~~ Chapter Three ~~ He's annoying, it should be illegal
1066 Words
The cozy living room smelled like microwaved popcorn and scented candles. Riley flopped onto the couch in her oversized tee while Janessa paced back and forth, arms crossed, lips pressed into a line of pure irritation.
“So let me get this straight,” Riley said, holding a pillow. “You’re telling me you, Enzo, and Winter, Miss Flirt and Flatter are doing a group project... together?”
Janessa stopped pacing.
“Yes. And I’m two sarcastic comments away from slapping them both with a course outline.”
Riley tried to hold in her laugh but failed.
“Oh no, not the academic violence.”
Janessa glared at her, though her lips twitched.
“You should’ve seen her Riley. She came to the library acting like it was a beauty contest, not a study session. And of course Enzo just sat there, grinning like a fool while she pitched the most cliché idea ever. Influencer ethics. Seriously?”
“Wait... did he pick her idea?” Riley asked.
Janessa threw her hands up.
“Of course he did! He’s a lazy, spotlight-chasing poser who would rather flirt than think.”
Riley raised a brow.
“Sounds like someone’s in denial.”
Janessa froze.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re talking about him a lot. Like... passionately.”
Janessa grabbed a throw pillow and launched it at Riley’s face.
“Shut. Up.”
Riley laughed, dodging it.
“I’m just saying, you’ve been going on about him for twenty minutes. If he’s really irrelevant, why’s he renting space in your brain?”
Janessa dropped onto the couch with a groan, covering her face with her hands.
“Because he’s so annoying. And cocky. And smug. And......”
“Hot?” Riley offered.
Janessa peeked through her fingers.
“…Unfortunately.”
They both burst into laughter.
“I don’t even like him. He just gets under my skin. It’s like he knows how to push every button I have.”
“Which means he pays attention,” Riley said casually. “And trust me guys like him don’t waste their energy on people they don’t find interesting.”
Janessa rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Riley nudged her.
“What if this is like one of those weird slow-burn stories? Maybe you guys are made for each other but too stubborn to admit it.”
“If we’re made for each other, the universe needs to be sued.” Janessa muttered.
Riley laughed again.
But as the conversation drifted toward other topics, Janessa found herself zoning out, remembering the way Enzo had stared at her, the way he didn’t back down when she challenged him, the way Winter leaned into him and he didn’t really respond.
And that stupid smirk.
No. She was not falling into that mess.
Not now.
Not ever.
Right?
The whiteboard was half-filled with half-baked ideas. Papers were scattered across the table, and Enzo’s laptop played lo-fi music quietly in the background. The group had been sitting for over an hour, and Janessa was already losing her patience.
“Winter,” she said, trying to stay calm, “you keep saying we should do Influencer Ethics, but we’re not adding anything new. The topic has been overused, and our argument isn’t strong enough.”
Winter was lounging back in her seat, scrolling through her phone.
“It’s relatable. Everyone’s into influencers. It’s current, it’s catchy, and we won’t need to dig that deep. Plus, we can throw in social media stats and call it a day.”
Janessa arched a brow.
“Exactly. That’s the problem. It’s shallow.”
Enzo looked up from his notes.
“Okay, but to be fair, most people in the class are going to pick heavy, political stuff. Maybe doing something simple and clean will stand out if it’s done well.”
Janessa stared at him.
“Simple and clean? That’s your reasoning?”
“I’m just saying we don’t need to make it a thesis. It’s not a PhD. It’s a 30% project,” Enzo said, shrugging.
Winter smiled and leaned in toward Enzo slightly.
“Finally, someone who gets it. Thank you.”
Janessa rolled her eyes.
“So you’re both okay turning in the bare minimum just because it’s easier?”
“We’re not turning in garbage,” Enzo replied, keeping his voice level. “We’ll make it solid. We’re just picking the most manageable idea.”
“And letting Winter lead it like she’s the CEO of content,” Janessa muttered.
Winter raised an eyebrow.
“If you have a better idea, maybe sell it better instead of sounding like a frustrated lecturer.”
Janessa took a breath, biting her tongue.
“I don’t care about who leads, I care about the fact that I’m not failing a project because we’re being lazy and cute about it.”
The tension in the room thickened. Enzo leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Look, we’ll make it work. I’ll work on the structure, Winter can handle the intro and social media research, and Janessa, you can focus on the ethical analysis part you keep talking about. Deal?”
Janessa shook her head slightly but didn’t argue further.
“Fine. But when this blows up, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Winter smirked.
“Relax, Professor. We’ve got this.”
Janessa didn’t respond. But she knew she wasn’t relaxing.
She was waiting, waiting for the moment this whole thing fell apart.
And deep down, she was already disappointed that Enzo of all people didn’t have the backbone to back her up.
- Writer
