My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 91: Cracks Beneath The Façade (BC)

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Lunch time always had its own crazy vibe, trays clattering, voices overlapping, and that unmistakable hum of laughter from teenagers filling the cafeteria. The air was filled with the scent of coffee and greasy fries, mixed with the distant sound of music leaking from someone’s earbuds.

I had just stepped inside when I heard a familiar, loud squeal.

"NOAH VALENTINE!"

Before I could even turn around, a pink blur with curls rushed into me, almost knocking my tray out of my hands.

"Gigi-!" I gasped, stumbling back as she hugged me tightly. "Oh my god, I can’t breathe-"

She pulled back just enough to give me a dramatic once-over. "You look alive. Barely, but alive. Two weeks in isolation with Adrien Fell and you still have a soul? That’s a miracle. Maybe I should book you a spiritual cleansing or even an exorcism."

I laughed so hard it hurt. "It wasn’t that bad."

Skylar rolled her eyes as she appeared beside Gigi. "You say that like he didn’t torture you mentally every day in sophomore year."

"People change," I shrugged, trying to sound relaxed even as I remembered how Adrien had looked that morning-calmer, softer somehow. "Besides, we didn’t kill each other, so that’s a win."

Gigi gasped as if I’d committed a crime. "Wait, are you defending him right now? Oh my god, Stockholm syndrome really is real."

I groaned and pushed her shoulder playfully as we sat down. "You’re ridiculous."

"And you’re delusional as fuck, but I love you anyway." She grinned, pulling out her phone like she was about to make a huge announcement. "So, guess what’s coming up?"

"Final exams?" I guessed hopefully.

She gasped, horrified. "Ew, no! The Winter Ball!"

Skylar leaned in, sliding her phone toward me, the screen lit up with images of sparkly dresses-silk, lace, velvet, every jewel tone you can think of. "We’re trying to choose between these two. Gigi can’t decide between emerald and gold. Personally, I think the gold one makes her look like an Oscar trophy, but she’s convinced it’s giving off goddess vibes."

"I am goddess energy," Gigi declared, flipping her braided hair. "But what about you, Noah? What suit color are you wearing? And don’t say you’re not going because you totally are."

I blinked. "Uh..."

Before I could come up with an excuse, Ethan slid into the seat next to me, his arm brushing mine in that familiar way that made my heart skip. His tray made a soft clatter as he looked at us.

"Talking about the Winter Ball?" he asked, grinning.

Gigi clasped her hands like she was telling a fairy tale. "Oh, Ethan, you’re just in time to ask your lovely boyfriend to be your date. He’s clearly shy about it."

Ethan chuckled softly, looking at me with that warm gaze that could melt ice. "Would you go with me?" he asked gently, careful.

My fingers tightened around my juice cup. The memory of flashing lights, laughing people, and the icy pool from that last party slipped into my mind. I forced a smile, trying to brush it off. "I don’t know... I’m not really into parties."

Ethan leaned closer, his voice soft. "You don’t have to be. I’ll be there with you this time, Noah. Nothing like that pool incident will ever happen again. I promise."

There was something in the way he said it-a quiet sincerity-that made my chest feel a little heavy. Ethan had this way of making me feel safe, like the world couldn’t touch me when he was around.

I looked down at our hands brushing against each other, then back at him. "I’ll... think about it."

He smiled, his thumb brushing mine. "That’s all I ask."

Gigi, of course, clasped her hands over her heart dramatically. "You two are so disgustingly cute I could cry."

Skylar laughed. "Please don’t. You’ll ruin your mascara again then throw a fit."

I rolled my eyes but joined in their laughter. The warmth, the noise, the playful teasing-it all felt achingly familiar, like I was slipping back into the world I’d left behind for two strange, quiet weeks.

But even as I laughed and stole glances at Ethan’s relaxed smile, a small thought nagged at the back of my mind-one I didn’t want to deal with.

For some reason, it felt like something... or someone... was missing from this picture. The cafeteria was buzzing away its usual rhythm-chatter bouncing off the walls, clinking trays, laughter ringing from across tables-when Vanessa’s sharp, sugary voice cut through the noise like a knife.

"So, ladies," she said loud enough for half the cafeteria to hear, her shiny red hair catching the light as she leaned toward her cheerleader friends. "It’s official. Adrien’s taking me to the Winter Ball."

I didn’t even need to look up to know the smirk she was wearing-the one that said, ’I win.’ Her table erupted in squeals and cheers, voices going so high they could probably have reached the parking lot.

Skylar rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Here we go again."

But before anyone could say anything, silence swept through the tables around us. Adrien was walking by, tall and broad-shouldered, his usual bored expression in place as he carried his tray toward the trash can. Vanessa’s grin widened like a predator spotting its prey.

She stood up and called out, "Right, Adrien? You’re taking me to the Winter Ball, aren’t you?"

The whole cafeteria seemed to hold its breath, forks frozen mid-air. Adrien stopped a few feet from her table, turned slightly, and looked at her with a blank stare that made the silence feel even sharper.

"I’m not even going," he said flatly. "And you should probably stop assuming things before you embarrass yourself."

His words hit harder than a slap. Gasps broke out, whispers spreading like wildfire. Vanessa’s smile faltered, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as she stood frozen, humiliated in front of everyone. Adrien didn’t linger to watch her fall apart, he just tossed his trash away and walked out as if nothing had happened.

Well, shit. That was... something all right, I even felt the second hand embarrassment hit me like a punch to the gut.

Gigi broke the silence at our table first, biting back a laugh. "Oof. That was harsh. Should I ask Vanessa to the ball instead? You know, out of kindness?"

Skylar shot her a deadpan look. "What about me, genius? Are you planning to cheat on me with that sociopath?"

Gigi smirked and rested her chin on her palm. "It’d be a charity date. I’m doing it for humanity."

I snorted, shaking my head as the tension slowly melted away. "You two are insane."

Gigi turned to me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh come on, don’t act like you’re not curious to see how it plays out. Are you going?"

"I’m still thinking it over," I admitted. "But can someone explain what the difference between the Winter Ball and prom really is? Because it feels kind of like the same thing, just with more tinsel."

"How do you not know that? You’ve gone to this school for years!" Gigi exclaimed, but I could only shrug with a slight smile.

Skylar chuckled, but Gigi, of course, went into full storyteller mode. "Okay, so...the Winter Ball isn’t just any dance. It’s a tradition. Legend has it that back in the 1950s, when the school was founded, the first snowfall trapped everyone in town inside. They threw a ball to stay warm and raise money for charity, and it stuck. Ever since then, when the first snow falls...boom! Charity ball."

Ethan, who had been quietly picking at his food next to me, looked up with a small smile. "If you do decide to go," he said, his voice playful and light, "I’ll treat you like the Snow King. Even if you don’t feel like one."

My heart fluttered embarrassingly at that, warmth creeping up my neck. "You’re ridiculous," I muttered, unable to wipe the grin off my face.

He leaned closer. "Only for you."

I couldn’t argue with that.

But across the cafeteria, I felt eyes on me. I looked over almost without thinking and found Vanessa sitting stiffly at her table, her smile gone, her glare directed straight at me. There was something fierce in her eyes that made my stomach twist.

For a moment, I wondered if Adrien’s rejection and her sudden anger had anything to do with me. But that didn’t really make sense. Adrien was the one who embarrassed her, not me. At least not right now.

So why did her glare feel... personal?

I brushed the thought aside and turned back to my friends, trying to ignore the cold feeling at the back of my neck. Still, deep down, I had a nagging sense that whatever Vanessa was planning next... I wasn’t going to like it.