Frances woke up the next morning, sunlight slipping past the curtains and warming her skin. She rolled over, groaning dramatically as she threw an arm across her eyes.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so tired!" she lamented, her voice raspy with sleep.
A voice echoed from beyond the door, cheerful and annoyingly chipper. "Frances, wake up! We'll be late for school!"
She sat up abruptly, her eyes squinting open. "How did I end up in your bedroom, Evie?!" she cried out, her voice rising in disbelief as she scanned the pastel-toned room filled with Evie's plushies and posters.
"Lawrence insisted that you sleep here," came the muffled reply.
"Lawrence?" Frances repeated, memories from the night before crashing into her brain. Her eyes snapped open fully, and she sat up like a rocket.
"I'm gonna kill Lawrence when I see him first! He ruined my lovely night! Then he made me sleep in your house!" she shouted, bouncing irritably on the bed. "I hate sleeping here, you wake up too early!" She kept jumping around like a stubborn child refusing reality while Evie stood by the door with a sigh.
"Lawrence is just looking out for you," Evie said with a shrug.
Frances paused, scowled, then shouted, "I should thank him for being the elder brother that I never had? That idiot! I'm gonna kill him." She jumped down from the bed and yanked off her clothes with exaggerated annoyance. "And you as well, for waking me up this early!" She added
She stomped into the bathroom. Moments later, Evie opened the wardrobe and retrieved Frances' spare school uniform, neatly folded, and placed it gently on the bed before quietly stepping out.
Rain rushed down the stairs like a boy on a mission, his steps light, hope written all over his face. He ran a hand through his hair, checking himself in the hallway mirror as a rare smile danced across his lips.
"Rain, come and eat breakfast!" Taylor called from the dining table, a cup of coffee in hand.
Rain turned mid-stride, his tone clipped but not unkind. "I don't eat at home."
Taylor frowned. "Why?"
"No one prepares my breakfast," Rain said flatly. "The chef Dad hired will send food to school." He was already out the door before Taylor could respond.
Taylor sighed heavily, scanning the breakfast table where silence reigned. Everyone avoided his gaze. The clinking of spoons and quiet munching felt louder in the awkward tension.
At school, Rain entered the classroom alone, the place nearly empty save for the sound of his shoes echoing on the tiled floor. He took his usual seat by the window, sliding into it like a ghost. He always arrived before anyone else. The stillness calmed him but today, it only made him more aware of his heartbeat thudding with anticipation.
The memories from the night before came flooding back, and with them, a whirlwind of emotions he couldn't name. He held his bag tighter.
Soon, Evie and the rest of their friends trickled in. Frances wasn't with her.
The lesson began, and the classroom filled with groans and dull murmurs. Most students looked like they had barely survived last night's party. Eyes puffy, some dozing off mid-sentence. Heads slumped against desks, bodies dragged with hangovers. But Rain didn't share in the communal fatigue, his attention was fixed on one thing only: Frances. And she still hadn't arrived.
His eyes darted to the door every few minutes. His heart felt like it had a timer strapped to it, ticking down. Was she avoiding him? Was she embarrassed?
The class ended and the teacher left. Rain was packing up quietly when…
"I thought you went back home, Frances!" Evie exclaimed.
Rain's head snapped up. His eyes lit up instantly as he followed the direction of Evie's voice.
There she was. Frances.
She walked into the classroom casually but she didn't look in his direction. Not even once.
Rain's heart sank. His smile dropped, and he lowered his head, fingers trembling slightly as he picked up his laptop to distract himself. What was I even expecting? That she'd run and fall into my arms like a drama?
His chest ached as the realization sinks in, He bit down on his lower lip.
It was the drink. There's no way Frances would ever like me.
Still, even that little hope he had nurtured just the memory of her lips brushing against his hurt more now than he could admit. His chest tightened as if something invisible was squeezing the breath out of him. He placed a hand over his heart and blinked rapidly.
Then…
"Is my pretty boy having a hangover?"
Rain froze. His head jerked up, eyes wide. Frances was right there, sitting in front of him, her voice laced with that signature mischief but soft, almost tender.
Tears brimmed in his eyes, breaking past the dam he had been holding all morning. They slid quietly behind the safety of his mask and glasses.
"Rain? What's wrong? Are you crying?" she asked, brows knitting as she leaned closer. Her hand touched his face gently, grounding him.
"I'm not! I'm fine," he whispered, turning away a little too fast.
"Did someone bully you? Tell me right now."
"Nobody did! I thought you wouldn't come. I thought you don't want me anymore," he admitted, his voice breaking slightly.
"What! Why would…" She paused, then dramatically flipped her hair and smirked. "You thought I wouldn't take responsibility for you after kissing you? I'm not like that. Even though it was just a peck, I don't take advantage of others." She placed a hand over her heart with theatrical pride.
Rain stared at her, dazed and flushed.
She jumped down from his desk and skipped to hers. She dug into her bag, retrieved something, and hid it behind her back as she turned.
"Why is Frances with Rain these days? What is going on?!" Evie said loudly on purpose, drawing the whole class's attention.
Whispers broke out instantly.
But Frances didn't care.
She turned, still hiding the gift behind her, and marched confidently to Rain. She stood in front of him, grinning from ear to ear, then revealed a bouquet of white roses and a game console.
"Ooonhhh!" some of the students chorused, eyes bulging in shock.
"Is Frances trying to propose or something?" someone muttered.
