The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Ella’s POV:

The nerve of him. Jason Knight thought he could just demand my time like I didn’t have a life. "My house tonight. Seven o’clock." Who did he think he was, my boss? If he thought I had all the time in the world to cater to his whims, then the so-called school king had another thing coming. Tonight, I had a double shift at the diner, and there was no way I’d be done before midnight.

I shrugged off our conversation as I headed to work. Let him wait, I thought. I wasn’t going to drop everything for his project, his ego, or his golden-boy charm. If he was as narcissistic as he seemed, he probably expected me to be at his doorstep right on the dot, hanging on his every word. Too bad. The reality was, I had bills to pay, a job to keep, and no patience for Jason’s inflated sense of self-importance.

The diner was quieter than usual tonight, which was a relief. I guess the universe was throwing me a bone for once. Most of the regulars didn’t show, and I was thankful that I didn’t have to deal with the usual rush of obnoxious customers. Dylan and Max passed through, but they didn’t linger like they usually did, thank goodness. Their attempts to charm me were wearing thin, and I wasn’t in the mood for their flirty nonsense.

And Jason? Nowhere to be seen. I almost laughed thinking about him sitting at home, waiting for the elusive "hoodie girl" to knock on his door. He could keep waiting for all I cared. Maybe he’d finally learn that not everyone was as desperate for his attention as the girls at school.

I kept my head down and focused on my shift, glad for the quiet. My boss had been in a relatively good mood today, probably because the lack of customers meant fewer chances for things to go wrong. I wasn’t going to argue with that. The hours ticked by, and every time the door chimed, I half-expected Jason to stroll in with some snarky remark. But no. He didn’t show. Maybe he really was waiting for me at home, assuming I’d be there.

Good luck with that, Jason.

I finished my shift just after midnight, exhausted but satisfied. As I left the diner, I imagined him checking his watch, growing more frustrated as the hours passed. It was almost funny to think about. If he wanted to act like the world revolved around him, let him. I had my own priorities, and none of them involved bowing to Jason Knight’s ridiculous expectations.

By the time I made it back to my apartment, I was too tired to even think about the project. That would have to wait until tomorrow. If Jason wanted to have a meltdown about it, so be it. I wasn’t about to jump through hoops for him or anyone else.

I collapsed onto my bed, pulling my blanket over my head, and closed my eyes with a small smile. Let him fume. I had my own life to live, and I wasn’t about to waste it running after Jason Knight’s orders.

The next day, I woke up groggy but not the least bit guilty about ditching Jason’s "meeting." I half-expected a slew of angry messages or snarky comments when I got to school, but my phone was silent. It wasn’t like I gave him my number anyway—just another reason why this whole partnership thing was doomed from the start. I had no interest in making his life easier, not when I already had enough on my plate.

The morning passed by in a blur, and by lunchtime, I started noticing the looks again. More people staring, more whispers. Normally, I could tune it out, but today, it felt heavier. I knew it had to do with Jason. Maybe word got around that I blew him off, and now the entire school was eager to see how the golden boy would respond. Would he embarrass me? Turn his little fan club against me even more than they already were? I didn’t care—at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

I walked past the usual group of girls in the hallway, all of them suddenly silent as I passed. No doubt they were imagining how someone like me—"the hoodie girl," as I’m sure they labeled me—could dare stand up Jason Knight, the king of the school. The thought of their confusion almost made me smile. Almost.

Then I saw him. Jason, leaning against his locker like he owned the place, which, considering the school’s obsession with him, he basically did. His eyes locked onto me, and for a brief second, I thought he might walk over and start something. But instead, he gave me this knowing smirk. Ugh. I could feel the arrogance radiating off of him from across the hall.

"Great," I muttered under my breath, yanking the hood of my jacket up a little further. The last thing I needed was a confrontation with Jason Knight in the middle of a crowded hallway. He didn’t follow me though. He just watched me go, as if he was waiting for something.

I made it to class, sitting in my usual spot at the back, hoping the day would go by without incident. But of course, that would have been too easy. Halfway through the class, the teacher reminded us about the project, and I knew it was only a matter of time before Jason decided to stir something up. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Sure enough, as soon as the bell rang, Jason sauntered over to my desk. "Nice of you to skip out on our meeting last night," he said, leaning casually against the desk as if we were just old friends catching up. The sarcasm in his voice was thick, but I didn’t bite.

"I had a shift," I replied flatly, gathering my things. I didn’t even bother looking at him.

"Yeah? You didn’t seem too concerned about my time," he shot back, a bit of edge creeping into his voice.

I finally looked up at him, narrowing my eyes. "I have a job. Not everyone has the luxury of sitting around and playing pretend with school projects."

Jason raised an eyebrow, clearly not used to anyone talking back to him like this. "So, what’s the plan, then? Because I’m not doing this whole thing by myself."

"Neither am I," I replied sharply. "I’ll do my part. You do yours."

"How about we actually work together? That’s usually how partnerships go." His tone was more serious now, less cocky. But I wasn’t about to fall for that act.

I grabbed my bag and stood up. "I’m not interested in hanging out at your place, Knight. If you want to work on this, we can meet at the library after school. Take it or leave it."

Jason crossed his arms, looking down at me with a smirk that made my skin crawl. "Fine. Library it is. But don’t waste my time again."

I rolled my eyes and brushed past him, heading out the door before he could say anything else. Let him think he had the upper hand—he could enjoy that little illusion for now. All I wanted was to get this project done and over with so I wouldn’t have to deal with him any longer than necessary.

As I walked away, I could feel his eyes on me again. Whatever game Jason Knight thought he was playing, I wasn’t going to be another pawn in it.