Hate to love you

“I wanna ask her out on a date.“, Alex said to his best friend, Oliver Grumio.

“Really?” Oliver raised an eyebrow “You mean Ada?”

Alex nodded. He’s always had a crush on the prettiest girl in his class, Ada Zuby. Many people in his class also had a crush on her. “Why should I wait?”

Oliver: “I do not know, Alex. Would it not make any advantage for you to....check for any signs?”

Alex raised his eyebrow “What signs?”

Oliver: “If someone likes you, they show you signs, even if they do not intend to. 1. They keep eye contact with you. 2. They do not avoid physical contact 3. They like to know more about you 4. They want to hang out with you. And the last point (5.) is that they copy moves or words that you use often from you.”

Alex fidgets around with his fingers in a slightly nervous manner “Well....ya know a lot of stuff, huh? But...I don’t think I am gonna try it out, ’cause I don’t know if it works.”

Oliver: “Come on, Alex! Do not worry, she will.”

Oliver opened his notebook “Have you done your homework?”

Alex: “My homework? Of course I did-”

Oliver raised an eyebrow at his statement, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Alex sighted, he knew that his best friend would look through his lie. No wonder though, he knew him better than anyone else.

“Okay I didn’t do my homework. But I hadn’t had time to do it yesterday.”

Oliver sighted once again, he really knew him too well. “What was so ‘important’ that you could have forgotten to do your homework, huh?”

Alex clicked with his tongue, being obviously annoyed: “C’mon, school is not everything!”

Oliver: “That does not answer my question.”

Alex: “Just a lil’ disagreement between families again.”

Oliver: “It is always the same. I mean, can your family and James’ family just be neighbours without fighting for once?”

*Alex sighed again. He knew too well that Oliver was clearly right. His and James’ families didn’t like each other at all, that caused him and James to be enemies, and because Alex had the “good luck” he always had, he also attended the same school as him and came into his class. They both knew each other since kindergarten and didn’t like each other ever since, because of their families’ disagreements.*

“I guess not...” Alex replied with a unfazed expression.

At that moment, he saw someone approaching the door, and of course......it wasJames

“Speaking of the devil...” mumbled Alex as James walked up to them

James: “Oh? What do we have here? You look as shitty as always.”

Alex: “What was that? Well, I guess I’m just trying to match ur personality-always a little rough ’round the edges!”

James rolled his eyes, you can see the hint of anger in them “Oh no....that really hurt, you know?”

Alex crossed his arms over his chest “Just fuck off.”

James: “Don’t worry I’ll leave. I think I am going to vomit when I keep looking at your ugly face for any longer.”

Alex: “Hey, if my face is making ya feel that way, just remember, it’s not my fault ya can’t handle all this beauty!”

James scoffed : “Not even in your dreams. The only thing your face is good for, is that I can beat it up well.”

Alex: “Aw, you’re just jealous that I’ve got my life under control. All you do is -oh, nothing!”

James: “That’s not true. I meet up with my friends regularly and I also go to the gym every day. I mean- you have to do something to look as hot as me. I am a real gym rat.”

Alex: “A rat indeed-”

James: “Awww, you’re just jealous, because I am a way hotter than you. Besides, I get all the hot girls and you don’t. You’re still crushing on that girl.....how was her name again?..... Ada, right? How pathetic-”

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And from one moment to the other, AlexpunchedJames in the face.

Jame’s eyes widened as he realised he just had been punched. He touched his face at that part where he had been hit, staring at the boy in front of him with an irritated expression, that immediately turned into an angry one. He gritted his teeth in anger.

“You damn-” He grabs him by the shirt “You’re not gonna get away from this. You’re really pathetic!”

Alex: “You’re damn pathetic! I don’t even think you’ll complete school with the little amount of intelligence ya have. You have such bad grades. And not only that, you think you can have everything, just because you’re rich-”

James slapped Alex right in the face,hard.

Alex slapped him back, even harder this time

James had had enough. His patience snapped like a brittle wire. With a sudden, violent motion, he grabbed Alex by the front of his shirt and yanked him forward before slamming him to the floor. The thud echoed in the room like a warning.

Alex barely had time to react before James stepped on his chest, pinning him down. His boot pressed hard, not enough to crush - but enough to threaten.

