Chapter 42: Operation: Don’t Die Alone
The classroom buzzed back to life, kids whispering, chairs scraping, the usual chaos before the bell. I was still reeling from Nina’s whole "main character energy" stunt, my face probably redder than a shonen hero’s battle aura. I was at my desk, trying to act like I wasn’t the center of a social nuke, when Jake came barreling over, his eyes wide like he’d just seen a final boss spawn in real life.
"Dude," he hissed, leaning so close I could smell his cheap body spray. "What’s wrong with you?"
I blinked, pencil halfway to my notebook. "Uh, what?"
"Why are you so hot now?" he whisper-yelled, his voice cracking like he was accusing me of a crime. "Is this, like, a play for Ruby or something? Are you going after her?"
I stared at him, my brain buffering. Then I snorted, loud enough that the girl in front of me turned to glare. "Bruh, are you serious right now?"
Jake’s face was pure panic, hands gripping the edge of my desk like it was his only lifeline. "I’m just saying, man! You show up looking like some model, and I’m supposed to not worry?"
I couldn’t help it—I laughed, a real gut laugh that made my ribs ache. "Jake, chill. Ruby’s all yours. I’m not trying to steal her."
His shoulders slumped, the tension draining out of him like air from a popped balloon. "For real?"
"For real," I said, leaning back in my chair. "No Ruby heist here. Promise."