Chapter 3: The Plan Begins
629 Words
Ethan Carter was a master at playing games, and now, the stakes had never been higher. As he leaned against his locker that morning, watching Ms. Vivian Hayes stride down the hallway with effortless grace, he knew this was going to be his greatest challenge yet.
She was untouchable—or at least, she thought she was.
The moment she stepped into her classroom, Ethan pushed off the lockers and followed. He was early, as usual, because waiting for her alone was part of the plan. If he could get her flustered before the classroom filled up, he’d already be ahead.
Ms. Hayes barely spared him a glance as she set down her bag. “You’re early again, Mr. Carter.”
Ethan smirked, sliding into the desk closest to hers. “Maybe I just enjoy your company.”
She didn’t look up. “And maybe I’m not interested in your games.”
“Who said anything about games?” His voice dropped slightly, taking on a teasing edge. “I just think we have… an interesting dynamic.”
She exhaled slowly, finally meeting his gaze. “You have an active imagination.”
He tilted his head, enjoying the way she avoided looking at his lips. “I prefer to think of it as persistence.”
Vivian sighed, straightening the stack of papers on her desk. “There are rules, Ethan.”
He grinned. “Rules are meant to be tested.”
Her eyes narrowed, but there was no real anger there, only something he couldn’t quite name. “Go back to your seat. Class is about to start.”
Ethan didn’t move right away. He held her gaze a moment longer before pushing himself up with deliberate slowness. “As you wish, Ms. Hayes.”
The way her breath hitched at the way he said her name didn’t go unnoticed.
Throughout the lesson, Ethan pushed his luck further.
Whenever she moved around the classroom, he made sure his eyes followed her. When she asked a question, he answered with just enough charm to make her pause. When she handed out papers, he let his fingers brush against hers, watching the way she tensed but didn’t pull away fast enough.
It was working.
During a lull in the lesson, Ethan leaned back in his chair, spinning a pen between his fingers. “Ms. Hayes, can I ask you something?”
Vivian barely looked up. “As long as it’s relevant to the discussion.”
He smirked. “What kind of guys do you like?”
A hush fell over the room. A few students chuckled, some whispered. Vivian, however, didn’t flinch.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t discuss personal matters with students, Mr. Carter.”
Ethan’s grin widened. “That’s not a no.”
Her jaw tightened. “It’s a dismissal.”
Jason and Tyler snickered from the back. Ethan simply winked. “Understood, Ms. Hayes.”
The rest of the class went on without incident, but when the bell rang, Ethan took his time packing up. He waited until the other students had left before strolling up to her desk.
“You handled that well,” he said.
She looked up at him, unimpressed. “Handled what?”
“Me.”
Vivian scoffed, shaking her head. “You think too highly of yourself.”
He leaned on her desk, dropping his voice to a near whisper. “You didn’t answer the question, though.”
Her fingers tightened around her pen, but she didn’t look away. “Go home, Ethan.”
He smirked. “See you tomorrow, Ms. Hayes.”
As he walked out, he knew one thing for sure—she wasn’t as unaffected as she pretended to be. And that meant he was winning.
- Writer
