The morning after Aleena Cook actually got a solid night's sleep, she ended up oversleeping. Her friend Aya Morales called her, practically buzzing with excitement, begging her to hurry up and get to class. Aleena just told Aya to save her a seat—so when she burst through the classroom door, still mid-bite into a croissant, the place was already humming with chatter. Aya waved her over like a maniac, pointing to the empty chair beside her—which just so happened to be right next to someone very familiar.
"Perfect," Aleena thought, dripping with sarcasm. "Aya, always stirring the pot. She definitely saved me this seat next to Julian Mason on purpose."
The professor had already walked in, so Aleena had zero choice but to sit. Julian shot her a look of pure disapproval. "I don't want it."
"Want what, exactly?" Aleena shot back coolly, nodding at her croissant. "Because I wasn't planning on sharing anyway."
Julian blinked, caught off guard. There was a time when Aleena used to bring him breakfast every single day. He'd brush her off impatiently at first, but eventually, he'd take it just to toss it in the trash later. Today, he'd been ready to embarrass her in public by rejecting whatever she offered—except she hadn't brought him a thing.
Seeing the awkward twist in his expression gave Aleena a quiet thrill, and she happily turned her attention to the lecture.
"What are you plotting now?" Julian whispered, his voice low.
"Are you out of your mind? What kind of nonsense is rattling around in that tiny brain of yours?" Aleena snapped back, annoyed by his insinuation.
Aya listened to the exchange, totally confused by Aleena's sudden shift in attitude. She didn't know that Aleena had made up her mind to keep her distance from Julian. He was at the center of all the future trouble—avoiding him was the smart move.
But here was the tricky part: Aleena and Julian had the same major and served in the same student council department. In the past, Aleena had considered that shared major a stroke of luck. She'd joined every club and event tied to Julian just to spend more time with him.
Yet Aleena knew that running away wasn't going to fix anything. In her past life, too many questions about Julian had been left unanswered. Back then, she'd foolishly poured all her energy into trying to please him, never bothering to dig into the deeper issues that actually mattered.
If she truly wanted to protect herself, Aleena needed to understand why Julian resented her so much. That meant staying close enough to gather intel.
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer," Aleena muttered under her breath.
So, despite originally planning to skip the student council dinner to avoid him, Aleena showed up anyway.
The student council dinner felt more like a campus networking mixer than a formal banquet. Officers from different committees drifted between tables, trading jokes, talking about upcoming events, and catching up with the student body president and department directors. Aleena's easy charm made her popular with the upperclassmen, but she still kept one eye on Julian as he worked the room. At one point, she leaned in and quietly asked her director for a favor. He smiled and nodded.
By ten o'clock, the dinner began winding down. Their director reminded everyone to make it back to campus safely, giving Aleena a knowing glance.
As the group filed out of the restaurant, Julian returned from the restroom only to find the room empty—except for Aleena, clearly waiting for him. He stopped, realization flickering across his face, then turned to leave.
"Leaving already, Julian?" Aleena called out, mockingly. "Come on, I'll walk you back."
Julian halted, studying her with a tilted head. "You act like you don't care, and now all this—just for this little stunt? Aleena, you are seriously annoying."
Aleena raised an eyebrow, thinking, "If I weren't trying to dig into your background, I'd have stayed far away from you."
"Fine, I'm out. Figure your own way back," Julian shot back. But Aleena knew his alcohol tolerance, and judging by the state he was in, there was no way he'd make it back to campus safely.
She turned like she was leaving, but kept him in her peripheral vision. The street was pedestrian-only near the university, and cabs were few and far between. Julian, stubborn as ever, started staggering away—and Aleena couldn't help but find it humorous.
Sure enough, moments later he was hunched over by the roadside, retching into the bushes. He tried to straighten up, wobbling, but Aleena was already there. She uncapped a bottle of water and splashed it across his face before he could even react. Then she hooked an arm under his. "Come on, let's get you back. If something happens to you out here, I'd feel responsible for not helping."
Julian tried to protest, but Aleena tugged him along. "No arguing. You're stuck with me now. Play nice."
As she helped him stumble along, she casually asked him about where he lived and what kind of food he liked. Julian, drunk and off guard, seemed surprisingly cooperative—a far cry from his usual biting remarks. Encouraged, Aleena pushed a little deeper, asking about his family, what his parents did for a living.
But the moment she mentioned his mother, Julian shoved her away hard. "Get lost!"
Interesting. There had to be more to this. Aleena was determined to uncover the truth, and she didn't mind his rough handling. Still, after pushing her aside, he staggered to lean against a tree, his face twisted with a pain he was trying desperately to suppress.
What was going on with him? Aleena studied him, then asked, "Why are you so defensive? What did I say?"
"If something's bothering you, just get it off your chest. Maybe I can actually help."
"You help me? How could you possibly... her death... and you..." Julian's words faded into nothing, suspicion clouding his eyes as he stared at Aleena.
