My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 84: Hollow

𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 please ignore this Chapter, this is Chapter 89...a mistake on novelkiss’s update schedule, sorry 😔💕

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I could see Vanessa’s jaw tighten, and at that moment, it was like her calm mask finally cracked. The polished facade she always wore in public just slipped away. She shot up so quickly that her chair scraped loudly against the floor, making half the class flinch.

Yikes, my bad.

"Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me," she hissed, her heels clicking sharply as she marched toward me. "You really think you can talk to me like that and just get away with it?!"

I didn’t even bother looking up. I was too busy faking like I was taking notes from my open textbook, even though I hadn’t written a single word. Honestly, I just wanted the day to be over. The last thing I needed was another pointless showdown with her.

"Vanessa," I muttered, still avoiding her furious stare. "Come on. I’m too tired for your high school drama this early in the morning."

A few students stifled laughs, which only made her angrier. She slammed her perfectly manicured hands on my desk and leaned in so her overpowering floral perfume filled my nose.

"Watch your mouth, Valentine," she spat, her voice low enough that only the front row could hear. "You don’t seem to remember who you’re talking to."

Finally, I looked up. She was seething—eyes narrowed, face flushed, every bit of her radiating anger.

And still... I didn’t flinch.

Behind me, Adrien leaned back in his chair, one arm draped nonchalantly over the backrest, watching the scene unfold with a sly grin. His emerald eyes sparkled with amusement, clearly enjoying the chaos more than he should have.

I shot him a glare, muttering, "You could at least tell your girlfriend to chill out."

His smile widened. "She’s not my girlfriend," he whispered back, voice low enough for just me to catch. "Honestly, this is way more entertaining than anything Mr. Callum’s ever taught."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Asshole"

The whole class seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the drama to escalate. Everyone knew Vanessa had a short fuse, and the idea of her completely losing it was like live entertainment.

Before she could say anything else, a sharp voice cut through the tension.

"Miss Rowe," Mr. Callum called from his desk, his tone precise. "Back to your seat. Now." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Vanessa paused mid-glare, her face shifting from fury to feigned innocence as she straightened up. "Mr. Callum, with all due respect, she—"

"Now," he repeated, a single word carrying enough weight to make even her hesitate.

Vanessa blinked in disbelief. "But he just—"

"If you keep this up," Mr. Callum said evenly as he set down his coffee mug, "I’ll have to send you to the principal’s office. I’m sure that would mean saying goodbye to your prom queen nomination."

That definitely silenced her.

God forbid she loses her popularity points over a loser like me.

A collective gasp spread through the room, and even Vanessa’s friends exchanged awkward glances, unsure whether to step in or pretend they didn’t know her.

Her face turned red, but she swallowed hard and turned away from me with a stiff, rehearsed smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Of course, Mr. Callum," she said sweetly, though her voice wavered slightly. "I was just leaving."

She spun on her heel, her hair flipping over her shoulder as she marched back to her desk.

Once she sat down, I caught a soft laugh from Adrien’s direction. I glanced over, and sure enough, he was smirking like this was the highlight of his week.

"What’s so funny?" I muttered.

He leaned back, still smiling. "You. Standing up to her like that. Didn’t think you had it in you, hamster."

I rolled my eyes. "I told you to quit calling me that."

"Sure you did," he replied, his smirk only growing.

I huffed and went back to staring at my notebook, though a reluctant smile crept onto my lips. Maybe I shouldn’t have enjoyed watching Vanessa get put in her place as much as I did, but considering everything she’d done to me? Yeah, it was pretty satisfying.

The hallway was buzzing with the familiar sounds of freedom that follow a tedious history class. Everyone was chatting and laughing, relieved to finally escape Mr. Callum’s endless lectures.

I clutched my books close as I wove through the crowd on my way to chemistry when suddenly, a pair of warm hands covered my eyes from behind. I froze, my breath hitching for a second before I heard that unmistakable teasing voice.

"Guess who."

Despite myself, I chuckled softly. "Hmm... let me think. Henry Cavill?"

The hands dropped immediately, followed by a familiar scoff. "Excuse me?"

I turned around to see Ethan standing there, pretending to be deeply offended, his messy blond hair and blue eyes full of mock betrayal.

"Henry Cavill?" he echoed dramatically, hand over his heart. "Really, Noah? I’m gone for one class and you’re already dreaming about Superman?"

I grinned, biting my lip to hold back my laughter. "What? You said to guess!"

He shook his head, smirking. "My heart hurts. You wound me, Valentine."

"Oh, you’ll survive."

Before I could say anything else, he stepped closer, that boyish smile turning softer. "Still," he murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear, "I was hoping for a better hello than that."

And just like that, before I could whip up a clever response, his lips met mine.

It wasn’t a quick peck; it was the kind of kiss that tied my stomach in knots and drowned out all my thoughts. The world around us faded into distant murmurs and the sound of sneakers squeaking on tile.

A few people nearby gasped or giggled, but I barely registered it.

When Ethan finally pulled back, he was grinning. "That’s better," he said quietly, resting his forehead against mine.

My face was practically on fire. "E–Ethan..." I whispered, glancing around nervously. "You do realize we’re in the hallway, right?"

He chuckled softly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "Relax. I’m just reminding everyone who my boyfriend is."

I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile too wide. "You’re impossible."

He gave a smug little shrug. "You love it."

And maybe I did. Maybe I loved how he could make everything feel so uncomplicated for those few moments. No drama, no whispers, no tangled emotions just him and that ridiculous smile.

But as we turned to walk together, my gaze flickered to the side, and in an instant, that brief calm shattered.

There was Adrien, walking down the opposite end of the hallway. His uniform jacket was casually slung over his shoulder, his expression as unreadable as always. But what really threw me off was Vanessa.

She was right beside him, holding his hand.

They passed by without sparing us a glance. She was chatting away, laughing too loudly, leaning in too close, and he didn’t even seem to notice or maybe he just didn’t care.

I forced myself to look away, trying to focus on whatever Ethan was saying about basketball practice next. But my heart felt oddly heavy.

I didn’t know why it bothered me. I shouldn’t have cared at all. Adrien could walk hand in hand with whoever he wanted. He wasn’t my problem.

Still, as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and attempted to smile at Ethan, that hollow ache in my chest just wouldn’t go away.

And it pissed me off that it didn’t.