STRANGER| DE LA CRUZ

FOUR

"Mrs. Antilly called out from the classroom entrance, accompanied by a blonde girl who had an otherworldly aura. With her arms crossed at her ribcage, a silver band gleamed on her arm.

"I wasn't doing anything wrong, Mrs. Antilly," the girl protested, her voice dripping with honey.

"Sorry, Ms. Montenegro. Rules are rules. I can't make exceptions, even for you," the teacher replied, lowering her head in resignation.

Cara huffed and took her seat, her gaze fixed on the clock. The silver snake band coiled around her arm as she glanced over at the brunette beside her.

"You're the girl who almost started a fight in my living room," the brunette whispered, fighting back a smile.

The girl turned and let out a soft giggle, her enchanting golden eyes captivating the brunette. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Cara asked, understanding the situation.

"I'm... or was the new girl. Kat's friend... I'm Hannah. Hannah Baker," she replied with a smile, instantly taken with Cara.

Cara extended her hand. "Oh hey, wait... You're the new girl?!" she exclaimed, her accent flowing like honey from her lips.

"Nice deduction," Hannah smiled, shaking her hand.

"I wasn't in the right state of mind when I last saw you," Cara leaned in and whispered, sensing something off about the girl, but still curious and intrigued.

"You don't seem like the type to end up in detention. What did you do?" Cara inquired.

"You don't seem like it either. I accidentally bumped into one of the teachers, and he fell to the floor," Hannah confessed, trying to contain her amusement and embarrassment.

"Nice deduction..." Cara repeated playfully, making Hannah's eyes sparkle with delight. "I feel like we're going to have so much fun together," she added, her voice carrying a melodic jingle.

Time seemed to slip away as they chatted, but the bell rang overhead, signaling the end of detention. A smooth, husky voice interrupted them from the doorway.

"Damn, Cariño, you got into trouble without me," the dark-skinned boy chuckled, leaning against the door with his arms crossed. His presence sent a shiver down Cara's spine, leaving her on edge.

"Montgomery, watch your language!" Mr. Gaines scolded disapprovingly, though the boy appeared unfazed.

"Who the hell is he?" Hannah wondered, even more intrigued.

He turned his gaze towards her, his intense eyes lingering for a moment before dismissing her without a second thought, favoring the girl beside him. It left Hannah reeling, an unwanted pang of jealousy swelling in her stomach.

Cara raised an eyebrow, observing the scene with a smile playing on her lips. She could sense the unspoken tension between Hannah and the boy.

"Alex!" Hannah blurted out, turning to look at Cara, her brows furrowing in confusion. The spell was broken, and Hannah realized her own jealousy towards the captivating blonde beauty that had caught his attention, leaving her with a mix of hope and disappointment.

"See you around, new girl," Cara murmured, rising from her seat. The departure shattered the spell and Hannah blinked, feeling deflated. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her chest heaving with rapid breaths.

Their laughter echoed loudly in the hallway, carefree and melodic. Hannah desperately wished to be a part of it, longing to join their joyous camaraderie.

"See you around," Hannah said, swallowing hard, her chest filled with a mix of longing and admiration as she watched them go.

Desperately, Hannah yearned to be part of their world.

A/N: Sorry for the shortness of the chapter. Enjoy!

P.S The chapters will alternate between the past and the present. So there is no confusion.