Chapter 15
The echo of laughter cut through the crisp afternoon air, sharp and cruel. Andrea stopped in her tracks, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. The sound was coming from the courtyard just ahead.
At first, it sounded like a typical scene at Blackthorn—red-tied elites enjoying their usual dominance. But then she heard it.
“Stop it! Please, stop!”
A girl’s voice, high and trembling, carried across the stone pathways. Andrea quickened her pace, her heart sinking as she turned the corner and saw them.
A group of four elite students stood in a loose circle, their smirking faces turned toward a younger girl in a white tie who was crouched on the ground. Her books were scattered across the cobblestones, her glasses bent and lying a few feet away.
“What’s wrong, can’t you pick it up?” one of the boys sneered, nudging the girl’s bag with his polished shoe.
“Maybe she needs a little more motivation,” a girl in the group added, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. She leaned down and tipped over the smaller girl’s water bottle, watching with satisfaction as the contents spilled onto the scattered pages of her notebook.
“Hey!” Andrea’s voice rang out, startling the crowd that had begun to gather.
The bullies turned as Andrea marched toward them, her eyes blazing.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, stepping between the scholarship girl and the red ties.
One of the boys smirked, his hands casually slipping into his pockets. “Relax, Queenie. We’re just having a little fun.”
Andrea crossed her arms, her glare unwavering. “Fun? Humiliating someone is your idea of fun?”
The girl who had spilled the water straightened, her eyes narrowing. “This isn’t your business, Riley.”
Andrea took a step closer, her voice steady but cold. “It is now.”
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut. The crowd that had gathered stayed silent, their faces a mix of curiosity and fear.
“Why don’t you just walk away?” the boy said, his smirk faltering slightly under Andrea’s glare.
“Why don’t you?” Andrea shot back, her voice louder now. “Or is picking on people smaller than you the only thing you’re good at?”
The group exchanged uneasy glances, clearly not expecting this level of defiance. Before anyone could respond, another voice cut through the crowd.
“She’s right, you know.”
Aiden Sinclair stepped forward, his presence commanding as always. He sauntered past the onlookers, his crimson tie slightly loose, and stopped beside Andrea. His eyes flicked over the red ties with disdain.
“Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to mess with queens?” Aiden said, his tone light but laced with warning.
The lead boy hesitated, glancing between Aiden and Andrea. “Whatever,” he muttered, waving his hand dismissively. “Let’s go.”
The group left reluctantly, their laughter fading as they disappeared into the courtyard. The crowd began to disperse as well, murmurs and whispers trailing in their wake.
Andrea turned to the girl on the ground, kneeling to help her gather her things. “Are you okay?”
The girl nodded, her hands shaking as she grabbed her notebook. “Thank you,” she whispered, tears streaking her cheeks.
“Don’t let them get to you,” Andrea said gently, handing her the bent glasses. “They’re not worth it.”
The girl gave her a watery smile before hurrying off, leaving Andrea alone with Aiden.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” he said, his tone sharper now.
Andrea straightened, frowning. “Excuse me?”
Aiden folded his arms, his jaw tight. “You’re always throwing yourself into situations without thinking. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
“Dangerous?” Andrea scoffed. “I was standing up for someone who couldn’t stand up for herself.”
“And you think that’s enough?” Aiden’s voice rose, his frustration evident. “You think you can just waltz into this place and change how things work? You don’t get it, Andrea. People like them don’t forget. They don’t forgive.”
Andrea bristled, her own anger flaring. “Maybe if more people stood up to them, they wouldn’t have so much power.”
Aiden stepped closer, his eyes burning with an intensity that made her take an involuntary step back. “You don’t know what they’re capable of,” he said, his voice low but seething.
“And you think I should just sit back and do nothing?” Andrea shot back. “Maybe you’re okay with letting them walk all over people, but I’m not.”
The space between them was almost nonexistent now, their voices quiet but charged. Aiden’s expression shifted, the anger in his eyes blurring into something else—something darker, more complicated.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Andrea’s breath caught as he stepped even closer, his gaze flickering between her eyes and her lips. For a moment, she couldn’t think, couldn’t move.
It felt like the entire world had gone silent, the only sound her pounding heartbeat.
But then—footsteps.
The sound shattered the moment like glass, and Aiden stepped back abruptly, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m done,” he said, his voice tight as he turned on his heel. “Do whatever you want, Andrea.”
She watched him walk away, her chest heaving with emotions she couldn’t name.
