Caleb's P.O.V

As soon as Caroline stepped out of the washroom, I spotted her immediately, her fingers absentmindedly toying with the strap of her bag. Without a second thought, I reached for her waist, pulling her close as I steered her away toward our next class. She barely had time to register my touch before letting out an amused huff, her eyes flickering up at me with curiosity.

"Okay, what's with you today?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as we walked. "You don't have to escort me everywhere, you know. I can actually walk on my own."

I smirked, but instead of answering her directly, I tightened my grip just a little, a silent but firm indication that I wasn't going to let this go. "You shouldn't go near that weird charity kid," I muttered, keeping my tone casual but laced with just enough seriousness to make my point clear.

Caroline stopped abruptly, forcing me to pause with her. Her brows furrowed as she turned to face me fully, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "Wait, what?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard me right. "Are you talking about Aurora?"

I sighed, already knowing this wasn't going to go the way I wanted. "Yeah," I admitted. "I just don't like her."

Caroline's mouth fell open slightly, her expression a mix of shock and mild disappointment.

"Caleb," she said, her voice lower now, more measured. "That's really rude. You don't even know her."

I rolled my eyes, shifting on my feet. "I don't need to know her," I replied simply. "I just-" I hesitated, running a hand through my hair. "I just don't like her and I don't want you to be near her all of a sudden."

Caroline's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. "You may not like someone, but that doesn't give you the right to be rude about them, or about them," she pointed out, her tone sharper now, challenging.

I held her gaze for a moment, the weight of her words settling between us. I knew she was right-Caroline always had this way of calling me out when I was being unreasonable. But something about Aurora didn't sit right with me, and the thought of Caroline getting close to her put me on edge.

Still, I could tell from the way she was looking at me that this wasn't a fight I was going to win. So instead of pressing further, I exhaled heavily, shaking my head. "Just... be careful, alright?" I muttered, my voice softer this time.

Caroline studied me for a second longer before sighing, uncrossing her arms. "You're impossible," she murmured, but there was a flicker of understanding in her eyes, even if she didn't agree with me.

I reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze before nudging her forward. "Come on," I said. "We're gonna be late."

Even as we walked, I could tell she wasn't letting this go. And honestly? Neither was I.

"Caroline-" I began, but she cut me off.

"Caleb, look, we can have different opinions about someone but that doesn't give you the right to say rude things about them. If you don't like her, you can just ignore her. But you can't tell me what to do or who to be friends with."

Friends?! The thought was absolutely ridiculous.

"Care, I can't believe we're having a fight about that...that...girl!" I scoffed. "Please...why do did you even do that in the first place?"

The scene from earlier replayed in my head. Mia had Aurora backed against the lockers, her words cutting sharper than a blade, her voice laced with that cruel amusement she always had when she found someone weak to toy with. Aurora had been frozen, barely able to defend herself, and then, out of nowhere, Caroline had stepped in. She hadn't hesitated. Just thrown herself between them like a shield, like it was second nature to her.

Caroline turned her head slightly, as if she had expected the question. "Do what?" she asked, her voice even.

"You know what," I shot back. "Why did you help Aurora? Mia was handling her."

Caroline stopped walking for a split second before shaking her head with a small scoff. "Mia wasn't 'handling' her, Caleb. She was humiliating her."

I frowned, not because I disagreed, but because I wasn't sure why it even mattered to Caroline. Aurora could never be one of us, and the fact that Caroline was suddenly trying to get close to her was getting on my nerves.

"Yeah, and? Aurora should learn to stand up for herself if she believes she was right."

"Maybe," she said, her eyes meeting mine, unwavering. "But that doesn't mean she deserved that."

I let out a breath, shaking my head. "You don't even like Aurora."

Caroline let out a dry laugh, one that lacked any real amusement. "And you don't like Shane or Mia. But that's never stopped you from butting into their business, has it?"

I narrowed my eyes, not appreciating the way she flipped that on me. "That's different."

"Is it?" She arched her brow. "You want to know why I stepped in? Because I felt her pain. I felt her fear. And I just couldn't stand there and let Mia tear her apart like that. So, I did something about it."

I stared at her, my jaw tightening. "I really don't understand you sometimes, you know that?"

