"Maxuel : Professional Luella's Teaser and Trouble Maker

PART 6

A few days passed since the party, and Luella had done her best to pretend that the kiss with Maxuel hadn’t happened. But every time she saw him in the hallways at school, her heart did a little flip. The memory of his lips on hers, the way he held her close for just that brief moment, lingered in her mind, and she couldn’t shake it.

Despite all her efforts to stay cool and unaffected, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

The next Monday, she found herself walking down the hallway with Sylixiaa, who had been uncharacteristically quiet all morning, clearly waiting for Luella to make the first move. The moment they rounded the corner, there he was — Maxuel. Standing in the middle of the hallway, talking to his friends, that familiar smirk still plastered on his face.

Luella groaned inwardly. She was determined to act like everything was normal — like the kiss hadn’t turned her world upside down for a solid twenty-four hours.

Sylixiaa, however, was all too eager to poke fun at the situation. “So, still ignoring him, or do we get to see some fireworks today?”

“I’m not ignoring him,” Luella snapped, though her heart was hammering in her chest at the thought of what would happen if she ran into Maxuel. “I just don’t feel like dealing with him today.”

Sylixiaa raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, okay, sure.”

But before Luella could protest again, Maxuel caught sight of them. His eyes immediately found hers, and a grin spread across his face — that damn grin that made her insides twist.

Luella mentally prepared herself for whatever comment he would throw her way. She kept walking, trying to ignore the fact that he was clearly making his way toward her, weaving through the students in the hallway like he was on a mission.

“Luella!” Maxuel called out, his voice loud enough to carry over the noise in the hallway. He was almost to her now, looking far too pleased with himself. “I thought you were avoiding me.”

Luella felt her cheeks warm, and she quickly turned her head to look anywhere but at him. “I’m not avoiding you,” she said, trying to sound indifferent. “I just don’t need your drama today, Maxuel.”

Maxuel didn’t seem fazed by her sharp tone. He came to a stop in front of her, his presence as overwhelming as ever. “Drama? Me? I’m just here to make sure you’re not too upset with me after, you know, *that*,” he said, tapping the side of his head as if referring to the kiss.

The way he said it — so nonchalant, like it was just another part of their usual banter — made Luella feel like her head was spinning all over again. She forced herself to stay grounded.

“I’m not upset,” she replied, narrowing her eyes. “I’m just... confused.”

“Confused?” Maxuel tilted his head, looking almost amused. “By what? The kiss?”

Her stomach did a little flip at the mention of it, but she refused to let it show. “Yes. I mean… no. I don’t know.” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “You’re acting like nothing happened.”

Maxuel’s grin only widened. “Because, for me, nothing’s changed. You’re still you, and I’m still me. What’s the big deal?”

“What do you mean, *nothing’s changed*?” she demanded, her temper beginning to flare. She could feel her heart rate picking up, the heat rising to her face again. “You kissed me, Maxuel. And now you’re acting like we’re back to normal, like you didn’t just—”

“Luella, I’m not trying to make this complicated,” Maxuel interrupted, his tone softer now. He took a small step closer to her, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the hallway. “But I’m not going to pretend like it didn’t happen, either. I’m just not the type to... make things awkward over something like that. We both know what it was. No reason to make a bigger deal of it than it is.”

Her breath caught in her throat at the way he was looking at her. There was no teasing in his eyes this time, no smug grin. He actually seemed... genuine?

Luella didn’t know how to respond. Part of her wanted to yell at him, to tell him he couldn’t just act like everything was fine. But there was a part of her that felt oddly... calm, like maybe Maxuel was right. Maybe she was making it into something bigger than it was.

“I’m just... not sure what to do with this,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Maxuel smiled, his gaze softening. “You don’t have to do anything, Luella. But I’d like to see where this goes — if you’re up for it.”

Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she could feel the walls she’d carefully built around herself starting to crumble. She had always been so certain about keeping her distance, but something about the way Maxuel was looking at her — the sincerity in his voice — made her think that maybe she could give this a chance.

Luella took a deep breath, her mind racing. “I’m not sure I can handle you.”

Maxuel chuckled, that mischievous glint returning to his eyes. “I never said you had to handle me. Just... stick around for the ride.”

Luella shook her head, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You’re impossible.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Maxuel teased. He then leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “But you like it.”

She didn’t answer him right away. Instead, she glanced over at Sylixiaa, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes and a huge grin on her face. Luella shot her a look that clearly said, *Don’t you dare*. But Sylixiaa just shrugged, clearly enjoying the show.

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Luella said finally, meeting Maxuel’s gaze once more.

Maxuel’s smile grew even wider, and for the first time in a long while, Luella wasn’t entirely sure what would happen next. But there was something about Maxuel’s confidence — his ability to make everything feel like an adventure — that made her think maybe, just maybe, she could take that ride with him after all.

And despite everything, the idea didn’t seem so bad.