Collision Course
1313 Words
My name is Maya and if there's one thing you should know about me is that I hated being late.
Which is exactly why I'm currently sprinting through the crowded hallways of Westbridge Academy with a backpack that felt twice my weight and a half-finished breakfast stuffed into my pocket.
The first bell had already rung.
Great.
I tightened my grip on the strap of my bag and slipped past groups of students chatting by their lockers. Unlike them, i didn't have time to waste.
I had a scholarship to maintain.
One bad grade could cost me everything.
"Watch where you're going!"
I barely avoided colliding with a freshman before muttering a quick apology and continuing down the corridor.
The second bell was seconds away.
If Mrs. Williams locked the classroom door again, I would spend the rest of the week listening to a lecture about responsibility.
As i rounded the corner, someone stepped directly into my path.
Hard.
The impact sent my books flying across the polished floor.
The hallway fell strangely quiet.
I couldn't help but sigh and close my eyes.
Of course.
Because there was only one person capable of stopping an entire hallway from functioning simply by existing.
Adrian Blackwood.
The rich golden boy of Westbridge Academy.
The heir to a business empire.
The owner of more luxury watches than my pair of shoes.
And, unfortunately, the person standing over my scattered books.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then Adrian looked down at the books covering the floor.
His gaze lifted to mine.
"Well," he said lazily, shoving one hand into his pocket. "That's one way to get my attention."
A few students laughed.
I wasn't one of them.
I crouched down and began collecting my books without saying a word.
"You're welcome," Adrian added.
My hand froze.
Slowly, i looked up.
"For what?"
A grin tugged at his lips.
"For giving everyone something interesting to watch this morning."
The laughter grew louder.
I stood up looking at him.
The difference between us was obvious.
His designer uniform looked freshly pressed.
My blazer was old enough to have been passed down twice.
His watch probably cost more than my family's yearly rent.
Yet somehow, he was the one acting like he had won something.
"You done?" i asked flatly.
The grin slipped slightly.
"What?"
"You got your audience"
"Enjoy the rest of your performance."
The hallway went silent.
For the first time all morning, Adrian looked genuinely surprised.
Nobody talked to him like that.
Nobody.
I walked away before he could respond.
Behind me, i heard a few shocked whispers.
Then Adrian's voice.
"Interesting."
I didn't bother turning around.
Because boys like Adrian Blackwood belonged in a completely different world.
And I had absolutely no intention of becoming part of it.
At least, that's what I thought.
I had almost made it to class when a voice stopped me.
"Hey."
I just kept walking.
"Hey, scholarship girl."
I sighed.
Of course.
The hallway erupted into whispers as Adrian Blackwood casually fell into step beside me.
I didn't look at him.
"What do you want?"
"That's not a very friendly way to speak to someone."
"Good."
A laugh escaped him.
The sound annoyed me more than it should have.
"You always this grumpy?"
"You always this annoying?"
His grin widened.
"Usually people try harder to impress me."
I finally turned my head.
"Do I look like I'm trying to impress you?"
For a second, Adrian was speechless.
Then he laughed again.
A genuine laugh this time.
"Okay, you're funny."
"I'm not joking."
The warning bell rang.
Thank goodness.
I pushed open my classroom door and headed straight for my seat.I thought that was the end of it.
Boy was I wrong.
---
By lunch, the entire school had somehow heard about what happened in the hallway.
Apparently, telling Adrian Blackwood off was considered breaking news.
I sat alone beneath a tree near the football field, reviewing biology notes while eating a sandwich.
Peace.
Finally.
"Found you."
I groaned.
Adrian dropped onto the grass beside me without invitation.
"What are you doing here?"
"Having lunch."
"There are about two hundred other places on campus."
"And yet I chose this one."
I stared at him.
He smiled.
I returned my attention to my notes.
A minute passed.
Then two.
Then five.
The boy just sat there.
"Why are you still here?" I finally asked.
"I'm curious."
"About?"
"You."
I laughed almost chocking.
"That's your first mistake."
Adrian leaned back on his hands.
"You seriously don't like me."
"No."
Most people would've been offended.
Adrian looked entertained.
"Why?"
"Should I?"
The confidence on his face faltered slightly. Interesting. Maybe nobody had ever asked him that before.
"You know," he said, "most girls would kill for this conversation."
"Then go talk to them."
His jaw tightened.
Just a little.
For the first time, i realized something.
People always gave Adrian exactly what he wanted.
Attention, Admiration, Validation.
The moment someone didn't, he didn't know what to do. Before either of us could say anything else, a shadow fell across the table.
"Maya."
I looked up.
Mrs. Williams, Our English teacher. She woman looked less than pleased.
"Maya, Adrian. My office. Now."
Both of us exchanged confused looks.
"What did I do?" Adrian asked.
Mrs. Williams folded her arms.
"You can ask that question inside."
That wasn't a good sign.
---
Ten minutes later, we sat opposite each other in Mrs. Williams' office.
I already had a headache, probably because of how tensed I was. Adrian looked mildly amused.
Mrs. Williams slid a stack of papers across her desk.
"The annual literature competition is in six weeks."
Nobody spoke.
"I've selected the two of you to represent the senior class."
Silence.
Then—
"No."
The word came loudly from both of us, well mostly me. Mrs. Williams smiled. A dangerous smile.
"Wonderful. I'm glad you're both enthusiastic."
"We are not enthusiastic," I said immediately.
"Very much not enthusiastic," Adrian agreed.
Mrs. Williams ignored us.
"The project counts toward your final grade."
Immediately my stomach dropped.
Adrian sat up straighter.
"And if we refuse?" he asked.
"You fail."
Neither of us spoke.
Mrs. Williams stood.
"You'll meet after school every day until the project is complete."
I stared at her, if looks could kill she would have probably died, but she ignored the dangerous stare I was giving her.
This was a disaster. A complete and total disaster.
Because if there was one person I couldn't stand— It was Adrian Blackwood.
And if there was one person Adrian suddenly couldn't stop thinking about—
It was Maya.
Neither of them knew it yet.
But this project was about to change everything.
- Writer
