Attempts to Distance

Elies had made up her mind. After the countless rumors, the constant whispers, and the relentless attention, it was time to distance herself from Damien once and for all. She couldn’t handle the way he was playing with her emotions, the way he seemed to enjoy watching her squirm under the spotlight. He was a master at controlling the narrative, and it was driving her crazy. 

That morning, she took extra care in choosing her outfit, deliberately picking something that would help her blend in, rather than stand out. No flashy colors, no attention-grabbing accessories—just simple, understated. She hoped that would help her avoid any unnecessary attention. But, as usual, things didn’t go as planned.

As she walked into her first class, there he was—Damien—leaning casually against the doorframe with that signature smirk playing on his lips. He was talking to a group of students, laughing, but as soon as he spotted her, his eyes locked onto hers. 

“Elies,” he called out in his usual mocking tone, making sure everyone around them noticed.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she ignored him. She knew what he was doing, and she wasn’t going to fall for it. She forced herself to walk past him without acknowledging him, trying to maintain her composure.

“Come on, Elies,” he teased, stepping into her path. “You can’t seriously ignore me.”

She looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. “I’m trying, Damien. Can’t you take a hint?”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. “Oh, I can take hints. But you, Elies, you can’t seem to stay away.”

She exhaled sharply, taking a step back. “I’m done with your games.”

Damien watched her, his smirk never fading. “We’ll see about that.”

Elies ignored him, forcing herself to take a seat at the back of the room. She wasn’t going to let him ruin her day. She couldn’t. She was going to focus on getting through class, on making sure she stayed as far away from him as possible. 

---

The day dragged on, and despite her best efforts to avoid him, Damien seemed to appear everywhere. In every hallway, during every class transition, there he was. He would appear out of nowhere, just when she thought she was safe. And each time, he would say something to catch her attention, whether it was a playful remark or a taunting comment, always with that smirk of his.

By lunch, Elies was at her breaking point. She felt like she couldn’t catch a single breath without him interrupting her space. As she walked into the cafeteria with Jenna, she tried to make a beeline for a table at the back, hoping to eat in peace. But of course, that didn’t work.

“There you are,” Damien’s voice rang out from behind her.

Elies turned to face him, her patience worn thin. “Damien, seriously. Can’t you just leave me alone?”

He smiled, unfazed by her frustration. “I’m just trying to keep things interesting.”

“By ruining my lunch?” she snapped, glancing at Jenna, who was already rolling her eyes in annoyance.

“You’re not alone, Elies,” Damien said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “I’m just here to make sure you don’t get bored.”

“I don’t need you to entertain me,” she said firmly, her face flushing with irritation.

Jenna laughed lightly. “Yeah, because we all know you’d rather be bored than deal with this walking disaster.”

Damien looked between them, his smirk widening. “Ouch. Are you ganging up on me?”

“Damien, we’re not ganging up on you,” Jenna said, putting a hand on Elies’ shoulder. “But seriously, can you let her breathe?”

“Let her breathe?” Damien echoed, raising an eyebrow. “I’m just trying to make sure she doesn’t suffocate from all the boredom.”

Elies could feel the heat of his gaze on her, and for a moment, she almost forgot why she was trying to keep her distance. Almost. She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself steady. “Please, Damien. Just go. I need some space.”

He seemed to take the hint this time, his expression unreadable. “Fine. But remember, you’re the one who asked for it.”

As he walked away, Elies let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Jenna, who was still watching Damien with an amused expression.

“Do you think he’ll ever take the hint?” Elies asked, frustrated.

Jenna shook her head. “Not in a million years.”

---

The next day, things took an unexpected turn. Elies was sitting in Ms. Rivera’s class, her least favorite subject. She could hear Damien’s laughter echoing down the hallway outside the classroom door, but she forced herself to ignore it. Ms. Rivera was a strict teacher, known for keeping the class in line, and Elies was hoping to stay under her radar.

But of course, Damien walked in just as the bell rang. Ms. Rivera shot him a sharp look, clearly displeased. “Mr. Stone,” she said, her voice cutting through the chatter. “You’re late. Again.”

“Sorry, Ms. Rivera,” Damien said smoothly, taking his usual seat in the front of the room. “Got caught up.”

She didn’t respond, but Elies could see the flicker of annoyance in her eyes as she continued her lesson. Despite Ms. Rivera’s tough exterior, Elies knew she had a soft spot for the students who genuinely tried. And while Damien wasn’t one to fit that description, he was always good at getting under people’s skin in a way that made them second-guess themselves.

As the lesson went on, Elies found herself stealing glances at Damien. His head rested lazily on his hand as he looked out the window, but there was something about him today that felt… different. His usual cocky grin was replaced with a more contemplative expression, as if something was on his mind.

At one point, Ms. Rivera’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Elies,” she called, her tone sharp but not unkind. “Could you please answer the question?”

Elies blinked, snapping back to attention. She hadn’t even realized Ms. Rivera had called on her. “Uh, sorry, Ms. Rivera,” she said, stammering. “The answer is… um, the Battle of Hastings?”

Ms. Rivera didn’t look pleased. “Correct, but I suggest you pay closer attention next time, Elies.”

Elies nodded quickly, her face flushed with embarrassment. She could feel Damien’s eyes on her, and it made her nervous. But this time, he didn’t make a comment. Instead, he just observed her, his expression unreadable.

After class, as students filtered out of the room, Elies gathered her things and tried to make a quick exit. But just as she reached the door, Ms. Rivera’s voice stopped her.

“Elies, could you stay for a moment?” she asked, her tone softer now.

Elies turned back, surprised. “Of course, Ms. Rivera.”

As the rest of the students left, Ms. Rivera leaned back in her chair, studying her. “I noticed you were distracted today,” she said, her gaze gentle. “Is something bothering you?”

Elies hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure she wanted to share her frustrations about Damien with a teacher, especially one who had a reputation for being strict. But there was something about Ms. Rivera’s calm demeanor that made her feel like maybe she could confide in her.

“It’s… it’s Damien,” Elies admitted, her voice quiet. “He won’t leave me alone. I keep trying to distance myself, but he’s everywhere.”

Ms. Rivera’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Ah. Mr. Stone. A bit of a handful, isn’t he?”

Elies nodded, frustrated. “He’s impossible. He thinks everything is a joke.”

Ms. Rivera leaned forward, folding her hands on the desk. “Elies, you’re not the first to have trouble with Damien. But I can tell you this—he doesn’t act the way he does because he’s invincible. He does it because he’s afraid. And if you want to get him to stop, you need to be stronger than he is.”

Elies raised an eyebrow. “Stronger? You mean, I should be like him?”

Ms. Rivera shook her head. “No. But you need to stop letting him affect you. The more he sees he can rattle you, the more he’ll push. But if you stand your ground, if you don’t let him see that he’s getting under your skin, he’ll back off.”

Elies thought about her words for a moment. It made sense, in a way. Maybe the more she reacted, the more she fed into his game.

“Thanks, Ms. Rivera,” Elies said, feeling a little more hopeful.

As she left the classroom, she spotted Jake, Damien’s best friend, standing by the door, as if waiting for her. He gave her a nod of acknowledgment, his usual smirk in place.

“Hey, Elies,” he said casually. “Damien’s not bothering you too much, is he?”

She rolled her eyes. “You know him better than I do. Is that even possible?”

Jake chuckled. “Fair point. But trust me, he’s just messing with you. He does it with everyone.”

“I figured,” Elies said, her voice dry. “But I’m done playing his game.”

Jake studied her for a moment, his expression shifting to something more thoughtful....