CHAPTER THREE

LARA

HE REFUSED.

Why? Does he hate me, or am I just overthinking this? My smile didn’t seem to bother him, but the way he cut me off so abruptly… It’s like he wanted nothing to do with me. I shake my head slightly, trying to push the thoughts aside, but they linger, stubborn and persistent.

“Lara, here’s your timetable,” Madam Kingsley’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts, snapping me back to the present. She hands me the paper with a bright smile. “Now off you go. I need to have a quick word with Hades—new student and all.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” I say, taking the paper. Then, remembering something, I add, “Can I also—”

“No, Lara, you cannot have Gianna’s timetable,” she interrupts firmly, a knowing look on her face. “As I’ve told you for the past many years, she’ll have to come to my office and pick it up like everyone else now off you go” she says curtly

I roll my eyes dramatically but smile despite myself. “Fine. Thank you, Madam Kingsley.”

As I turn toward the door, I glance back one last time at Hades. His eyes are already on me, dark and intense, and it sends a jolt through me. I quickly look away, my cheeks burning, and hurry out of the office, my mind buzzing with questions I can’t answer.

Lost in thought, I’m not paying attention as I round the corner and—

BAM! I crash into someone, almost losing my balance.

“Watch it!” I start to say, but then I look up and all my irritation melts away. My face lights up, and I practically throw myself into the arms of my best friend.

“GIANNA!” I scream, hugging her tightly. “Oh my gosh, I missed you!”

Gianna laughs, her familiar, warm laugh wrapping around me like a blanket. She hugs me back just as tightly. “Babe, we talked this morning. And I saw you yesterday!”

“I know,” I say, my voice muffled against her shoulder, “but I still missed you, Gigi.”

She pulls back slightly, smiling as she looks at me. “And I missed you, Lala.”

Her words are soft, but the affection in her tone makes my chest feel lighter. No matter what chaos the day throws at me, Gianna always manages to center me.

We link arms and head toward our lockers, laughing about something silly as we go. For now, at least, everything feels right in the world

“Oh shoot, did you pick up my schedule?” Gianna asks, her face lighting up with sudden realization.

I sigh dramatically, shaking my head. “Nope. Madam Kingsley, as usual, refused to give it to me.”

Gianna groans, throwing her hands up. “I swear, that woman has some kind of issue with me. Every time I step into her office, she gives me a lecture like I’ve committed some horrible crime.” Her tone is dripping with frustration, but the exaggeration in her expression makes me laugh.

“Yet, Gigi,” I tease, raising an eyebrow. “Like you haven’t done anything yet.”

Gianna gasps, clutching her chest like she’s offended. “Lala, how dare you! I’m an angel!”

“An angel of chaos, maybe,” I shoot back, grinning.

We both burst into laughter, the kind that makes your sides ache, as we head back toward Madam Kingsley’s office. The sound of our giggles bounces off the hallway walls, drawing a few curious glances from passing students.

“Seriously though,” Gianna says once we’ve calmed down, “what’s her deal? It’s like she’s got this radar for singling me out. I just want my damn schedule, not a life lesson!”

I shrug, smirking. “Maybe she secretly admires you and doesn’t know how to show it.”

Gianna snorts, rolling her eyes. “Right. Or maybe she just gets a kick out of torturing me.”

We reach the office door, still chuckling, and I knock lightly before pushing it open. “Round two,” I whisper dramatically, earning another laugh from Gianna as we step inside.

“Come in,” Madam Kingsley calls out, her voice firm but tinged with its usual authority.

Gianna and I push the door open, stepping inside together. The moment Madam Kingsley sees us, she sighs loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose like she’s preparing for a battle.

“Gianna. Alone. Lara, you can wait outside,” she says, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Gianna flashes me a mischievous grin, clearly unfazed. “Good luck, babe,” I whisper to her with a smirk as I step back and close the door behind me.

With nothing else to do, I plop down onto one of the waiting chairs outside Madam Kingsley’s office. The hallway is quiet, the faint hum of distant voices filtering through the air. As I settle in, my mind inevitably drifts back to Hades.

I like him.

The thought comes so easily, so confidently, that it almost startles me. I don’t even hesitate to admit it to myself. There’s something about him that’s different—something raw, mysterious, and utterly captivating. He’s the first guy I’ve looked at and actually seen myself with, which is both thrilling and terrifying.

But he’s carrying ghosts. I could see it in his eyes, the way his jaw tensed when he spoke, the sharp edges of his demeanor. What’s his story? Where did he come from? Who are his parents? And, most of all, what did he think of me?

The last question makes my stomach flip in a way that’s both exciting and unsettling. Did I come across as overly friendly? Annoying, even? I replay our brief interaction in my head, dissecting every glance, every word, every expression.

His eyes had been so intense when they locked on mine, like he was searching for something—or maybe trying to hide it. And that voice… deep and rough, but shy in a way that tugged at something inside me.

I sigh, leaning back against the wall, my thoughts swirling. There’s something about Hades Giovanni, something I can’t quite put my finger on. And for the first time in a long time, I feel a pull toward someone that I can’t explain.