I woke up and saw Liya still sleeping peacefully on my bed. A sigh of relief escaped me—thankfully, she didn’t do anything weird this time. Stretching, I glanced at the clock. Time to wake her up for school.
“Liya, get up. We’re going to be late,” I said, gently shaking her shoulder.
She groaned, rolling over and rubbing her eyes. “Already? I feel like I just went to bed.”
“You did just go to bed,” I replied sarcastically as I headed toward the door. “Come on, we need to get ready.”
We hurried through breakfast and soon found ourselves walking to school. As we approached the classroom, I noticed Liya slowing down.
“Are you going in or not?” I asked, growing impatient.
With a mischievous smile, she hesitated. “You go first, Levi. I want to make a bold entrance.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why does everything have to be a spectacle with you? Just walk in.”
She laughed softly, clearly enjoying my irritation. “Oh, come on. You know you love it.”
“Whatever,” I muttered, shaking my head. I opened the door and stepped into the classroom, leaving her behind for her dramatic moment.
Ms. Romero stood at the front, announcing that someone would be joining us today. “Ms. Clarke, you can come in now.”
I felt dread wash over me and covered my face, knowing what was about to happen. Mei turned to me, concern in her eyes. “Is something wrong, Levi?”
“Uh, no, nothing. Just don’t mind me,” I mumbled, peeking through my fingers as Liya entered the classroom with a cutesy face, winking at me. Mei’s expression turned to confusion.
“Did she just wink at you?” Mei asked, her brows furrowed.
I buried my face again, wishing for the ground to swallow me whole.
Liya's POV
“Hi, I’m Liya Clarke. You can call me Liya. I’m 17, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you all!” I said cheerfully. I noticed Levi covering his face, and a girl next to him caught my eye—I immediately recognized her as the girl from the picture frame.
Levi's POV
This is beyond embarrassing. Just then, I heard Liya gasp dramatically and rush to my seat. “Levi! Is that really you? It’s been years! What a coincidence!”
“Coincidence my ass,” I muttered, internally groaning. She transferred here on purpose. Ryan chimed in from the back, “Uhm, Ms. Clarke, do you two know each other?”
“Oh, us? Yeah, Levi here is my childhood sweetheart,” she said with a teasing smile.
Mei slammed her hand on the desk, visibly upset. “I’m sorry, there’s a mosquito!” She shot a glare at Liya, who seemed to enjoy the attention.
“Don’t believe her, guys! She’s just a childhood friend, like a sister to me,” I insisted, trying to defuse the situation. The class settled down, and Liya returned to her designated seat, but I could feel her stare lingering on me throughout the class, making me increasingly uncomfortable.
Finally, it was lunch time. As we walked to our clubroom, Liya asked, “Can I join you guys?”
Mei shot her a death glare. “No! You can’t!”
Liya laughed, unfazed. “Who are you to decide?”
Mei fell silent and hid behind me, whispering, “Levi, you tell her.”
I sighed. “Mei, she’s also my friend. She can join. Why don’t you two get along?”
Mei stomped her foot and pouted. “Fine!”
We entered the clubroom, and Liya opened her lunch box, revealing a beautifully arranged meal. Ryan’s eyes widened. “Wow, did you make that yourself?”
“Uh, no, Levi made this for me,” Liya replied, glancing at Mei, who was still fuming.
“It smells so good. I bet Levi made this with a lot of love just for me,” she teased, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
Mei’s expression snapped to rage. Out of nowhere, she slammed her hands on the table. “Oh, sorry! I just dropped my fork!” She quickly bent down, shooting daggers at Liya while retrieving it.
The tension in the room was palpable as I exchanged glances between the two of them, wondering how this lunch was going to unfold.
Liya started eating her lunch and dramatically declared, “This is so good!” She glanced over at Mei, who was still staring at her, and said, “Hey, want to give it a try?”
Mei’s eyes sparkled, and she opened her mouth, clearly ready to take a bite. But just as she was about to, Liya smirked and added, “Just kidding! Levi only made this for me.”
Mei went dead silent, and I could see the frustration boiling in her eyes. If this kept up, she might actually strangle Liya.
I quickly tried to calm her down. “Mei, there’s no need to get upset. Let’s just eat our lunch peacefully.”
But Mei shot up from her seat, indignation radiating from her. “I bet I can cook better than that evil woman! Levi, what’s your favorite food? I’ll make it!”
“Mei, please,” I pleaded, but she was already determined.
“Come on, a cooking showdown?” Liya chimed in, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Show me what you’ve got, Mei!”
“Oh, you’ve got to be joking,” I muttered under my breath.
Mei stood up, accepting the challenge. “You’re on!”
“Whoever wins gets to kiss Levi,” Liya added with a teasing grin.
“What the hell? No!” I exclaimed, standing up as well. “Both of you sit down! No cooking showdown is happening, and let’s just eat our lunch peacefully! Jeez!”
The room fell silent after my outburst, both girls looking taken aback. I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure as they exchanged glances, clearly still simmering with competitive energy.
“Okay, how about we just focus on enjoying our food without any challenges or bets?” I suggested, hoping to diffuse the tension.
Liya smirked. “Fine, but just know I’m still up for a challenge anytime.”
Mei crossed her arms, still glaring at her, but she slowly sat back down, clearly trying to calm herself. I hoped this would be the end of their rivalry for now, at least during lunch.
YOU ARE READING
You And I
RomanceLevi's life was ordinary-school, friends, and the quiet rhythm of everyday life. That is, until he met Mei, a mysterious girl who quickly became the center of his world. Their relationship blossomed, and for the first time, Levi felt like he had fou...
