Foul Play 🩷

Three

Present Day
September 2022

Millicent stepped into the library, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Henry, already seated in the back corner. She approached him with a mixture of surprise and anticipation, taking a seat beside him and letting out a sigh. "I hope you're not too far behind since school started just a week ago."

"Haha," Henry laughed mockingly, observing as she retrieved a notebook from her bag. "I'm keeping up so far. I even did the reading."

"Wow, I'm almost impressed. I didn't know you had the ability to read, Henry," she retorted, her words dripping with sarcasm as she avoided meeting his gaze.

Rolling his eyes and sighing softly, Henry knew he had earned her biting remark. He turned his body toward her, resting his head in his hand with a faint smile. "So, why do you and your dad have different last names? And why are you American?"

"I'm American because I grew up in America," she snapped back, still not bothering to look at him.

"But what about your mother? She's American too, I assume?" Henry observed a slight tension in her body, her pencil freezing on the page. "Milly?"

She turned to glare at him, her frustration palpable. "You know what they say about assuming..." She trailed off, leaving Henry perplexed by her unfinished statement.

"Okay, fine. We won't talk about it. Got it. Mommy issues?" he teased, only to be met with the sound of her pencil snapping in half and another fiery glare.

"This is how it's going to be. We won't discuss anything personal. Anytime you ask me a question that doesn't pertain to school or homework, I will ignore you," she declared, ripping a piece of paper from her notebook and placing it in front of him. As a shadow fell over the table, she looked up and smiled at the man standing there, her demeanor instantly softening. "Ben, hi."

Henry watched as Millicent blushed under Ben's gaze, feeling a twinge of jealousy creep in. Ben, a member of the rugby team with Henry, who excelled academically and kept to himself, had never shown such interest in a girl before. He smiled down at Millicent, seemingly oblivious to Henry's presence.

Ben ran his hand through his shaggy blond locks before adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. "Millicent, how have you been? How was your summer?"

"Um... it was good," she replied, fidgeting with her hands in her lap, aware of both men's eyes on her. "I had the chance to explore some of Scotland and the English countryside with my dad. How about you?"

"Yeah, it was good," Ben responded hesitantly, sensing Henry's gaze on him. He briefly glanced at Henry, giving him a small nod. "Henry, how are you?" Without waiting for a response, he shifted his focus back to Millicent. "I'll see you around, Milly."

"Bye, Ben," she smiled, watching him walk away before Henry's snicker broke the silence. She turned to him with a frown, pointing at the paper in front of her. "I suggest you read these for this term."

"So, he gets to ask you personal questions, but I don't? How do you even know Ben?" Henry inquired, attempting to mask his jealousy as he watched her pack her belongings.

Once again, she ignored his probing and extended her hand. "Give me your phone."

Reluctantly, Henry handed over his phone, watching as she entered her number and sent herself a message before returning it to him. "If you wanted my number, you could have just asked, sweetheart," he said, trying to inject a hint of playfulness into his voice.

"Don't call me that. And it's strictly for school purposes. Like if you're going to be late or something," she replied with a roll of her eyes, clearly unamused by his attempt at humor.