Caroline just shrugged, unfazed. "You don't have to understand me, Caleb," she said simply. Then, with a sharpness that cut straight through me, she added, "But maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge people or be mean to them, because one day, that might just come back to bite you in the ass."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes, because of course she had to make this into some kind of moral lesson. Typical Caroline. I didn't say anything else, though. We just kept walking, side by side, heading to our next class, the words lingering between us like a challenge neither of us was ready to acknowledge.

Aurora's P.O.V

The bell rang once again, signaling the near-end of another torturous day at school. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, like I was dragging a boulder with every step. I had always been set apart from my other classmates due to my circumstances. I was always the odd one out. But at this point at school, I often agreed with them on one thing: mathematics should never be set as the last class in the time table.

Everyone hated biology, but no one hated it more than me. I wasn't bad at the subject; in fact, I usually did pretty well, but somehow, it felt like I was always playing catch-up in a class full of kids who didn't care.

I bit back a groan as I settled into my chair at the back of the room. This class was one of the few that I shared with Caleb and his gang, and I watched as they entered the room a couple of minutes after me, their presence loud and imposing even though they didn't make any noise.

Almost all heads turned in their direction as they entered, but they simply went on to their seats right at the front row, talking and laughing to themselves as they did.

At exactly 2.15 PM, our biology teacher, Mr. Hemming, punctual as always, entered the room without so much as a greeting. He silently pulled out a stack of papers and began handing them out one by one-it was the test that he gave us earlier in the week.

When he called my name, I quickly got up to the front to see the result of my test. I wasn't the best nor the most motivated when it came to academics, but despite all that, I was still fairly confident about the exam. But this time, I thought I had aced the test.

I had studied for hours, staying up late the night before, memorizing every cell type, every part of the ecosystem, every equation. But as I got up to get my paper, my stomach twisted. There was that gut feeling-that sense of impending doom.

When Mr. Hemming handed me my paper, I froze. The bright red "F" at the top of the page stared back at me like a slap across the face. My heart dropped into my stomach. How? I couldn't understand it. My exam went fine. I remembered everything-didn't I? Hadn't I?

I stood there for a moment, stunned, my mind racing. The weight of failure pressed down on me harder than it should have. I tried to shake it off, to rationalize it, but it was hard to ignore the fact that everyone was watching.

I turned quickly to head back to my seat, hoping to just disappear, to slide into the shadows and pretend it hadn't happened. But before I could get far, someone's foot shot out, and I felt my legs give way beneath me.

The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. Pain shot up my elbows and knees, and I winced as I tried to push myself up. "Ouch!" I yelped, causing everyone to laugh as they enjoyed my pain, while I tried my best to get myself together despite the pain.

Forcing my shame down, I scrambled to my feet, trying to quickly get back to my seat, but another hand came to snatch my paper away from me.

I looked up-Shane Matthews, Mia's rumored boyfriend, held the paper between his fingers, an amused expression on his face.

Great-just great. Because I had made his girlfriend angry earlier, he probably decided that it was the best time for payback. And unlike Mia, Shane wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

"Hey! Give it back!" I started to say, but his loud laugh overpowered my voice.

"An F!" he exclaimed, holding out the paper for everyone to see. "Are you serious? How the hell are you still in this school with grades like this?" That earned him an eruption of laughter from the class. I stared at the floor, not wanting to look anyone in the eye or watch their mocking stares.

It was bad enough that I hadn't gotten the score I thought I deserved; even worse now that I'm being publicly humiliated. I blinked back the tears that threatened to form. No, I would not give him or the class the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Once had been too much!

"How did you even graduate to this grade, freak?" he goaded. "Not only are you a charity case, but it seems that you're also hella stupid. Aren't you on a scholarship? Blue Hill High is wasting its time on such a useless student like you! Do they just give scholarships to anyone these days?"

That earned him another bout of laughter, and I could tell that he was satisfied by this, because he let his guard down slightly and lowered his arm just enough that I was able to snatch my paper away from him.

However, he was quick to react and tried to pull it away as I grabbed it, and the tug of war that proceeded between us finally made the paper rip down the middle, causing another bout of laughter as if I had just performed some clownish trick.

