Chapter 4: Strings Tighten
1109 Words
Bianca’s POV
The paper sat on my desk all night.
“Application for Secretary – Student Council.”
I hadn’t signed it. I hadn’t even touched it after bringing it home. But it was there, heavy with meaning, staring at me like an unanswered question.
I should have crumpled it. Thrown it away. Said no.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I found myself carrying it in my bag the next morning, like a secret I couldn’t admit to anyone.
---
Classes blurred. Professors spoke, students laughed, notes were scribbled on the board. But my mind drifted back, again and again, to her voice.
“I don’t want anyone else. Just you.”
The way she said it—calm, steady, certain.
Why me?
Why did it feel like she saw something in me I couldn’t even see myself?
And why… why did a part of me want to step into her world, even knowing it could swallow me whole?
---
The hallway outside our classroom was buzzing when I left for lunch. Students gathered in groups, whispering, giggling, throwing glances my way.
I realized why when I spotted her.
Yhannie.
She leaned against the wall like she owned it, arms crossed, chatting idly with Kim. But the moment she saw me, she straightened, her expression shifting to that unreadable calm she wore so well.
The whispers grew louder.
I quickened my pace, heart hammering.
“Bianca,” she called.
I stopped. I didn’t want to. My legs betrayed me.
She walked over, ignoring the stares. “Did you eat already?”
“N-not yet.”
“Good.” She smiled slightly. “Come with me.”
Before I could protest, she’d already started walking, expecting me to follow.
And I did. Like a moth to flame.
---
The cafeteria was full, so she led me elsewhere—outside, to the shaded benches near the garden. It was quieter there, just the two of us.
She set her tray down, patting the space beside her. I hesitated but sat, clutching my lunchbox like a shield.
“You’re avoiding me,” she said casually, unwrapping her food.
My throat went dry. “I’m not—”
“You are.” She looked at me directly. “Every time I enter a room, you shrink. Every time I call your name, you freeze. Am I that frightening?”
“Yes,” I blurted before I could stop myself.
Her brows lifted in surprise. Then, to my horror, she laughed softly. “At least you’re honest.”
I turned away, embarrassed. “You’re… intense. I don’t know how to deal with someone like you.”
She leaned closer, her voice dropping. “Maybe you don’t need to. Maybe you just need to let me deal with you.”
My chest tightened. What was that supposed to mean?
I opened my lunchbox just to keep my hands busy, stabbing at my food though I wasn’t hungry.
After a while, she spoke again. “The position’s still waiting for you.”
I didn’t answer.
“You don’t have to decide now,” she added, her tone softening. “But know this… when I see potential, I don’t let it go to waste.”
Her words lingered long after we finished eating.
---
Yhannie’s POV
She was close to breaking. I could see it in the way she hesitated, in the way her hands trembled when she spoke to me.
Fear and curiosity—that dangerous mix.
All I had to do was push, carefully, until she leaned my way.
Kim noticed, of course. After our afternoon meeting, she cornered me.
“You’re being obvious,” she said, crossing her arms.
I smirked. “Obvious about what?”
“About her. Bianca. Everyone sees it.”
“Good,” I said simply.
Her eyes narrowed. “Pres, are you serious about this? Or is it just—”
“Kim.” My voice cut sharp. “She’s the one I chose. That’s all that matters.”
Kim hesitated, then sighed. “Fine. But don’t scare her off.”
I didn’t answer. Because in truth… scaring her wasn’t the problem. Keeping her close was.
---
Bianca’s POV
By Friday, the pressure was unbearable.
Classmates whispered about me. “She’s close to the president.” “She’s special.” “Why her?”
Everywhere I walked, eyes followed. I hated it.
At one point, someone even asked, “Are you two… together?”
I nearly choked on air.
“No! We’re not!” I insisted, face burning.
But the rumor had already taken root.
That evening, I found myself at the library, hiding between shelves just to escape the noise.
I thought I was alone—until a voice broke the silence.
“Bianca.”
I spun around. Of course.
She stepped out from the shadows, hands in her pockets, eyes glinting in the dim light.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, startled.
“Looking for you.”
My pulse jumped. “Why?”
She stepped closer. “Because you’ve been avoiding me again.”
I backed up until my shoulder hit the bookshelf. She stopped just a foot away, not touching, but close enough to cage me in with her presence.
“You’re making things harder than they need to be,” she murmured.
“I didn’t ask for this attention,” I whispered, panic and confusion tangling in my chest.
“I know.” Her voice softened, almost gentle. “That’s why I’m here. To shield you from it. But you have to trust me.”
Her eyes bore into mine, unyielding. “Say yes, Bianca. Be my secretary. Step into this with me. I promise—you won’t regret it.”
I swallowed hard, trapped between fear and something else I couldn’t name.
“I…” My voice broke.
Her gaze didn’t waver. She waited, patient, certain I’d give in.
And for the first time, I realized… maybe I already had.
---
Yhannie’s POV
When she whispered “Okay,” so softly I almost missed it, a rush of satisfaction surged through me.
Finally.
My hand twitched, wanting to reach for hers, to claim the victory physically—but I held back. Too soon. Too obvious.
Instead, I smiled faintly, stepping back to give her space. “Good. You won’t regret it.”
She exhaled shakily, relief and dread mixing on her face.
I turned, hiding my grin as we left the library together.
She thought she’d just agreed to paperwork and meetings.
But what she’d really done was bind herself to me.
And I had no intention of letting those strings loosen.
- Writer
