The hesitation was obvious—his eyes kept drifting away, then snapping back, as if chasing the right words. His fingers fidgeted with hers, the warmth of his skin sending electric jolts through her veins. Nervous energy radiated from him, and it was starting to drive her a little insane.
A gentle squeeze of his hand served as silent reassurance; an arched eyebrow followed, posing an unspoken question. "What is it?"
He started at the top of her baggy T-shirt and asked the burning question…
She shuddered at where his eyes were looking. What is he looking at… He isn't going to ask my bra size, is he? I thought… thought he was different.
"Who… are Nirvana? Is that a game? Or a band? Or something? I've never even heard of them…"
Laughter burst from her before she could stop it—a high, sharp sound that ricocheted off the stairwell walls. Her shoulders shook, tears pricking her eyes—not from sadness, but from disbelief and amusement. "Oh… this T-shirt… Nirvana… hahhh! I have no idea who they are either. I just liked black shirts and the logo!"
She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him, face pressed against his chest. Their fingers found each other, intertwining tightly as his hands held hers, grounding them both in the moment.
"God, you're so nervous," she murmured, still giggling.
"I… I've always been more into K-pop than goth music," he admitted, his voice low.
Her eyes lit up. "Me too!" She nudged him playfully. "Way more fun than brooding in black."
Chad laughed. "Exactly."
"Like Blackpink!! No way! I love them too!"
"Jennie is the best," he said, smug.
She gasped, rolling her eyes. "Wrong! Lisa is way better!"
"Nope. Jennie's vocals, the stage presence—you can't deny it!"
"I can! Lisa slays everything!"
They walked hand in hand. Heads turned. Whispers spread.
A cluster of Sparkle Bunnies froze mid-giggle, floppy ears perking straight up. Luna's eyes widened, her tote bag of half-finished homework slipping to the floor. "Wait… Chad? With her? The goth shadow girl who ghosted our homework help? Are they dating now?"
Ava leaned in, voice a hushed squeak, clutching her USB dongle like a talisman. "No way. We slobbered over his wick for her waifu—did all that saliva work for nothing? Why her?"
Tilting her head, Lia Bunny frowned, her bunny tail twitching. "They look… couple-y. Holding hands like that? Chad never does that with us. Did our spell backfire?"
Vee's jaw dropped, her mini skirt swishing as she stepped forward. "Chad's with her? The invisible emo? Are they actually a couple now? After we made him cum like three times in a row? After the tattoos?! Sis… seriously?!"
Elise's fingers twisted the hem of her T-shirt. Chad slid his hands along her back, holding her close. "Ignore 'em," he said softly.
She whispered, "At least… I'm not invisible anymore." He held her tightly, letting her lean into him completely.
Arms crossed, Bibi scoffed, her crop top riding up. "Prank. Must be a prank. No way he chose the baggy-clothes ghost over the mafia queens."
Popping her gum, Kandi bounced on her heels. "Is Chad dating the goth? For real? She's cute in that creepy way, but… supermodels? We would have flashed everything for him!"
Mila smirked, scrolling her phone. "Bet it's pity. Or a dare. No guy picks the shadow girl over Instagram queens. We own the spotlight—why her?"
Kerry shoved through from the side, her tank top clinging braless to her curves, eyes blazing. "Chad with her? The goth bitch? Are you fucking kidding me? Why the hell her? After I drained your cock dry, stud! Rode that thick dick like a goddamn rodeo queen, slamming down 'til your balls ached and you begged for mercy. What does she have that I don't? A baggy tee and some emo bullshit?"
Lingering by the lockers, Jezabelle was still damp from the pool, swimsuit slung over her shoulder. "Chad with her? The emo shadow? Are they really a couple? Why pick the baggy ghost over us? We have such amazing boobs, and we gave him the blowjob of a lifetime."
Marissa flipped her silver-blonde hair, smirking. "We had our tongues all over his cock and gave him the best time of his life! Why her? She's zero shine. We'd have him begging again in seconds."
A sharp gasp escaped Luna as her eyes flicked to Ava. "Did you see them holding hands? He never does that with us!"
Eyes going wide, Ava exclaimed, "I know, right? And the way he's looking at her… I can't believe it. After everything we did for him... effort wasted!"
Spinning toward Bibi, Vee demanded, "Seriously, what the fuck is going on? Why is he with her?!"
A snort broke from Bibi. "I'm telling you—it's a prank. He's just messing with us. It has to be. No way he picked her over us."
Kandi groaned, glaring at the goth girl. "She's cute, sure, in a creepy way… But come on! We'd have given him everything, anything!"
Muttering under her breath while scrolling, Mila kept her eyes on them. "Some pity, probably. Or a dare. No one—no one—chooses the shadow girl over us."
A finger jabbed toward Elise as Kerry demanded, "After I drained his cock dry? After everything? And this little emo gets him?"
Jezabelle's eyes narrowed. "Seriously, what's she got that we don't?"
Marissa smirked, flipping her hair again. "Zero shine. That's what. Nothing. Nada. And he's holding her hand. Ugh, I can't."
Elise whispered, scared. "I… I don't have to Scott Pilgrim this and take out all your evil exes, do I?"
Chad shook his head. "They're not my exes… I don't even know who any of these girls are."
He stepped closer despite the screaming girls. His hand slid around her waist, pulling her against him.
"Hey," he murmured, low, just for her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Against his chest, Elise leaned in, her heart racing as his steady heartbeat grounded her.
Chad tilted her chin up. "Look at me. You're safe. Right here, with me."
Her lips parted, breath hitching. He smiled and leaned closer. The chaos—the shouts, the glares, the whispers—faded.
Then he kissed her. Soft, deliberate, comforting. She froze, then melted against him, her arms curling around his neck.
The kiss was a shield, a promise. Around them, the girls still shouted and fumed, but Elise only felt him—warmth and certainty easing her fear.
Seraphina loomed ahead, arms crossed, her massive wrestler frame towering over them. Every movement made her muscles flex and ripple, steel coiled beneath her skin. Her shadow stretched across them, swallowing the stairwell like a storm ready to strike. Even the air seemed to tighten around her, charged with the weight of her presence. Her voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl, vibrating through the hall.
"So… you picked… Elise to be your girlfriend?" She stepped closer, each footfall deliberate, like a predator circling. Then, with a flash of raw strength, she snatched Chad by the cuff of his shirt and yanked him forward, dragging him a step closer to her towering frame. "What about your waifu… huh?! So that was all bullshit you fed us?!"
Her eyes burnt with fury, muscles tensing. The Seductress Storm radiated raw, calculated power, ready to crush him—not out of impulse, but with deliberate force. The air between them crackled, and for a moment, Chad looked smaller than ever, swallowed by the sheer dominance of her presence.
Elise's shadows surged, coiling like vipers at their feet, but she held Chad's hand tighter, her voice steady despite the tremor. "Let him go, Seraphina. He's with me now."
With blazing eyes and flared nostrils, Seraphina let out a low, venomous growl. "What about your waifu?! All those cum shots, all that love you poured over her… every night, every inch—and now you're just going to toss her pillow aside like she's nothing?!
She stepped closer, her massive wrestler frame looming, muscles coiling with barely restrained fury. Her shadow swallowed the space around them, her words hitting like blows. "Everything you built, everything you loved… gone. Just like that. Are you serious?!"
Her glare pinned him in place, heat radiating off her like a furnace. Every inch of her presence screamed dominance, fury, and raw power—The Seductress Storm demanding an answer.