7

LUNA

AS THE MORNING LIGHT filtered through the frosted windowpanes, illuminating the classroom in a soft glow, I sat at my desk in the English classroom, my notepad opened in front of me. With delicate strokes of the pencil, I traced the contours of a flower, each line etched into the paper. Lost in my sketch, I didn't notice the figure that approached until he slid into the seat beside mine. Hudson flashed me a mischievous grin.

"You should draw a fire-breathing dragon next." He said. "That would be epic."

I tensed at the sound of his voice. My grip on my pencil tightened. Ignoring him, I focused on my drawing, hoping he would take the hint and leave, but Hudson was never skilled at social cues. His breath hit my neck as he peered over my shoulder, admiring my sketch.

"It looks amazing, Snow ." He said, his tone sincere.

I felt a flicker of pride at his compliment, but I pushed it aside. Letting your guard down around Hudson was a risky move.

"Thanks."

My lack of response didn't satisfy him. With a playful grin, he leaned closer for a glimpse of my drawing. I pulled my notepad closer to my chest to block his view.

"Don't be like that." He teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

I shook my head. My resolve hardened.

"Forget it, Wilder."

Mr. Morrison interrupted our banter, entering the classroom with a stack of papers. The class settled down once he cleared his throat.

"Now that we've gone through everything we need to know about Hamlet. You will work in pairs for a written report on all the major themes." He said. "Your partner will be the person sitting next to you."

I froze and dropped my pencil, but it was inaudible over the chatter. Hudson turned to me with a face-splitting grin.

"Hey there, partner."

There was not enough air for me to breathe to calm down. I clenched the sides of the table with inhuman anger. Hudson leaned back in his seat with a complacent grin.

"The assignment is due next Wednesday, so I would advise you to work on it immediately." Mr. Morrison said before sitting at his desk.

"Meet me at the diner after school."

Hudson sat up with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Are you asking me on a date?"

I rolled my eyes at his arrogance.

"I am not failing this because of you, so you better be there."

He put his hand to the side of his head in a mock salute with a phony serious look on his face.

"Sir, yes, sir." He said before dropping his hand. "Just one more question. Do you prefer flowers or chocolate?"

"Why?" I asked with knitted brows.

"I can't show up to our date empty-handed. My parents raised me better than that."

The blood in my veins boiled as I punched his arm, wincing as I took most of the hit.I rubbed my knuckles. As class ended, I gathered my things, determined to get through this assignment without drama.

"Can't wait for this afternoon." He whispered into my ear as he strutted past me and out of the door.

As I exited the room, my heart raced with nerves. I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled in my stomach at the thought of having to be near Hudson for an extended period.

Austin greeted me with a smile. He leaned against my locker as his familiar smile brought a sense of comfort. We moved in for a kiss.

"Hey babe." He said. "A few of us are going to hang out at Ricky's place after school. Want to join?"

My heart sank at his words, knowing I'd have to tell him about the assignment. I bit my lip, steeling myself for his reaction.

"I can't."

His smile faltered, replaced by a furrow of confusion.

"Why not?"

I took a deep breath, thinking it was best to rip the band-aid off.

"Hudson and I are partners on an assignment."

Austin's expression darkened at the mention of his name. His jaw tightened with frustration.

"How did that even happen?"

I winced at the hostility in his voice, but I didn't appreciate the accusatory tone. It's not like I asked for this to happen.

"Mr. Morrison assigned the partners."

He folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm not comfortable with you being alone with him."

I took a step back.

"Do you not trust me?"

He sighed; the frustration was clear on his face.

"I don't trust him . It's obvious he has a thing for you."

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline. Once I registered his words, I shook my head with a bemused smile.

"He has a thing to annoy me."

He wasn't in the mood for lighthearted discussions.

"Whatever it is, I'm joining the two of you."

I tugged the roots of my hair as he walked off, knowing that arguing with him would be pointless.

Sorry, Hudson, it seems you won't have your date after all.

?

The air was thick as I sat with Austin in the diner's booth. The atmosphere hung heavy with unspoken words. Austin fiddled with the straw of his diet Coke ; his gaze fixed on the drink as if it held the answers to the universe.

I shifted in my seat, feeling the weight of his silent disapproval press down on me. He'd rather be with his friends right now, but I never forced him to come with me.

The minutes ticked on, and the silence between us grew thicker, punctuated by the occasional clink of ice against glass. I glanced at the entrance, wishing Hudson would hurry and end the suffering.

It's as if he heard my silent pleading.

