What's Mine | ✓

5 - rude awakening

HAYDEN

This assignment sounded really stupid. Like, really fucking stupid. I don't see why Waters thought this would be a good idea. Or why the hell he thought putting us in groups would be a better idea, but I was hating every moment of it.

Until I heard fucking Collin.

"I'm assuming you have a matching number six with mine, since you haven't gotten up yet."

Collin and I had a falling out when I caught him trying to take a seriously drunk girl into a room of a party. I called him out, he didn't like it. Ever since that day, we've had a secret mutual hatred for one another that only Brooks knows about.

In my haste to rise to my feet, I collided with someone. A girl, can't remember her name. Her shit fell to the floor and my stupid slip of paper flew off my desk. I grunted as she tried to apologize, but I just went to reach for the paper.

I didn't have six, so when I saw that hers landed right side up with the number six on it, it was almost like fate. I grabbed hers and handed mine back to her. I know she knew it was the wrong one, but she didn't dare say anything to me. She just walked on past me.

"Must be my lucky day."

I wanted to punch that stupid grin off his face. Lina may be a self-righteous bitch, but not even she deserves Collin Zuckerman.

"I'd say so."

When I walked behind her, Collin gave me a knowing smirk. "And we got West, too? Hell yeah!"

His words were forced, even I could tell. It took everything I had to move my glare from him to Lina.

"What luck, huh, sunshine?"

Lina inhales and rolls her eyes, moving her gaze back to Collin, who was already pulling a desk up right beside her. I just sit on the empty on beside her, not bothering to get closer than I need to.

I open the slip, reading the actual letter I had.

Aureate, 6.

Really? That's it? That should be pretty fucking simple.

"So Lina," Collin starts. "What do you plan on doing when you graduate?"

She raises her brows. "You know I'm not a senior, right?"

"You're not?"

"No."

"Then how are you in this class?"

"Because I'm a fucking genius."

I snort, causing them both to look at me. Lina just narrows her eyes at me, but I slightly raise a shoulder in defense.

Lina definitely isn't a genius, but she isn't a total idiot either. From what I know, she struggles in math and science. But she's excellent in English and stuff like that.

Collin grins, making me glower at him.

"Well, I'm thinking of politics. Maybe city consoler, maybe president some day."

"Aiming pretty high there, aren't you?"

"Oh, you know it, babe."

I wanted to bang my head on the desk, repeatedly. He was trying to make some kind of move on her, but it was terrible.

"Confident," Lina hums. "That's sexy."

I whip my head so fast I nearly hurt myself. What the hell did she just say?

Collin's disgusting grin only widened. "What are you doing tonight?"

Lina flips her hair over her shoulder, but I don't miss the split-second glance she gave me.