"Sorry, I didn't mean to—"
I began, but the guy had already cut me off.
"Can't you walk properly? What's the need to run in the corridor?" he snapped, glaring. "People have lost their minds."
Whatever spark I thought I'd seen in his emerald eyes vanished completely.
So rude. I stared at him, stunned.
Before I could even react, he straightened his shirt, gave me one last annoyed glance, and walked off without another word.
Who does he think he is? I thought as I pushed myself off the ground. My ego bruised, I gathered my books and rushed to Professor Marine's office, handed in the mythology book, then sprinted back toward class.
And then I saw the clock.
I'm doomed.
The bell had already rung. Mr. Hernandez was surely in class by now, sharpening his insults and ready to throw me into the pit of humiliation.
Taking a deep breath and sending a desperate prayer to every god I could think of, I approached the classroom. My eyes fixed to the floor, I whispered, "May I come in, Professor?"
"Ah, Serena dear. Come in, come in. You're right on time—we were just about to begin."
Wait... what? Dear?
Since when did Mr. Hernandez call anyone dear? My eyes flicked up in confusion.
And there he was.
Standing right next to Mr. Hernandez was him.
The same emerald-eyed Greek statue of a boy I'd crashed into moments ago. He didn't look at me, and I tried my best to ignore the slow unraveling of my brain.
"Serena, dear, everything alright? Take your seat," the professor repeated gently.
"Y-Yes, sir," I muttered and scurried to the empty spot next to Maria.
Professor Hernandez clasped his hands together. "Now that we're all here, I have an announcement to make. We have a new student joining us today."
The room buzzed immediately. Girls already started whispering and giggling behind their hands as the professor went on about the boy's accolades, his education in Portugal's most prestigious college, and some ridiculous praise like "a mind well beyond his years."
I wasn't listening anymore. Not after:
"Everyone, meet my nephew—Alan Hernandez."
The class collectively gasped.
"Is he kidding?" I whispered under my breath, just loud enough for Maria to hear.
"Nope," she said with a sly grin. "It's destiny. Some things are meant to be."
She let out a weird little giggle. Honestly, she creeped people out sometimes. Most of the school believed she was a witch. Rumors swirled around her—black magic, potions, strange rituals—but I never believed any of that. I liked Maria. She was weird, sure, but she was real.
Just as I was trying to process the "nephew" bombshell, Professor Hernandez spoke again.
"So Serena will be helping Alan catch up on his backlog assignments."
My heart skipped a beat.
Before I could even form a word, a sugary voice broke the silence.
"I could help him with that, Professor!"
Anne. Of course.
Miss Perfect with her cotton-candy pink hair, sparkly pink eyes, and an army of boys fawning over her 24/7. And apparently, that wasn't enough. She wanted the new guy too.
I clenched my jaw.
I hated Anne. Truly, deeply, passionately.
But that's a story for another day.
Before Hernandez could answer, another girl—one of Anne's long-time rivals—jumped in.
"Sir, I'd also like to volunteer to help Alan."
And just like that, a verbal catfight began in the middle of class. Words were flying. Flirtation was turning into desperation. Alan looked mildly amused, as if he was used to this kind of attention.
Then, out of nowhere, Jared—one of the quieter guys in our class—called out, "Professor, if you don't mind, maybe I can help Alan?"
Mr. Hernandez, clearly exhausted with the drama, nodded without hesitation. "Yes, Jared. That's settled. You'll assist him."
The argument dissolved into a sea of disappointed glares. Alan walked silently to an empty seat and sat down. And just when I thought the chaos was over, I felt his gaze.
I looked up.
Those emerald eyes... were glowing again.
But this time, they weren't angry.
They sparkled—like they knew something I didn't.