Between the desks

Chapter 8

Amren's POV

I wake up on the sofa, my head pounding like a drum. Ugh, great. Second day of school and I'm already hungover. My eyes lazily scan the room, landing on a couple of empty wine bottles scattered on the floor. Classy.

Lily's passed out on the other end of the couch, completely dead to the world. I grin, already plotting my revenge. Grabbing my phone, I connect it to the speaker and blast some techno at full volume.

Lily's eyes snap open instantly. "What the hell?!" She grabs the nearest pillow and hurls it at me. I dodge it, laughing so hard I nearly fall off the sofa. She's muttering curses under her breath as she storms off to the shower. A few seconds later, I hear the water running.

Still giggling, I drag myself up and head to my bedroom. One glance in the mirror, and I nearly jump out of my skin. Jesus. I look like a complete mess—my short brown hair sticking out in every direction, eyes swollen and puffy from both sleep and too much alcohol.

I grab a brush and attempt to fix the chaos on my head. After a few painful minutes, it's passable. Next, makeup. Something simple to hide the evidence of my poor life choices. Once I'm done, I throw on my black suit pants, a white t-shirt, and my trusty boots. Not the most inspired look, but it'll do. I grab my laptop, shove it in my bag, and head out.

Lily's just stepped out of the shower, looking fresh and much less angry. "Good morning, sunshine," I say, giving her a cheeky grin.

"Good morning, bitch," she shoots back, but there's a smirk on her face now. I wink at her, knowing I'm back in her good graces.

In the kitchen, I brew some much-needed coffee and throw together two bowls of yogurt with cornflakes. I bring the peace offering over to Lily, trying to keep a straight face. "See this as my apology," I say, placing the food in front of her.

She gives me a smile, accepting the truce. We eat in silence, but of course, after breakfast, we light up another cigarette. Again. I take a slow drag, feeling the familiar pull. It's delicious—dangerous, but delicious.

"We have English again today," Lily says, blowing out a stream of smoke.

A knot tightens in my stomach. "Fun," I mutter, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Lily grins knowingly, catching the vibe.

We head downstairs, hop on my motorcycle, and take off for campus. The cool morning wind cuts through my hair, and I can hear Lily snorting behind me as strands of my hair fly into her face.

When we finally arrive, we're already running late. Of course. We race inside, practically stumbling into the classroom. Only the front row is free, so we reluctantly sit down. The professor isn't here yet, which gives us a moment to breathe.

I turn to Lily, still curious about last night. "How the hell did we end up on the couch? I mean, we weren't that drunk, were we?"

Lily snorts. "Girl, were you even there? We downed a couple bottles last night."

We both burst out laughing, but our laughter is cut short by the loud creak of the door swinging open.

"Good morning, class! Silence, please!"

Her authoritative voice slices through the room. Professor Olsen strides in, commanding every ounce of attention without even trying. That knot in my stomach tightens again.

I can't shake this feeling. It's like her presence messes with me in a way I can't quite explain. Strict, intimidating, and undeniably... something. How am I supposed to survive this year?

I steal a glance at Lily, but she's already settled in, scribbling on her notebook. Meanwhile, I sit there, frozen, wondering how I'm going to make it through another hour and a half of Professor Olsen's gaze without completely unraveling.