The two twins, Tara and Kara, entered their classroom. As Tara's eyes landed on Roman, she quickly turned her gaze away, unable to hide her frustration. Argh, she thought to herself. She hated the fact that she had to pay for the watch she had damaged. If she didn't, she was afraid she would no longer have any ties with him. His arrogant behavior made it worse—she couldn't stand it. Well, hate is a strong word, Tara thought. But I really do dislike him.
Tara and Kara made their way to their seats. Kara glanced at her sister, breaking the silence. "So, we're having Economics, right?"
"I guess so," Tara replied, her tone flat. She wasn't in the mood for small talk. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the watch incident, and Roman's constant presence just made things worse.
The morning passed, and the bell rang for break time. Both girls were starving and eager to eat. They took their food to a nearby table. Just as they sat down, James and Juliet approached.
"Hi, guys! Mind if we join you?" Juliet asked.
Kara smiled and motioned for them to sit. "Of course not, sit down," she said warmly.
Juliet thanked them, and they settled in. After a moment, James leaned forward with a mischievous grin on his face. "So, have you heard the latest?" he asked.
"Hear what?" Juliet asked, intrigued.
James smirked. "Well, I heard there's going to be a school trip next term."
Tara raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "How do you know what's going to happen next term? We've just started this one. Where did you even hear that?"
"I heard it from some teachers. We'll see," James replied, shrugging. "I'm usually right. You know that, my love," he added, playfully taking Tara's hand.
Tara recoiled, immediately pulling her hand away. "Pfft. Not happening, James," she scoffed, her voice laced with annoyance.
James just winked at her, unbothered. "You'll come around," he said with a grin.
Kara, noticing her sister's irritation, stood up after finishing her food. "I'll be going now. T, let's go," she said, glancing at her sister, who was already done eating.
Tara nodded, relieved to leave the conversation behind. "Let's go," she said, waving goodbye to James and Juliet before heading out to class.
As they entered the classroom, Tara smiled when she saw Lucas. She decided to leave him to chat with Kara while she took her seat. But just as Tara was about to settle in, Lucas called out to Kara.
"Hmmm… Kara, can I see you for a moment?" Lucas asked, his voice low but clear.
"Sure," Kara replied, sensing that Lucas had something he wanted to discuss.
Lucas hesitated, his words faltering as he tried to find the right way to speak. Kara noticed his discomfort and softened. "Lucas, you know you can speak freely with me. I'm a bit uncomfortable with the way you're shy around me. It makes me feel like my presence is bothering you," she said gently, trying to ease his nerves.
"No, no, not at all," Lucas quickly corrected. "I just don't know how to talk when I'm around you. You make me nervous. No worries. But, um… I wanted to treat you to a meal to thank you for your excellent work on our last project together," Lucas said, his voice growing steadier.
Kara smiled at him, finding his awkwardness endearing. "That's really sweet of you, Lucas. Alright, if you insist."
Lucas beamed. "Thank you, Kara. I'll make sure it's a great meal."
Kara smiled back before standing up. "I'll be going now. See you later."
As she walked away, Lucas watched her, his hand instinctively going to his chest. His heart was pounding faster than he was used to. "I need to see a doctor," he muttered, realizing his emotions were getting the better of him.
Meanwhile, Tara had already found her seat and rested her head on the desk, trying to ignore everything around her. She wasn't in the mood for any more distractions, especially not Roman, who always seemed to find his way into her space.
Why is he here? Tara thought, frowning. Doesn't he eat in the cafeteria like everyone else? She didn't want to deal with him. Roman was a pain in the neck, always causing her more trouble than she needed.
And of course, it wasn't long before Roman sat down next to her. Tara froze. Just what I needed, she thought, her irritation mounting. What now?
Roman, sensing her discomfort, spoke in his usual detached tone. "Tara, I didn't bring my textbook. Can I borrow yours?"
Tara stared at him, incredulous. "But why didn't you bring it?" she asked, her voice sharp. "There's a PDF file for it in the class group. You can check it there."
Roman sighed, looking at her with a hint of frustration. "I need my phone battery for other things. I still need the textbook, so hand it over."
Tara's temper flared. She wanted to protest, to tell him how ridiculous his request was. But then Roman added, his voice suddenly softer, "Do you know what that watch means to me? Not only is it expensive…"
Tara's annoyance flared again at the mention of the watch. Not this again, she thought. Is everything with him about that stupid watch?
"Alright, I'll give it to you," she said quickly, cutting him off. "But don't bother me, Roman. I'm just trying to keep my sanity here. Putting up with all this is enough for me right now," she muttered, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
Roman smirked mischievously at her response, clearly enjoying the small victory.
Meanwhile, Kara returned to her seat, her mind still replaying her conversation with Lucas. His shy yet sincere demeanor made her smile. He's trying so hard... she thought, feeling a small warmth in her chest.
Lucas, still seated across the room, couldn't concentrate. His mind raced as he recalled Kara's smile and the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke to him. His hand absently rested on his chest again. What's happening to me? he wondered, feeling both nervous and excited.
The classroom buzzed with low chatter as students settled into their seats. Tara reluctantly handed Roman her economics textbook, barely concealing her irritation. He accepted it with a smug smirk, clearly enjoying her annoyance.
"You're welcome," she muttered sarcastically.
Roman chuckled. "You could try being a little nicer, you know."
Tara rolled her eyes. "You could try being less of a pain."
Before he could respond, the teacher walked in, calling the class to order. Tara exhaled in relief, glad for the distraction. At least now she wouldn't have to deal with Roman's infuriating smirks — for the next hour, at least.
The civic education lesson dragged on, with Tara half-listening and half-staring out the window. When the teacher asked them to open their textbooks, Roman lazily slid hers back across the desk.
"Here. Thanks for the generous loan," he teased.
Tara clenched her jaw but forced herself to ignore him. Just one more class, she thought, silently willing time to move faster.
As the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the period, Tara quickly gathered her things, determined to avoid any further interaction with Roman. But before she could escape, he leaned closer.
"Don't forget," he whispered, "you still owe me for that watch."
Tara turned sharply, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "I didn't forget. Trust me."
With that, she stormed out, leaving Roman behind, his smirk widening.
This is going to be fun, he thought.