WILD ON THE INSIDE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

if I wasn’t enough—I’ve found someone better than you.”

Nikki’s voice trembled. “This is… odd,” she said. “It’s from you, Hardin.”

“That’s strange,” Hardin muttered, patting his pockets. “Wait a minute—my phone is missing!” He sprang up and rushed back to the class, a storm in his mind.

Megan was already there, calmly reading a biology textbook as if nothing had happened. He found her by his locker.

“You,” he said in a low, angry tone.

“What?” she said with equal coldness.

“How dare you steal my phone! You could’ve read things that didn’t belong to you,” he snapped.

“Relax,” she said coolly. “I don’t care about your personal life. I just wanted to win the bet. So—did it work out?”

“No, it didn’t,” he said, his jaw tightening. “Because when you sent that stupid text message, I was sitting right next to Nikki.”

Megan’s shoulders slumped, but her voice stayed sharp. “You know what? I give up. I don’t care about the bet anymore. I’m done,” she said, her words slicing the air. At that moment, Nikki appeared at the doorway, and all eyes in the classroom shifted to her.

Nikki’s eyes were sad but composed.

“Okay,” she said softly. “Maybe I know you’re not a fool, Hardin, but I’m not here to be eye candy. I failed the first bet I told you about because of the same reason. It shouldn’t be a bet for you to break up with someone you don’t even love. On the contrary—it’s painful, but it’s the right thing to do. I don’t need to be a bet,” she said quietly.

Dylan, seated in the back row, watched the spectacle unfold with a half-smile—amused, unreadable.

“What do you want me to do then?” Hardin exploded. “Leave Nikki and date you?”

“Yes!” Megan fired back. “You already said you don’t like her.”

There was a moment’s pause. Hardin’s voice softened. “And what about you? Do you think I like you?”

“I don’t know. Do you?” she challenged.

“You drive me insane,” he muttered. “You make me want to scream. I’d strangle you if I didn’t miss you every second you’re not around. You might say I’m a Machiavellian freak, but I swear, you’ve taken all of my attention. I’d rather argue with you than talk to anyone else.”

“Then make a choice,” she demanded.

Before Hardin could speak, Nikki stepped forward again, her voice steady. “You don’t need to choose. Not anymore. I’m stepping away. I won’t beg. Go date a thousand girls if it pleases you, Hardin. But don’t forget—‘you are because I am.’”

Hardin’s eyes glimmered with guilt, but he didn’t say a word. Nikki turned and walked out of the classroom, her head held high.

No sooner had she left than Megan let out a scream, a wail of pent-up rage and relief. “I won!” she said, her eyes wild with a mix of triumph and disbelief.

Dylan, watching from the back of the class, let out a small, mirthless smile. “Shouldn’t something else come next?” he teased smoothly.

“I can’t believe it,” Hardin said, shaking his head. “But I guess… it’s been worth it.”

“Come on,” Hardin said, grabbing Megan’s hand and pulling her out of class. “We gotta go.”

Soon an announcement echoed through the halls, calling all students to the main hall. The emcee’s voice was bright: “Today, we have called you here to witness a beautiful moment—a declaration from our dear school president, Hardin.”

Hardin stepped onto the platform, holding Megan’s hand. The crowd of students cheered and watched in wonder.

“The beautiful angel that appears in my dreams stands here before me,” Hardin began, his voice steady and sincere. “Your beauty makes me run off my head, too complex to describe, but too mesmerizing to ignore. At times I watch myself staring at you when I’m bemused, and I tell myself, she is the right one. So today, before everyone else, I want to take this chance: will you be my Juliet, and I’ll be your Romeo? Will you be my girlfriend?”

The words touched Megan’s heart, but she stood strong. “Such beautiful words, indeed,” she said. “But I have my own conditions. I need a perfect Romeo—someone who understands me. I’m exasperating, that’s no secret. Will you handle my temper? Will you stand by me till the very end?”

“It’s just as I thought you would say, my lady,” he said softly. “Just forget for a while that we make mistakes. We’re not angels—but that’s okay. These are just small scars to your beautiful world. Don’t feel burdened—I’m here to lift it off your chest.”

“Then… I guess I’ll be your Juliet,” Megan said, tears brimming in her eyes.

Hardin pulled her in and kissed her, long and passionately. The students around them hummed and clapped at the unexpected display.

Some smiled; others looked away, unsure how to feel.

Later, during lunch, Megan sat with the elites at their table, though Nikki was gone. Only three remained—Charlie had distanced himself, too hurt to intervene. He watched from a distance, his heart heavy.

Megan and Hardin later walked hand in hand to class, a new dynamic between them. Dylan tried to find a moment to talk to her, but with Hardin around, it seemed impossible.

When the biology teacher returned, he gave the groups a new assignment. The classroom was filled with an eerie silence, each group trapped in its own awkward tension. Charlie and Hardin barely spoke, both glued to their phones. Megan and Nikki’s group was dead silent.

Megan finally broke the hush. “Do you have any idea how to do this f*****g number?” she asked Nikki bluntly.

“No. Do you?” Nikki retorted icily.

“Finished,” Megan replied curtly.

“Wow. Impressive,” Nikki said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You must be inspired by your new relationship.”

“You don’t have to mention that,” Megan shot back.

“You don’t have to mention the obvious ,” Megan added with a small, sarcastic smile. “I’m so inspired by your ex,” she said mockingly.

“But if I were you, I wouldn’t be so excited about something that will only end in tears,” she warned, her tone dripping with irony.

“But guess what? You’re not me, so allow me to enjoy my young life,” she finished confidently, gathering her work and walking up to the teacher’s desk.

After handing in her work, Megan slipped out of the class and headed straight for the library. Her steps were brisk and determined, the quiet halls echoing as she moved past the trophy cases and lockers. She wanted to see some of the school couples who usually gathered there, but she also needed a moment to gather her thoughts. Dylan handed in his work too, and without missing a beat, he followed her upstairs to the library.

He found her already seated at a table, flipping through a thick novel with an intense focus, the soft