After class, the twins made their way home in silence, both deep in their thoughts. As they settled in at their desks to work on their assignments, Kara couldn't shake the worry she had noticed earlier in Tara's demeanor. The way she had been quieter than usual, her usual confident air replaced by something more distant.
Kara glanced over at Tara, who was focused on her work but looked distracted. She chewed on the edge of her pen, and Kara knew that look well—it was the one she wore when something was bothering her. With a soft sigh, Kara set her assignment aside, turning her full attention to her sister.
"Tara," Kara said gently, her voice laced with concern. "What happened today at school? I won't take nothing for an answer, so please tell me. Don't keep it to yourself. I'll be here for you."
Tara hesitated, her eyes flicking between her homework and Kara. She could feel the weight of her sister's concern, but she wasn't sure how to handle it. She knew if she told Kara about the bullies, her sister would want to confront them, and that would only make things worse. She didn't want Kara involved. Not again.
Taking a deep breath, Tara finally spoke, her voice steady but soft. "I met... Drake today..." She trailed off, unsure of how to explain it without causing too much worry.
Kara's eyes widened in shock. "You saw who now?? Drake?? You mean the class B top bullies? Oh no, Tara, what did they do to you?" Her voice was filled with panic and concern.
Tara smiled sheepishly, raising a hand to brush her hair back. "You see, that's why I didn't want to tell you. You worry too much." She forced a laugh, trying to downplay it.
"Don't worry, they didn't have the chance to do anything." Tara's voice trailed off, unsure of how to explain what had happened. The truth was, she didn't know how to feel about it herself.
"Wait... what do you mean?" Kara asked, her eyes narrowing with confusion.
"There was this guy... from Class C," Tara said, her voice steady but reluctant. "Adrian."
Kara blinked, trying to process what Tara had just said. "Adrian? You mean... Adrian Castiel? The principal's son? Wow, impressive." Her voice softened as she recalled the rumors she had heard about Adrian. "He never involves himself in other people's business, from what I've heard."
Tara nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah, I know. That's what makes it even weirder. He could've just walked away and let them continue. But instead, he stepped in and stopped them and worst of all I didn't thank him."
Kara's eyebrows raised, disbelief mixing with admiration. "That's... really something. But why didn't you just thank him?"
Tara's cheeks flushed as she felt the weight of her own actions. "I know! I don't know why I did that. When he stretched out his hand to help me... I rejected him. And I didn't even say thank you! What's wrong with me, Kara?"
Kara reached over and took Tara's hand, squeezing it gently. "Hey, calm down, okay? He should know you were traumatized. I'm sure he didn't take it personally."
Tara let out a sigh of relief, feeling a little better with her sister's words. "Yeah, I guess. It's just... I feel so weird about it. Like, why did he help me? He didn't have to."
"Tara," Kara said thoughtfully. "Maybe he just wanted to help."
The two girls sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation easing off Tara's shoulders. It was nice to have someone to talk to, someone who understood her without judging. She felt grateful for Kara's presence in her life, even when she couldn't express everything she was feeling.
After a while, the girls finished their assignments and decided it was time to get some rest. As they lay in bed, the events of the day replayed in Tara's mind. The encounter with the bullies. Adrian's unexpected intervention. And how she had reacted in the moment. As the night stretched on, both twins eventually drifted into a peaceful sleep.
*****
Next Monday, just like their usual routine, the twins, Tara and Kara, left for school. They walked side by side, chatting about the day ahead, their thoughts a mix of excitement and dread.
Upon reaching the school, the twins headed to their regular classroom.
"Good morning, class," Mr. Castiel, the principal, greeted in his deep, commanding voice as he walked into the classroom.
"Good morning, sir," the class replied in unison.
Mr. Castiel cleared his throat. "Students, your first and second periods are free today. Both of your teachers encountered some issues on their way here, but don't worry, they're fine. Use this time wisely. Good day."
"Good day, sir," the students chorused back.
A wave of excitement rippled through the classroom. The unexpected break was a relief to most, and students began talking and laughing with joy.
As the principal left the room, the students quickly began to scatter, eager to make the most of their free periods.
"Yay! No classes!" someone exclaimed, and the rest of the room erupted in a chorus of cheers.
Tara, however, found herself standing still for a moment. Her twin sister, Kara, was off to her biology class, while Tara was left in her regular class, which meant boredom was bound to set in. The thought of spending the next few hours without her sister by her side made her sigh deeply.
Tara glanced at the clock, then back at her desk, as if the time would somehow pass faster if she kept staring. She picked up her textbook, but it felt too heavy to even think about opening it. A few minutes later, she gave up on the idea of reading and rested her head on her arms, hoping to take a short nap. But as she rested her head on her arms, she found it harder to focus. The noise in the room was deafening, and her mind started to wander. Minutes seemed to stretch into eternity. Tara glanced at the clock again only ten minutes had passed. It felt like she'd been sitting there forever, trapped in the same spot. A groan of frustration escaped her lips.
'Maybe a walk will clear my mind' Tara thought. The idea of a stroll to the library seemed appealing, something to break the monotony.
