Chapter 2 Unexpected pairing

As I walked away from Jane, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had just made a huge mistake. I was the Phantom, the mysterious musician who had been captivating the hearts of everyone in school. And now, I had just agreed to attend my own concert with the most popular girl in school.

I caught up with the "Elite" in the courtyard, and they were all grinning at me like they knew a secret. "Dude, what were you thinking?" Collins asked, chuckling. "You know you can't go to the concert as both Phantom and Elijah."

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I don't know, man. I just didn't want to hurt her feelings, I guess. "Damian raised an eyebrow. "You're not exactly known for your people skills, Elijah. What's going on?" I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know, okay? I just felt like I had to say yes. And now I'm stuck with this huge problem." Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification from Instagram. I pulled it out to see that Jane had posted a story, and my heart sank as I read the caption: "Can't wait for my date with @Elijah tonight!"

I felt a wave of panic wash over me as I realized that the news was going to spread like wildfire. And sure enough, within minutes, my phone was blowing up with notifications from friends, classmates, and even strangers who were all congratulating me on my "date" with Jane.

The "Elite" were all staring at me, their faces filled with a mix of amusement and concern. "Dude, you're in trouble," Collins said, chuckling.

I glared at him. "Thanks for the reminder."

We all stood there for a moment, trying to process the situation. And then, George spoke up. "Well, I guess we need to come up with a plan to get you out of this mess."

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief. With the "Elite" on my side, I knew we could figure out a way to make this work. But as we started brainstorming, I couldn't shake off the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated...

Just as we were getting into the thick of our brainstorming session, the school bell rang out, signaling the start of our next class. We all groaned in unison, knowing that we had to put our thinking on hold for now.

"Man, perfect timing," Collins said, shaking his head. "We were just getting started."

"I know, right?" I replied, frustration etched on my face. "Now we have to wait until lunch or after school to figure out what to do."

The "Elite" all nodded in agreement, and we reluctantly started to disperse, heading off to our respective classes. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I had a feeling that this situation with Jane was going to be a lot harder to navigate than I had initially thought.

"Hey, Elijah, don't worry, we'll figure something out," George called out as we parted ways. "Just try to keep a low profile until we can come up with a plan, okay?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Got it. Thanks, guys. I owe you one."

With that, I headed off to my next class, my mind still racing with thoughts of Jane, the concert, and how I was going to get out of this mess. Little did I know, things were about to get even more complicated...

As I walked into class, I was greeted by the familiar sight of rows of desks, all of which were occupied except for one. It was situated right next to a girl with piercing green eyes and raven-black hair, who was staring intently at a book in her hands. I didn't recognize her, but there was something about her that seemed... off.

I made my way to the empty seat and sat down, trying not to draw attention to myself. But as I glanced over at the girl, I noticed that she seemed to be acting strange. She was tapping her pen on the desk in a rhythmic pattern, and her eyes kept darting back and forth between the book and the window. It was as if she was waiting for something, or someone.

Just then, the teacher, Mrs. Johnson, walked into the room and began to explain the day's lesson. She announced that we would be working on a project, and that we would all need to find a partner to work with. As she started to pair us up, I felt a sense of confidence wash over me. I was the most popular guy in school, after all, and I knew that whoever I got paired with would be lucky to have me as a partner.

But as Mrs. Johnson scanned the room, her eyes landed on me and the girl with the green eyes. "Alright, Elijah, you can work with... Aria," she said, nodding towards the girl.

Aria looked up at me, and our eyes met for the first time. I expected her to blush or smile, like most girls would when paired with me. But instead, she looked at me with a mixture of disgust and disdain. It was as if she had just been paired with the most repulsive person in the world.

I felt a surge of surprise and confusion. What had I done to her? I didn't even know her. I tried to brush it off, thinking that maybe she was just having a bad day. But as we exchanged a brief, awkward glance, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about her.

As the class went on, I found myself glancing at Aria more and more. She seemed so... intense. And that look she had given me earlier still lingered in my mind, making me wonder what I had done to deserve it.

But I had more pressing concerns. Tomorrow was my date with Jane, and I was still trying to figure out how to get out of it. I had agreed to go out with her weeks ago, but now I was having second thoughts. I just didn't feel the same way about her as I used to.

As the class drew to a close, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. But as I turned to leave, I noticed that Aria was gathering her things and standing up. As she swung her bag over her shoulder, a piece of paper slipped out and fell to the floor.

I walked over to pick it up, expecting it to be a note or a homework assignment. But as I turned it over, my heart skipped a beat. It was a picture of me. A picture that I had never seen before.

I looked up to see Aria's eyes locked on mine, a faint smile playing on her lips. It was as if she knew that I had found the picture, and she was waiting for my reaction.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I wondered what she was doing with a picture of me. How did she even get it? And what did she plan to do with it?

As I stood there, frozen in confusion, Aria turned and walked away, leaving me with more questions than answers. The picture still clutched in my hand, I couldn't help but feel like I was in for a lot more than I had bargained for.