"Maxuel : Professional Luella's Teaser and Trouble Maker

PART 4

The weekend finally arrived, and with it, the annual Rosewood High Halloween party. The whole school was buzzing with excitement, and Luella had been dragged into the festivities by Sylixiaa, who had been planning their outfits for weeks. Of course, it wasn’t a big surprise — Sylixiaa loved parties, and Luella? Well, she wasn’t exactly a party person. But tonight was different. The night had an energy that felt exciting, and despite her reluctance, Luella was starting to feel the pull.

The gymnasium was decked out in spooky decorations — cobwebs, dim lights, and a massive punch bowl that already looked dangerously low. The air smelled like a mix of caramel apples and pumpkin spice. The music was loud, thumping, and the crowd was already getting into the spirit of things.

Luella had reluctantly agreed to join the party, but there was one thing she wasn’t prepared for: Maxuel.

She spotted him across the room, standing with his friends, his tall figure almost glowing under the flashing lights. He was wearing a dark leather jacket, paired with a devilish grin that seemed just a little too perfect for a Halloween party. The kind of grin that Luella had grown to both love and loathe.

“Hey, you’re gonna have fun tonight, right?” Sylixiaa asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement. She was dressed as a witch, complete with a pointy hat and black lipstick, looking every bit the part of someone who would drag her friends into every possible chaos.

“I’m just here to hang out,” Luella muttered, feeling a little out of place in her angel costume. It wasn’t bad, but she wasn’t used to the whole “dress up and have fun” thing. “I’m not really in the mood for all the... attention.”

“Please. You’re just trying to avoid Maxuel,” Sylixiaa teased, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. “I see the way you look at him. If you don’t stop acting like you want to punch him in the face, you’ll just make it worse.”

“I do not want to punch him in the face,” Luella snapped, but the heat in her cheeks gave her away. "I don't want anything to do with him."

“Right,” Sylixiaa said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “And I’m a fairy godmother.” She nudged Luella toward the punch bowl. “Now, go get some punch. If you’re going to stay here, you might as well enjoy it. I’ll be back in a sec.”

Luella was about to argue, but before she could say anything, Sylixiaa had disappeared into the crowd. Sighing, Luella walked toward the punch bowl, trying to keep a low profile. But as she approached, she collided with someone, spilling the drink all over her angelic costume.

“Ugh!” Luella muttered under her breath. She looked up to see Maxuel standing there, holding a cup of punch with a knowing grin on his face.

“Clumsy much?” he teased, his voice just above the music, making sure she could hear him.

Luella glared at him, wiping a little bit of punch off her sleeve. "This is your fault, Maxuel," she said, her voice cold.

“Hey, I wasn’t the one who bumped into you,” he said, leaning casually against the table, eyes twinkling. “You know, it’s cute. The whole ‘angel’ thing.”

Luella’s eyes narrowed. "I wasn’t asking for your opinion."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her reaction. “Well, I wasn’t asking for you to get mad, but here we are.”

For a moment, Luella stood there, her mind racing for something to say. He was getting under her skin again, but this time, there was something about it that wasn’t so irritating. She folded her arms, glancing over his devilish costume. “You look like you’re playing the part of a villain tonight. Is that the plan?”

Maxuel grinned wider, his expression going almost playful. “Maybe. You’ve got me figured out, huh?”

“No, I’m just saying. You look like trouble,” she shot back, feeling an odd sense of confidence rising in her.

“Oh, I am trouble,” Maxuel said smoothly, his tone dropping to something more serious. He took a slow sip of his punch, never breaking eye contact. “But I think you like it.”

Luella’s pulse quickened at his words, and her stomach did a little flip. She didn’t know why he had to sound so... confident about everything. She wasn’t going to let him get the best of her again.

“Well, I don’t,” she said, turning away from him and trying to make her way through the crowd.

“Sure you don’t,” Maxuel called after her, his voice full of teasing amusement.

Luella felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Sylixiaa, her eyes full of mischief. “Did he just—?”

“Yeah,” Luella muttered, still feeling her cheeks flush. “And I’m not going to let him get away with it.”

Sylixiaa grinned, watching Maxuel from across the room. “He’s really into you, you know.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not interested.” Luella didn’t look back at him, even though she could feel Maxuel’s eyes on her from across the room.

Sylixiaa wasn’t convinced. “Sure, Luella. Sure. But if you don’t do something about it soon, he’s going to make you even madder, and we both know that’s only going to make things more fun.”

Luella crossed her arms, frowning. “I’m not letting him get to me.”

“Uh-huh,” Sylixiaa said, her tone teasing. “Whatever you say.”

But just then, Luella heard the music shift, and the lights dimmed for a slow song. It wasn’t like she wanted to, but her feet seemed to move before her brain could catch up. Her eyes darted back to Maxuel, who was now standing alone in the corner of the room, looking a little more serious than before.

Before she could stop herself, Luella found herself walking over to him.

Maxuel looked up as she approached, a small, surprised smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “What’s this? Luella, coming over to talk to me? This must be a first.”

Luella clenched her fists. “Don’t get any ideas, Maxuel. I’m just here to tell you to stop playing games.”

“I don’t play games,” he said, voice low and teasing again. “I just... have fun.”

“You’re a pain,” she shot back, but this time, there was no heat in her words. Maybe she was starting to get used to this banter.

“You like it,” he said, leaning in slightly. His voice dropped, his gaze flickering to her lips before returning to her eyes. “Admit it.”

Luella swallowed, suddenly feeling like her heart might explode. "I don’t like anything you do," she said, her voice far less certain than she’d meant it to be.

Maxuel chuckled. "We’ll see about that."

Luella didn’t know what to think anymore. All she knew was that for the first time, being near him didn’t feel like a battle. It felt like... something else. Something she wasn’t ready to deal with.

But as the music played on, Luella couldn’t shake the feeling that this night — and Maxuel — were going to throw her into something much bigger than she ever expected.