Chapter 11: The Rooftop
1499 Words
Night had fallen over Blackthorn Academy.
The sky was clear now, stars scattered across the darkness.
I stepped onto the quiet rooftop terrace above the library, pulling my sweater tighter against the cool night air. My hair free of the long braid rustled in the breeze.
I came here sometimes when the academy felt too loud.
Too crowded.
Tonight I needed the quiet.
“Thought I might find you up here.”
turning around Ryker stepped through the rooftop door.
My heart skipped. I hadn’t seen him since lunch earlier that day.
“You followed me?”
He shrugged.
“You’re predictable.”
I rolled my eyes and turned back toward the balcony.
“I know you pretended to be okay” he said
“Isn’t that what we do? You were jealous today, I didn’t like it.”
He smirked faintly.
“I was observant.”
“Sebastian was just being nice.”
Ryker walked closer.
“Don’t be naive, Sebastian Langley is never just being nice.”
I crossed my arms.
“You don’t get to interrogate my social life.”
“I’m not interrogating.”
He stopped a few steps away.
“I’m asking.”
My voice softened slightly.
“Why do you even care so much?”
The wind rustled softly around us.
Ryker looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said quietly,
“You know why.”
My heartbeat quickened.
“You still haven’t said it.”
Ryker stepped closer.
Close enough now that I could feel the warmth from him despite the cool night.
“You really need me to spell it out?”
My voice was barely above a whisper.
“Maybe.”
For a moment neither of us moved.
Then Ryker reached out slowly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. Trailing his fingers down the strands.
Looking down at it “I like your hair like this”.
The touch sent a shiver through me.
“Zari,” he murmured, meeting my gaze.
My breath caught.
The space between us disappeared.
Having no interruptions.
No phones.
No librarians.
No students.
Just the quiet rooftop yet again, and the night sky.
My hand lightly caught the front of his jacket.
And then… just like before
He kissed me.
Slow at first. Different.
Testing again.
But then taking my face into both of his hands, I kissed him back, the tension between us finally snapped.
The kiss deepened, warm and electric, the kind that made the world fade into the background.
My fingers curled into his jacket as he pulled me closer.
For a moment neither of us seemed interested in stopping.
When we finally broke apart, both of us were slightly breathless.
Ryker rested his forehead lightly against mine.
“Still think persuasion doesn’t work?” he murmured.
I smiled softly.
“I think,” I whispered,
“you’ve been practicing.”
Above us, the stars glittered over Blackthorn Academy.
And somewhere inside the school..
Torin Harrington had no idea the game had just completely changed.
THE NEXT DAY..
Morning at Blackthorn Academy always arrived with noise.
Students filled the marble halls between classes, lockers slammed, and whispers moved faster than the morning bell.
But today the whispers were different.
They followed Zaria Vale like a shadow.
“…the rooftop last night.”
“I heard Ryker was there too.”
“Are they together now?”
I walked down the corridor trying to ignore the glances. Tessa hurried beside me, practically vibrating with excitement.
“You kissed him on the rooftop?” she whispered. “Zaria, that’s legendary behavior.”
I groaned softly. “s**t!”
“It wasn’t a public event.”
“Well someone saw it,” Tessa said. “Because half the academy is talking about it.”
My stomach tightened.
Before I could respond, a loud voice cut across the hallway.
“Zaria!.”
The chatter instantly died down.
Torin stood near the lockers ahead, his expression cold enough to freeze the entire corridor.
Students nearby immediately slowed down, pretending to check their phones while clearly watching.
I sighed quietly.
“Not. Today. Torin.”
But he was already walking toward me.
His jaw was tight, his eyes burning with something far more intense than anger.
“You and Kane,” he said.
I folded my arms.
“What about us?”
Torin laughed bitterly.
“Oh come on, Zaria. You really think people wouldn’t talk?”
Tessa stepped slightly behind me, sensing the tension.
Torin leaned closer, lowering his voice… but not enough to stop people from hearing.
“You couldn’t even wait a week?” he said.
I frowned.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
His voice sharpened.
“Don’t play innocent.”
He gestured toward the stairwell leading to the library wing.
“The rooftop.”
My heart skipped.
Torin continued, his tone laced with jealousy.
“You always said you were saving yourself for something meaningful,” he said. “Guess Kane convinced you pretty quickly.”
My eyes widened.
“That’s not-“
“So that’s it?” Torin snapped. “Two years with me and suddenly he gets what I didn’t?”
The hallway erupted in murmurs.
I felt heat rise to my face.. this time not from embarrassment, but anger. Closing my eyes and reciting my mantra.. my lids snap open.
“Well?” He said with entitlement, as if I owed him an explanation.
“You have absolutely no right to talk about me like that,” I said sharply.
Torin scoffed.
“I have every right when you throw it away for someone like him.”
Before I could respond..
Another voice cut through the crowd.
“You should stop talking.”
Everyone turned.
Ryker stood at the end of the hallway.
His posture was calm, but his expression was anything but.
Julian leaned against the wall behind him, arms crossed, clearly expecting chaos.
Torin let out a dry laugh.
“Oh look. Speak of the devil.”
Ryker walked forward slowly.
Students moved aside instinctively as he approached. Some deciding to leave immediately.
His gaze never left Torin.
“You’re spreading rumors again Harrington, I thought only women did that” Ryker said.
Torin smirked.
“Rumors?”
He glanced at me.
“Did I get something wrong?”
Ryker stopped a few feet away.
“You’re wrong about a lot of f*****g things.”
Torin’s voice rose slightly.
“Oh yeah? Like what? Please. Enlighten Me”
Ryker’s tone remained steady.
“Like thinking anything Zaria does has anything to do with you anymore.”
The words landed hard.
Torin’s expression darkened.
“You think you won something?” he said. “You think she actually cares about you don’t you?”
Ryker shrugged lightly.
“I don’t need to prove anything.”
Torin laughed bitterly.
“You got her in one night. Congratulations Kane.” clapping his hands.
I step forward, blood boiling.
“That’s enough.”
Both boys looked at me.
My voice was sharp.
“You’re both talking about me like I’m not even f*****g here.”
Torin looked taken aback.
But I wasn’t finished.
“What happened on that rooftop is none of your damn business,” I said firmly.
My eyes locked onto Torin.
“And you don’t get to act like I owed you something just because we dated.” “Let’s be honest, that’s the only reason you stuck around and you obviously got tired of waiting”.
The hallway had gone completely silent.
Torin’s confidence faltered slightly. For a split second he actually looked hurt.
Ryker watched me quietly, a hint of admiration in his expression.
Torin exhaled sharply.
“Whatever,” he muttered.
He stepped back, shaking his head.
“This whole thing is going to blow up eventually.”
He shot Ryker one last glare.
“And when it does, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Then he turned and pushed through the crowd, disappearing down the hallway.
The noise slowly returned as students resumed their conversations.
Tessa leaned toward me immediately.
“Okay,” she whispered. “That was iconic.”
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
Across from me, Ryker studied my expression.
“You alright?” he asked quietly.
I glanced up at him.
“You know he’s still in love with you right?”
“What?” frowning my face “Don’t be ridiculous, people do cheat on people they love Ryker”
Placing his hands back in his pockets, his lips in a tight line as he just looked at her.
“Do you always attract this much chaos?”
faint smile appeared on his lips.
“Only when you’re involved.”
Despite everything, I laughed.
But somewhere in the back of my mind, Torin’s words lingered.
Because at Blackthorn Academy..
Rumors never stayed rumors for long.
And when they spread through the elite society…
They had a way of becoming war.
- Writer