Finally, Shane let the paper go, and I quickly picked it up from the floor, cradling it against my chest.

"That's enough!" Mr. Hemming snapped at everyone before his venomous gaze turned to me. "Miss. Valentine, you should be ashamed considering your poor performance in the exam. Behave yourself!"

"But I-!" I tried to protest, but was cut off once again.

"Get back to your seat, Miss. Valentine! And stay back after class," Mr. Hemming continued. "You and I need to talk."

I couldn't help but notice that even though Mr. Hemming interrupted our little fight, he still put the entire blame on me and let Shane off without even a warning.

And I knew it was because of Shane's reputation. I was a nobody, and so I was the easier target. Shane and his group were the school's elite, whose parents funded most of the school's activities. So they were basically royalty.

The unfairness of it all left a gash on my chest. Still...there was nothing I could do about it. I had no power to go against the rich and famous people in my school, especially when I had no one to back me up.

"Is this understood?" he pressed, waiting for an answer.

I nodded before I slumped my shoulders in defeat, nodding, "Yes, sir."

"Alright," he said with a shrug. As I stumbled back to my seat at the far end of the room, I heard some sniggers from the other students, causing me to sigh at their behavior.

Wasn't it fun to be the spectator while others get bullied? No one wanted to mess with Caleb and his gang.

Finally, after a grueling forty-five minutes of photosynthesis, the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the day.

The entire class immediately packed up and started to clear out of the room one after the other. I stayed back as Mr. Hemming asked me, sitting quietly and drumming my fingers on the desk to alleviate some of my anxiety.

Waiting for the rest of the class to pour out, Mr. Hemming began to clear his table, putting away stacks of papers and markers.

I watched as Caleb and his friends were the last to leave the room. And I couldn't help but notice how he had his arm around Caroline again, gently escorting her out of the room.

And as much as I hated to acknowledge it, I felt a tightening sensation in my chest, like my heart was being squeezed by invisible fingers as I watched them leave together.

But why was I feeling this way... this twinge of jealousy? It was ridiculous! I had nothing to be jealous of; after all, they were a couple...weren't they?

But why did this weird sense of hope in my chest refuse to die? Why did I feel drawn towards Caleb like a moth to a flame?

And most of all...why did I feel this sense of foreboding in my gut that there was more that meets the eye?

Aurora's P.O.V

Monday. The very mention of the day always left a sour taste in my mouth, but today, it was worse than most. It had started off badly-with me waking up on the living room floor after my father had smashed a bottle on my head; I had to skip breakfast, and to top it all off, I had just gotten an F on a test that I thought I had done well in.

I should have known the day would spiral further into disaster when Mr. Hemming fixed his cold, scrutinizing gaze on me the moment I entered his classroom.

The man had always unsettled me, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it was the way his lips curled up in a way that never quite reached his eyes, or the way his fingers would drum against the wooden surface of his desk, slow and deliberate. He was unpredictable-one moment calm, the next sharp and biting. Today, he seemed particularly keen on making me his target.

I stood there, clutching the torn paper in my hands, the remnants of the test I had worked so hard on, now practically useless. The classroom was silent, except for the heavy thudding of my heart in my chest as I tried to collect my thoughts. I had thought I was imagining things when I first saw the marks-there were several answers on that test that I knew for sure were right. But when I checked again, I was certain. The mistakes were on the teacher's part, not mine.

I couldn't just let it slide. I had to say something. This wasn't just about a test-it was about standing up for myself for once. Maybe this time, someone would listen. Maybe Mr. Hemming would admit it, or at least acknowledge that he was wrong.

I took a deep breath before stepping up to his desk. He didn't even look up when I approached, his back turned as he packed his things away.

"Mr. Hemming," I began, my voice shaking slightly but determined, "I've looked over my test, and I think you marked several of my answers wrong when they're actually correct. Could you...explain why?"

He slowly turned to face me, and his eyes-cold, almost predatory-locked onto mine. For a split second, I felt my confidence waver, but I steadied myself, forcing my breath to stay even.

His lips curled into that thin smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I marked them the way I did because *I say* they're wrong. I don't care what you think, Aurora. It's not up to you to question my grading."

