Blossoming Hate

Chapter 6: Facing The Music

Xavier's pov

Finally, when the clock hits 4:00 PM, Mrs. Donovan dismissed us. I could finally escape this classroom and her endless monologue that felt more like torture than education. As I stood up, stretching my arms overhead to shake off the monotony of the past hour, my gaze caught Iris's. She had this determined look in her eyes.

"Hey, can we meet at my house at 5 to work on the project?" she said, her soft voice almost drowned out by the rustling of backpacks and chairs scraping against the floor.

I raised an eyebrow, annoyance prickling at the edges of my thoughts. "Can't. I'm busy."

Her face twisted in disbelief, and I couldn't help but admire the fire in her eyes. "I'm sorry, did you just say you're busy? This project is worth Forty percent of our grade!"

I didn't have time for this back-and-forth. I had plans-things I needed to take care of. "Fine. I'll work on it after I'm done with my business," I said dismissively, hoping to brush her off.

"Your business?" she echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. "What could possibly be more important than this project?"

I shot back, crossing my arms as if that could shield me from her intensity. "Look, it'll get done. Just chill, alright?"

Iris huffed at me, folding her arms defiantly. I almost admired her tenacity, though I'd never let her know that. "If you think I'm going to let this slide, you've got another thing coming. I want to ace this project, and I'm not leaving it all to you."

Her determination was almost cute. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch upward, but I rolled my eyes, masking my amusement. "I'll be there. Just give me a second. I have to visit my Nana at the retirement home first."

She looked surprised, her expression shifting in an instant. "You have to visit your-what? Your grandma? You actually care about someone?"

The corners of my mouth betrayed me again, twitching as I tried to maintain my cool facade. "You got an issue with that ? She's important to me, alright?"

"Fine, fine. Just make it quick," she replied, her bemusement clear as she turned on her heels. I watched her grab her backpack and stride toward the door, leaving me staring after her.

Iris... Her name danced in my mouth and echoed in the empty classroom, a strange mixture of irritation and intrigue swirling within me. I shook my head, trying to dispel the thoughts she conjured up. That girl really is something else.

As the door clicked shut behind her, the silence enveloped me, a stark contrast to the chaos of our earlier exchange. I leaned against the desk, folding my arms and letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

What the hell was I getting into? Working with her was bound to be a nightmare-she was relentless and had this way of getting under my skin. But for some reason, I didn't mind as much as I thought I would. I knew she wanted to do well, and that part of me-some soft, hidden part-could respect that.

But I didn't have time for distractions. I had my Nana to visit, her warm smile and comforting words a refuge from the storm of my life. I was the "bad boy," it's how everyone saw me the guy everyone expected to be heartless but when it came to her, I couldn't afford to be that person . She always been there for me when things got tough especially when mom died and dad turned against me .

I pushed myself off the desk and headed out, shoving my hands into my pockets. The halls were mostly empty, the school day coming to an end, and I felt a weight pressing down on my chest. I didn't want to think about the project or Iris right now. I needed to clear my head.