NEVER GONE SEASON 1

CHAPTER 16

MYCSEEN'S POV:

I wish I had just finished her off. She’s such a damn nuisance. I can’t believe I’m stuck dealing with her. Arrgh!

I walked into the classroom, scanning the room quickly. There she was, Brittany, sitting all alone, her usual calm aura somehow even more inviting today.

I took my seat, letting the irritation bubble up before I spoke.

"Where’s Dwayne?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral as I slung my bag over my shoulder.

Brittany glanced up at me, not missing a beat. "She has music class," she said, a soft smile touching her lips.

I studied her for a moment. She's so... captivating. Something about her radiates an energy that pulls you in, but it’s dangerous, too much of a distraction. And right now, I can’t afford any distractions.

Wait… Mycseen, focus. I told myself.

"Did you say something?" Brittany asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

I blinked, shaking myself out of the trance. "Nah, I didn’t."

Before the silence could stretch too long, I heard James’s voice from behind me.

"Hey buddy! I’ve been searching all over for you." He practically stumbled into the room, his grin wide.

Thank God for James. He was like the lifeline I didn’t know I needed. My thoughts were starting to spiral, and I didn’t want to deal with whatever that feeling around Brittany was.

"You have?" I said, finally exhaling in relief.

"C’mon, man. Let’s go," James said, gesturing toward the door.

"Alright," I replied, trying to get up as casually as possible.

James glanced at Brittany before he nodded. "Oh hey, Brittany. Didn’t see you there, my bad," he greeted, his tone friendly.

"Hi," Brittany responded, her smile never wavering.

"How are you doing today?" James asked, his voice warm.

"I’m fine, thank you," Brittany said with a smile that made her seem... untouchable. A part of me wondered if that was an act.

What the hell was going on here?

I could feel my annoyance rising again, but before I could dwell on it, James was pulling me out of the classroom.

As soon as we were out of earshot, I shot him a glare. "What the hell, man? You already got Dwayne, why are you acting all buddy-buddy with her?"

James chuckled, the sound more amused than defensive. "What do you mean, I got Dwayne? You think I’m trying to flirt with Brittany? Damn, bro, I haven’t even spoken to her before. I was just being nice. But wait, what were you doing, huh? Sitting there all cozy with her. Do I sense some jealousy?"

I flinched, the word hitting me harder than I expected. "Nah. That ain’t jealousy," I muttered, avoiding his gaze by looking straight ahead.

James raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. "What are you doing?" he asked, his tone more probing now.

I shot him a look. "Doing? You tell me, what am I doing?"

James wasn't letting it go. "Why were you sitting with her like that? Are you trying to get with her?"

I exhaled sharply, feeling the tension coil in my chest. "Damn, bro. No. I wasn’t doing anything. I just asked her about Dwayne. That’s all."

"Just Dwayne?" James said, his voice dripping with skepticism.

I shot him a glance, irritated now. "Oh, yeah? And why are you even asking? You didn’t even check on Dwayne, did you?"

James smirked. "I know she has music class. I'm her boyfriend, so I know where she is. And Brittany... she’s my girl’s best friend. I figured I’d check on her too."

"Nice," I said dryly, rolling my eyes.

James didn’t seem phased. He was still on his mission to dig deeper. "So... why were you talking to her?"

I sighed, feeling like I was being cornered. "She's my seat neighbour, bruh."

James’s eyes narrowed. "So tell me this, do you like Brittany?"

I could feel it coming, the question I knew would slip out. I had to control myself. I wasn’t ready to confront whatever was happening in my head.

"Nah. I’m too busy for that," I said, forcing nonchalance.

James laughed, a loud, teasing sound. "You're just too corky, man."

"Well, I ain't Jim Mycseen for nothing," I shot back with a smirk. We both burst out laughing, the tension between us easing up a little.

But as we continued walking down the hall, I couldn’t shake off the strange feeling in my gut. It wasn’t about Brittany. No. It was the way things were shifting, too many undercurrents, too much change. I had bigger things to worry about.

And then there was Alia.

I knew she wouldn’t give up. Whatever her plan was, I could feel it creeping closer. I couldn’t let my guard down, not with her. Not now…