Chapter 4The Villainess Who Gathers Scraps

"Listen up, everyone. We have a new transfer student joining us today all the way from New York. Let's make him feel welcome."

Right on the System's schedule, at the dawn of our senior year, Cole walked into Richmond High.

And he was placed right into my AP Calculus class. Right into the empty desk next to mine.

It couldn't be helped; the advanced STEM track was notoriously skewed, and our particular class only had five girls. I had specifically requested a solo desk at the back so I could spread out my towering stacks of reference books.

"Alright, let's skip the fluff," Mr. Davis said, clapping his hands. "If you need help with college prep timelines, my door is open. For now, open your textbooks to chapter four. We're reviewing set theory."

Cole leaned over, smelling faintly of clean laundry and something sharp, like cedar. "Hey, desk-mate. I haven't gotten my books from the office yet. Can I share?"

"Of course," I whispered.

I slid the heavy textbook to the middle of the desk and focused on the board, entirely oblivious to how the space between our shoulders had shrunk to a fraction of an inch.

During the passing period, Bella made her move. She came up to the senior science floor and engineered a near-collision with Cole as he walked out of the classroom.

But Cole had fast reflexes. He sidestepped her smoothly, patting his chest in mock relief.

Bella stumbled slightly, recovering her poise. "Oh my god, I am so sorry! Are you okay? Do you need me to walk you to the nurse?"

"I'm totally fine. No need, thanks," Cole said, taking a step back.

"I'm Bella, by the way. I'm a senior too. If you ever need someone to show you around or help you adjust, I'd love to take care of that for you. What's your name?"

"I'm good, I don't need a tour, and no thanks."

Without missing a beat, Cole grabbed the sleeve of my hoodie and dragged me down the hallway, fleeing from her like she was carrying a highly contagious pathogen.

As we rounded the corner, my sharpened hearing picked up Bella’s frantic whisper. "System! Why didn't he react?! I just wasted a whole Serendipity drop on that!"

"Please maintain your efforts, Host. Rely on your charm to capture the male lead."