Chapter 8 He Steals The Show
Kaia had solved it. Flawlessly.
The classroom buzzed with shocked whispers.
“No way! Kaia, the ultimate slacker, actually crushed it?” a kid gasped.
“I couldn’t even read that problem,” another muttered. “She just… bam! Done, no sweat.”
“Is she low-key a genius or what? Playing us all this time?”
Mark’s face burned, the chatter stinging like a slap. He hadn’t meant to dunk on Kaia with these questions.
He just wanted her to take school seriously and quit skipping class. But now? Total disaster.
If he didn’t stump her today, he’d never live it down.
Then it hit him—the NP-C problem, one of the world’s seven toughest math puzzles.
It had baffled brainiacs for years until some mystery genius solved it last month, blowing up the internet.
‘She’s not cracking this one,’ Mark thought, smirking.
“Alright, that last one was a breeze,” he said, oozing confidence. “Try this bad boy.”
He scribbled the problem on the board, practically gloating.
Kaia glanced at it, then shot him a look like he was the weird one.
“What? My face got the answer or something?” Mark quipped, sure he had her beat.
The other kids stared at the board, totally lost.
“What is that?” one whispered.
“No clue. Is it even math? Or is he just messing with her?”
Mark grinned as Kaia stood there, unmoving. “If you’re stuck, maybe try showing up to class for—”
Before he could finish, Kaia grabbed the chalk and went to town. Her hand flew, logic spilling out line by line, filling the board.
Mark’s smirk vanished, his jaw dropping lower with every stroke.
When she ran out of space, Kaia strolled to the back blackboard and kept going, cool as ice.
The room went silent, everyone holding their breath.
Ding-ding-ding! The bell rang.
“Done,” Kaia said, tossing the chalk and walking out like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb.
The class sat there, stunned, mouths open. Mark’s brain was a whirlwind, his pride shredded.
That afternoon, a freak thunderstorm hit, lightning flashing, rain pouring. The forecast hadn’t said a peep.
Kaia, like the other kids, got stuck at the school entrance, watching the downpour keep them trapped.
A cluster of girls nearby was buzzing with chatter, their voices cutting through the storm.
“Casey, your boyfriend’s not picking you up?” one asked, twirling a strand of hair.
“He’s almost here,” Casey Dixon said, throwing a smug glance at Kaia, her eyes gleaming with a mix of defiance and glee.
Casey had a major beef with Kaia. As long as Kaia was around, Casey was stuck as the class cutie while Kaia ruled as the school’s total knockout.
“Ugh, so jealous!” another girl squealed. “Isn’t your guy’s dad the big shot behind Snyder Hotel?”
“No way! The Snyder Hotel? That’s Morganburg’s four-star hotspot!”
Casey grinned wide. “Yeah, Philip says his dad’s going for five-star status. Should be locked in soon.”
“That’s so cool! Casey, you totally hit the jackpot with him.”
Casey shot another look at Kaia, smirking. “Please, he’s great, but Kaia’s on another level. Her fiancé’s that WestHaven Realty hotshot, right? I can’t compete with that.”
Every head turned to Kaia, the air thick with gossip.
“Casey, you didn’t hear?” a girl chimed in, voice dripping with fake pity. “Kaia got dumped by that Ross guy. She’s kind of a wreck now.”
“Really?” Casey gasped, hand flying to her mouth like she was shocked.
She turned to Kaia, laying on the sympathy. “Kaia, I’m so sorry! I had no idea you got dumped. I wouldn’t have said anything if I knew. Didn’t mean to rub it in.”
Kaia gave Casey a flat stare. “You and my snake of a sister should totally team up.”
Casey’s face turned red, and the other girls jumped in.
“Whoa, that’s messed up!” one snapped. “Casey apologized. No need to be a jerk!”
“Yeah, we’re all in the same class. That was way harsh. Say sorry, Kaia!”
“Apologize, now!”
Kaia let out a quick laugh, not hiding it.
“What’s so funny?” a girl barked. “We said apologize!”
“I’m laughing ’cause you’re all clueless,” Kaia shot back. “My IQ’s, like, through the roof. Compared to me, you guys are basically eating crayons.”
“You’re calling us dumb?” one girl sputtered.
