Saving the Villain

Maxen had been strange throughout the rest of the weekend. Cosette couldn't point it out exactly, but she could feel something was up.

"Oy." Cosette flinched when Luke suddenly snapped his finger in front of her. She turned her head to him, raising a brow.

"Cozie, are you really that ruthless?" he asked out of nowhere, leaning against his desk with his arms folded on top of it. "What will you do if Maxen melts in your salacious gazes?"

Her expression died, reminding herself she just visited the temple yesterday with her grandparents. Hence, she should let the goodness in her take charge instead of violence.

"Luke, if you're that bored, just bother Remo." Cosette jerked her chin in Remo's direction. The latter was peacefully reading something — probably studying since Remo had many lessons to catch up on.

"Girl, I'm so tired of his face. All I've seen the entire weekend is his face." Luke's face turned sour. "Let me look at your beauty, hmm? I think that will help me recharge. You know how much I missed you. I didn't hear from you the entire weekend."

Cosette narrowed her eyes, repeating everything he just spewed just now.

"Are you really that determined for me to stop staring at Maxen?" she asked, figuring out Luke was creatively diverting her attention from Maxen. "Are you jealous?"

"Are you insecure?" Luke gasped with his hand across his chest. "I just said I missed you, and you will accuse me of being jealous."

Her lips parted to argue with him, but she ended up shaking her head in disbelief.

"Don't bother me and use this vacant time to study." Cosette rolled her eyes at him to look back at Maxen. "I'm busy."

"Tch." Luke snapped his tongue, knocking on her desk.

Some of their classmates who were using their vacant time to study couldn't help but look at the door because of the knocking sound. Others didn't care as they were having a nap. Meanwhile, the vein in Cosette's temple protruded in irritation.

"Stop it, Luke!" Cosette whispered yell, grinding her teeth as she face him. Her brows, however, rose upon seeing him point at something. Her gaze followed the direction he was pointing, tilting her head to the side.

"Let's gossip." Luke carefully dragged his chair and desk beside Cosette, whispering in her ears. "I heard Amie and Fay broke up. Damn. Did you know they were in a relationship?"

Cosette looked him dead in the eye. "Breakups don't only happen in a romantic relationship, Luke. It also happens in friendships, and honestly, a friend's breakup is the worse. So don't even think of gossiping about my friends."

"Gee. I never saw a guy who likes to gossip." She added, looking back at him in dismay.

"Hey, I'm trying to save Maxen from you, alright? Can't you see he is busy?" Luke snapped his tongue in irritation, looking back at her with equal dismay. "How can you be so heartless to me?"

"Because you're competing with me with Maxen's attention."

"Girl… Max and I are bros. If there's someone who needs to curry favor here, it should be the girlfriend."

Cosette opened her mouth to retort, but she figured her argument was a bit insensitive.

'Just because Ezekiel Stone brought out the worse in you, it doesn't mean you should embrace that character you painstakingly erase.' She told herself, mentally nodding her head.

Cosette wasn't the same Cosette anymore. She wasn't that heartless, insensitive, and indifferent woman from the past. Not because she let that part of her show before Ezekiel, it doesn't mean she just becomes mean to Luke. At least, she could be mean whilst avoiding topic that was below the belt.

"Gosh…" Cosette cupped her cheek and let out a deep exhale. "... I hate you."

"Same." Luke grinned. "With passion."

Cosette just cast him a quick look before darting her eyes from Fay and then at Amie. Meanwhile, Luke leaned back as he scanned the classroom. Today's Monday was extremely quiet. He didn't know why, but it just felt like something was wrong with the mood.

Was it because they were now in their junior year that everyone was getting serious about their studies? They still have a year — excluding this school year — before they would graduate. Why was everyone cramming?

Luke glanced at Maxen. The latter was reading books and writing on his note diligently. Seeing Maxen studying wasn't new because he had manifested the character of being the responsible student in their group.

So Luke moved his eyes to Remo. Since Luke had been hanging out with him because they were now neighbors. Luke would sometimes tutor him as well since they all had agreed to get great grades this school year. Therefore, it wasn't surprising to see Remo immersed in reviewing.

When Luke shifted his eyes to Fay, his under eye twitched. Fay wasn't screaming, but he could feel the invisible fire enveloping her.

'Friends break up hurts differently, huh?' Luke thought, shifting his attention to Amie.

Unlike Fay and everyone, Amie looked peaceful and relaxed. She wasn't studying, but instead, smiling while using her phone.

'I guess even if she studies, her problem with Fay will not make her focus.' Luke mentally nodded and then moved his attention to Sarah. Though Luke didn't pay much attention to Sarah because Sarah was always Sarah.

Whatever they would do, Sarah would always be like Maxen: responsible, organized, and sensible. So seeing that Sarah was just writing down notes, Luke shifted his attention to the person next to him, Cosette.

"Cozie, why aren't you studying?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts as she had been staring at Fay and Amie.

"Huh?" Cosette turned her head to him, blinking, realizing he hadn't moved his chair away from hers. "You're too close, Luke."

Luke glanced at the inch gap between their desk and his arm that was resting over her chair.

"Are we?" he set his eyes back on her, tilting his head to the side. "Bothered?"