Roommate Badboy - Wicked Academy

32

Ruby immediately turned her attention toward her, her brow furrowed with concern. Her voice dropped to a quiet, almost tentative tone, though the curiosity couldn't be masked.

"What happened back in the math class?" Ruby began, her gaze flicking briefly to the others before locking back on Stella. "You just ran out."

Stella felt a jolt at the mention of it, the memory of that moment flashing unbidden. She swallowed, struggling to push past the discomfort that crept into her chest.

Ruby wasn't finished. "And then...you disappeared. Guards were looking everywhere for you. You weren't anywhere to be found." Ruby hesitated, a subtle shift in her expression. "And...Jason, too."

At that, unease curled in Stella's chest. She didn't know how to answer without revealing too much, without revealing a secret that wasn't just dangerous but one she barely understood herself.

Ruby's gaze softened slightly, but the concern remained. Stella looked away, trying to steady her thoughts. Her pulse quickened, and she struggled to find the right words that wouldn't expose too much. The truth was too complicated, too dangerous to speak aloud.

"It's...complicated," Stella whispered, the words escaping her throat like smoke. She paused, swallowed hard, and forced her voice to steady. "I can't explain it."

Ruby didn't respond right away, but there was a flicker of understanding in her eyes, though she didn't press. Instead, she sighed and sat back slightly, crossing her arms. She let the silence linger for a moment, but it wasn't uncomfortable. She seemed to accept Stella's wordless plea for space.

"Alright," Ruby said after a beat, her voice quiet but firm. "I get it. You don't have to tell me if you're not ready."

Stella nodded, a small sigh of relief escaping her. "Thanks." Her shoulders relaxed slightly, the tension that had gripped her body easing. She nodded, grateful for Ruby's understanding, even if it didn't ease the weight of the secret.

Jason barely got settled when Noah's voice broke through the buzz of the cafeteria.

"So, Jay," Noah started, eyes glinting with amusement, "you and Stella disappeared for hours." He grinned wide, obviously loving the discomfort he was stirring. "Skipping math class together? Seems like you might've been solving...other kind of problems."

Jason threw Noah a look cold enough to freeze fire, but Noah only smirked, unfazed. Justin, however, didn't miss a beat, his grin widening as he leaned in, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Yeah, I bet you two were calculating something, huh?" Justin let out a snicker."Surely it wasn't just solving problems on paper," he added, his grin widening.

Alex couldn't contain his laughter, his grin spreading like he'd just hit the jackpot. "I'm sure you both found some...intimate solutions."

Jason buried his face in his hands. "I can't believe I'm sitting with you people," he muttered, clearly done with the conversation. But it didn't stop.

Noah made an exaggerated face, acting like he was trying to work out the equation. "Jason's probably all about geometry, for obvious reasons."

Alex snickered, elbowing Noah. "Definitely, more like giving her a crash course in all the right angles...and in every possible position."

Jason sighed deeply, trying to block out the mental image they were so eagerly creating. "You guys really need to get your minds out of the gutter."

But Justin wasn't finished. He could barely catch his breath from laughing so hard. "Don't get modest all of a sudden. Tell us, were you teaching her the fine art of subtraction? Or maybe giving her a little addition lesson of your own?"