Chapter 4 — Lines You Shouldn't Cross

Chapter 4 — Lines You Shouldn't Cross

Vince POV

The class went smoothly.

Too smoothly.

That was the first thing that bothered me.

I sat back in my chair slightly, fingers resting against the desk as the teacher continued the lesson. Around me, students were either struggling to keep up or barely paying attention.

Meanwhile—

Everything just… clicked.

Math problems? Solved before the teacher even finished writing them.

History questions? Already answered in my head before anyone raised their hand.

Even the trick questions weren’t really tricks.

It felt like going through something I’d already done before.

Repetition.

Predictable.

Easy.

Too easy.

I answered almost every question without hesitation. At first, the teacher seemed pleased.

Then surprised.

Then… slightly concerned.

Especially during English.

After reading the short story he assigned, I gave my interpretation.

He didn’t respond right away.

He just stood there.

Looking at me.

Silent.

The entire class followed his gaze.

Then—

"Read it again," he said.

So I did.

"From the beginning."

I paused.

That was unnecessary.

But I complied.

By the time I finished reading the entire story out loud, my throat felt dry and slightly raw. A faint irritation lingered every time I swallowed.

Totally unnecessary.

Still—

Class ended without any real issues.

Which only made that uneasy feeling worse.

My next class was P.E.

Students immediately relaxed the moment we stepped out into the hallway. Conversations picked up, laughter echoed, and the atmosphere shifted from structured to chaotic in seconds.

Normal.

That’s what it looked like.

Even Mia seemed at ease, chatting with her friends, smiling like nothing unusual had happened earlier.

I stayed near.

Not close enough to draw attention.

But close enough to react if needed.

My eyes moved subtly, scanning.

Entrances.

Exits.

Blind spots.

Nothing unusual.

Still—

This mission felt… quiet.

Too quiet.

At the entrance to the changing rooms, something caught my attention.

A vending machine.

Convenient.

I walked over casually and looked through the glass.

Rows of drinks.

Sugary ones.

Colored ones.

Useless.

Water.

There.

I inserted my bill, pressed the number, and listened to the mechanical hum as the bottle dropped.

I bent down and picked it up.

Cold.

Good.

I twisted the cap slightly, just enough to loosen it—

"AHHHHH!!!"

A sharp scream cut through the air.

Loud.

Panicked.

From the girls' changing room.

My body froze—

Half a second.

That’s all it took.

Then instinct took over.

I ran.

More screams followed.

Chaotic.

Overlapping.

"Mia! Get away from me!"

My grip tightened around the bottle.

Mia?

My pace increased instantly.

I reached the door and grabbed the handle.

Locked.

No hesitation.

No second thought.

I stepped back—

And kicked the door open.

The impact echoed loudly.

The door swung wide.

And the moment I stepped inside—

Everything stopped.

Time.

Sound.

Movement.

Girls.

Everywhere.

Some froze mid-motion.

Others screamed louder.

Some covered themselves instantly.

Some didn’t even process what was happening yet.

And Mia—

Standing there.

Holding a baseball bat.

My body moved automatically.

I stepped forward and pulled her slightly behind me, positioning myself between her and the rest of the room.

"Everyone, calm down!" I said firmly.

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

Breathing.

Shuffling.

Wide eyes everywhere.

I scanned quickly.

Corners.

Lockers.

Ceiling.

Floor.

No attackers.

No visible threats.

No weapons—

"It's okay! I caught it!"

I turned.

One of the girls stood near the lockers, holding something small in both hands.

Her expression was a mix of relief and embarrassment.

She lifted her hands slightly.

A mouse.

…

She immediately dropped it when everyone stared at her.

It scurried across the floor and disappeared.

Silence.

I slowly lowered my guard.

Then—

I became aware of something else.

The stares.

Dozens of them.

All directed at me.

Shock.

Confusion.

Recognition—

And then—

Anger.

"VINCE, YOU PERVERT!!!"

Impact.

Pain shot through my side as Mia struck me without hesitation.

That… actually hurt.

Before I could even respond—

Projectiles.

Shoes.

Towels.

Anything within reach.

All flying in my direction.

I reacted immediately, stepping back and dodging each one with precise movements.

