Both Sides | ✓

Chapter 29

Olivia's POV:

Everyone at my lunch table noticed how long I'd been gone. It was wishful thinking to expect them not to pry.

"Where've you been?" Cara asked as I sat down again.

"Bathroom," I said.

"For fifteen minutes?"

"I guess."

"Um... Why?"

I had never wanted to punch someone more in my life. "I don't know, on my phone I guess."

Cara glared into me before switching a smile into place. "Probably meeting up with your secret boyfriend," she said.

"As if," Daniel replied. "When has Via ever been into someone?"

"I dunno. When has Via ever spent fifteen minutes in the restroom?"

"I was on my phone," I repeated. "Just drop it."

Cara scoffed and raised her hands. "Okay, okay."

Daniel eyed me carefully, tapping my hands with his pinkie and whispering, "You alright?"

"I'm fine," I mouthed. He nodded, and that was that.

We moved on to discussing the student council race, which somehow worried me even more about the last topic. I couldn't believe spring was approaching. I wanted to curl the winter up and take her with me.

"It's okay if I run against you, right Via?" Cara smiled across the table. "I just wanna build up my transcript, you know?"

I knew I would win against her, but she still annoyed me. "No big deal," I said, forcing it a bit. "I'm always one for competition."

"Hm," she said.

Daniel was stifling a smile beside me. He knew how to read me like a book. I kicked his leg under the table to shut him up.

* * *

Biology class.

Finally.

Cleo came in just a minute after I had and sat beside me. "Hey," she smiled.

"Hi." She waited a beat before pulling my hand into her's under the table. I couldn't hide my smile.

"Is this alright?" she whispered.

"Yeah," I replied. "Of course."

I made sure to pay close attention to the door for when Cara walked in. The last thing I needed was for her to catch Cleo and I and have one more reason to win the election.

The teacher was scribbling a reading assignment onto the whiteboard. I dropped Cleo's hand to grab my textbook, and she rested it on my thigh instead. Cleo met my eyes briefly, smiling coyly.

"What?" she whispered. I could tell I was blushing, and Cleo was eating it up.

"What what?"

"You look red, Via," she grinned.

"Shut up."

"Everything okay?"

"You're terrible."

"You sure?" she whispered. "Cause, I feel like you enjoy me."