Miss. Valentine

~29~

Blakes POV

The cafeteria buzzed with energy as we walked in for dinner. Kids from all the different teams sat at long tables, chatting about the day's events, passing around stories, and laughing at everything and nothing. Amari and I joined the line for food, and I found myself scanning the room instinctively, catching sight of Aurora across the room, her attention wrapped up in conversation with a few other teachers.

Amari nudged me with a knowing grin. "There she is. You just can't help yourself, can you?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to shake off the small thrill that always came with seeing Aurora. "Can we just focus on food for, like, five minutes?"

"Sure, sure," she teased, piling food onto her tray with exaggerated focus. "I mean, you probably need the energy for all the extra credit you're hoping to earn later."

My face heated, and I elbowed her gently. "Keep it down, will you?"

"Fine, fine, I'll stop teasing." Amari snickered as we grabbed our trays and took a seat at a table near the edge of the room, conveniently close enough for me to catch glimpses of Aurora.

As we ate, Principal Green took the mic at the front, signaling for everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone! I hope you're enjoying yourselves so far. After dinner, we've got some fun activities lined up—team games in the field and some team bonding exercises."

The room was filled with groans and a few cheers. I glanced at Amari, who looked ready to sink into her seat and disappear.

"More team bonding?" she muttered. "I'm bonding just fine with my bed and my phone."

I smirked, taking a bite of my food. "It could be worse. We could be back in class."

She sighed, clearly unconvinced. "Still feels like too much team spirit."

When dinner ended, we were herded outside to a sprawling field where staff had set up ropes, cones, and other equipment for team games. As everyone gathered in their groups, I found myself on the same team as Aurora again. I shot her a sly grin as we lined up for the first relay.

"Fancy seeing you here," I whispered, trying to keep it light.

Aurora cast a quick look around, making sure no one was paying attention before she returned my smile. "Well, I am the chaperone, remember?"

"Right. Just making sure you weren't following me or anything."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she shook her head. "You wish."

The first game was a sort of relay race, where each team had to complete an obstacle course as fast as possible. When it was my turn, I sprinted through the course, ducking and weaving, leaping over hurdles and darting around cones, more focused on showing off than actually winning. When I crossed the finish line, Aurora's expression was a mix of exasperation and barely concealed laughter.

Amari clapped me on the back. "Nice. But we're still in last place."

"Hey, I did my part," I replied, catching my breath.

We continued through the games, my competitive spirit flaring up when I saw the other teams pulling ahead. Aurora's encouraging smile as she cheered for the group kept me pushing a little harder, but it was almost impossible to focus when she was so close. There was something intoxicating about the way she blended in with everyone else but kept these small glances just for me.

As the sun began to set, the final game was announced: a massive tug-of-war between two teams. We lined up, grabbing the thick, worn rope, and digging our heels into the ground. I took a spot near the front, right in front of Aurora, who steadied the rope behind me.