SWEET CHAOS

DAYTREECHANGE??

The hallway air had wrapped itself in an almost warm silence. We were so close that I could feel the heat of her breath, a violent threat against my "ice coldness." Her eyes were locked onto mine, and for a second, the Commander Alex in my head stopped shouting orders; instead, there was only a space of silence. Our breaths crossed and the control, that jewel that made me perfect, began to break. We were centimeters away from total chaos, from my lips betraying my reputation as an unreachable human.

—Mr. Miller! Miss Ruby! —the professor's voice cut through the moment like a blade—. I hope you are analyzing the floor structure and not testing the limits of my patience. If you want physical contact that much, you can start by cleaning the desks and after that, picking up the trash in the yard.

We broke apart instantly. My heart hammered against my chest like a prisoner trying to escape a cell. I adjusted my shirt, regaining my sanity of humanity, even though inside my thoughts were sparking.

Later, fate —that screenwriter who seems to hate me— took me to community service. There she was, cleaning just like me under the professor's orders.

Unlike the others, she didn't look at me like I was a nobody; she looked at me like I was a person. I approached, walking with that natural overwhelmed grace I had carried since I entered the school, ignoring my aura of perfection. I spoke to her normally, with a calmness that surprised even me. I still didn't understand why my "aura of perfection" wasn't returning, but for the first time, I didn't care.

—Cleaning because of an accident, right?? —she asked with a nervous smile.

—Someone doesn't understand the tone of an accident haha —I replied, keeping the casual tone.

But inside... inside it was a war zone. «COMMANDER TO THE REASONING UNITS! HOLD THE FORMATION! WE REPEAT, HOLD!» the voice in my brain shouted while red alarms flashed in my mind.

She introduced herself. Her name sounded like a melody I couldn't get out of my head. We talked about natural things but the connection was electric. I could feel how each word brought us closer. In a moment of vulnerability I would never allow anyone else, I lowered my guard.

—You know... —I began, looking toward a distant point—, I always wanted to have a girlfriend. Someone real… but my mother... well, she has standards that not even gods could meet. Let’s just say my "self" is a very well-decorated cage.

She stayed silent for a moment, processing my confession. Her eyes softened. —If you ever want to talk to someone who won't judge you... —she took a small piece of paper from her pocket, scribbled something, and put it in my hand—. Call me. Or write. Whichever you prefer.

Before I could react, she leaned in and left a quick, warm kiss on my cheek. The smell of strawberries clouded my brain. She turned around and walked away, leaving me there, static like a marble statue.

«WHAT...? WHAT JUST HAPPENED?» my internal ego shouted. I was nervous, my hands were shaking slightly, but there was something else... a heat in my chest I couldn't explain. Was I in love? Impossible! I am Alex Miller. I don't fall in love, I am the object of love. But my mind wouldn't stop repeating the sensation of her lips on my skin.

She, meanwhile, walked at a fast pace, with her heart in her throat. «What did I just do? I gave my number and a kiss to someone I don't even know! I'm an i***t!» she thought, although an involuntary smile drew itself on her face.

When I arrived at my mansion, the atmosphere felt different. I entered my room, ignoring the maid who looked at me with a lust so evident I could almost smell it. She expected a gesture, a look, but my mind was miles away.

I collapsed onto my thousand-thread-count bed. I took out the paper. The number was there, waiting for me. She must have been waiting too. I imagined her looking at her phone, awaiting that notification confirming that "God Alex" had surrendered to her.

I opened the messaging app. My fingers flew over the screen. «Hi, I'm Alex. About today...». No, too formal. «Hey, redhead...». No, too bold. I was about to find the perfect phrase, the message that would keep my pride intact but show my interest, when suddenly...

The screen went black.

I stared at the reflection of my own horrified face in the dark glass. —No! No, no, no! —I shouted to the void—. Charger! I need a charger right now!

I searched desperately, tripping over a designer chair. In my rush, I hit the shelf, knocking over my perfume collection. —Damn room! —I shouted at the walls—. You're against me too! All this perfection is a conspiracy to keep me single! aaaaa

I fought with the shelves, kicked a cushion, threw everything to find a charger and ended up sitting on the floor, breathing heavily, with the dead phone in my hand and a heart beating for a girl who had just broken my entire personality.

The narrator observes the scene with a mix of pity and amusement. Alex Miller, the man who believed he had the whole world at his feet, has just been defeated by a 0% battery.