Aiden waited as the classroom emptied, the last echoes of chairs scraping against the tile fading away.
He caught Miss Hoff's attention and gestured subtly, lowering his voice.
"Mademoiselle Hoff, could I speak with you… for a moment?" he said, his tone low and careful, as though this conversation were meant only for her ears. (They are speaking in French.)
Her eyes followed him, curious, and she nodded, standing.
"Of course, Aiden. Let's step over here," she replied, motioning him toward the corner of the room, away from the front rows and the empty desk.
Once out of earshot, Aiden let his frustration slip out, but quietly, controlled. "I work hard in every class," he said, his jaw tight.
"I don't like people who coast, who take the easy way. And… I don't know about this pairing. I'm worried she'll want to take shortcuts, or rely on me to carry the work."
Miss Hoff raised an eyebrow, her expression calm but not without a hint of amusement.
"Aiden, I understand your concern. Truly. But I know Rosalie Hale. She is nothing like that. In fact" She paused, letting her words land.
"She thrives on challenges. She excels precisely because she does not take the easy way. She will push you as much as you push her."
Aiden folded his arms, skeptical. "That's… reassuring. But I've seen too many students who just want to coast. I don't want to waste my time or have to carry the load for someone else."
Miss Hoff leaned against the edge of her desk, meeting his gaze evenly. "And you won't have to. She is incredibly dedicated. She studies, prepares, and expects the same from her partner.
You will not be doing her work for her. In fact," she added, with a slight smile, "she might challenge you in ways you weren't expecting."
Aiden's mind raced. He could picture it, the golden-amber eyes, that icy, ethereal poise she carried. But something about Miss Hoff's confidence made him pause.
He had trusted little and no one recently, and yet… he found himself willing to believe her judgment.
"Alright," he said finally, taking a deep breath. "I'll try. But I'm warning you, I don't do well when someone wants to slack off. I won't lower my standards."
Miss Hoff's smile softened, approving but firm. "That's exactly why I paired you two. You both deserve to be challenged. You'll learn more from working together than you would alone. Trust me, Aiden, you will not regret it."
He nodded, tension easing slightly from his shoulders, but still wary. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, glancing at her before heading toward the door.
As he walked down the hall, the echo of his footsteps mingled with the faint sounds of other students filtering into the cafeteria. He couldn't shake the image of Rosalie, poised and unreadable, her presence almost otherworldly.
And yet, something about the thought of a real challenge stirred a rare flicker of anticipation in him, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Aiden stepped out of the classroom, the door swinging shut behind him. He froze for a moment when he saw her, Rosalie, standing just outside, framed by the hallway's muted fluorescent light.
She had that ethereal poise about her, golden-amber hair cascading over her shoulders, and her pale skin almost glowing against the dull gray of the walls.
Her eyes, sharp and assessing, met his instantly. "Why don't you want to work with me?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with an unmistakable command.
Aiden blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't expected her to ask directly, let alone now. "I… I work better alone," he said carefully.
"Most people… they slack, or don't take things seriously. I end up doing everything myself. I just figured it would be easier to" He paused, realizing how defensive he sounded, " to handle it alone."
Her lips curved in a faint, knowing smile, just the slightest hint of warmth breaking the coldness. "I don't like slackers," she said firmly. "If you don't put in effort, I'll drop you faster than you can say Bonjour."
Aiden's eyes narrowed, and a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Fair enough," he said, tone steady. "I'm not here to coast. I'll put in the work."
"Good," she said, stepping slightly closer, lowering her voice. "So, when do you want to get started?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Tomorrow afternoon, after school. Does that work for you?"
"Perfect," she said, tilting her head just enough for the sunlight, or maybe it was just the fluorescent light reflecting off her hair, to catch her eyes. Then, almost teasingly, she added, "And let's make it interesting. Next French test, we'll see who does better. Winner… gets something."
Aiden raised an eyebrow, a spark of curiosity lighting him up. "Something? What kind of something?"
Rosalie gave him a sly, playful grin, just enough to break her icy mask for a second, and it made his stomach twist in a way he didn't entirely expect.
"You'll find out," she said, turning on her heel and walking away, heels clicking softly on the floor.
Aiden watched her go, the faint echo of her steps lingering in the hall. "She's… intimidating. But I like that,"
he thought, a small grin tugging at his own lips. "And I'll find out what her 'something' is. Maybe push her just a little."
Aiden lingered in the hallway, letting Rosalie's heels click fade into the distance. The echoes of her challenge bounced around his skull, relentless.
"Who does better on the test… what a stupid wager, the dark entity whispered, snaking into his thoughts. You know she's going to outperform you. She always outperforms everyone. Why even bother?"
Aiden's jaw tightened.
"Shut up" he said, mentally, voice low but edged with lethal calm. "Leave me alone. I make my own decisions."
"Decisions?" The entity mocked softly, curling around the edges of his mind.
"You're scared, that's what this is. She's sharp, she's… radiant. You'll stumble just trying to keep up. You'll let her see you sweat."
Aiden's chest tightened, a low hum of irritation rising. He could feel the pulse of anger, a heat that made his fingertips tingle. I don't stumble, he shoots back silently, and I don't let anyone see me falter. Least of all her.
The dark entity recoiled slightly, as if surprised by the blunt edge in his tone.
"Hmm… I like her. She's… tempting. Let her be your undoing. Spend your time, reveal your weaknesses, whisper your secrets. You'll thank me later."
Aiden shook his head subtly, taking a slow breath. I don't thank anyone for weakness. Not you, not her, not anyone.
Still, the entity's voice lingered, soft as a caress, teasing him with possibilities. "Imagine it… her trust, her attention. You'll open up, let her in. And when she sees all the cracks… she'll—"
"Shut the fuck up," Aiden snapped, louder this time, the mental strike sharp enough to push the whispers back.
He could feel the entity's patience stretching thin. "I decide. My pace. My terms."
He exhaled, shaking off the tension, letting the thought of the library, of sitting across from Rosalie, settle into a slow, deliberate focus. Tomorrow, he thought, "I'll see what she's really made of."
And even as the dark entity hovered, scheming, promising, tempting, he felt a flicker of curiosity, not the weak, dangerous kind the shadow preferred, but the clean, analytical spark of someone eager to measure skill against skill.
"Let her try to challenge me, he thought. Let's see how far she'll go."
Rosalie's words replayed in his head, vivid: "If you don't put effort in, I'll drop you like a stone."
Aiden allowed himself a ghost of a smile. There was something magnetic in her warning, something that sparked the blood in his veins.
Not fear, not desire, not vanity, something sharper. Respect, he admitted silently. "I respect that very much"
He shook his head, brushing away the swirl of thoughts, and headed toward the lunchroom. The chatter of students, the clatter of trays, and the aroma of fried food hit him all at once.
Yet, even amidst the noise, his mind couldn't shake the image of Rosalie's amber eyes, the promise of a challenge, and the faint warmth of her playful smirk.
He took a deep breath, slipping into the rhythm of the hallway as he joined the stream of students moving toward the cafeteria.
Lunch awaited, but so did the silent, lingering anticipation of their upcoming partnership, one he already knew would test him more than any solo assignment ever could.