At Luxford Academy, the elite boarding school for the ultra-rich, Adriana and Nicholas have been bitter rivals since childhood. Forced to live in the same dorm, their once-friendly pranks have escalated into daily clashes-sharp insults, constant bic...
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It's another sleepy morning in AP Calculus, and I slide into my seat next to Andrew, both of us already half-buried in our notes. The room's still filling up, and as usual, Mr. Benson is at the front, wearing that same weird smirk he always has. He's an old-timer at this school, and while he's got the math chops, there's just something about him that always feels off—especially when his eyes wander a bit too much.
The bell rings, and Mr. Benson steps forward, clapping his hands like he's about to unveil some grand surprise. "Alright, class, I hope you're all ready for a little test today," he announces, his eyes sweeping over us, lingering on a few of the girls longer than necessary—including me.
I feel his gaze land on my chest, but I just roll my eyes and focus back on my notebook. It's not the first time, and it's not like I haven't noticed it before. It's creepy, sure, but I'm here to ace this class, not let him get under my skin.
Andrew nudges me with his elbow, giving me a knowing look. "Another one of his surprise tests, huh? Guess he's feeling generous today."
"Yeah, generous as always," I mutter, glancing at the test as Mr. Benson drops it onto my desk. He gives me that same smirk as he moves on, but I barely register it. I've got more important things to worry about—like the calculus problems staring up at me.
The first question's a tough one, but I'm not fazed. I glance over at Andrew, who's already deep into it, and I smirk. He might be the math whiz everyone goes to for help, but I'm right there with him.
We dive into the test, and I'm breezing through the first couple of problems. It's all about the chain rule and some integration, nothing we haven't handled before. Andrew leans over a bit, like he's about to offer a tip, but I'm already ahead of him, scribbling down the derivative like it's second nature.
He notices and grins. "Alright, looks like you've got this covered."
I shrug, "You know me. I'm not letting a surprise test mess with my A."
We keep working in sync, both of us tackling the problems without breaking a sweat. Every now and then, I catch Mr. Benson glancing our way, but I just shrug it off. I'm not here for his approval or his attention—I'm here to crush this test and get out with my grade intact.
The clock ticks down, and as I finish the last problem, I sit back, feeling pretty confident. Andrew's just about done too, and we exchange a quick nod—another test down, no big deal.
When Mr. Benson finally calls time, I pass my paper forward without a second thought. As I'm packing up, I catch him giving me that look again, but I just ignore it, brushing it off like always. Creepy or not, he's just another obstacle in a class I know I can handle.
Andrew and I head out together, the usual post-test relief setting in. "You totally nailed that," he says, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"Yeah, wasn't too bad," I reply, feeling pretty good about it. "Thanks for the backup, though. Always nice knowing we're on the same page."