He strutted into the diner with his trademark swagger and arrogant grin. In his hand was a single red rose.

He didn't.

My gaze shifted to Austin, noticing the rigid tension in his jaw and the set of his shoulders. Hudson's smile faltered as his eyes set on Austin, his eyes flickered with disappointment. But he didn't take long to regain his composure. His expression shifted to his usual confidence.

"What a lovely surprise." He said. I watched as he bit his lip to hold back his cocky grin, before extending the rose to Austin. "For you, princess ."

He was attempting to provoke Austin, and I was astonished to witness Austin's stoic demeanor. He kept his gaze locked on his drink, pretending that Hudson wasn't even there. However, his cold shoulder made Hudson's smirk wider. He extended the flower to me.

"For my lovely partner."

I glanced between him and Austin, but he didn't move his arm. Sighing, I took the flower, knowing he wouldn't budge until I accepted it. He smiled, sliding his leather jacket off his shoulder and draping it behind his seat. Once comfortable, he folded his arms on the table as if he were about to conduct a business meeting.

"No offense." He said. "I'm not into threesomes."

This ticked Austin off as he slammed his palms on the table, almost knocking his glass off. Heads turned our way.

"Well, there is no way I was letting you anywhere near her alone."

Hudson snorted.

"Chill, jockstrap, we're working on an English essay. We're not planning on running off to Vegas to elope." Hudson said before casting a cheeky glance my way. "Unless you want to, Snow."

Austin launched out of his seat and towered over Hudson's seated figure.

"I've had enough of your quips, Wilder."

He peered at my boyfriend from underneath his lashes and grinned.

"You make it so easy for me," Hudson said before looking at me. "I can't work with such distractions and if you want that A, then I believe we need to compromise."

I sighed, not in the mood for tedious child's play. My eyes locked with Austin's. It's as if we were having a telepathic conversation.

"I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"You don't have to," I said. "If you sit a few tables away, you can still see us."

I gazed at him, hoping he would make this exchange as painless as possible. The sooner we started on this essay, the sooner we could finish it. Austin seemed to have had the same thoughts as his tense shoulders sank. He released a deep breath.

"Fine."

He leaned down to kiss me, and a warm smile spread across my face. I returned the kiss, my heart fluttered with affection.

"There are kids in this diner." Hudson said, interrupting our moment.

Austin ignored him and kept his focus on me.

"I'll be just over there." he said, motioning to the other side of the diner that was still in eye range.

I watched him walk off. A knot tightened in my chest. As he disappeared to the other side, I turned to Hudson.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked, leaning back on the stool with his arms behind his head.

"Have you ever read Hamlet?"

"That's the one with that Macbeth guy, right?"

He seemed pleased at his sordid attempt at humor, but I remained unimpressed. I folded my arms across my chest and raised my brow like a mother about to scold her child.

"Hudson, can you be serious for once?"

He glanced up, a playful smile on his lips.

"What's the rush, Snow ?" He asked. "We have all night."

My frustration grew by the minute.

"This is important, Hudson," I said. "Please help me or I'm leaving."

His grin widened at my plea. He studied me for a moment before leaning forward.

"I'll help. Only because you said please," he said. "But first, answer a question."

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to expect.

"What question?"

He grinned, almost leaning over the table.

"Do you think your boyfriend is jealous?"

"Jealous of what?"

"Us."

I blinked in surprise, taken aback by his statement.

"Why would he be?"

He chuckled, shaking his head, not answering. He leaned back in his seat, his expression turned serious. And, to my amazement, he recited a line from Hamlet.

"I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum."

My jaw dropped in shock as I listened to Hudson recite the famous soliloquy. His eloquence surprised me. Hudson smirked at my reaction, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He grinned and leaned back in his seat with a sense of satisfaction.

"I'm more than just a pretty face."

Hope rose within me as we set to work on the project. We were making progress until Hudson's demeanor shifted. His eyes widened in alarm as he caught sight of someone entering the diner. Without a word, he ducked under the table. I watched in confusion.

"Hudson, what are you doing?"

He glanced at me from under the table, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Without explanation, he emerged from his hiding spot and hurried to the window beside us. He threw it open, letting a cold gust of air through. I stared at him, baffled by his behavior. His eyes danced with amusement as he turned to me.

"Stacy has been looking for me." He said. "Sorry, Snow, but it seems we'll have to finish this another time."

Before I could respond, he slipped out the window with surprising agility, disappearing into the night with a wicked grin.

?