Chapter 3 Paranoid

~003

~ OLIVIA

I walked into class, feeling a sense of unease. Our principal's angry face was the last thing I needed. "Hey you! Come here and kneel down," he barked, his eyes fixed on me.

I felt a surge of panic. What had I done? I tried to play it cool, pretending innocence. "Excuse me, sir. I think there's been a misunderstanding. I was just using the restroom."

The principal raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir. Very sure."

He seemed unconvinced, but eventually let me off with a warning. "You can return to your seat. But I wouldn't want to catch you loitering around again."

I breathed a sigh of relief as I took my seat. That was close. I glanced around the room, noticing Roxanna watching me with curiosity.

When she approached me, I tried to brush it off. "Hey, Via! Where have you been?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with interest.

I forced a smile. "Just taking care of something, Roxanna. Don't worry about it."

But Roxanna wasn't buying it. "What's behind that mischievous smile?" she pressed, her voice low.

I shook my head, laughing. "Nothing, Roxanna. Just forget it."

Just then, Gabriel appeared, holding out a bouquet of flowers. "Hey, baby. I got you flowers."

My anger flared up. "What is wrong with you? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Gabriel's face fell, but I didn't care. I was fed up with his possessiveness and lack of boundaries. "Leave," I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper.

He hesitated, then turned and walked away. I watched him go, feeling a sense of satisfaction. That was one less problem to deal with.

But as I turned back to Roxanna, I saw Brian watching me from across the room, a hint of amusement in his eyes. I felt a spark of recognition - this prank war was far from over.

Roxanna noticed my gaze and followed it to Brian. "Oh, you're looking at him," she said, a knowing glint in her eye. "What's going on between you two?"

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Nothing, Roxanna. Just a bit of a rivalry, that's all."

Roxanna raised an eyebrow. "A rivalry? That's interesting. I didn't know you two didn't get along."

I sighed, realizing I might have said too much. "It's nothing, Roxanna. Don't worry about it."

But Roxanna was intrigued. "I'm worried about it," she said, her voice low. "I think there's more to this story than you're letting on."

I smiled, trying to deflect her curiosity. "You're just being paranoid, Roxanna. There's nothing going on."

But Roxanna wasn't convinced. She leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm watching you, Via. And I'm going to find out what's going on."

I felt a shiver run down my spine. Roxanna was a loyal friend, but she was also fiercely protective of those she cared about. If she sensed something was off, she wouldn't hesitate to dig deeper.

I pushed the thought aside, focusing on the present. Brian was still watching me, a challenge in his eyes. I smiled, feeling a thrill of excitement. This prank war was going to be epic.

The rest of the class was a blur, my mind focused on Brian and our ongoing rivalry. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, I gathered my things and stood up.

Brian was waiting for me outside the classroom, a smirk on his face. "You think you won this round, don't you?" he said, his voice low.

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a surge of adrenaline. "I don't know what you're talking about, Brian."

He chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Don't play dumb, Via. I know you're behind that prank in class. And I'm going to get you back for it."

I smiled, feeling a thrill of excitement. "I'm shaking in my boots, Brian."

He laughed, his eyes never leaving mine. "You should be, Via. You should be."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me feeling both annoyed and intrigued. This prank war was far from over, and I was ready for whatever came next.