Soon after we arrived at school, it felt like I never walked alone. I guess it's fun having company to walk and talk with. Having Christopher beside me was weirdly nice, even if I wouldn't admit it out loud. The campus buzzed with laughter, bicycles rushing past, and the sound of bells chiming from the chapel tower. Oxford looked like a dream wrapped in sunlight.
As we started climbing the stone steps. Penelope came running toward us waving.
"Good morning, Felicity!" she greeted me cheerfully.
"Good morning, Penelope," I replied.
"Oh hi, Chris, you came! So I'm guessing you guys are now friends. Cool—maybe that'll finally shut them up," she said with a knowing smile.
"You two know each other?" I asked, confused. "And what are you talking about. What do you mean by 'shut them up'?"
"Well," Penelope said, glancing at Chris, "we go way back. But that's a story for another day. I'm guessing you haven't seen the video yet."
"What video?" I asked, frowning and looking back at Christopher.
He just shrugged with a sigh of ignorance. Before we could continue, a deep voice interrupted us from behind.
A familiar one. "Felicity Paddington?"
I turned around to see Noah James, leaning casually against a pillar, his trademark confident smirk firmly in place. He wore his blazer like a model — messy-perfect hair, that charming arrogance that made everyone stare.
"Oh, hey, Noah," I greeted awkwardly.
He grinned, then his eyes shifted to Christopher. The smile vanished.
"And who's this?" he asked.
"Christopher Blake," Chris replied evenly.
Noah crossed his arms, studying him. "Blake, huh? Haven't seen you at any of the socials. Are you a fresher?"
"Something like that," Chris said coolly.
The air grew thick. I could practically feel the testosterone sparking between them.
"Relax, boys — it's too early in the morning for a duel," I said quickly.
"I'll see you later. I've got to go," Noah replied.
"Okay — you're studying medicine, right?" I asked.
"Yes. Take care of yourself," Noah said with a polite smile, already turning to leave.
"Yeah, bye," I replied.
Christopher stayed silent beside me, but I could tell from his expression — he didn't like Noah. Not one bit. We went inside, and as soon as we entered the main hall, everyone started whispering and laughing. I thought maybe I had something on my face or Chris had spilled coffee on his shirt, but it turned out they were laughing at him. Then I saw it — the video.
Someone had uploaded the clip of me slapping Chris at the cafeteria. It was everywhere—playing on screens and spreading fast online with all sorts of captions. I saw him watching it too. It was so embarrassing that I couldn't take it anymore and turned it off. I never thought a guy like Chris would be bothered by something like that, but he clearly was.
My heart dropped.
'Oh my goodness,' I whispered.
The laughter got louder.
Christopher's jaw tightened.
"How dare you say such things about me!" he shouted at the crowd.
"Chris, calm do—" I tried to speak, but he snapped, voice shaking with anger.
"Don't touch me! Stay away from me. Just—go away!"
And before I could stop him, he ran off. The hall went silent. Then I turned to the crowd and yelled,
"You guys are a bunch of assholes! How dare you post that and laugh about it? You're all idiots—absolute morons!" I shouted.
No one said a word. Slowly, everyone went quiet and began to scatter, looking guilty or embarrassed. Then Penelope came up to me and gently grabbed my arm.
Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm going to talk to him," I said. "I think I know where he went—there's a spot he likes to go."
"Okay, but be careful with him," she said softly.
"I will," I nodded. then ran off.
I immediately stormed off, trying to catch up with Chris, when I bumped into another guy again, he was tall, messy dark hair, wearing a mischievous smile. I thought to myself, Why do I always bump into cute guys?
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," I said breathlessly.
"It's okay. Tough day, huh?" he asked.
I didn't respond, just looked at him, trying to breathe.
"I heard what you said. They are idiots. I'm sorry about those freaks. You shouldn't mind what they say. You were amazing," he added.
"Thanks," I said quietly. "And sorry again."
"No problem. And of course, you're welcome," he said calmly.
"By the way, I'm Alexander—Alex for short. And you are?" he asked with a big grin.
"I'm Felicity," I answered.
