My Hobby Or Distraction

Skylar's POV I fell in love with the bully I was meant to hate. It all started in Mr. Harrison’s afternoon class. The numbers written across the whiteboard blurred together as my attention drifted elsewhere. Mr. Harrison had been explaining something about Mavic’s history and its similarities to Germany for the past ten minutes, but I hadn't heard a word of it. My focus was fixed on the half-finished sketch hidden beneath my notebook. I'd started drawing during lunch and had spent the entire lesson thinking about how to finish the shading on the eyes. I was mentally adjusting proportions and shadows when Mr. Harrison's voice suddenly cut through my concentration. "Skylar!" My head snapped up as every student in the classroom turned to look at me. Great. I was in a big mess. "Yes, sir?" I asked, hoping I didn't look as distracted as I felt. Mr. Harrison folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Since you're clearly paying such close attention, perhaps you'd like to tell us when the Treaty of Versailles was signed." A few students laughed. I straightened in my seat. "June twenty-eighth, nineteen nineteen. It officially ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers, although the armistice had already taken effect in November nineteen eighteen." The room fell silent. Mr. Harrison blinked before giving a small nod. "Correct." A few impressed murmurs spread through the classroom. "At least one student is awake today," he said before turning back to the board. I lowered my gaze, hiding a small smile. My eyes returned to my notebook as I muttered, "I'm only distracted, not stupid." The moment his attention shifted elsewhere, my eyes drifted back to the unfinished sketch. The final bell rang several minutes later. Chairs scraped against the floor as students rushed toward the exit. Conversations filled the room while everyone hurried off to enjoy the rest of the afternoon, probably to watch Mason and his boys participate in the upcoming ice hockey game. I stayed exactly where I was. Unlike most students at Ridgeway Academy, I didn't have parties to attend, expensive shopping trips to plan, or a social calendar packed with invitations. Once the classroom had mostly emptied, I slipped my sketchbook from beneath my notebook and studied my work, tracing my fingers over the impressive designs. The portrait was still unfinished, but it was finally starting to look the way I wanted. "You're still here?" The familiar voice nearly made me drop the sketchbook. Looking up, I found Chloe Hayes leaning against the desk beside mine, amusement dancing in her eyes. "What?" I asked. She pointed at the sketchbook. "Let me guess. You've been drawing through another lesson." "Mind your business," I hissed, immediately closing it. "I knew it." Chloe laughed. "It's not a crime to draw." "No, but your obsession is becoming concerning." I rolled my eyes. "You spend six hours a day stalking celebrities online." "That's completely different," she protested, pouting her lips. "How?" I asked. "Because my habit is socially acceptable." Chloe dropped into the chair in front of me and rested her chin on her palm. "Anyway, pack up." Suspicion immediately crept into my voice. "Why?" "Because we're going to the championship game." "No," I groaned. "Yes." "Chloe, I don't even like hockey. I'd rather stay back and prepare for the upcoming maths test tomorrow." She stared at me like I'd personally offended her. "You don't like hockey because you've never actually watched a game." "A bunch of rich kids chasing a puck across ice doesn't sound entertaining to me." "My brother is playing." She suddenly blurted it out. That made me pause, and Chloe caught it immediately as a smug grin spread across her face. "There it is," she exclaimed. I frowned. "There what is?" "The look you get whenever Mason Knight comes up." Heat rushed to my cheeks, not because I liked him, but because I knew exactly where this conversation was going. Mason Knight. The captain of Ridgeway Academy's hockey team, heir to the Knight family fortune, and owner of more money than some countries. He was arguably the most irritating human being I had ever encountered. If arrogance were an Olympic sport, Mason would have a gold medal collection. "You're imagining things," I muttered. "Sure I am." Chloe laughed. "Can we go before you invent more nonsense?" I cut in, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes." Her grin widened. Chloe noticed my unease as I hesitated at the gate of the ice rink, so she laughed before leaning forward. "Come on, Sky. It's the championship game. Ridgeway hasn't made the finals in years." "And so?" "And the entire school is going," she pleaded. "I won't be comfortable alone. I need you by my side." And just like that, she conned me into staying and watching the ice hockey championship. --- The arena was already packed by the time we arrived. Students crowded the stands, waving banners and chanting Ridgeway's name loud enough to shake the building. The energy was infectious, even though I had no intention of admitting it. Before we could take our seats, something unexpected happened. For some reason, I had wandered near the entrance of one of the locker rooms, trying to find the best possible route through the crowd. Then a strong, energetic body barged into me. The impact sent my bag flying from my shoulder. My sketch pad and colour pens scattered across the floor, sliding several metres away as my private sketches were exposed for everyone to see. I heard mocking laughter and irritated sighs around me as I turned in annoyance. Only to be met by that cold gaze.