"For you!" Frances said softly.
Rain stood up, stunned. He accepted the bouquet and game pack with trembling hands. His ears turned red from all the stares, but his eyes… his eyes never left her.
She turned to the class with a flourish. "Guys! You see, I happened to take fancy to Rain suddenly. My heart can't contain it. My heart keeps fluttering and fluttering!" She said dramatically
"Awwww!" the class reacted like an audience to a live romantic drama.
Rain blushed so deeply his cheeks looked like they were on fire.
"So now I finally made the decision!...." Frances paused. The class leaned in. Even Rain's breathing hitched. She turned to him again, eyes wide, her voice shaking even though her tone stayed bold. She has never been scared of anything in her whole life she doesn't believe that she's nervous in front of Rain. Not this much. "I'm gonna chase you, Rain."
Gasps.
The silence was heavy, every heartbeat in that room seemed to stop. The way they stared at each other, it was as if the rest of the world blurred into static. A silent current surged between them.
"Somebody drop some bombshells on the school site, please! I can't see this alone!" Evie shouted, snapping everyone back into frenzy.
Phones clicked. Videos rolled.
"The school site is gonna blow up today!"
"This combo? I Never saw it coming!" Abby whispered.
"I can't believe I'd live to see Rain and Frances together."
"Do you think Frances will beat Rain up one day? She's so chaotic and he's so calm."
"She won't beat him. She looks like she's head over heels!"
The noise got too much. Frances slammed the gifts onto Rain's desk and grabbed his hand. Without a word, she yanked him from the classroom, ignoring the collective gasps and camera flashes. They ran together, hand in hand, hearts pounding, laughter trailing behind them.
Frances pushed open the equipment room door behind the school and dragged him in. She shut it tight and leaned against it, catching her breath.
"Rain," she whispered, stepping toward him slowly, "you never said a word since. Are you angry that I suddenly want to chase you?"
"No! I'm… I'm not," he stammered, overwhelmed.
"Then why don't you respond?"
"I just don't know what to say. I was overwhelmed…"
Frances saw the way his fingers trembled. Her gaze softened.
She reached for his hand and held it, gently brushing her cheek against it. Her eyes locked on his.
"You don't have to say anything, Rain." Her voice dropped to a whisper as her thumb caressed the back of his hand. "I would like you to give me a chance to chase you. Would you?"
"I will… of course I will. I want you to," he said, nodding, breathless.
Frances smiled, then cradled his face between her palms. She kissed his forehead, then his cheek, savoring his warmth. Her gaze roamed his features in awe. How could someone look even more heavenly than yesterday?
Without thinking, she pressed her lips against his—softly, tenderly. Her arms slid around his neck.
Rain melted, his heart soaring. He held her by the waist, his eyes fluttering closed as he returned the kiss, gently but hungrily. His breath hitched, and he kissed her back like he'd waited all his life for that moment.
They pulled apart only when air became a necessity.
But their eyes? Their eyes never parted, burning with longing, blazing with unspoken love, holding each other like the world was only theirs.
Rain's eyes were glazed, his chest rising and falling as if trying to catch up with what just happened. His breath trembled as he slowly pulled back just enough to see Frances' face clearly. Her cheeks were flushed, lips slightly parted, eyes glittering like they held the sun.
The small, dimly lit equipment room around them felt like an entirely different world far from the noisy classroom, the whispers, the curious eyes. There was only the warmth between them now, raw and undeniable.
Frances was the first to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I didn't plan to do that, but…" She glanced down at his shirt, then back into his eyes, her fingers nervously tracing his collarbone. "…Do you like it?"
Rain blinked slowly, his heart hammering like it might break through his chest. He couldn't even smile properly. He was too full of her scent, of the sensation of her lips, of the surprise that she of all people would ever want him.
"I like it," he finally said, voice hoarse.
Frances grinned at him, bold again in an instant.
"Of course you do. You're lucky I like soft boys."
Rain chuckled, the sound light and breathy, filled with relief.
"Does that mean you're not going to bully me?"
Frances tilted her head and smirked, brushing her fingers over the spot she'd just kissed.
"Oh no, I'm still gonna bully you. But gently. Lovingly. In a way that you would like.!!
Rain looked at her in disbelief, but laughter burst from his lips again. "You' seem to enjoy teasing me."
"I seem to love it… And you're stuck with me now," Frances teased, stepping back slightly. Her fingers trailed down his arms until she held his hands in hers. "Rain Piper. You belong to me now."
His breath caught.
Frances narrowed her eyes playfully. "Unless… you don't want to be caught?"
"I already am," he said before he could think. "You caught me since the first day Frances."
Frances blinked at him, a rare softness washing over her bold features. She gripped his hands tighter, and for a second, her voice trembled with something she wasn't used to tenderness.
"Don't say it like that, pretty boy. I might fall harder than I already have."
They stood there for a beat, the air thick with emotions neither of them had the words for yet. Then, far in the distance, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day.
Frances sighed.
"We should go before someone decides to start a rumor that I've kidnapped you."
Rain raised a brow, lips twitching into a smirk. "Haven't you?"
"I might," Frances winked, then turned and pushed the door open, the afternoon sun spilling across her figure.
Rain followed her out, heart full and knees barely steady. Their fingers brushed as they walked side by side down the path behind the school both changed in a way neither could quite explain.
Back in the building, students buzzed around, spreading stories at the speed of light.
But for Rain and Frances…
The chase had only just begun.