June’s POV
"Nothing hurts like loving soone who doesn’t even know they’re the center of your entire galaxy."
After that annoying little quiz..which Marcus spent half the ti spent chewing the hell out of his pen cap like a starving beaver instead of actually writing answers. And ash practically sleeping through. I shot out of my seat the second the bell rang.
Marcus squinted at , looking suspicious. "Where are you going?"
I slung my backpack over one shoulder and leveled him with a glare. "Away from you and your disgusting pen-gnawing habits before I catch rabies."
Ash snorted beside , covering his mouth while laughing.
Marcus scowled. "You’re so dramatic."
"And you’re so gross," I shot back, already heading for the door. "Seriously, the way you chew those things, it’s a miracle you still have teeth."
Marcus waved off. "Whatever. Go fangirl over your albino boyfriend."
I gasped. "He’s not my boyfriend!"
Ash practically doubled over, wheezing with laughter.
I shot him a glare, spun on my heel, and marched out of the classroom, my ponytail swishing behind .
But the second I stepped into the hall, I sighed deeply.
Because let’s be honest:
How would you feel if the sa guy you’d had a raging crush on all freshman year...an embarrassing, heart-thudding, can’t-breathe-when-he-walks-past kind of crush, just showed up out of nowhere after two whole months of telling yourself you were over it?
Spoiler alert: I wasn’t over him.
Not even a little.
Ren Whiteout.
Even his na sounded like sothing expensive and hard to get.
And he’d walked into school today looking like so ethereal snow prince, all pale hair and silver eyes and quiet mystery. anwhile, I was sweating through my blouse, and arguing with Marcus about his pen hygiene.
I pressed a hand to my chest and blew out a slow breath.
Get it together, June.
I wasn’t going to throw myself at him. I wasn’t that pathetic.
...Probably.
I spotted Ash and Marcus pushing through the door behind , still laughing.
Marcus jabbed a thumb at . "She’s going to stalk Ren."
"Shut your mouth before I break your kneecaps," I snapped, jabbing a finger at him.
Ash wiped tears from his eyes. "Please don’t kill him. He’s the only one who helps carry Alia’s backpack when she decides to bring half the library to school."
I sighed. "Fine. He lives. For now."
But even as we started down the hall, my eyes kept darting left and right.
Looking for a certain snow prince.
Because apparently, I’d learned nothing about letting go.
I finally made it to the music room...the place I’d spent half of freshman year lurking in like a total creep, just so I could watch Ren Whiteout play the piano.
It was basically my shrine...and Ren Whiteout was the deity who played piano like he was making the heavens weep.
And there he was.
Seated at the grand piano.
I stood by the window, hugging my books to my chest, watching Ren’s long fingers drift over the keys. Soft, lancholy notes filled the air.
God, he was so good at it. I found myself smiling like an idiot, even as I tried to hide it.
I was completely hypnotized.
"June," a voice called.
My entire soul left my body.
I squeaked, jerked backward...and smacked face-first into a poor kid who’d been carrying a huge science project.
CRASH.
The entire thing exploded all over the hallway. Paint, foam board, and glitter exploded everywhere like a low-budget Fourth of July.
"HOLY SHIT...I’m so sorry!" I gasped, dropping to my knees trying to scoop up pieces of his perfect, very obviously dood volcano model.
The guy gave a murderous glare. "Watch where you’re going next ti, psycho." He snatched the crumpled pieces out of my hands and stord off, still muttering curses.
I blew a piece of glitter out of my bangs and slowly turned around.
And there he was.
Ren Whiteout, standing in the doorway of the music room, leaning casually against the fra, smiling at like he’d been waiting there the whole ti.
"Still as clumsy as I rember," he said.
I straightened, crossing my arms over my chest, trying to play it cool while my face felt like it was on fire.
"Yeah, well," I sniffed, crossing my arms over my chest... "Maybe if you didn’t sneak up on people like so Victorian ghost, this wouldn’t happen."
Ren laughed, the sound made my stomach flutter in the worst way. "And perhaps if you watched where you walked, you wouldn’t devastate unsuspecting artists."
I rolled my eyes.
"How have you been?" I blurted before I could stop myself. "Not that I care or anything, obviously."
God. I was so stupid.
Ren tilted his head.
"Existing," he said softly, "in the way stars exist...distant, burning, a little alone."
See? This. This was why I could never get over him. He talked like he’d swallowed a poetry anthology.
He stepped closer, studying my face like he was trying to morize it.
"I’m surprised you still rember my na," I tried to joke. "I an, it’s not like we’ve spoken in months."
He blinked, then let out a soft laugh. "How could I forget?"
Then..God help ...he smirked.
"How could I forget... Jellybean?"
My soul died. Right there. On the spot.
I slapped my palm over my face. "Don’t. You. Dare."
Ren was grinning like a devil. "Who could forget the girl who threw up an entire bag of jellybeans on my shoes in the choir room freshman year?"
"I was sick!" I yelled.
He was laughing so hard he had to brace himself on the doorfra.
"Stop laughing!" I hissed, glancing around to see if anyone else had heard.
Ren wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "Sorry, Jellybean. Truly. I’ve missed your catastrophes."
I crossed my arms tighter. "Yeah? Well, I didn’t think about you at all."
Ren leaned closer, smirking. "Oh? You didn’t think about at all?"
My jaw dropped. "Of course not!"
He tilted his head. "Then how’d you know I’d been out for two months?" He chuckled softly. "Classic June."
Before I could co up with a snappy coback, he reached out and gently patted my head.
"See you around, Jellybean."
Then he turned and strolled back into the music room, leaving standing there red-faced, glitter in my hair, and my heart thudding like an idiot.
And that was the problem.
No matter how much I told myself I was over Ren Whiteout...
...I never actually was.
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