Rhaine POV
I swear, sometimes it feels like the whole universe has a personal vendetta against me.
I woke up this morning with that dream still clinging to me like cobwebs I couldn't shake off. Sam's face, Sam's voice, the way her eyes seemed to pierce through me in the dream—it wasn't even real, and yet it left my chest tight as if I'd actually lived it. I buried my face into my pillow and groaned. Why couldn't it have been some ordinary nonsense dream about falling off a cliff or being chased by a monster? No, of course it had to be her.
And not just her—that way.
I shook my head violently, sitting up. "Nope. Not thinking about it," I muttered to myself. "It was just a dream. Dreams don't mean anything."
Except this one did. I knew it did.
The more I tried to push it away, the more the fragments floated back to me in maddening detail, the way she smiled, the way her hand brushed mine. The dream felt too real, too warm, and it made me shiver. I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror while brushing my teeth without seeing her reflection standing behind me, teasing, laughing at my panic.
I splashed cold water on my face. "I am not like that," I whispered. My reflection stared back, unconvinced.
By the time I left the house, I'd already argued with myself a dozen times. Each step toward school felt like walking into enemy territory. Like fate was lying in wait, waiting for me to trip.
---
The universe started its attack the moment I stepped inside the hallway.
I wasn't even trying to look at her—I swear, I was minding my own business, head down, clutching my books like they were a shield. But then I heard laughter, light and familiar, and my eyes betrayed me.
Sam.
She was there, walking casually down the hall with a few of her classmates, hair catching the morning light in a way that made my stomach flip. Our eyes met for a split second. Just a second. But she smiled.
That smile.
It was so casual, so effortless, like she didn't even know she was flipping my entire world upside down. And then she just kept walking, like nothing happened, while I stood there frozen like an idiot.
"Why here? Why now?" I muttered under my breath, forcing my legs to move again. "Is there really no escape?"
---
When I got to class, Maya immediately noticed. Of course she did. She always noticed.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," she said, plopping down beside me. Then she leaned closer, squinting at my face. "Or worse… a crush."
I choked on air. "What?! No. No way."
Eli, sliding into his seat behind us, grinned like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment. "Oh-ho. Rhaine, you're blushing. Don't think I didn't see that."
"I am not blushing," I snapped, covering my cheeks with my hands just in case. "You guys are delusional."
Maya smirked knowingly. "Mm-hm. Sure."
I slumped in my seat, wishing I could sink through the floor. Why couldn't we just have a normal day without them poking into my life?
The teacher arrived not long after, arms full of papers. "Alright, class. Before we begin, you'll all need to form pairs for the next activity."
I groaned loudly, dropping my head onto the desk. "Why is there always pairing or grouping in this school? Can't we just work alone for once?"
Maya giggled. "What's wrong? Scared of getting paired with someone you like?"
"I don't like anyone!" I said, maybe a little too defensively. "I just hate group work, that's all."
Eli raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that."
---
Of course, because the universe loves to torture me, guess who I got paired with?
"Rhaine," the teacher said without even looking up from her list, "you'll be with Sam."
I swear I felt my soul leave my body.
Sam turned toward me with that same easy smile, like this was the most natural thing in the world. "Looks like we're partners again."
"Y-Yeah," I stammered, barely able to meet her eyes. "Lucky us."
Lucky. Sure. More like cursed.
Maya smirked from across the room, and Eli gave me a thumbs-up like some sort of evil cheerleader. I wanted to throw my book at both of them.
---
Lunch was even worse.
Maya, Eli, and I sat at our usual table, and wouldn't you know it—Sam's group sat down at the table right next to ours. Out of all the empty spots in the cafeteria, they had to pick that one.
I tried to focus on my food, but every time Sam laughed, I flinched. Every time she got up, my eyes darted to her before I could stop myself. It was like some invisible string kept pulling me toward her.
Eli noticed, of course. He always noticed. "You're distracted," he said, smirking.
"I am not distracted," I snapped, stabbing my rice with unnecessary violence.
Maya leaned her chin on her hand, watching me like she was watching her favorite drama unfold. "You know, if you keep glaring at your food like that, it's going to file a complaint."
I glared at her instead. "You guys are impossible."
And yet, deep down, I knew they were right.
---
The final straw came later in the afternoon.
Our teacher announced another group project, and I didn't even want to hear the rest. "Please," I whispered to myself, "anyone but her. Just this once."
But fate is cruel.
"Rhaine and Sam," the teacher said again, like she enjoyed watching me suffer.
I almost slammed my head on the desk. Maya snorted into her notebook, and Eli looked like he was about to burst from holding in laughter.
Sam, of course, just smiled at me. "Looks like we're stuck together a lot lately, huh?"
I forced a laugh. "Yeah. Funny how that works."
Funny? No. Torture. Absolute torture.
---
By the time I got home, I was drained. I threw my bag onto the floor and collapsed onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.
It wasn't just coincidence anymore. It couldn't be. Everywhere I turned, there she was—smiling, laughing, waiting. It felt like destiny itself was pushing us together, and I hated it.
Not because she wasn't… amazing. She was. That was the problem.
I hated it because every smile made my heart race, every accidental brush of her hand set me on fire, every dream reminded me of things I wasn't ready to face.
Because if I admitted it… if I even let myself think it…
Then I'd have to admit that I was—
"No," I said aloud, shaking my head. "I'm not. I'm not like that."
But the words rang hollow.
I curled up on my bed, clutching my pillow. The dream replayed in my head again, softer this time, almost tender. Her voice whispering my name. The warmth of her touch.
I wanted it to stop. I wanted it to never stop.
"Why won't you just leave me alone?" I whispered into the dark, though I wasn't sure if I was talking to Sam, or to fate, or to myself.
The silence offered no answer.
Only the pounding of my own heart, refusing to let me forget.