The Next Morning
"Tom, open the door! We're going to be late for school!" I yelled, pounding on the bathroom door.
"Two minutes, Siri!" came the muffled reply.
I groaned. "Two minutes is too long! My first class is with Mr. Hernandez—he's going to murder me if I walk in late again!"
A second later, the door swung open and out walked Thomas—my twin brother—with his usual disheveled charm. Tall, with sparkling blue eyes and a mop of golden, curly hair he inherited from Grandma. We both had the same eye color and golden hair, though mine was long and straight. The curls definitely skipped me.
Seeing the worry on my face, he gave me a grin. "Come on, I'll drive fast."
We bolted out the door and jumped into the car. As Thomas started the engine, he glanced over at me.
"Nervous much? Got a big project today?"
"No, just... Hernandez," I muttered, clutching my bag. "You know how he is. He already hates the entire student body, but I swear he's made it his life's mission to despise me."
Thomas chuckled. "Oh, he hates our whole family. I've told you, right? Back in sophomore year, when my friends and I skipped class? He was the one who always caught us, even though he wasn't even part of our stream. It's like he had a radar for trouble—and I was the beacon."
He wasn't wrong. Mr. Hernandez, our History and Archaeology professor, had a particular talent for showing up at the worst times. I had chosen Archaeology because of Uncle Benjamin. I dreamed of becoming someone like him—respected, adventurous, a seeker of truths lost to time. Tom, on the other hand, had drifted toward Fine Arts. He belonged with colors and canvases, not dusty tombs and forgotten scrolls.
We reached school just in time. I exhaled sharply, grabbed my bag, and waved goodbye to Tom as I sprinted across the courtyard. Halfway to class, I heard someone shout my name.
"Serena!"
I turned around and spotted Shawn—a short guy with curly brown hair, thick glasses that almost slid off his nose, and an oversized shirt that hung awkwardly on his frame. Right beside him stood my best friend, Aphrodite. She was stunning in every sense—long black hair with dark pink highlights curling at the ends, soft pink eyes that sparkled, and lashes that could've belonged in a makeup ad.
"Hey, Shawn! Hey, Aphrodite!" I called out, slowing down.
"Where's the fire?" Aphrodite teased, raising an elegant brow.
" I thought I was late. Again. Damn, i thought I was being killed my Mr Hernandez today"
They both laughed.
Shawn leaned in. "So, what topic are you doing for the mythology project? I was thinking of doing something on Chinese mytho—"
"Oh no!" I cut him off, smacking my forehead. "I forgot to return my mythology book to Mrs. Marine!"
"Serena, class is about to start!" Aphrodite called out behind me.
"I'll be there in a minute!" I shouted over my shoulder as I dashed toward the stairs.
I was moving so fast down the corridor that I didn't see him until we collided. Hard. My books flew everywhere, and we both landed on the floor with a thud.
"Sorry, I—" I started, but the words caught in my throat.
My gaze locked onto the face of the guy I'd just slammed into.
Tall, lean, with tousled dark hair and the kind of features that could've belonged on a statue in a museum. But it wasn't his face that stunned me.
It was his eyes.
Those emerald eyes.
They didn't just look at me. They saw me...