My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 108: Mr Cool Kid (BC)

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After finishing lunch and dragging myself through two more classes, it felt like my brain was just leaking out of my ears. I made a quick stop at my locker to grab my notes for the next period, trying to balance my textbooks against my hip while I rummaged for the right folder.

The hallway was buzzing with that restless energy people get when the weekend’s almost here, loud voices, laughter bouncing off lockers, and the occasional loud clang of someone slamming theirs a bit too hard.

I overheard a couple of junior girls a few lockers down chatting away, and even though I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose, their voices just carried.

"Jace Henderson’s party is going to be insane," one of them whispered like she was sharing a big secret. "Everyone’s saying it’ll be the biggest one he’s ever had."

"Were you invited to the party, Martha?"

"No...such a bummer, honestly. I’ve always wanted to go to one of his parties."

I couldn’t help but snort softly. They always said that about every party, and they all ended up exactly the same...blaring music, way too many people crammed together, spilled drinks, someone crying and throwing up in the bathroom, and at least one dramatic breakup by the pool. It was a cycle as predictable as my complete lack of upper body strength.

I shoved a notebook into the top shelf of my locker and reached for my chemistry binder when a small voice piped up behind me.

"Hi! Um—are you Noah Valentine?"

I turned around slowly, half-expecting this to be yet another attempt at bullying. Instead, I found three freshmen...two girls and a boy standing awkwardly together, each holding a stack of bright, neon flyers. They looked so hopeful, it was like they were golden retrievers in human form.

"Uh... yeah?" I replied, feeling cautious.

The tallest girl lit up like I’d just confirmed her favorite celebrity’s name. "Awesome! So, um, we’re handing out invites for Jace’s party this weekend, and—" She held out the flyer to me, like it was some sacred scroll. "Your name is on the list, so you’re invited!"

I stared at them, then at the flyer, then back at them, waiting for the punchline.

"Wait... me?" I pointed at myself, shocked. "Are you sure this is for the right Noah Valentine? Because I’m pretty sure Adrien’s friends would rather toss me into the pool than have me show up at one of their parties."

The boy shook his head so fast his shaggy hair slapped his forehead. "No, no, we checked! Jace said to give them out to everyone on that list."

"Literally everyone," the second girl chimed in, then blinked like she realized how that sounded. "I mean—not that you’re, um, everyone—you’re just... included too!"

She winced at her own fumbles, her cheeks turning pink.

I couldn’t help but laugh; their innocence was too much for this school.

Escape while you still can, kiddos.

"Well," I finally said, taking the flyer hesitantly, "thanks, I guess."

"You should totally come," the boy added, looking excited. "I heard there’s going to be a chocolate fountain and a heated pool."

"Great," I mumbled under my breath. "Just what my life needs, more drama near big bodies of water."

But, hey, Adrien did teach me to swim. So maybe I wouldn’t almost die this time.

I glanced down at the neon flyer in my hand—JACE’S END-OF-YEAR BLOWOUT!!! screamed in obnoxious bold letters, with glittery confetti graphics all around the edges.

My stomach twisted a bit. Why would they want me there? Just because a bunch of people were invited? Or was there someone who actually wanted me there?

And more importantly... if I went, was I walking straight into whatever Vanessa and her crew were planning?

I slowly folded the flyer and slipped it into my bag, trying not to overthink it—but I knew I definitely would.

I unfolded the flyer again just to check I wasn’t hallucinating, and yep...there it was in huge sparkly letters at the bottom:

"COOL KIDS ONLY, NO EXCEPTIONS." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

I almost choked on my breath.

"Nope," I immediately muttered, pushing it back toward the freshmen like it was toxic waste. "Yeah, they must’ve made a mistake. Here, give this to someone who actually fits that bill."

The boy looked confused. "But... we did. That’s why we gave it to you."

I blinked at him. "Me? I am not...even on my best, totally delusional day, what you’d call a cool kid."

The curly-haired girl shook her head earnestly. "Um... actually, you kinda are now."

My brain stalled. "I’m sorry, what?"

The tallest girl nodded like she was sharing some big investment news. "You’re dating Ethan Seymour. That alone bumps your social score to, like, a hundred."

"And you’re friends with Adrien Fell," the boy added, as if saying Adrien’s name was a serious upgrade.

Friends? Is that really how people saw us now that Adrien gave me rides to school sometimes?

That we were suddenly best pals?

I almost laughed, wait till they found out what our real relationship was.

"And..." the curly-haired girl leaned in, practically spilling over with excitement like she was sharing some juicy gossip, "...you’re Vanessa’s arch nemesis now. That basically makes you school royalty."

I just stared at them, utterly speechless. My grip on the locker door slipped a little because apparently I needed something to hold on to while I processed this nonsense.

"I—I’m Vanessa’s what?" I managed to stammer.

"Arch. Nemesis," the curly-haired girl repeated slowly, as if I might not get it. "She’s obsessed with you. Everyone’s noticed. It’s iconic how you talk back to her these days since literally no one else does."

"I don’t want to be iconic," I whispered, almost pleading with the universe.

But they just nodded, completely unfazed by my inner turmoil.

"You’re, like, the talk of the school," the tall girl added easily, as if it was obvious. "So it’d actually be weird if you didn’t show up."

I opened my mouth to argue then closed it because what can you even say to that?

"Oh," I finally managed. "I... had no idea."

"Really?" the boy asked, eyes wide. "We figured you’d be sick of hearing about it by now."

"I’m not," I replied weakly. "I mean—I’m definitely sick, but not for that reason."

The boy blushed and murmured so quietly I almost missed it, "Not to mention, you’re kind of hot."

I blinked in shock and flushed so deeply I thought smoke might come out of my ears. "O–oh, um...thanks?"

I was hot too, now?

They laughed politely, then waved again before heading off to spread more neon chaos down the hall.

And I stood there, frozen, one hand on my locker and the other hanging dumbly in the air like I was holding an invisible question mark.

Cool kids only?

Popular now?

Talk of the school?

Arch nemesis of Vanessa?

...Hot?

My mind raced through all of it like a malfunctioning slideshow while my soul felt like it was slowly leaving my body.

"Popular," I whispered to myself. "Me. Popular... "

What a year this was turning out to be.

Then I found myself leaning my forehead against the cool metal of my locker door because the absurdity of all this was too much for my brain to handle.

I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or call Gigi and ask if this was some cosmic prank the universe was pulling on me.

All I knew was...

My life had officially entered its weirdest era.