Collision Course
1497 Words
Raina knew trouble when she saw it — and Arian Cole spelled it in capital letters.
The way he prowled through the school hallways with the ease of someone who owned the world and knew it. The lazy slant of his smirk. The trail of girls who followed him like perfume. He was the kind of person she built emotional shields against — loud, chaotic, and dangerous.
But somehow, he was breaking past her defenses. And she hated it.
Raina’s POV
It was just after Chemistry class. I pressed my back against the locker, arms crossed tight like armor. From the corner of my eye, I saw him — that signature swagger, hands in his pockets, whispering something to Nathan that made them both laugh.
His eyes caught mine. I looked away too late.
Shit.
Arian started walking toward me with slow, purposeful steps. And for some stupid reason, my stomach flipped.
“Waiting for me again?” he asked, stopping inches from me.
“I was actually praying you’d catch a cold and stay home.”
He smiled, that crooked kind that always felt like a challenge. “Aww, concerned about my health? That’s cute.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re really testing the limits of human patience, Cole.”
“You’re still talking to me though,” he said, and leaned a little closer, eyes locked on mine. “Why is that?”
Because even when I hate you, I feel you. And I hate that even more.
Instead, I said coolly, “Because ignoring you doesn’t seem to make you go away.”
Arian’s POV
She always looked like she was trying not to flinch when I got close. But her body gave her away — the way her shoulders stiffened, her breath hitched for just a second too long.
Raina Dane was a storm pretending to be a mountain.
And I was going to be the wind that brought her down.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm from behind.
“Ari,” a sickeningly sweet voice cooed.
Mia.
God.
She was dressed in the tightest cropped school sweater allowed, her red-tinted lips curling into a venomous smile as she eyed Raina.
“I’ve been looking for you all morning,” she pouted, looping her arm through mine like a warning sign.
Raina didn’t blink. Her lips twitched into a fake, bored smile.
“You’re welcome to him.”
Mia narrowed her eyes. “Oh, I wasn’t asking permission. I’m just making sure there’s no confusion.”
“No confusion here,” Raina said, voice smooth as ice. “You can keep playing couple. Just don’t assume I’m in the game.”
My mouth twitched, trying not to laugh.
Mia scoffed, eyes flaring. “Funny. A girl like you should know better than to think she’s different. He’ll get bored.”
Raina tilted her head, calm and deadly. “Then make sure you’re interesting enough to hold his attention. And stop wasting mine.”
Before either of us could respond, she turned and walked off — long, confident strides like she ruled every step.
God, she was fire. And I wanted to burn.
Mia burned with anger and thought to herself.
That girl thinks she’s untouchable. She doesn’t know what she’s playing with.
Arian was mine. Still is. He always came back.
And I was going to make sure he never forgot it.
Raina was trying to study, tucked in the corner of the library stacks with a book in hand, when a shadow loomed over her table.
“You always hide in libraries?” Arian asked, dropping into the seat across from her.
“Only when I want to avoid idiots,” she replied without looking up.
He grinned, resting his elbows on the table and folding his hands like this was some sort of negotiation.
“Then it’s lucky I’m persistent.”
She finally met his gaze, exasperated. “What do you want from me, Arian?”
He leaned in slightly. “To get past your walls.”
She looked around confused, corked her head to the side and said, “Where are the walls??”
He was quiet for a moment, the smirk fading.
“Because maybe I’m the only one who sees what you’re really hiding.”
That stung. Hard.
She slammed the book shut and stood. “Newsflash: I’m not hiding anything. What you see is what you get.”
He stood with her, close enough for her breath to catch.
“Then stop pretending you don’t want me.”
Their eyes locked again — fire and ice, neither backing down.
But her voice was steady. “I don’t want you.”
“You keep telling yourself that, Raina.”
He brushed past her, their arms barely touching. Her skin lit up like electricity had kissed it.
She hated it. She hated him.
And she hated how much she wanted to feel it again.
Arian's POV
That night in his car, parked in a secluded area behind Nathan’s place, Arian leaned back against the leather seat, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.
“You’ve got it bad,” Nathan muttered beside him.
Arian glanced at him sideways. “What gave it away? The part where I can’t stop thinking about her? Or the part where Mia nearly clawed her face off and Raina didn’t flinch?”
Nathan laughed. “Bro, she’s not like the others.”
“I know,” Arian said quietly.
“That scares you?”
He stared out the windshield. “It excites me.”
Raina threw her bag onto the floor and collapsed onto her bed.
Her body was still humming from how close Arian had gotten. She closed her eyes and cursed herself.
She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t some silly girl falling for a popular rich boy.
But damn it... he made her feel seen.
And no one had seen her in a long, long time.
The next day at school, Raina stared at the list of extracurriculars on the school bulletin board like it was a death sentence. Debate club? No. Drama? God, no. Chess? She'd fall asleep before the first match.
Then her eyes landed on it: Fencing.
"Limited slots. One-on-one training. Discipline. Strength. Precision."
It felt right. Cold steel, measured movements. Something clean and focused. Unlike her life. Unlike her feelings. Unlike Arian Cole.
"Fencing?" Nathan raised an eyebrow as he leaned against Arian's locker. "Seriously, man. You? With swords?"
"Not me," Arian replied, flipping through his phone. "Her. Raina."
Nathan whistled low. "Damn. She's picking the one sport where you'll end up face-to-face with her, alone, and holding swords. That's poetic."
Arian smirked. "It’s also dangerous. For both of us."
The fencing room smelled of polish and dust. Raina stepped onto the mat in her white uniform, mask tucked under her arm. Arian was already waiting, dressed to match, his mask in place, his posture annoyingly perfect.
"Try not to stab me too hard, Dane," his voice teased through the mesh.
Raina was surprised to find him here again, however, she quickly recovered herself and maintained her cool exterior.
"No promises," she said, lowering her mask.
Their swords clashed with clean metallic snaps, the tension instantly crackling. They moved like magnets — pulled together, repelled apart. Every time she lunged, he parried. Every time he pressed forward, she spun away.
"You're good," he said, panting slightly.
"Surprised?"
"A little. I thought anger made people sloppy."
She blocked a hit and stepped forward, closer than necessary. "Anger makes me sharp. You, on the other hand, look distracted."
They froze — swords crossed, noses inches apart, breathing hard.
The room was too quiet. The air too heavy. Her chest brushed his as they breathed.
Then, without warning, she stepped back.
"I win this round."
He didn’t argue. But his eyes burned.
Later that evening, Mia ran her manicured nails down Arian’s bare chest as she curled beside him on his bed.
"You’ve been… tense lately," she purred.
"Yeah, well, maybe stabbing people in fencing makes me nervous," he muttered.
Mia giggled and straddled him. "She’s got you, huh?"
His eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"StoneHeart. Raina. Don't play dumb. I know you, Ari. You're obsessed."
He sighed. "Get to the point."
"She’s out of the way. For now."
His body went still. "What the hell does that mean?"
Mia grinned. "Some of the girls... we had a little fun. Locked her in the zoo shed behind the science building. She’s probably still whining about monkey poop and rain."
Arian pushed her off him. She landed with a thud.
"What the actual f**k, Mia?"
She sat up, rubbing her elbow. "Relax! It’s not like we hurt her. It was just a little scare."
He stood, grabbed his jeans. "You think this is a game?"
"I did it for you! She's crawling under your skin."
He zipped up, fire in his eyes. "Stay in your lane, Mia. You're not my girlfriend. You’re a f*****g mistake."
- Writer
