Chapter 13: Denial Is A Strong Force
1233 Words
Morning came, and Dylan found himself standing in the middle of the campus. A crowd surrounded him, their faces a mix of curiosity and amusement.
His hands were tied behind his back—with... was that a Bible ribbon?!
Hannah stood before him, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her face.
"So, Dylan Harris," she said, her voice carrying across the crowd. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Whispers spread through the students like wildfire.
Dylan blinked. "Say for myself? Say what?"
Hannah tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe... explain why you keep staring at me like some lost puppy?”
The crowd exploded into laughter.
Dylan’s jaw clenched. “I do not—”
Hannah took a step closer, tilting her head. “Then why do you know how I tie my hair? Or that I bite my lip when I think? Or that I always carry an energy drink from Jack?”
More gasps. More whispers.
Dylan's pulse spiked. "I—!"
And then—
Hannah reached out and booped his nose.
His eyes snapped open.
Dylan bolted upright in bed, breathing hard. He looked around. His room. No crowd. No Hannah. No humiliating accusations.
What kind of ridiculous dream was that?!
He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. This was getting out of hand.
But it was just a dream. Nothing more.
He was not losing control.
---
By the time Dylan arrived on campus, his morning was already ruined. First, that dream. Then, the whispers.
"Did you hear? Dylan and Hannah spent so much time together on their project—"
"I think they’re getting close!"
"Maybe he actually likes her—"
Dylan's eye twitched. Oh, for the love of—
No. This wasn’t happening.
And then came the final blow.
"Alright, let’s see..." the teacher scanned the list. "Hannah and Dylan, you two are up first."
Dead silence.
Dylan stiffened. Hannah blinked.
Josh let out a loud, fake cough to cover a snort. Lorie elbowed him.
Dylan forced himself to his feet, walking with all the confidence he could muster. He was fine. He was Dylan Harris. He didn’t get nervous over a simple presentation.
Hannah stood beside him, calm and collected as always. She stepped forward and began.
"Good day, everyone. Dylan and I will be presenting our research on—"
Dylan wasn’t listening.
Because across the room, Jack was watching.
Arms crossed. Expression unreadable. Always watching.
Dylan scowled and crossed his arms too.
"Dylan?"
He snapped back to reality. "What?"
Hannah gave him a patient look. "Your turn."
Right. The script. He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. So, in this project, we explored—"
And then—
The projector screen behind them went black.
The class gasped. Someone snickered.
Dylan turned to the laptop. It was working fine just a second ago—what the—
Wait.
The power cord was missing.
Before he could react, someone coughed loudly.
Josh.
Dylan narrowed his eyes as Josh covered his mouth, shaking slightly.
Wait. Was he—laughing?!
Lorie had her face buried in her hands, shoulders trembling.
Dylan’s eye twitched.
And then he spotted it.
The power cord.
Hanging loosely from Jack’s hand.
Jack, for his part, looked completely innocent as he held it up. "Oh? Is this yours?"
The entire class lost it.
Dylan’s pride took a direct hit.
Jack walked up, handed the cord back, and strolled back to his seat like he hadn’t just humiliated him in front of everyone.
The teacher sighed. "Fix it, Dylan."
Dylan gritted his teeth and plugged the cord back in.
As soon as the projector flashed back to life, the class cheered.
Because, of course, they would.
Hannah, unfazed by the chaos, picked up where she left off. She had the class hooked within seconds.
Dylan almost forgot he was supposed to hate her.
"Your turn," she murmured.
Dylan swallowed. Great.
He stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, so basically..."
...And completely forgot his lines.
Silence.
Then—
From the back of the room, Josh fake whispered, "Oh no. He’s distracted by Hannah again."
The classroom erupted.
Dylan lost it.
Lorie smacked Josh’s arm, but she was laughing too.
Dylan took a deep breath. Focus. Just finish this.
Somehow, he survived.
But the damage was done.
---
"So," Josh drawled, slinging an arm over Dylan’s shoulder. "That went well."
Dylan shoved his arm off. "Shut up."
Josh grinned. "I mean, you definitely weren’t distracted at all, right?"
Dylan shot him a glare.
Lorie sighed dramatically. "Poor Hannah. She had to carry the entire presentation."
Dylan stopped walking.
"She did not—!"
Josh and Lorie exchanged glances. Then—burst into laughter again.
Dylan stormed ahead, ignoring them.
But as he did, his eyes drifted back to the classroom.
Inside, Hannah was talking to Jack.
Jack.
And she was smiling.
Dylan clenched his fists.
He had no idea why, but—
He really, really didn’t like that.
---
Dylan stood outside, arms crossed, jaw tight. The sun was barely up, and already, people were talking about him and Hannah again.
He scoffed. Ridiculous.
As if he cared.
Josh and Lorie sat at their usual spot, exchanging looks. Dylan pretended not to notice, but their amusement was loud.
"So," Josh started, resting an arm over the bench. "Rough morning, huh?"
Dylan exhaled sharply through his nose. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Lorie tilted her head. "Right. Because you totally didn’t just glare at Jack from across the courtyard."
Dylan rolled his eyes. "I wasn’t glaring. I was... observing."
Josh smirked. "Observing what, exactly?"
Dylan turned his head, avoiding their gazes. "Just… making sure things are running smoothly."
Lorie blinked. "Running smoothly?"
Josh let out a laugh. "Dude. What are you, the campus peacekeeper?"
Dylan scoffed. "Someone has to be."
Josh and Lorie exchanged another knowing look.
Josh grinned. "Oh no. It’s worse than we thought."
Lorie nodded dramatically. "Complete denial."
Dylan sighed, shaking his head. "You two are insufferable."
Josh slung an arm around Dylan’s shoulders. "And you, my friend, are jealous."
Dylan immediately shoved him off. "I am not jealous."
"Uh-huh."
Lorie leaned in. "Then why do you look ready to set Jack on fire every time he so much as breathes near Hannah?"
Dylan scoffed. "Please. Jack is irrelevant to me."
Josh snorted. "Yeah? Then why do you always notice him first?"
Dylan stiffened. "I don’t—!" He stopped himself. Breathed. Regained composure.
No. He would not let them get to him.
So, instead, he leaned back, smirking lazily. "You guys are overthinking it. I just happen to be the kind of person who’s aware of his surroundings. It’s called observation skills—something you two wouldn’t understand."
Josh and Lorie stared at him. Then burst into laughter.
Dylan scowled. "What?"
Josh wiped a fake tear. "Oh, man. You’re really digging in, huh?"
Lorie grinned. "I give him two days before he snaps."
Dylan scoffed. "I could go a lifetime without giving Hannah Carter a second thought."
Josh immediately turned to Lorie. "One day. Max."
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I have better things to do."
With that, he turned, walking off without another word.
But not before glancing—just once—back at where Hannah and Jack were talking.
Just once.
And absolutely not because he cared.
…Right?
- Writer
