Bad Boy Attraction

~Haisley~

I didn't remember how I got my legs to move, I just knew I had to get away.

I half ran, half stumbled down the long corridor, the slap of my shoes echoing in the empty hallways.My palms were clammy, my breath shaky as the image replayed again and again behind my eyes

Xaiver's dark, hungry stare, the girl's shameless moans, the way he hadn't even paused.

I felt sick  humiliated, angry, and confused all at once. How could someone do that? And why did it feel like he'd been daring me to watch?

By the time I reached my locker, the sun was already dipping behind the marble walls of Sliver crescent College. The hall was nearly deserted, just a few scattered students laughing as they drifted toward the parking lot, their carefree chatter echoing like a reminder that this was not my world.

I slammed my locker shut and bolted outside. Spotting Hazel's sleek black car pulling away from the curb and panic surged through my chest. I couldn't be stranded here not after the day I'd had.

"Hazel ! Hazel, wait!" I yelled, waving my hand frantically as I broke into a run. My bag slapped against my hip with every desperate step. I was almost ready to give up when, with a squeal of tires, the car finally slowed to a stop a few meters ahead.

Gasping for breath, I yanked the door open and slid inside, my knees knocking together. The smell of designer perfume filled my nose as Hazel sat behind the wheel, phone in hand, her perfectly manicured finger scrolling lazily.

"If you ever make me wait more than five minutes again," Hazel said coolly, eyes still on her screen, "then you can walk home next time. I'm not your driver."

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, my voice small. My fingers twisted together in my lap, but Hazel didn't respond she just flipped her hair off her shoulder and focused on her phone as if I wasn't even there.

The rest of the drive was silent. I pressed my forehead against the window, watching the trees blur past as the car sped through the campus gates. But all I could see was Xaiver, the way his smirk burned under my skin, leaving a mark I knew I wouldn't be able to scrub away.

And deep down, no matter how hard I tried to swallow it, an awful truth curled inside my chest: a part of her was terrified... but another tiny, shameful piece of me wondered what it would feel like if he ever looked at me like that again.

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. Sleep was just starting to wrap its soft arms around me when I heard the lock turn. I shot upright, heart thumping.

A soft click and the door opened, and then Hazel's perfectly made-up face appeared in the gap. Her eyes flicked around the room.

"Dress up and meet me outside," Hazel said flatly. She didn't wait for an answer; the door clicked shut behind her before I could even stand.

I stared at the door for a moment, my mind whirling. Dress up? Where? For what? I ran my hands through my hair, caught sight of myself in  mirror by her desk.

I settled on a dark pair of jeans and a soft white blouse, slipped on my sneakers, took a breath to calm the tightness in my chest, and hurried out.

Outside, Hazel was leaning against her car, arms folded, her eyes flicking up and down when she spotted Haisley. She looked her over  her gaze lingering on the blouse , then raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow, as if silently judging me for existing.

"Let's go," she said shortly, sliding behind the wheel.

I slipped into the passenger seat, the expensive leather swallowing her up.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice coming out smaller than I wanted.

Hazel didn't look at me. Her dark eyes stayed on the road as the engine purred to life.

"A party," she said simply. She flicked her hair off her shoulder, tapping her long nails against the steering wheel.

"Dad wouldn't let me go. So I told him I was attending a late study session at the library with you. He believed me because..." She scoffed lightly. "Well, because it's you. Who would think you would be at a party?"

I flushed, embarrassment mixing with dread. She glanced out the window as streetlights blurred past. "I've never... been to a party before," I admitted, voice barely audible.

Hazel snorted. "Obviously."

The rest of the drive was silent, broken only by the soft bass thumping from Hazel's phone plugged into the car speakers. My mind ran in panicked circles  what would she say, what would I do? Did people drink?

We pulled up in front of a mansion bigger than the ours , modern, glass and steel, music already pulsing from inside. Cars were parked along the driveway in messy rows: sports cars, expensive SUVs, glittering convertibles. Lights spilled out onto the pavement where clusters of students stood smoking or laughing too loud.

Inside, the party was like stepping into another planet.

The air was thick with perfume, sweat, and the sharp scent of spilled liquor. People danced on marble floors sticky with drinks, bodies pressed so close it was impossible to see where one person ended and the next began. A couple was practically devouring each other on a velvet couch, oblivious to the students who brushed past, laughing, drinks in hand.

I hovered awkwardly behind Hazel, trying to shrink into myself as they moved deeper inside. People turned to greet Hazel they called her name, hugged her, complimented her hair, her dress. She slipped easily into the crowd, smiling like she owned the room. I stood behind her like a ghost  invisible, unnoticed, out of place.

We found seats at the edge of the main room, near a low glass table littered with half-empty bottles and glittering cups. I looked around sitting on the edge of the couch, clutching my phone like it might save me, eyes wide as I watched two girls laughing too loudly, their clothes barely there, stumbling against a guy who poured vodka straight into their open mouths.

It was wild.

It was loud.

It was nothing like the world I knew.

I was so caught up in staring that I didn't notice the sudden hush. Screams broke out. High-pitched squeals, gasps. The music dipped for a second and then crashed back louder.

I turned my head  and saw them. Again.

Xavier Miles and his infamous friend. They stepped inside like they owned the walls.No shirt, just a black vest open enough to reveal his swirling tattoos, muscles shifting under his inked skin. Girls parted for him like he was royalty  but none of them dared to touch him. They only screamed his name.

My heart clutched painfully when his eyes found mine  like they were tethered. His gaze locked on me with that same look from the restroom  a look that made my stomach twist uncomfortably. I  dropped my eyes to the floor but I could feel him moving closer, cutting through the noise and the lights and the chaos like a blade.

Beside me, Hazel suddenly perked up, her painted smile spreading as she jumped to her feet.

"Xavier!" she called brightly, pushing past me to throw her arms around him.

I risked a glance up. He didn't hug Hazel back his arms stayed loose at his sides but he didn't shove her off either. His eyes, dark and lazy, never left my face. He didn't blink. Didn't smirk. Just watched.

I shivered.

He stepped back when Hazel finally let go, then drifted toward the opposite couch where his friend claimed their throne. Lucian sat back, phone still glowing, legs sprawled like he was already bored. A pretty brunette squealed and perched herself on his lap, draping her arms around his shoulders, but Xavier didn't look at her once.

His eyes stayed on me.

I swallowed, wishing I could disappear into the floor.