Kaia raised a brow, all attitude. “If it fits. Casey’s playing you with this mean-girl act, and you’re all falling for it, ganging up on me. If that’s not low-key brainless, what is?”
“Oh, please,” Noelle scoffed. “You solved a few math problems in class today. Big deal. Probably just got lucky and saw them online.”
“Yeah, a slacker like you talking smack about our smarts?”
Ding—Kaia’s phone pinged. Done with the drama, she checked the text.
Tobias: [Grandpa sent me to grab you. Pulling up.]
Kaia tapped a quick reply just as a sleek red sports car rolled up to the curb. Every head turned, jaws dropping.
A guy in a sharp pinstripe suit stepped out, striding toward the school like he owned it, everyone’s eyes glued to him.
“That’s Philip! He’s so hot, and that car? Total dreamboat vibes. I’d kill for a guy like that.”
“No chance,” another whispered. “That’s Casey’s man.”
“No way! That ride’s worth a fortune!”
Casey tilted her chin up, practically glowing, then strolled over to Kaia, playing sweet. “Kaia, I swear I didn’t mean to upset you.
“It’s pouring—want us to drop you off? My way of saying sorry. What do you think?”
Kaia flicked her eyes at Casey and ignored her.
Casey’s eyes welled up, all dramatic. “Kaia, don’t hate me! I didn’t mean it. We’re classmates, right? I’d never try to make you feel bad.
“Oh, and I’m having a birthday bash at Hart Club this weekend—whole class is invited. You have to come, okay?”
She reached for Kaia’s arm.
Kaia stepped back, grossed out. “Don’t.”
Casey’s lip quivered, and she let out a pathetic sob. “Kaia, why do you hate me so much?”
The other girls ate it up, turning on Kaia like a pack.
“She’s too much! I can’t even!”
“How’s Kaia this awful? I’m so mad I could scream.”
“Same!”
Philip, Casey’s boyfriend, swaggered over and pulled Casey into a hug. “Babe, don’t cry. I’ll handle this.”
He turned to Kaia, ready to let her have it, but when he saw her face—gorgeous, like straight out of a fairy tale—he froze, his anger turning to awe.
‘Damn, she’s way hotter than Casey,’ he thought.
Casey caught his starry-eyed look and panicked.
“Philip, just let it go. She’s my classmate,” she started. “Don’t start anything. She’s got it rough—always skipping class, held back twice.
“No way she’s passing the SATs. Her family doesn’t even like her, and her fiancé? Stolen by her sister. You know him—Louis Ross.”
Casey’s words were sharp, painting Kaia as a pretty face with a hot-mess life.
Philip smirked, his admiration flipping to scorn. “So you’re the Bennett girl Louis ditched.”
Casey hid a grin, relieved.
Kaia didn’t even glance at him.
“Hey! I’m talking to you!” Philip snapped. “What, you deaf? Ignoring me?”
Kaia rolled her eyes. “I don’t waste words on idiots.”
“You calling me an idiot? Say it again!”
Kaia smirked, lips sealed, proving her point—she didn’t talk to fools.
Philip got the message, and man, was he pissed.
His face burned. “You little— I’m gonna—”
“Move,” a deep, icy voice cut in. “You’re in my way.”
‘Who’s the punk interrupting me while I’m schooling people?’ Philip though to himself, turning with a scowl.
But when he saw the guy, his bravado crumbled.
The dude was straight-up gorgeous, like he walked out of a legend, and Philip felt like a total nobody.
Casey and the other girls stared, practically drooling. ‘This guy’s too hot to be real.’
No one could blame them—Tobias was hot beyond reason.
“Oh my God, he’s unreal! My heart’s melting. Is he, like, a celebrity?”
“No way. With that face, he’d own Hollywood. We’d know him!”
“You think he’s here to pick someone up?”
“Who’s the lucky one getting a guy this fine to come get her?”
They all exchanged glances, trying to spot the lucky girl.
Philip sized up Tobias, his gut screaming this wasn’t just some rich kid. But he didn’t recognize him from their elite circles.
“Move,” Tobias said again, his eyes cold as steel.
Philip shuffled aside, too intimidated to argue. He was dying to know—who was this guy here for?
Then, to everyone’s shock, the untouchable, godlike dude walked straightThen, to everyone’s shock, the untouchable, godlike dude walked straight up to Kaia.
