[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322C9288E-200":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},200,13,"Chapter 13: \"Are You Two Feuding?\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">How could he act like their shared past was nothing more than a blurred memory? How could he brush off their history with a simple \"I don't remember,\" while she remained trapped in the wreckage, unable to find the exit?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The rumors that Eden Anderson and Lucas Powell couldn't stand each other had become common knowledge by the start of their freshman year. At first, it was just idle gossip about why they were so distant, but as the academic rivalry between the elite Class 1 and the standard Class 7 intensified, the truth became clear: the school’s golden girl and its most sought-after heartthrob were at war.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Their homeroom teachers, Alicia Robinson of Class 1 and Virginia Rogers of Class 7, were just as competitive. While Eden consistently topped the academic rankings, her strength wasn't in the sciences—it was in English and Literature. She consistently edged out Lucas, who sat comfortably at second place. Virginia, who taught biology to both tracks and served as the department head, was notorious for playing favorites. She used every opportunity in her lectures to subtly demean Eden and shower praise on Lucas. Naturally, the two classes became bitter rivals, and the cold shoulder between Eden and Lucas became the social standard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After midterm exams, the school board decided to overhaul the morning assembly, replacing the standard calisthenics with ballroom dancing. To prepare for an upcoming inspection by district officials, their gym instructor, Trevor Campbell, turned the usual free-play gym sessions into rigid dance training.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Due to a scheduling shift, Class 7’s Friday morning gym class was moved to the afternoon, forcing them to share the gymnasium with Class 1. Trevor, overseeing both, made the call: they were dancing together.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The directive was clear: choose one boy and one girl who \"looked the part\" to lead the choreography at the front of the formation. Eden, poised and precise, was chosen immediately. For the boy, Trevor scoured the gym before landing on Lucas—a student who couldn't lead a dance to save his life, but looked the part perfectly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the center of the brightly lit gymnasium, Eden and Lucas stood front and center, under the microscopic scrutiny of their peers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Flashback: Three years ago. He’d laughed under the pressure of classmates teasing them, his eyes bright with a silent question, waiting for her approval. He was clumsy back then, always stepping on her toes or tripping over his own feet, grinning that lopsided grin and whispering, \"Don't worry, I'll be the one to look like an idiot.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That was a version of him she could never get back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The music cut through the silence. Lucas reached out. Eden hesitated, her lungs feeling tight. She couldn't bring herself to take his hand properly, so she curled her fingers tentatively around the fabric of his sleeve instead.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The music ground to a halt. Trevor’s whistle shrieked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Are you kidding me?\" Trevor stomped over, his face reddening. \"We’re holding hands, not wrestling with spiders! And you—Eden! You’re standing a mile away. How are you supposed to lead anything from that distance?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Chastised, Eden stepped forward. She reached out, hooking her finger onto his, avoiding his eyes. She felt his hand tremble—just a ghost of a movement—under her touch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What is this, a feud?\" Trevor roared, losing his patience. \"You two act like you’re trying to avoid the plague.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The gymnasium erupted in giggles and whispers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"They really do hate each other.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Look at Eden’s face; she looks like she’s being interrogated.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hey, if the school's golden boy can't do it, maybe I should step in for him?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Enough!\" Trevor strode between them, forcibly clenching Eden’s hand into Lucas’s palm. \"This is how you hold hands. Keep them locked for ten minutes. I don't care how uncomfortable you are—figure it out!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He walked away to drill the rest of the students, leaving them stranded.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The late autumn air was biting, but the heat from Lucas’s palm, wrapping around her ice-cold fingers, was electric. The warmth crawled up her arm, settling in her chest like a slow-burning ache.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*I'm so glad the seating chart didn't change! We can keep sitting by the window.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*What's so great about the window?*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*There's a heater! You can put your hands on it while you study. They won't be so cold anymore.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Why do you care?*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Because every time we dance in gym class, you turn into a block of ice! I'm holding a popsicle, Eden!*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Your hands are the popsicle!*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*No way. I'm the hand warmer. I'm here to melt you.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The memories hit her like a physical blow. The boy from the past and the teenager standing before her melded into one. Her vision blurred, a sharp, stinging pain rising in her nose. She tipped her head back, desperately trying to swallow the tears, but Lucas caught the shift in her expression.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He looked at her, his eyes filled with a sudden, profound confusion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That only made the dam break. Why? Why did she have to be the one trapped in these memories while he walked away clean?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The dismissal bell rang like a gunshot. Eden yanked her hand back, covered her face, and bolted for the restroom.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She slammed the tap open, splashing cold water against her skin until her face felt numb. It didn't work. The heat radiating from her face was internal, an emotional fever she couldn't wash away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When she finally emerged, Shelby Rivera was leaning against the wall, waiting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You okay?\" Shelby asked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Eden bit her lip, shaking her head.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Let's go,\" Shelby said, nudging her toward the cafeteria.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The walk outside was brutal. The late afternoon wind cut through her clothes, leaving her shivering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Just so you know,\" Shelby murmured, \"Lucas went to the teacher earlier. He told him he couldn't do it and asked if someone else could take his spot.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Eden’s heart gave a violent, painful stutter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"He probably saw you were miserable. The teacher didn't have enough guys in our class, so he borrowed some from Class 7. Lucas is moving to the back row with the rest of them. He’s going to be paired with Molly Lee instead.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Eden didn't speak. Her expression remained a frozen, impenetrable mask.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Eden,\" Shelby asked softly, \"do you really hate him that much?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Yeah,\" Eden said, her voice cracking like dry glass. \"I really do hate him.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272926375]