My stomach tightened. It was as if his words punched me in the gut, leaving me breathless. My hands trembled slightly as I held out the paper, hoping-no, begging-that he would just look at it, take a moment to see where I was coming from.

But instead, his gaze darkened, and his voice dropped low, a simmering anger just beneath the surface. "A scholarship student like you thinks you can lecture *me* about what's wrong and right?" His words cut into me like daggers, and I felt my skin prickle with a sense of dread.

I stumbled back a step, my heart racing. "I just thought-"

Before I could finish, he grabbed my test paper, his fingers digging into the edges, and with one quick motion, he tore it even further. The sound of the paper shredding in his hands was so loud it echoed in my ears.

"You *thought*?" He spat the word like venom. "Well, here's the reality for you, Aurora. If I say something's wrong, it's *wrong*. Don't forget that no one gives a shit about you." His voice had risen, and I instinctively took a step back, my back hitting the front desk. The sharp edge of it dug into me, but I didn't dare move.

His eyes narrowed, and he took a step toward me, closing the distance between us with unsettling calm. "I *almost* let this go because you're a quiet, obedient little student who doesn't cause trouble. But if you keep challenging me like this, you won't just be failing my class-you'll be failing every class."

I wanted to scream, to shove him away, but my feet were frozen on the floor. The more he came closer, the more I wanted to run, to escape this suffocating tension. I tried to back up, but the desk was behind me, trapping me in place.

His presence loomed over me, an oppressive weight that made it hard to breathe. I could feel his anger radiating off of him, the way his body language was aggressive and dominating. He was invading my personal space, towering over me as if daring me to move.

"Don't test me, bitch," he hissed, his voice a low growl. "You've got nothing, no one to back you up. So what I say, goes. Do you understand?"

I nodded frantically, my breath was shallow as I tried to steady myself, still trapped between Mr. Hemming's looming figure and the desk behind me. The tension in the air was suffocating, and I could feel every nerve in my body screaming at me to escape.

"Don't think you're safe just because I let this slide," he hissed, his face inches from mine, his words dripping with venom. "I can cancel your scholarship anytime I want, you understand that? You'll have nothing. No money, no place here." His words slithered into my ears, sinking deeper with each passing second.

I wanted to say something, to fight back, but the fear kept me frozen. What could I say to that? Nothing I said would make a difference. I was powerless in his eyes. I was nothing.

Just as he took a step forward, his cold eyes locked onto mine with determination, ready to corner me, something broke the tension in the room.

The door swung open with a soft creak, and Caleb stepped inside, followed closely by Caroline. Time seemed to freeze for a moment. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at Caleb, tall and confident, his presence taking over the room in a way that made Mr. Hemming instantly pull back. I didn't know why, but his arrival sent an immediate wave of relief washing over me.

Caleb didn't even glance in my direction as he walked past me, his usual confident swagger not shaken by the situation at all. But then, Caroline spoke.

"Mr. Hemming," she said, her voice calm but with an edge of purpose. "I forgot something in class. I thought I'd come back and grab it."

The teacher, who had been inches away from me, visibly recoiled, as if Caroline's presence had an immediate effect on him. His whole posture shifted, and his anger seemed to deflate like a balloon. He quickly stepped back, almost too eagerly.

Caroline smiled at him, but it wasn't warm-it was calculated, sharp, as if she knew exactly how to manipulate him. "The whole school is nearly empty now. It's been a long day, Mr. Hemming. Maybe you should go home."

The teacher, clearly caught off guard by her sudden arrival, stammered in response. "Y-yes, of course... you're right."

Mr. Hemming smiled at Caroline, before he turned to me. "Leave, Miss Valentine, before I change my mind. You're dismissed. And remember that if you fail next week's test...there's no redemption for you."

I didn't need to be told twice. I gathered my bag quickly and rushed out the door, past Caroline and Caleb, without looking back. I was so frightened and horrified by what just happened that on the first few steps, my legs almost gave away from under me.

Luckily, I was able to steady myself and did not stop running until I was out of the school gates, feeling like I had just escaped something terrible.

If Caroline and Caleb hadn't shown up today...I had no idea what would've happened...