervert." I tried to sound strong, but it came out shaky. My imagination was too vivid, and it was unsettling how much the idea lingered, considering I'd never even thought about being with a guy until recently.
He laughed, pulling back slightly before taking my hands and guiding them to his face. "Go ahead. Feel. Maybe you'll figure it out."
My breath hitched. Was he really letting me do this?
Apparently.
"Have I seen you often?"
"As much as any other student," he chuckled. I could feel his gaze on me. I started tracing the outline of his face. Defined cheekbones, small earlobes, a well-shaped jaw.
He held his breath.
"Do I know your name?"
"No idea. We've never introduced ourselves."
"Have we talked before?"
"Yeah."
I froze, wanting to look him in the eyes—until I remembered mine were covered. Ugh. "A lot? Or just a few random times?"
"The latter."
"Then how could you fall for me? That doesn't make sense," I mumbled.
"Easily. Let's say… love at first sight? From the moment I saw you, I was drawn to you like a magnet. It took me months to sort through my feelings before deciding I wanted to get to know you. That's when I found you online, created an anonymous account, and voila! Here we are."
"That's crazy."
"Thanks."
"Idiot."
"Thanks again," he laughed. "Want another clue?"
"Do you enjoy tormenting me? Not telling me who you are and teasing me because I don't know?"
"It's not tor—okay, it is. But it's not malicious."
I laughed sarcastically and continued exploring his face. His nose, his eyebrows, his forehead. His lips. They were still warm and damp from our kiss. These were the lips that had kissed me.
Uh.
I wanted to melt into the ground and die.
He parted them slightly, licking my fingers when they brushed his lips. I flinched, but he caught my wrist and kissed my palm.
"Are you part of the group of people who annoy me?"
"Probably? Maybe not? I don't know. I annoy you all the time—and I like it."
I sighed in frustration. He wasn't making this easy.
"Well?" he challenged. "It's true, isn't it?"
"Fine. So… hair color?"
"Dark."
"That's most people here."
"Not you."
Another frustrated sigh. He laughed. I punched him in the arm—or, rather, my blind aim landed on his chest.
"Okay, okay. It's very dark."
"Height?"
"Will that tell you anything?"
"Yeah, how much taller you are than me."
"Six foot three." (190 cm)
"Damn, that's almost four inches taller than me?"
"Looks like it."
I huffed.
"I like your height. You fit perfectly in my arms."
"Like a puzzle," I muttered sarcastically.
"Exactly."
The chill started seeping into me. "Hey, I should probably go. I'm freezing."
He went quiet for a moment. "Alright. But… would you meet me at the lake pier on Friday? Around five?"
"Why? Another planned murder?"
"Yeah. If one of us has a heart attack, it'll be easier to cover it up. I just want to go somewhere quiet. In case you freak out and kick me."
"For someone as egotistical as you, you're surprisingly insecure about this."
"I know."
I gave him a quick kiss. "Sure. But let's hope neither of us has a heart attack."
"Thanks," he exhaled in relief, kissing me one last time before walking away.
I had an urge to sneak a glance at his retreating figure, hoping something might click, but it didn't feel right. So I waited a full minute before heading home.
Now, I'll just be dying of impatience until Friday finally comes.