Left.

Right.

Duck.

Step.

"Retreat," I muttered under my breath as I backed out.

The moment I cleared the doorway—

SLAM.

The door shut violently in front of me.

Silence.

Then—

Laughter.

Dave POV

"I'm going to die…"

I clutched my stomach, barely able to stand upright.

I couldn’t breathe.

Tears were forming at the corners of my eyes.

"He kicked open the girls' locker room… for a mouse!"

I lost it again.

"This kid is unbelievable—"

Kate

"If you die from laughing, I'm not doing CPR."

Dave

I grinned, leaning closer to her slightly.

"Oh, come on, Kate… I know you want to—"

Kate

"No."

Dave

I leaned in anyway.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

"…taste my—"

Kate

"If you'll excuse me, we're still on a mission."

She stepped forward.

Then—

Pain.

Sharp.

Immediate.

I dropped to the ground.

"...my future children…"

She walked away like nothing happened.

Cold.

Heartless.

Cruel.

Back to Vince POV

By the time I reached the boys' changing room—

Everyone already knew.

Of course they did.

Information spread fast.

Too fast.

I could feel it in the way they looked at me.

The whispers.

The smirks.

The laughter.

And now—

I had a clear mark on my face.

Great.

I leaned against the wall, arms loosely at my sides, ignoring everything around me.

Still—

I didn’t let my guard down.

Not even here.

Not even for a second.

The whistle blew sharply.

"Alright! Dodgeball! Two teams for boys, two for girls! Start dividing!"

Students quickly formed groups, energy rising again.

"Vince! Over here!"

I glanced up.

A teammate waved at me.

I nodded once and joined them.

The girls went first.

I watched.

Not the game.

Mia.

Her movement was quick.

Light on her feet.

She reacted well—dodging, shifting, adjusting.

Good reflexes.

That was good.

At least she could handle herself… to a certain extent.

…And based on earlier—

"She hits hard too."

Her team lost.

But they were laughing.

Smiling.

No tension.

Good.

"Alright, boys! Get ready!"

We stepped onto the court.

The gym immediately grew louder.

Especially from the girls.

Louder than expected.

"Looks like there's a new student!"

"He's cute!"

"New heartthrob!"

I ignored all of it.

Noise.

Irrelevant.

Focus.

That’s all that mattered.

Then—

I saw him.

The ace.

Relaxed posture.

Confident stance.

Eyes sharp.

Observing everything.

"Don't take it too seriously," one of my teammates said quietly. "He always wins."

I didn’t respond.

I was already analyzing.

The game started.

He threw first.

Fast.

Faster than expected.

The ball slammed against the floor with force.

A warning.

I caught the rebound cleanly.

The reaction from the crowd was immediate.

I threw it back.

Controlled.

Precise.

He dodged.

Barely.

Something shifted.

Subtle.

But noticeable.

This wasn’t just a casual game anymore.

Players started dropping out.

One by one.

I eliminated two.

He eliminated three.

"Come on, Vince!"

Mia’s voice broke through the noise.

For a fraction of a second—

My focus shifted.

That was enough.

The ball flew past me.

Close.

Too close.

The ace smirked.

"Careful," he said.

I steadied my breathing.

Refocused.

No distractions.

Not again.

Soon—

Only a few players remained.

Then fewer.

Then—

Just two.

Me.

And him.

The gym quieted.

Anticipation filled the air.

He moved first.

A throw—

Fake.

Then real.

I adjusted.

Caught it.

For a split second—

His expression changed.

That was all I needed.

I didn’t hesitate.

I threw it back immediately.

Full control.

Perfect aim.

Impact.

The ball struck his chest.

Clean.

Out.

Silence—

Then the gym exploded.

Cheers.

Shouts.

Movement everywhere.

My teammates rushed toward me, laughing, celebrating.

I barely reacted.

My eyes shifted to him.

The ace stood up slowly, brushing himself off.

Then—

He smiled.

Not annoyed.

Not angry.

Just… calm.

Interesting.

I looked away.

Then toward Mia.

She was smiling.

Bright.

Relieved.

Happy.

Everything looked normal again.

Sound.

Movement.

Energy.

But for some reason—

It didn’t feel completely that way.

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