James looked down at him, his jaw tight, his fists clenched at his sides. There was no trace of calm left in him. His eyes blazed with fury - not just a hint of anger, but raw, boiling rage.

“You think I won’t do it?” James said, his voice low and trembling with intensity. “Keep pushing me, and you’ll find out.”

“You have no right to act that sassy. You have nothing, nothing at all! Don’t you get how worthless you are?” He adds.

Alex got angry, no- furious. He grabbed James’ leg and pushed him down to him on the floor, making him fall on his own face

James slapped him into his face again

“You asshole-”

Oliver, who was still watching them fight as always started speaking “C-Can..you guys please stop-”

"NO!" both of them shouted out at the same time

Alex was about to hit James again, until he heard a voice echoing through the room

“Stop it, both of you!” a teacher that came in yelled at them in a demanding tone. It was eventually their teacher for the first lesson, Mrs. Miller.

Both, James and Alex stopped their action, looking at the teacher.”

“It’s always the same with you two...” Mrs. Miller said in a disappointed tone, rubbing her temples “Can you just not fight for once? Ugh....I am really not getting paid enough for this..”

James: “It’s not my fault Alex doesn’t know how to be polite!”

Alex: “Oh please. You’re the complete opposite of polite at this point. I mean, just look at you! You’re an arrogant asshole!”

James: “Oh I am the arrogant asshole here, huh? I think you might’ve mixed up something here. You mean you’re the arrogant asshole here.” He gave him a cocky smirk “You’renothingmore than a worthless loser-”

Alex slapped him hard across the face - again. He raised his hand for a second strike, but before it could land, the teacher stepped in and grabbed his arm, stopping him cold.

“DETENTION. BOTH OF YOU!” Mrs. Miller’s voice thundered through the classroom.

James and Alexfroze, still breathing hard, their eyes locked on the furious teacher. They looked at her with a mix of shock and guilt - though really, they should’ve seen it coming. They fought like this almost every day.

Mrs. Miller: “And, the headmaster wants to have a word with both of you, including your parents.”

Both of the two’s eyes widened in completeshock.....they knew it would end in a disaster. They could feel their hearts sink while the room fell awkwardly quiet.

“The parents don’t need to know.” Alex blurted out

“Yeah, this is irrelevant to them.” James stated.

The teacher felt so done with her life.That’s the only thing they could agree on!?She just wanted to go home to her two cats and chill with them for the rest of the day.

“Fine. But just this time. You’re still getting detention though.”

Mrs. Miller starts to walk out of the classroom, she turns around again, seeing the two of them directly into the eyes.

“But if something like that happens again, I have to let your parents know.” she said, pushing up her glasses with her middle finger.

She left the classroom with an exhausted sigh. She was not getting paid enough for this...

As the teacher was out of sight, James started to look at Alex, clicking with his tongue.

“This is all your fault.”

Alex crossed his arms once again “..MY FAULT!? You think I want to get detention!?”

They stopped, noticing that everyone in the classroom was staring at them.

Alex and James storm into the hallway, still fuming from their fight. Their voices echo off the lockers as students scatter to avoid the clash.

James: “You think that little punch fazed me? You’re weak, Alex. Always have been.”

Alex: “Weak? At least I don’t hide behind money and fake friends.”

James: “Fake friends? Look who’s talking - you don’t have a single person on your side.”

Alex steps closer, eyesblazing. “Maybe I don’t need anyone when I’ve got guts.”

James lunges, shoving Alex hard against the lockers. The clang reverberates loudly. Alex grabs James’s collar, yanking him forward.

Alex: “You’re so full of yourself,it’s pathetic."

James: “Keep running your mouth, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Before either can throw another punch, Mrs. Miller storms around the corner, hands on hips, clearly fed up.

Mrs. Miller: “Enough! Both of you. Now. And if I catch you fighting again, your parents will be involved. STOP FIGHTING FOR ONCE!”

Alex and James release each other slowly, glaring but silently acknowledging the teacher’s authority.

Alex gives James a death glare while muttering “This isn’t over.”

James smirks: “It’s only just thebeginning.”

Mrs. Miller motions them inside the classroom, and they trudge along, still tense but momentarily contained.