"Wow. Nice name for a beautiful girl," he said with a smirk. "Kind of the perfect combo."
"I—I'm sorry, but I have to go," I said quickly, brushing past him.
He chuckled behind me. "See you around, Felicity."
I didn't stop. I had only one goal—find Chris and talk to him. And I knew exactly where he'd be.
I ran up the stairs to the rooftop. When I opened the door, I saw him. He looked like he'd come there to find solace. But this time, he wasn't just standing by the railing—he was sitting on it. My heart froze as I saw him perched on the edge, staring out at the city skyline. I felt terrible. Everything was my fault. On top of it, he was clearly going through something deeper. I tried to sneak up on him to grab him just in case, but as I got closer, he shouted,
"Stop! Don't come any closer!"
I was startled. How did he know I was coming when I was so quiet? Maybe he heard the door.
Chris," I whispered.
"What did you think—that I'd jump and kill myself? I'm not that pathetic, you know. What are you doing here?" Chris asked, turning toward me as he jumped down to the roof.
"I just wanted to talk. I'm sorry about the video. I didn't know—" I began, but he cut me off.
"Enough!" he snapped, his hands trembling at his sides. " Just stop it. Do you think saying sorry can fix this? Do you think you can rewind time and erase it all? The damage is done. And when my father sees that video…" His voice broke, almost a whisper now, raw with panic. "He'll hate me even more."
I froze, my throat tight. Swallowing, I forced the words out, shaky but firm. " I'm really sorry. But why… why would he hate you over something like this?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes darted to the railing behind him, to the city lights below, and I felt the weight of his fear settle in my chest like ice.
"It's none of your business, okay?" he snapped.
"Okay, I'm sorry. But if there's anything I can do to fix this, I will," I said calmly.
"Oh, there is something. Now that I think about it—apologize. Kneel in front of the camera. In front of everyone and apologize. Can you do that?"
"What? You can't be serious!" I replied, shocked.
"You heard me. You said you'd do anything to help, right?" he asked.
"Yes, I would—but that's not an option. I promise I'll think of something. But right now, we should go. We're late for class," I pleaded.
"You go. I'm not in the mood," he replied.
"Please come with me. I won't go without you. If you don't come, you'll be letting them win. Fine, consider my classes done for the day. I'm staying whether you like it or not," I insisted.
"Felicity, go. You better go or your mom would be disappointed if you missed class. Just go!" he said, trying to make me guilty.
"No. You're trying to use my mom to make me go, huh? Nice try. I never even told you about her. How did you know?"
He shrugged. "Well, girls like you always have moms and dads they want to make proud, don't they?" Chris asked.
"Well, I'm not like other girls," I said firmly. "And yes, I do want to make her proud. Which is exactly why I'm not leaving without you."
"Enough. Just go, please. Don't make this harder than it already is," he said, defeated.
"I told you, I'm not going unless you come. Let's go. I'll talk to them later," I said once more.
He sighed. "You're impossible and so stubborn. You always get what you want, don't you?"
"No, I don't. You don't know me," I replied.
"Then tell me what you want," Chris said, stepping closer.
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed—it was a class reminder. "Look, we missed poetry, and Spoken English is next. Come on, let's go," I urged him, glancing at the screen. Thank goodness he didn't come any closer.
He hesitated, then finally said, "Okay, fine. You win. Come on, let's go."
We went downstairs and into the lecture hall. After class, I was preparing to leave for home, but I couldn't let everyone go without addressing the issue. So I called everyone's attention in the hallway.
"Excuse me" I said loudly. "Good day, everyone. What happened today was wrong. You all made a mountain out of a molehill. It was just a slap—I acted out of impulse, and it was wrong. I'm truly sorry, Christopher. And I don't care what any of you think, but for Chris not to retaliate shows he respects women, Chris showed strength by walking away instead of fighting back. Some of you jump at any chance to mock others. It's not funny. So next time you think it's funny to mock someone—think again. Today it's Chris, tomorrow it could be you. So please, stop making those kinds of videos. And because I slapped him, I apologize. You can record this too I don't care. Chris, I am truly sorry for hitting you."
