Neko

25

The next day at school felt just as suffocating as the last. The rumors hadn't died down at all. If anything, they seemed to have grown even more out of control. Every time I walked down the hallway, I could hear people whispering about me and Steve. It was like a wildfire that wouldn't stop burning, no matter how hard I tried to stay out of sight.

I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with everyone-especially Steve and, of course, Heather. I hadn't seen either of them yet today, and I wasn't sure if that was a blessing or just the calm before the storm. I had a pit in my stomach that wouldn't go away, a gnawing feeling that something was coming, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to dodge it much longer.

The first half of the day passed without incident, and I started to think maybe I could survive this. But by lunchtime, I realized my luck was running out. I hadn't seen Steve since everything blew up, and that only made my anxiety grow. He wasn't the kind of person to just let things slide. He'd want to talk-or worse, confront me-and the thought of that made me want to hide.

By the time the last bell rang, I was mentally exhausted from trying to avoid him. I thought maybe I'd make it to the end of the day without any run-ins, but as I headed down the hallway toward my next class, I felt a presence behind me.

Before I could even react, a hand grabbed my arm, and I was yanked into an empty classroom, the door clicking shut behind us. My heart raced as I spun around to find Steve standing there, his eyes dark with frustration.

"Steve-what the hell?" I gasped, pulling my arm away, but there was no escaping the intensity in his gaze.

"What the hell is right," Steve snapped, taking a step toward me. "Why have you been avoiding me all day? Scratch that-why have you been avoiding me since yesterday?"

I instinctively took a step back, not ready for the confrontation, but every time I moved back, Steve moved forward, closing the space between us. "I-I haven't been avoiding you," I lied, though my voice wavered. "I've just been... busy."

"Busy, huh?" he said, his voice low and dripping with sarcasm. "Don't lie to me, Nala. You've been dodging me every chance you get. Is this because of the stupid rumors?"

I swallowed hard, my back pressing up against the cold wall. "I-I didn't want to deal with all the attention, okay? Everyone's talking about us, and it's driving me crazy."

Steve's eyes flashed with something I couldn't quite place, but he took another step forward, leaving me with nowhere to go. "So, instead of just talking to me about it, you decided to run? To avoid me?"

I glanced away, unable to meet his gaze as my heart hammered in my chest. "It's not like that."

"Then what is it?" Steve asked, his voice quieter now but no less intense. "Why are you acting like this?"

Each time he moved closer, I felt the air around me grow thicker. I was trapped between Steve and the wall, and his presence was suffocating, overwhelming. My mind scrambled for a way out, but I couldn't think straight. Every time I tried to push him away, it only seemed to draw him in further.

"Steve, just-" I stammered, trying to find the right words, but nothing came out.

He was so close now, I could feel the heat of his body pressing against mine. His chest brushed against me, and it sent a jolt of electricity through my body that I wasn't prepared for. I was stuck, trapped between him and the wall, and there was nowhere to go.

"Why are you avoiding me, Nala?" he whispered, his voice lower, more dangerous now. "Tell me the truth."

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing out of control. "Because... because I didn't want things to get weird. Everyone's talking about us, and I didn't know how to handle it."

Steve's eyes darkened, his gaze locking onto mine. "You're worried about rumors? About what other people think?" He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my skin. "Screw them. They don't matter."

I felt my breath catch in my throat as his words sank in, but his proximity was overwhelming. I could feel his body pressing against mine, every inch of him too close, too intense. My hands were pressed against the wall behind me, and my mind was a whirlwind of confusion, embarrassment, and something else I couldn't quite define.

"Steve, you're... too close," I whispered, my voice trembling.

But instead of stepping back, he leaned in even further, his face inches from mine now. I could feel the tension radiating between us, the charged atmosphere that seemed to thicken with every second.

"I don't care about the rumors, Nala," Steve murmured, his voice soft but firm. "But I care about the fact that you're running away from me. I don't want you to run."

My heart pounded in my chest, and I struggled to find my voice. "I wasn't... running."

"Yes, you were," Steve countered, his eyes searching mine. "And I'm not going to let you."

I felt the weight of his body against mine, the heat of him seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt. Every nerve in my body was on high alert, and I didn't know whether to push him away or stay still, afraid of what might happen next.

"Steve... please," I said, my voice barely a whisper now, as I tried to process the intensity of the moment. "This isn't... this isn't right."

But instead of backing off, Steve leaned in even closer, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered, "Why not? Why do you keep pretending like you don't feel it?"

My breath hitched, and for a split second, I couldn't move, couldn't think. His words sent a shiver down my spine, and the overwhelming sensation of being so close to him-of being trapped by him-left me dizzy.

Before I could respond, the door to the classroom suddenly creaked open, and a student peeked in, freezing when they saw us.

Steve quickly stepped back, leaving a few feet of space between us, his usual cocky grin slipping back into place. "See you around, Nala," he said casually, as if the intensity of the last few moments had never even happened.

I stood there, still pressed against the wall, my heart racing and my thoughts a mess as Steve walked out of the room, leaving me with more questions than answers.

What the hell had just happened?