I hate him - Siobhan's POV
There are three things you should know about me.
Firstly, my name is Siobhan Gallagher– pronounced 'Sh-Vaun', not 'See-o-b-han' or 'Sigh-o-b-han'. My Irish parents wanted to honour my Irish heritage while raising me in America. What they didn't consider is how much people love to butcher it.
Honestly. I get it's spelt a bit weirdly– okay, a lot weirdly– but it couldn't be that hard. 'Sh-Vaun'. I'm so used to people butchering its pronounciation, that its not even funny anymore.
If there's a substitute, I always mentally prepare myself for the worst pronounciation I've ever heard. I also prepared myself to say 'Here!', no matter how atrocious the way they said it was.
Secondly, I go to SCF High School– or School for the Children of the Future- a prestigious institue where you either swim or sink under the pressure. Thanks to my parents' booming car business, they could afford to send me here. Lucky me.
SCF has a massive campus, college-like, with three libraries on-site and whole buildings dedicated to specific sports. A basketball building, an American football building, and even a swimming building.
Not to mention the dorms. There are different dorms you get placed in, based on how well you do here. In Alpha dorm, we had private bedrooms and kitchens– a perk reserved for the best students. But if you end up in Epsilon? Well, I just hope that you like sharing bathrooms.
Also, there's a student council system in place at SCF. Its meant to cultivate students to be resposible grown-ups and handle affairs independently. Council members are chosen by the two students with the best grades in their year. And, being the overachiever I am, I lead the student council as its President.
And thirdly? I hate Kai Venner.
Blond hair that somehow always looks perfectly messy? Check. Blue eyes that make people swoon? Unfortunately, check. A basketball star who somehow aces every test without trying? Triple check.
He’s everything I can’t stand—cocky, lazy in class– yet somehow always one step ahead of me. Its infuriating how easily everything seems to come to him– grades, popularity, even respect from students who really shouldn't take him as a role-model. And as if sharing top grades wasn’t bad enough, he’s also my Vice-President on the student council. Which means I have to see him. Every. Single Day.
Today was no exception.
I was sitting at my desk when he strolled into our shared office like he owned the place. His tie was loose around his neck, his shirt untucked at the edges– he could never be bothered to look presentable, despite being a role-model for many.
"Morning, Prez." He said with an insufferable smirk plastered over his face.
"Good morning." I replied stiffly without looking up from my paperwork.
"Is it?" He teased, dropping into the chair opposite me. "You seem... uncomfortable."
I gritted my teeth, looking up from my work to shoot him a glare. "Maybe its because you walked in."
His smirk faltered slightly before returning with full-force. "That's absurd, Prez. My presence lights up this room."
I scoffed, my green eyes narrowing. "And who told you that? Your groupies?"
He chuckled like he didn't have a care in the world. Amusement flickered in his eyes as he leaned in, close enough to make my skin crawl.
"So you're saying I'm groupie material?"
I clenched my jaw so hard, I felt bad for my dentist. "That's not what I said, and you know it."
He chuckled, spinning a pen lazily in his hand. The forms lay forgotten on our tables.
"You implied it."
I huffed, restraining myself from reaching over to punch him.
"I did not. And even if you do have groupies, its only a couple of desperate girls whose standards are at rock-bottom." My tone was spiteful, hostile.
He gasped in mock-astonishment, his expression feigning hurt. "President! How rude of you."
He tutted, shaking his head in disappointment.
"I expected better from you, Siobhan."
My eyes were as sharp as daggers, digging into him.
"Shut the hell up, Kai. I don't care what you think about me–or care, at all, about you. Period."
He raised his hand in surrender while gloating amusement danced in his eyes. He was enjoying this, the bastard. He was enjoying seeing me so worked up.
"Alright, alright. Relax, Prez. Deep breaths and all that shit." His tone was placating on the surface; but the look in his eyes told me, he was mocking me.
I snapped.
I stood up from my seat, glaring at him.
"Shut your mouth, before I do it for you."
My tone was weirdly calm, yet with an undertone of hostility under it. I walked out of the office, slamming the door shut behind me.
I didn't know where I was going. I didn't care, either. The campus was huge; surely there was somewhere I could go where Kai couldn't bother me.
Even as I walked away, hs stupid smirk lingered like a challenge I couldn't ignore.
