Page 2 of Chasing Mr. Prefect

I let go of his hand and shifted in my seat, avoiding his eyes. Any other situation would have been better than this. I hadplanned to keep my dignity and composure by ignoring him up until graduation but no. I had to take Winona’s bait and landhere, where Cholo was free to judge, tease, and laugh at me again like he did when we were kids.

I got it—to everyone, he was the overachieving pretty face walking around campus and snatching perfect scores. But to me, he will always be that kid who christened me Maleficent in grade school because I was taller than the rest of the class and had a perma-frown that made me look annoyed even if I was not. With my sharp features, the other kids easily made the connection and Cholo would say I just needed to add horns. He was the same pain in the neck—just promoted to a position of power.

Prefect Brat.

“So, shall we get started?” he asked, taking on a business-like tone, the mischievous look on his face no longer there. “I heard Miss Hidalgo’s version of the events earlier at the dean’s office but we also need to hear your side.”

This was the Cholo I was more accustomed to these days. He was always so formal—standing up in our general curriculum classes to introduce himself as a candidate for batch representative in our freshman year, leading activities in our college organization, and…just being awesome and sparkly. He seemed like the college dream boy who would end up breezing his way through business and law school while leaving hearts broken in his wake.

I cringed. I built him up in my head like that, only for him to end up as this arrogant prick. I did not even realize it was him until I saw his full name on the student council ballot in freshman year.

“Lavinia?” he said, cutting into my thoughts. “Care to explain what happened back there?”

“Explain what? Weren’t you there with us?” I asked. Even though I did not mean to, I was sure it sounded rude by theway Miss Co raised both eyebrows at me. I could not help my annoyance from coming out because sometimes my brain had a hard time catching up to my damn mouth.

I cleared my throat and muttered an apology. Miss Co looked satisfied and faced Cholo again. He must have taken offense but it looked like he got over it right away because he cracked a smile. One, I noticed, that did not reach his eyes.

“Annoying little piece of work, aren’t you,” he mumbled, shaking his head.

CHAPTER 2

Good news: the school was not going to suspend me. But I would probably get kicked out anyway.

I should have been nicer to Cholo when he asked me to explain; perhaps he would have given me a much lighter punishment. I had no room to complain because the girl who pulled my hair in class was the one who got the full punishment. Looking back, that explained why she was at the dean’s office and whyIwas sent to the head disciplinary prefect’s instead.

Cholo was there so he knew I did not start it. Not that I was innocent or anything. I should not have risen to that classmate’s bait, as she was a known bully who got a kick out of annoying people, but my temper got the better of me. It was a stressful midterm week and I was going to end it with a presentation for Marketing Management, which was Miss Co’s class. I did not have a problem with the subject but having to talk in front of the class was what pressured me. I hated public speaking.

“You were there,” I had stressed earlier after Cholo called me an ‘annoying little piece of work.’ “You heard her. It wasn’t even Q&A yet but she kept interrupting me in the middle of my presentation, asking questions that had nothing to do with the case. She did it to the other group last week and in our othersubjects the week before that. It gets particularly bad in Business Law. I mean, we’re in the same block. Surely you’ve noticed that?”

Cholo’s smile vanished at that point.

“Look, I’m not saying I’m innocent and shouldn’t be punished. But someone had to call it out and say‘Hey, this isn’t okay.’It’s a form of bullying. I’m surprised you, as a disciplinary officer, haven’t given her as much as a warning. We need to stop letting her get away with it. It has to stop. Honestly, I did you all a favor by asking her to shut up.”

“Fair point,” Cholo conceded but his stern expression stayed. “But maybe you could have said it more nicely. That kind of language wasn’t appropriate for class, was it?”

“Come on, what’s the big deal? I just asked her to keep her mouth shut.”

“No,” he said with a flourish, making a big deal out of leaning back on his swivel chair, “You said‘Can you do me a favor and shut up for five seconds? I’m getting dizzy from the smell of rancid tuna and it seems to be coming out from your mouth.’’’

I cringed, feeling my face burn, because that part was true and I had no excuse for that. Sure, that bully belonged to that clique of annoying rich kids who thought the rest of the world was beneath them but it did not give me the right to insult her in class orat all. Not my best moment but the damage was done.

“Fine,” I said, face burning. I knew it was my turn to concede. “I’m sorry.”

As expected, my apology did not cut it.

As we were already in university, they could not give me detention or make me write lines on the board. Suspension had been a consideration but Miss Co shot that one down and told Cholo that I would be brilliant for the upcoming management club event at the end of the second semester.

“For Ephemere?” Cholo had asked in a deadpan voice, disbelief evident on his face.

That stung. I felt a little insulted.

“You said you needed someone with a good eye. Weren’t you watching their group’s marketing plan? That was brilliant,” Miss Co told him. “And it was for an event, too.”

“Yeah. I can handle events,” I said in an attempt to defend myself. I had half a mind to say that three-fourths of that marketing plan we presented in class was my doing but it did not feel like the right moment to brag.

“Yes, in a case environment. Intheory. But Ephemere will be different. Demanding sponsors, real stakeholders, kids whose school expenses will be coming from the event proceeds,” Cholo countered, raising an eyebrow. “Plus, the people in the current Ephemere team held directorial positions once or twice before applying for this.” He turned to me. “You, on the other hand, are hardly visible during club events. Didn’t we apply to Dresden Management Club the same year?”

“Yes. We were in the same department.”