Playing Perfect

28. Jaloux

28. Jaloux

Jealous

Alice bolted down the hallways, her shoes tapping against the stone floor. Students whipped around from their lockers and paused their conversations to stare.

Alice Travers—Sierra Grammar's model student, the top of her graduating class—was running down the hallway, her hair askew and her shirt untucked. Was the world ending?

She reached the end of the hallway, skidding right and almost tripping over her own feet before continuing to hurtle to the North block library where she knew the writer's club met in.

All of a sudden, nothing else mattered—she didn't care about her disorderly clothing, or the rule she so often enforced when she was a prefect that clearly stated running in the halls was forbidden. She promptly forgot all about her messy hair and the eyes she was attracting with her disruption.

All she cared about was one thing, and she was running headfirst towards him.

A silvery blond head of hair flashed in front of her eyes before she was colliding forcefully against Finn Cauley.

They fell in a heap of gasps and squeals, Finn landing hard on the grey stone floor and Alice tumbling over him.

As if on reflex, his hand moved to tug her skirt down, preventing the hallways from having a view as she leaned over him, but she didn't notice. Eyes wide, she scrambled onto her knees, her face flushed from running.

"I got it," she huffed, her chest heaving.

Finn blinked. "What?"

She paused to catch her breath before continuing, "January offers were released this morning."

Around them, students watched bewildered, whispering as Alice Travers leaned over Finn Cauley, her hair tickling his face. Finn's eyes grew wide, and he leapt to his feet, smoothly taking Alice in his arms with him.

"Have you read it yet?" he asked, his mind already beginning to race with all the possibilities. Had they accepted her? Was it a rejection email awaiting her? But Alice shook her head, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"No," she said, suddenly becoming aware of all the eyes watching them. Heat crept up her neck. She tugged on her tie, straightening it, and Finn smirked at the reaction. She cleared her throat. "I'm scared. I was waiting for you."

Finn quirked a brow at her. He'd received his email from the University of Iowa almost a week ago and they'd decided to wait until Alice received her final offers—they wanted to do this together.

Wordlessly, he nodded and shoved a hand through his blond hair, a gesture that Alice knew meant he was nervous. His lips pressed into a thin line and he nodded at the ancient wooden doors behind him.

"Let's go then?"

She glanced briefly at the students watching them—whispering about the graduated students who were creating a fuss in the middle of the hallway—and Alice nodded, turning to follow him to the library.

As expected, the North block library was virtually empty. Alice thought she spied a freshman sitting in a far corner, his head resting on the table, but she could see no other signs of people. Once they had stepped foot into the dusty room and the warmth hit their body, Finn's hand slipped down to grip her fingers.

He tugged her silently across the carpeted floor, pausing at one of the library desks.

"Alright," Finn began slowly. "Whatever happens..."