As she stood up, however, the room around her started to spin. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and her legs wobbled beneath her. Tara reached out for the desk, hoping to steady herself, but it was too late. Her body lurched forward, and she felt herself falling.
In that split second, she braced herself for the painful impact of hitting the floor, but instead, something—or rather someone—caught her. A steady hand on her back prevented her from tumbling to the ground, and before she could comprehend what was happening, she found herself sprawled awkwardly across someone's lap.
Her heart skipped a beat as she realized the person holding her was none other than Roman Hale.
Her eyes locked onto his as she slowly lifted her head from his chest. He was looking down at her with a look she couldn't quite say. Roman's usual cold, aloof expression was replaced with something... warmer. It confused her even more.
Before Tara could react, Roman broke the silence with a soft "Hello," his lips curving into the faintest of smiles.
Tara blinked in surprise. Roman had never smiled like this before, and she found herself staring at him in disbelief. Was this a joke? Was he messing with her? The pervert was flirting with her, Eww.
Then the realization hit her like a cold wave she was in an incredibly awkward position, and she was sitting on his lap. Panic surged through her veins.
'Oh no' Tara thought, her face flushing with embarrassment. She quickly scrambled to stand, her palms pressing against Roman's chest to push herself up. "I didn't mean to," she stammered, looking anywhere but at his face.
Roman didn't move as she quickly got off his lap and stood up, brushing herself off. Tara's heart was still racing from the encounter. She couldn't believe she had fallen like that. She had never felt so humiliated in her life.
"Ugh, that's it," she muttered under her breath. "I'll just avoid him from now on. Rule number one, avoid Roman at all costs."
Without giving him another glance, Tara quickly fled the classroom, heading straight for the library, hoping the cool air and books would calm her down.
She was so lost on her walk that she didn't notice the broad chest she collided with as she neared the library corners.
"Ow!" Tara grumbled, instinctively rubbing her nose. She was about to apologize when her eyes traveled up only to find herself staring directly into the chest of Adrian.
"Oh no," she groaned internally. Of all the people to run into, it had to be him.
She looked up, meeting his gray eyes, and immediately felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her once again.
"I'm... I'm so sorry," Tara stuttered, squinting her eyes and running a hand through her hair nervously. Her green eyes flickered to the ground for a moment, but when she glanced up again, Adrian was still staring at her with an unreadable expression.
Tara's anxiety spiked, and she stepped back, wanting to make a quick exit. But before she could move, Adrian gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her back toward him.
His chest was firm beneath her palm as she instinctively placed her hand there to steady herself. The feeling of his touch sent an unexpected shiver down her spine, and her green eyes met his gray ones, wide and confused.
"You can't go now, princess," Adrian said, his voice smooth and teasing.
Tara's immediate instinct was to push away from him. She placed both hands against his chest and gave him a firm shove, her eyes narrowing with confusion and frustration.
"Why are you always running from me?" Adrian asked, his voice quiet, but there was a hint of something something she couldn't place lurking in his words.
Tara felt her stomach twist. Was he serious? She was just trying to get away from him, but it seemed like he was deliberately making this difficult. She glared at him, her green eyes sharp, trying to suppress the storm of emotions bubbling inside her.
Before she could speak, Adrian stepped closer to her, bending down slightly so their faces were now level, with his hands in his pocket. His gray eyes bored into hers, and for a moment, Tara couldn't look away.
"What's the reason?" he asked again, his voice barely above a whisper, but it carried an undeniable intensity.
Tara opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Adrian moved again. This time, he was closing the gap between them with slow, deliberate steps, and Tara instinctively took a step back.
She hit the wall behind her with a soft thud.
"See? You're running from me, beauty," Adrian said, his tone almost playful, but his gaze was too intense for her to brush it off as harmless.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. He was so close now too close. She could feel the heat of his body radiating off him, and the space between them felt impossibly small.
"Okay, first, I'm not running from you," Tara said, her voice steady despite the growing tension. "I just... I feel bad for running the other day without saying thank you. And again, you're too close. Could you move, please?"
She stood her ground, appearing composed, but inside she was a whirlwind of confusion.
Adrian seemed taken aback by her response. It wasn't what he had expected, and for a brief moment, he looked almost... impressed?
He didn't back off, though. Instead, he put his hands up as if in surrender, his lips curling into a small smile.
"Alright, alright. I won't tease you anymore. I like that," he said, his voice light and carefree, but there was something behind his words that made Tara uneasy.
"So, what's your name, or should I just keep calling you 'beauty'?" he asked, his smile widening.
Tara hesitated. She was still processing everything that had just happened the strange encounter with Roman, the unexpected confrontation with Adrian, and now this... She debated whether she should tell him her name.
Finally, she decided. "My name is Tara," she said, her voice firm but calm. "Wow, Tara. Nice name," Adrian said, his smile widening even more, as if he had won some sort of victory. "Now go. I have to go now."
"Okay, princess," he added with a teasing lilt to his voice. Tara, still feeling a mixture of confusion, nodded and quickly left.
What was it about these boys that made everything so complicated? And as she made her way back to the safety of the library, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life at school was about to get a whole lot more complicated.