"That is correct, Mr. Dalton."
I rolled my eyes as the teacher's pet answered yet another question correctly in the hour and a half class that had stretched on for what felt like years.
He was the epitome of annoying and competitive and when he realized that I could give him a run for his money in terms of top of the class, he took the initiative to raise his hand before the question was even out of the professor's mouth so I couldn't answer a question edgewise. It was more than disconcerting especially considering the fact that part of the class grade had to deal with participation but I would cross that bridge when the student debate project came up later in the term.
I had left Texas last May, started my summer course and Malcolm Dalton had been there from the very beginning, bugging me about classes and asking me why I had cuts and bruises all over my body from the recent car accident. It didn't take him long to realize that I didn't appreciate his line of questioning and finally dropped it, until I started making better grades than him in our shared summer class.
After that he was relentless, and I ended up blocking him on all my socials, trying to make sure that he didn't connect me to any incidents regarding my past. Suspiciously, he didn't bring up anything about my past the next class we had together, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, like he knew all of my secrets, and even though I knew that was impossible, it still worried me.
There was no way he could connect me to Rafael, Christian, and even Emmett...except for those pesky articles still lingering online when someone googled my name no matter how much I wished it weren't the case.
I had to face the fact that the majority of my private life just...wasn't private anymore, and while it was a hard pill to swallow, at least a part of my life was normal. Academic rivalry, while annoying and cliche, was something that was normal and that I could get used to.
After summer classes ended and the new school term started back up and I was stuck in classes filled with eighteen year olds fresh out of high school, I was one of the only older students at twenty-one, and Malcolm Dalton matched me in age and intelligence, so it was familiar to have that competition, but lately he was taking it more seriously than before.
Now in mid-January with the playoff games still ringing in my ears and Emmett Scott's name choking me in my anxious memories, now was not the time for him, or anyone, to find out the truth about my damning relationship with the rising football star.
The class ended without a single question answered by me, and the ones answered by anyone besides Malcolm were questions that neither of us knew the answers to except for the overachieving freshmen. I hung my head in exhaustion, the remnants of the night before weighing on my shoulders even though I had no intention of stopping my quest.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure the professor doesn't think you're completely stupid."
I rolled my eyes at Malcolm's remarks as a small smile flitted onto my face. He was so insignificant that his 'insults' were just funny to me. It took more than that to get under my skin, and he was seemingly put off by my refusal to be offended by his remarks.
"Oh my goodness! The actual Malcolm Dalton is speaking to me!" I feigned a girlish sigh and put my hands up to my mouth like he was some sort of celebrity and I was desperate to even be in his presence.
He rolled his eyes then as well and was about to walk away before something crossed his mind.
"You know, I'm available tonight if you need some extra help with the material. I've been told I'm...very helpful in that department."
The suggestive nature of his question wasn't lost on me, and while before I would've thought his request funny, thinking of anyone in that way only reminded me of the love of my life that I'd lost for good.
I cast my eyes to the side so he didn't notice the look of anguish passing across my features but something told me that he didn't miss it. He didn't miss much, actually, the observant ass.
Standing at a solid six foot tall, he was only a few inches taller than me but he had nothing on Emmett, his light blonde hair and semi-sharp cheekbones and jawline reminiscent of someone I would've normally gone for, but after Nate, Rafael and Emmett...I was more than tapped out on romantic interests to last a lifetime.
I briefly wondered if I'd die an old spinster with hoards of cats at my disposal, a prospect that sounded much more appealing than dying by the hand of an abusive lover or in jail because of my vigilante activities, but then I remembered that Malcolm was patiently awaiting an answer and I turned back to his face to see him scrutinizing my apprehension and the look on my face.
"Whoa it's not like I was asking you on a date, it was just a joke. Good to know what you think of that idea though."
I felt the need to explain myself suddenly, though I wasn't quite sure why.
"No-no, it's not like that...I just- you just reminded me of someone when you said that, is all. I much prefer your arrogant and annoying nature, so if we can keep our competitive banter and rivalry, I would be grateful."
His eyebrows rose in surprise.
"I didn't realize how much you enjoy my company, Montgomery. I'm touched, really."
His smirk pulled at his features and I felt the need to slap the half grin off of his face but soon I found myself smiling back at him and for a moment I felt normal again. Not the girl with enough baggage to topple Mount Everest, not the girl who was too afraid of real love and intimacy that she pushed away the one good person to ever bare his heart to her...
"Don't get ahead of yourself there. Just wait until I kick your ass in student debates in a few weeks."
He pretended as if my words had wounded him while I gathered the rest of my things and we continued our witty banter until the roar of students pulled us apart on our way to our mixed classes.
I wondered briefly to myself if he was trying to flirt with me, but then remembered that he was just my competitive rival in class and that if he'd been trying to flirt, he would have approached that subject a lot sooner than halfway through school when we'd met nearly seven moths prior.
I passed a few guys on the campus who were involved in a fraternity off campus grounds considering the school's ban of the Greek brother and sisterhood, but the students all found ways to circumvent that rule.
The older students with money all rented out houses off campus grounds and second year students who were allowed to live outside of the dorms paid rent to live there and had the most extravagant parties there, and that was where I was going to hit next.
I listened in to their conversations and realized that a party was going to be happening that night. I was more than tempted to attend but I knew I wasn't ready yet. I needed to make more friends who attended the school and the parties but suddenly a shock of blonde hair caught my attention as he strolled up to the guys I had been eavesdropping on.
Malcolm high fived the guys and looked back to find me staring. He threw me a lazy wink but turned just before he could see the smirk growing on my face.
I had my way in, but I wasn't going to waste it on an invitation to the party that night. I was going to play my cards right and get an invitation to one of their bigger themed parties, the ones that always seemed to cause the most trouble.
If all went well the next few nights at the clubs, my step up from bars, then I would approach Malcolm and take him up on his offer, only I'd try and snag an invite to their infamous costume party.
I'd heard one too many rumors about the girls too drunk to consent being filmed while being taken advantage of and the faculty not being able to do anything because it was an off campus and unsanctioned party by a group that wasn't affiliated with the college. It was a smart way to get around all of those sexual assault cases that seemed to plague college after college, a way to keep their hands clean while the police hardly got any traction because of the college dragging its feet with relinquishing student information, etc.
I was going to put my mark on the school in the only way I knew how, and it wasn't going to be with my studies.