The Badboy, the Catfish & Me

Twelve

I was both relieved and anxious to walk into homeroom at the end of the day. I was relieved that the day was over and I could get to the more exciting part of my day and anxious that I would ask Valentino outright to hang out with me again. Like a date...which it totally isn't because that'd be haram, and I'm trying not to be about that life.

I was pretending to fix up the contents of my locker until I found it in myself to walk up to Valentino. He was sitting at our desk, his gaze moving from Clara's face to the desk's screen as she spoke to him.

"Hi, Inaya," Clara said as I neared them. Clara smiled sweetly at me, too. She wore a white and pink T-shirt that paired well with her pastel green skirt, which sat just above her knees.

I gave her a brief smile, but I became overly conscious of my outfit: A bishop-sleeve mauve blouse and loose-fitted black pants over a matching black hijab. I glanced at my desk's screen as a distraction. At the top was a banner notifying the winning prom theme.

"So, Carnival won," I said, sitting beside Valentino.

Valentino turned to me and leaned back in his seat. "Yup, looks like."

"Poor Ameena," I said. "Salah's ingenious plan won, after all." Valentino chuckled. Since she was still here, I turned to look at Clara. "You're going to prom, right? Any idea on what to wear with this theme?"

"I don't know yet." Her face flushed a little. She glanced at Valentino and added, "Hope it's nothing serious with Mrs. Asaka. I'll see you tomorrow."

I narrowed her eyes, not knowing what they were talking about.

"Yeah. See ya."

When Clara had turned her back, I quickly segued the conversation. I subconsciously leaned closer to him as I asked, "So, are you gonna play CrusadEon Online today?"

"Yeah." He looked away. "Do you wanna watch at the library?"

I shrugged, remembering to convey nonchalance. "I could."

"Won't your parents say something?"

"Not today. My dad is picking me up from work. I have an hour to spare."

"Cool." I noticed his slight hesitation before he spoke again. "But Mrs. Asaka said I have to see her about my lab report before I go," he said. "I'll meet you outside?"

"Sure." I slid off my seat, hand on my bookbag's shoulder strap. I met his gaze and held it. "Don't make me wait too long," I said. "I don't want to melt out there."

Valentino broke his casual demeanor, and he smirked. "Gotcha."

I turned my back to him and retrieved my phone from my pocket to text Salah and Ameena that they should go home without seeing me. I then made my way out of the school and scanned the front of the building for a spot to wait for Valentino from atop the stairs.

Unfortunately, there were no clouds or shade to protect me from the scorching sun. With a sigh, I decided to sit at the base of the stairs since it was the only spot that wouldn't mean standing for ten minutes.

I was scrolling through my phone absent-mindedly when a shadow fell over me. I didn't have to look up to know it wasn't Valentino—I could just feel their presence.

"You should stay away from Valentino," Elsa said. Her voice was low and smooth, the perfect combination of the calm before the storm.

"That's right," Jamie echoed. Warning thunder.

I struggled not to have my heart leap out of my throat in pure fear as I turned to meet Elsa and Jamie's fierce gazes. I could barely hear them over the blood rushing in my ears.