Paint My Love

Chapter 1

Cael's

I closed the door to the principal's office, feeling a familiar sense of frustration.

"What a long face, Cael!" Hans teased, falling into step beside me as we walked down the hallway. The class vice president and my best friend, Hans knew me too well.

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "What is it this time?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

I sighed, knowing what was coming. "What else?" I replied, my tone dry.

Hans's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me it's that guy at the back of class again?"

I nodded, confirming his suspicions. "He got into a fight at the back of the canteen building. One kid is seriously injured."

Hans's expression turned incredulous. "What did Mrs. Galvez say?"

I shook my head, still trying to process the conversation myself. "She told me to take care of him, and make sure he's not going to get into trouble again. If he does, the whole class will be punished."

Hans's eyes widened in outrage. "What? That's not fair!"

I couldn't help but agree. "I know. But what can we do?"

As Hans and I walked into the classroom, my gaze instinctively drifted to the far right side of the room. The boy who'd been the bane of my existence as class president sat slouched in his seat, fidgeting with his pen. I let out a quiet sigh and made my way to my seat in the front row, beside the window.

Just as I settled in, our teacher, Mrs. Santos, began to speak. "For our research, you'll be working in pairs. I'll assign the partners, so please don't start pairing up just yet."

As Mrs. Santos announced the pairings, my gaze met Kairo's for a brief, electrifying moment. I felt a jolt of annoyance, which only intensified as I watched him saunter out of the classroom.

"That's all, class dismissed," Mrs. Santos said, gathering her things.

My eyes drifted back to Kairo, who was now standing by the door. I quickly got up and blocked his way, our faces inches apart.

"What's your problem?" Kairo asked, his voice dry and laced with irritation.

"Where do you think you're going?" I demanded, my arms crossed.

Kairo stepped back, a hint of exasperation in his eyes. "What do you want?"

"We're working together for the research," I reminded him, raising an eyebrow. "We need to be ready."

Kairo's face twisted in annoyance. "The deadline's in a month, sir. We're not going to fail just because we're not brainstorming about it right now."

With that, he pushed past me and walked out of the classroom. I followed closely behind, determined to keep him from getting into any more trouble.

I trailed behind Kairo, my curiosity piqued by his suspicious behavior. He stopped to answer a call, his deep voice low and menacing.

"Hello?" he said, listening for a moment.

"Yes. Are they in there already?" He paused, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Those bastards." He shook his head.

"Once I get there, they're done."

My eyes widened as I listened in. Was he planning another fight?

Kairo hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket, striding toward an old building outside the campus. I dashed after him, my heart pounding in my chest.

I caught up, panting, and grabbed his arm. "You! What are you doing here?" I demanded.

Kairo's face twisted in frustration. "You. What are YOU doing here?" he retorted.

Before I could respond, a group of people emerged from the shadows. "Kairo!" one of them called out.

Kairo shook his head and pulled his arm free. A guy in an open polo shirt approached us, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"What's going on?" I asked, feeling confused and out of place.

Kairo grabbed my shoulder and steered me toward the group. "There's someone here who wants to join us."

As we stepped inside, I spotted a makeshift betting table, complete with liquor and a phone streaming a football game.

The group cheered and jeered, placing bets on the game. "So! Who's betting for the Chiefs?" one of them shouted.

"I'm in!" another guy chimed in.

"I'll pass, I'll bet with the Eagles this time," someone else said.

"Me too, I have a feeling that this time, it'll be different."

"You, Kairo? Eagles or Chiefs?" one of them asked.

Kairo grinned. "You know I'm always with the best team ever."

"Chief it is!" the guy exclaimed, understanding Kairo's loyalty.

Kairo looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "What about you? What's your bet?"

I stared, taken aback. "You're here for a football betting game?"

Kairo chuckled. "What did you think I was here for? And since when are you my stalker?"

Kairo's eyes sparkled with amusement as he waited for my response. I stood there, still trying to wrap my head around the situation.

"You're... betting on football games?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

Kairo chuckled. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

I rolled my eyes before I pulled the sling of my bag from almost falling from my shoulder.

"Nothing. Contact me after that thing, we need to work for the for the research" I said before I walked away from him and that building.

I sighed out of embarrassment. I really did not expect that

As I walked away, I could feel Kairo's eyes on me, his amusement still palpable. I quickened my pace, eager to put the awkward encounter behind me.

I couldn't believe I'd followed him to that betting den. What was I thinking? I was the class president, for crying out loud! I had a reputation to uphold.

I sighed, feeling embarrassed and a little frustrated. Why did Kairo have to be so... infuriating?

As I turned the corner, I collided with Hans, who was walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey, Cael! What's wrong?" Hans asked, noticing my frazzled expression.

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "Just... Kairo," I said finally, shaking my head.

Hans raised an eyebrow. "What did he do this time?"

I smiled wryly. "Let's just say I won't be winning any bets on his behavior."

"You're acting weird" he said as he shrugged and continued walking.

I walked my way home and gone straightly to bed.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. Kairo's involvement in the betting game had left a bad taste in my mouth. And to make matters worse, I'd acted like a total idiot in front of him.

I tossed and turned, my mind replaying the awkward encounter. Why did Kairo always manage to get under my skin?

Just as I was starting to drift off to sleep, my phone buzzed. I groggily reached for it, expecting a message from Hans or maybe my mom.

But instead, I saw Kairo's name on the screen.

My heart skipped a beat as I hesitated, wondering if I should even bother responding.