Competitive Love 💕/ Why me?

Chapter 7: Echoes of Discord

"Hey, Landscaper! Why are you here?" Trevor called out to Anna. She looked perplexed. "Oh, cease your search for greenery. These are tiles, not grass," he teased, a smirk playing on his lips. Anna's expression soured.

"I am a student here," Anna retorted, her voice laced with indignation. "My apologies. I mistook you for someone on duty. You don't quite fit the student archetype."

"You—" Anna bit back her retort, a storm brewing in her eyes. Making a scene will only complicate matters for her. Best to leave in silence. With that, she stormed off, her haste leading to a painful collision with the wall.

"Do you know her?" Brody inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes! A landscaper," Trevor replied with a grin.

"What?" Brody's confusion was evident. "I'm merely seeking answers, and here you bombard me with questions. Desist, Brody." The lunch bell tolled.

"Look at that, we've missed our meal, and the break is over. You know, humans should consume sustenance six times a day."

"Three times, Brody. That's the norm for mortals, but for you, perhaps six," Trevor quipped, his sarcasm not lost on his friend.

"And for your information, I am the Ice Prince. I grace the college with my presence at my leisure. Let's dine first; academia can wait."

Brody's smile was his only reply. They departed for lunch, returning later to Mason's class. Without seeking permission, they entered. Mason's annoyance was palpable, yet he held his tongue and continued the lesson.

Trevor's gaze fell on an empty seat. "Three weeks and still vacant. Why?"

"That's Amara's seat. She's yet to attend a single class. Rumor has it she's lost interest and transferred elsewhere."

In the staff room, the teachers' conversation turned to their students. "This year promises excellence," Cole remarked.

"In my class, Andy is the epitome of decorum, despite his wealth."

"But Trevor is a law unto himself. His tardiness, his disdain for the canteen—it's irksome," Mason grumbled.

"Their kinship baffles me at times," Cole mused.

"Kinship? They're as dissimilar as can be—opposite poles," Mason countered.

Cole divulged the family's history, his source a butler from their household. Mason nodded, absorbing the tale.

As the day waned, Trevor attempted to approach Anna, but she quickened her pace, inadvertently colliding with Andy.

"Perhaps larger spectacles are in order. Blind, mute, and now deaf?" Andy's patience was wearing thin.

"I didn't mean to—" Anna stammered, her voice trembling.

"The landscaper now becomes the shaker," Trevor interjected, arriving at the scene.

"Not these two again," Andy thought, exasperated.

"I've warned you, Trevor. Keep your distance. Meddle in my affairs, and you'll regret it," Andy threatened.

"I heard you're kin, yet you bicker like foes," Anna observed.

"That's none of your concern," they snapped in unison, their glare sending a chill down her spine.

"What consequences?" Trevor pressed.

"I owe you no explanations," Andy declared before storming off.

Trevor paused, then reached for Anna's bag, halting her escape. "Where do you think you're going, Shaker? I've shielded you from Andy's wrath twice, and not a word of thanks? Someone here is acting the villain."

"You're the villain here. Your 'protection' only worsens matters," Anna spat before leaving a bewildered Trevor behind.

The confrontation, captured on video, spread like wildfire across the college community. The footage sparked outrage, with many casting Anna as the antagonist and branding Trevor a brute. Wendy and Eleanor, ardent admirers of the boys, took it upon themselves to drive Anna out.

Returning to her dorm, Anna sensed the hostility in the air. Upon arrival, her friend Pooh confronted her, "What have you done?"

"What's happened?" Anna asked, bewildered.

"Look at this," Pooh gestured to the forum. Anna's heart sank. "No... It shouldn't have unfolded like this," she murmured in despair.

"You're my friend, but if you oppose them, I'm powerless to aid you," Pooh declared before exiting.

Alone, Anna reached out for support over the phone. "I never intended for this. It just happened," she explained.

"I'll be there by tomorrow evening," the voice assured her.