Sub Rosa Ties ( A High School Dark Romance)

Zera

I stood beneath the shower as the water cascaded over my head, down to my bare chest and body.

Recollections of his citrus fragrance enveloping my senses and the soft exhale he released over my head had me turned on like crazy.

Initially, all I wanted was to stay far from him, but now, I wished I could hug him all day and immerse myself in his scent.

I ran my hands over my face as I turned off the shower. Why was I feeling this way about Gerard?

In that moment earlier, my mind froze when I saw the car headlights, thoughts of my mom and junior mourning over my grave flashing in my eyes. But seconds later, I was engulfed in a citrusy and warm scent that instantly calmed my racing thoughts.

I arrived at school a bit later than usual, having overslept while lost in thoughts about Gerard.

Holding some books against my chest, I navigated down the hallway, making my way to the library to meet Gerard. We needed to discuss more about the project and figure out where to start.

"Zera."

I turned at the familiar voice and found myself looking into a pair of green eyes.
Austin.

I had left him without a word, choosing someone else as my partner. Guilt surged within me, realizing he didn't deserve what I did. But I had no choice, not when my secret hung in the balance, at risk of being exposed to the entire school and possibly my mom.

"Hey," I greeted him with a small smile.

He stopped a few steps away from me.

"I heard you changed your partner," he began, rubbing his hands behind his neck. "I mean, you didn't even tell me about it. Did I do something wrong, or..."

"No. Not at all," I cut him off before he could finish. His eyes glinted with questions.

"It's just that I had promised someone else to be my partner, so..." I trailed off, knowing I was lying.

"Who?"

"Zera."

We both turned to see Gerard, hands in his pockets, strolling towards us. His eyes, however, were fixed on Austin.

Seeing them standing a few meters apart, I realized who was larger. Gerard outweighed Austin in size and was more handsome than... Why are you even comparing their body sizes, Zera?

I gulped.

"You said we have a meeting for the project now, so why are you here discussing with a blondie?" Gerard asked innocently, a statement that could easily offend Austin, who surprisingly didn't seem bothered.

I hadn't mentioned a meeting; in fact, I hadn't contacted Gerard since he dropped me off at my house. I planned to do so once I reached the library.

"Blondie? I like the nickname," Austin chuckled, facing Gerard.

"Uhmm..." I started.

"Oh, really? That's weird. Even dogs hate it when I call them that, though. You must be a different breed entirely," Gerard laughed shortly.

I noticed Austin's eyes darken a bit, and he took a step closer to Gerard.

"Gerard, I'm done. We can go," I quickly said, cutting between them and grabbing Gerard's wrist, pulling him with me.

He didn't utter a word and simply followed me. After a bit of walking, I noticed all eyes were on us in the hallways, and I came to a halt.

"Why are they..." I trailed off, realizing that I was still holding Gerard's hand. I quickly let go, as if an electric jolt had struck me.