Sparks in the Wrong Place

The campus cafeteria was loud buzzing with chatter, laughter, and the endless clatter of trays but William barely noticed any of it. His eyes had locked, unwillingly and stubbornly, on the girl who had just walked in.

Chinno.

She carried herself like the universe had paved the floor just for her, like the stares that followed her were her birthright. Heads turned, whispers rose, but she didn’t falter. She didn’t even glance at the crowd she so effortlessly commanded.

Her heels struck the tiled floor in sharp, deliberate beats, and William hated absolutely hated the way the sound crawled under his skin. When she sat across the room, flipping her hair over her shoulder with practiced ease, half the guys in the cafeteria seemed to forget their food entirely.

William scoffed under his breath. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

“Don’t stare too hard, Will,” his friend teased, nudging him. “You might burn holes in her dress.”

“I’m not staring,” William muttered, but his traitorous eyes betrayed him, sliding back to her anyway.

And then it happened. Their eyes met.

Chinno’s lips curved, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, like she’d caught him red-handed and found it amusing. She tilted her head, mocking him without a single word.

Pathetic. That was what her expression said.

William clenched his jaw. “Cocky princess,” he muttered.

But fate, cruel and oddly entertained, was not finished with him.

The cafeteria doors banged open, and Professor Martinez stormed in, voice ringing above the noise. “William! Chinno! Principal’s office. Now.”

The chatter dimmed instantly. Confused and annoyed, William stood, only to realize with horror that he was expected to walk side by side with her. Chinno rose gracefully, her smirk never wavering, as if she already knew what awaited.

Minutes later, they stood shoulder to shoulder in the principal’s office. William kept his gaze forward, jaw tight, determined not to give her the satisfaction of eye contact.

The principal leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “Since the two of you seem to think you’re above cooperating with group projects, I’ve decided to fix that problem. Effective immediately, you’ll be partners.”

William’s stomach dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Beside him, Chinno’s smirk blossomed into a full, wicked smile. She finally spoke, her voice smooth, velvet laced with mockery. “Looks like you’re stuck with me, sweetheart.”

The word stung not affectionate, but sharp, dangerous. Yet the way she said it made something inside his chest twist painfully, confusingly.

That night, William sat at his desk, textbooks open but ignored. He told himself he was annoyed, furious even. But when his phone buzzed with a new message, his resolve cracked.

Chinno: Don’t be late tomorrow. I hate waiting.

He stared at the words, heat rising in his chest. The tone was commanding, toxic almost, dripping with arrogance.

And yet… his lips betrayed him. He smiled.

For the first time in his life, William wasn’t sure if he wanted to strangle someone or kiss them senseless.

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