HEARTSTRINGS ENTWINED: BROKEN FACADES

[2] TANGLED GLANCES

[tangled glances]

[the next day]
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The school library is a haven of quiet amidst the bustling chaos of Stellar Heights. Tall shelves lined with books stretch towards the high ceilings, creating a maze of knowledge and escape. The soft rustle of pages and the faint tapping of keyboards are the only sounds breaking the silence. Sunlight filters through large windows, casting a warm glow over the study tables and the students hunched over their work.

Arushi sits at a corner table, surrounded by textbooks and notes. Her jaw is clenched, and her eyes flash with anger as she recalls the incident earlier with Kiara and Rohan. The faint hum of the air conditioning does little to cool her simmering frustration. It's almost like she's now hesitant to sit there afraid of being insulted by those jerks again.

{Arushi's Pov}

The first day of school had been intense. Meeting Rohan had been... unexpected, and not in a good way. Kiara and Rohan had made it clear they thought I didn't belong here. But now, I needed to focus. I had to prove that I belonged here, scholarship or not.

Rohan enters the library, several girls practically swarming with him tattling about how much they missed him and how much they want to hang out with him, Rohan still keeping his image of a golden boy grinning there in-between looking for space as he scans the room. He spots me and walks over to my table with purposeful strides. My eyes narrow as I sees him approaching, my anger barely masked by a calm facade.

"Mind if I join you?" He says with desperate eyes almost asking me to save him from the situation.

My eyes snap up, my surprise quickly replaced by a cool, guarded glare. I put down my pen and straighten in my seat.

"It's a free country." I say with icy and clipped tone

Rohan smirks and sits down across from me, unfazed by my frosty reception.

Rohan speaks in a relaxed and teasing manner. " So, you're the famous scholarship student everyone's been talking about."

I narrow my eyes, crossing my arms ove inr my chest as I glare at him.

I say with my sharp and defiant tone. "Why did your friend not make it clear yesterday? What's your point?"

Rohan's grin widens slightly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He seems unfazed by my hostility.

Rohan slightly leans forward, his tone light but competitive, "Just curious about my competition."

His daring to approach me and act as though we are friends when this is our second chat together-the first in which he insulted me-left me dumbfounded.

I reply while raising my eyebrow, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Competition? Is that what we are now, till yesterday you didn't even know me, called me insignificant and accused of me as an intruder. Am I now worth of your attention?"

It dawns on me that I spoke everything on my mind because I allowed my emotions to get the best out of me.

He says with a casual shrug and a playful glint in his eyes. "Well, it takes a lot for me to know someone perfectly unless they pique my interest."

Yes, that's how he had always been. Perfect, frigid, impassive; a total scoundrel.

The air between us crackles with tension, the mixture of rivalry and curiosity palpable. My frustration is evident in the way I grips my pen tightly, while Rohan's easy confidence contrasts sharply with my unease.