For the next few days, Jasper Allister became an unstoppable force of irritation in Alex's life.
Every time she turned around, there he was—whether it was in AP English, the library, or even at lunch when he just so happened to walk past her table with a knowing smirk. It was like he had some sixth sense that allowed him to pop up whenever she least wanted to see him.
And he always had something to say.
"You look tense, Dunphy. Existential crisis about college, or just distraught over how much you secretly enjoy our debates?"
"I was thinking about how much better my life was before you started talking to me."
"Ouch. That almost hurt. Want me to write you a poem about it?Beautiful overachiever"
But what truly bothered Alex—what really got under her skin—was that he never stopped writing in that stupid notebook.
She had no idea what was in it. Every time she saw him, he was scribbling something down, flipping through pages with that same lazy, knowing expression.
And, for some reason, she needed to know what was in there.
So when she spotted Jasper sitting under the same tree as before—back against the trunk, notebook open, completely absorbed in whatever he was writing—she made her move.
She walked up and stood over him, arms crossed. "Don't ever call me beautiful again."
Jasper barely glanced up, looking annoyingly amused at her sudden presence. "That's the first thing you say to me? No hello? No good afternoon, Jasper, you devilishly handsome literary genius?"
Alex groaned. "You're unbearable."
"Yet you came all the way over here." He shut his notebook and smirked. "Admit it—you're interested."
"I don't care about you," she snapped. "I care about that." She pointed at the notebook.
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "My notebook?"
"Yes."
Jasper leaned back against the tree, tapping the cover thoughtfully. "And why, pray tell, are you so interested?"
Alex hesitated. She couldn't exactly tell him that she'd been secretly obsessing over what he was writing. "I just—" she huffed. "You're always scribbling in it. What's so important?"
Jasper studied her, then, to her surprise, extended the notebook toward her. "Go ahead. Take a look."
Alex narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
She snatched the notebook before he could change his mind. Flipping it open, she expected to find essays, short stories—maybe even poetry.
What she didn't expect was a page titled:
"Things That Annoy Alex Dunphy"
Her jaw dropped.
She scanned the list, heart pounding.
Being called beautiful (but secretly, she doesn't hate it)
Losing debates (denies it, but it kills her)
When I quote literature at her
When I steal her points and rephrase them as my own
Me, in general
She snapped the notebook shut and glared at him. "Are you serious?!"
Jasper laughed. "Hey, you are my favorite subject to study."
"This is—this is psychotic!"
"Or," he said, leaning in, "it's deductive reasoning. You're fascinating, Dunphy."
Alex's heart was pounding. Whether it was from rage or something else entirely, she didn't know.
But one thing was for sure—Jasper Allister wasn't just getting under her skin anymore.
He was in her head.
And she had no idea how to get him out.
For the past two weeks, Alex had been doing her absolute best to avoid Jasper.
She walked out of her way to steer clear of him in the hallways. She took different routes to class, pretending she hadn't seen him sitting in the same places every time, flipping through his notebook and smirking like he knew exactly what she was up to.
But eventually, her efforts became futile.
It was Monday, and Alex had made it another whole week without running into him. She had survived, or so she thought, until she walked into AP English and realized—her seat was taken.
Her usual spot, right at the front near the window, was occupied by some sophomore who didn't even have the decency to look up when she walked in. Alex's chest tightened.
Great. Just great.
Her eyes darted around the room. The only seat left was at the back of the class, next to none other than… Jasper Allister.
Her stomach twisted in protest, but there was no other choice. She had to take it.
With a sigh of resignation, Alex made her way to the back. As she walked, she could already feel his eyes on her. His presence, like always, was impossible to ignore. His aura of lazy confidence filled the air around him, and she hated that it made her nervous.
But as Alex neared his desk, her foot caught on the edge of her bag, and in that split second, everything seemed to go in slow motion.
Her body lurched forward, and for a moment, she thought she might just crash into the floor.
But instead of the cold, hard ground, she collided with something surprisingly soft.
A pair of arms, strong and warm, caught her mid-fall.
Alex's breath hitched as she looked up, her face inches away from Jasper's smirking face.
"I knew you'd fall for me one day, beautiful overachiever," Jasper said, his voice thick with amusement.
Alex froze, her heart skipping a beat. She couldn't believe this was happening. Not now, not here—and certainly not with him holding her like she was some fragile thing.
But she quickly pushed herself out of his arms, her cheeks flushing with irritation and embarrassment. "Let me go, Jasper!"
He released her immediately, still grinning. "I've got to admit, Dunphy, I was starting to think I'd never get a chance to catch you."
"Don't get ahead of yourself," she snapped, straightening herself up and trying to gather her dignity. "I didn't fall for you. I tripped."
"Sure," he said, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "That's exactly what happened."
She shot him a glare as she sat down at the desk next to his. Of course this would happen. Only Jasper Allister would have the audacity to make this moment even more uncomfortable than it already was.
As she settled into her seat, she heard a soft chuckle from him. "You're still mad at me, huh?"
"Obviously."
Jasper turned his attention back to the front of the class, but Alex couldn't help but feel his gaze on her again. His presence was so damn distracting.
"Don't look at me like that," Alex muttered under her breath. "I'm not some damsel in distress for you to catch."
"Right," he replied smoothly, as though they hadn't just had that entire conversation. "But it was fun catching you."
Alex's face turned even redder. She couldn't figure out if she was angry or embarrassed, but it didn't matter. She was stuck next to him now for the rest of the class.
For the entire period, Jasper's presence loomed over her, like a constant distraction. He leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen against the desk in a rhythm that was somehow irritating and oddly calming. It was as if he knew exactly how to push her buttons without even trying.
But what bugged her the most? The fact that she couldn't stop thinking about him—his charm, his smile, the way he always seemed to know just the right thing to say to get under her skin.
And for once, she hated that he was right.
He had caught her.
But what she still couldn't figure out was whether that was a good thing or a really bad one.