He looked at me, surprised, then said softly, "It's alright. I forgive you."
"Thank you," I said, smiling faintly.
Everyone left. I knew some people were filming again, but this time, I didn't care.
>>>>>>>>>>
Christopher's POV.
We arrived at college. Then Penelope greeted Felicity. I was thinking, How does she know my sister? Penelope showed me the video. It made me furious. I said something angry.
Felicity tried to calm me down, but I shoved her away and ran to the Radcliffe Camera, my favorite quiet place. Maybe I thought I could breathe there. But instead, I just felt stupid. Angry at the world. Angry at myself.
I'm so foolish. What was I thinking? I should've calmed down and talked to her instead of acting on impulse. If my father saw the video, he'd hate me more. Then I heard footsteps—I knew it was her.
When she said, "I'm sorry, Christopher," I didn't just hear an apology. I heard care. I heard… something I wanted more of.
When she tried to grab me from the railing, I told her to stop. She was worried, apologizing, rambling as always. But I was too angry and yet, she calmed me down without even trying. I eventually gave in and said, "Okay, you win," and we both went to class.
That morning, I wasn't in the mood for anything. But later, she brought everyone together and addressed the video issue. She was awesome and incredible. At that moment, my heart beat again. When she stood up for me and defended me.....something cracked open inside. Like a locked door I didn't realize had been closed for so long.
I'd never seen anyone do that for me before. She didn't just apologize; she fought for me. And in that moment, I knew she was different. I knew I was falling for her. But what am I supposed to do about the bet? That's for another day. Today—I like her.
After class, she was heading downstairs when I caught up to her. "Hey, Felicity, wait up."
She stopped and turned, arms folded, visibly angry. I walked over. "What is it?" she asked.
"Let's walk together."
"Why?"
"I just want to keep you company, that's all," I said, shrugging.
"Unbelievable. I can walk alone. Thanks," she muttered.
"Come on, don't do this. You're incredible and intriguing—you know that, right? Don't be mad," I said, kissing her hand.
"Ew, gross." She rolled her eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."
We walked in silence.
"Hey, you don't want to talk?" I asked.
"What do you want me to say?"
"Anything. Like—can we be friends?" I asked, extending my hand. She hesitated then shook it, though she still looked upset.
"Fine. Friend we are."
I noticed she was feeling down, so I started making silly faces to cheer her up. At first, she just watched me, quiet. But then she laughed—and it felt like sunlight breaking through the rain.
"I never knew you were so jovial. I thought you were always a suck-up," she said.
"Ouch. My heart—it's breaking!" I said, clutching my chest.
"You're such a drama king. You act like a villain but behave like a hero outside—pretender!" she shouted.
"Ouch again—heartbreaker!" I said, and we both laughed.
"What you did earlier was amazing. I'm glad I met you, and I'm so glad it's over. I'm sorry I put you through that," I said.
"It wasn't your fault. I should be apologizing. I took it too far. I'm sorry—and thank you for forgiving me," she replied.
I grinned. "No problem. I'll walk you home."
"No need, it's fine. I can go alone—and besides, you don't even know my dorm," Felicity replied.
"I'm walking you home. No ifs or buts. I owe you. Besides, I can protect you from strangers and I can see your place," I insisted.
She looked up at me—I was a bit taller, and she noticed.
"And how would you protect me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My father taught me kung fu. So yeah—I've got skills," I said, showing a move that almost made me trip. We both laughed.
"Do you miss your dad?" She asked.
"That's a story for another day," I said.
She stopped walking. "I can protect myself, you know."
"I don't doubt it."
She smiled faintly. "Anyway, this is me. Goodnight."
"Oh—well, goodnight and sweet dreams," I replied and before I could stop myself, I kissed her hand again.
"Ew! Gross. Don't do that again" she exclaimed, laughing.
"Oh, I do what I want. Don't tell me what to do. Goodbye," I teased.
"Goodbye, weirdo," she said, walking inside.
And as I walked home, for the first time in a long while… I wasn't angry anymore.