Chapter 2: Punch to Reality
727 Words
Rinnel’s POV
Classes in the morning were always painfully slow.
Professor Harris had been droning on about economic models for nearly twenty minutes, and honestly, I had stopped listening after the first five. My notebook lay open, but instead of notes there were little doodles in the corners—flowers, hearts, random swirls.
My phone buzzed softly under the desk.
Ronny
I smiled immediately.
Ronny: Lunch? I’ll pick you up.
I typed back without thinking.
Obviously. And bring the iced latte from that place near the lake.The three little dots appeared instantly.
Already ordered.
Of course he had.
Ronny always just gets me. It’s like we are one soul in two different bodies.
I leaned back in my chair, satisfied, letting my pen spin lazily between my fingers. Across the room, my friends whispered and glanced at me occasionally, probably waiting for class to end so we could all go together.
Mystic Falls College wasn’t huge, but somehow everything still revolved around the same few people every day. Same faces in the hallway. Same gossip. Same routines. I didn’t mind. Predictability was comforting.
The bell finally rang, and the room exploded into motion. Chairs scraped. Bags zipped. Voices filled the air.
“Rinnel!” Maya called from the doorway. “Are we still doing lunch?”
“Yeah,” I said, slipping my phone into my bag. “Ronny’s picking us up.”
Predictably, that got a few excited reactions.
“Of course he is,” someone laughed.
I stood, smoothing my blouse before grabbing my bag. People glanced as I walked by. Always had. Always would. Been like that since elementary school. Spotlight followed me naturally, and I couldn’t lie—it was fun sometimes. What else could a college girl want?
The sun poured through the tall windows, casting everything in golden light. And right on cue, Ronny was leaning against the wall near the entrance.
He pushed off the wall the second he saw me.
“There you are.”
I smiled. “You’re late.”
He blinked, confused. “I’ve been here ten minutes.”
“Still late.”
He sighed like he always did, but handed me the iced latte anyway. Exactly how I liked it. Then he pulled me in, kissing me like he never wanted to let go.
Hell could come, but he wouldn’t break from our kiss.
That’s what I loved about Ronny. My Ronny.
⸻
Derek’s POV
The bell rang, and the classroom emptied in seconds. I stayed seated a moment, packing my books slowly. Waiting made it easier—most people would already be gone. Less chance someone knocked my bag over. Less chance I looked like a target.
By the time I stepped into the hallway, the place was loud with students heading to lunch. And of course, the center of it all was exactly where I expected.
Rinnel. Sunlight streaked behind her like the world was auditioning her entrance. Her friends laughed, leaned in close. Ronny stood like a devoted golden retriever.
I kept my head down, pretending to adjust my backpack. My eyes glued to the floor—but I could hear every word.
“You’re late,” Rinnel said.
“I’ve been here ten minutes,” Ronny replied.
“Still late.”
He handed her the drink anyway. She smirked, tossed her hair, and the hallway seemed to bend around her. People moved automatically, like water flowing around a rock. Nobody shoved her. Nobody laughed.
I moved past, invisible as ever.
Then I looked up.
Just for a second.
And she looked at me. A fleeting glance, like sunlight grazing a shadow. My chest tightened. Pulse spiked.
I looked away fast. She probably didn’t even remember.
But my body didn’t get the memo.
Then
A fist slammed into my jaw.
I stumbled back, vision swimming, taste of copper sharp on my tongue.
“What are you staring at, shithead! She’s my girlfriend!” Ronny shouted, rage twisting his face.
Everything blurred. My hands went up instinctively, but Rinnel was there in a heartbeat. Hands firm on his chest, eyes flashing controlled fire.
“Stop,” she said, worried looking up towards him, Enough to make him hesitate.
And then i thought I saw it. Concern.
was it for him or
For me?
Or maybe I imagined it.
Either way my heart didn’t care.
- Writer
