Tommy groaned in frustration, his hands trembling as he held the thick book in front of his chest like a shield. “What do you want?” he asked in the sarcastic tone that had become his trademark.
Jerryana blinked, a mischievous smile curling across her lips. “To be a good vice chair, of course. Isn’t that obvious?”
She tilted her head, her long black hair falling softly over her shoulder. “Deal?”
Tommy let out a long sigh, his eyes darting warily toward the dark corners of the storage room.
“Fine. Deal. Can we get out of here now? This place isn’t safe.”
They walked out of the storage room, Tommy still clutching his book tightly. Jerryana couldn’t hold back an amused smile. Who would’ve thought that this guy, who always looked so arrogant and conceited, had such an ... adorable phobia? Being afraid of cockroaches wasn’t exactly common for a guy. But Jerryana wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass. She deliberately used it to strengthen her position.
“So,” Jerryana broke the silence as they walked through the crowded school hallway, “the honorable vice chair is afraid of small, innocent creatures?”
Tommy snorted. “Cockroaches aren’t ‘innocent creatures.’ They’re ... disgusting.”
“Oh, come on. They’re just tiny bugs!” Jerryana flashed a meaningful smile.
“That can fly without warning!” Tommy shuddered. “Besides, stop calling me ‘the honorable vice chair.’ You know I don’t like this position. I only took it because I was forced to—and you were the one who forced me.”
Jerryana raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then why did you accept?”
Tommy fell silent for a moment, his eyes going distant. He rolled his eyes lazily before looking at Jerryana. “Gotta protect my image ... I’m Tommy, for crying out loud. If anyone finds out I’m afraid of ...” Tommy seemed disgusted just mentioning the animal’s name. “Just imagine it—my image would be ruined.” Tommy hoped Jerryana would keep her promise and never bring up what had happened today.
For a moment, Jerryana saw sincerity in Tommy’s eyes. She nodded, believing the reason given by the guy who seemed so narcissistic. But as quickly as Tommy’s brief moment of kindness had appeared, it vanished without a trace, replaced by his usual arrogant expression.
“Well, at least you have me as your brilliant vice chair,” Tommy winked, convinced he was the most handsome man in the world. “You must be proud, right?”
Jerryana rolled her eyes, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Yeah, a vice chair who’s afraid of cockroaches.” For a moment, Jerryana thought Tommy might not be as bad as she’d imagined, but then she took that thought back. To her, Tommy was still a guy to watch out for—and firmly on her list of top-level enemies.
They returned to class, handing out library cards and helping their classmates collect the books ready to be checked out. Throughout the day, Jerryana secretly observed Tommy. Beneath his arrogant attitude, she began to see another side of him. Tommy patiently helped classmates who were having trouble, and he helped distribute the books and keep everyone organized. Despite all the annoying things about him, Tommy was pretty efficient at getting the work done.
“Don’t be fooled, Jerryana. He’s not what he seems. An enemy is still an enemy,” Jerryana told herself every time she saw Tommy’s kinder side.
The day passed by in a blur. When the dismissal bell rang, Tommy hurried out, sneaking around like a chicken thief. Curious, Jerryana quietly followed him.
“Clear,” Tommy muttered, then darted toward a shiny black car parked at the corner of the street.
Jerryana gasped. A luxury car? Weren’t almost all the students at Taruna High School from lower-income families? Who was Tommy, really? The question kept circling through Jerryana’s mind, with not a single answer in sight.