Chapter 08 Playful Invitation Under the Desk

Then, with a subtle nudge of her finger, she sent it rolling slowly, slowly off the desk. It hit the floor and rolled under her chair.

Cedric’s eyes finally flicked to hers, a flash of irritation in them.

Molly met his gaze and her smile turned dazzling, all her perfect teeth on display. A faint, rosy blush colored her tan cheeks beneath her squinted, mischievous eyes. Slowly, she uncurled the small fist she’d been resting her chin on. There, in her palm, materializing with a faint, magical puff of sweet-scented, pink-tinged smoke, was her original pencil.

She hadn’t needed his at all.

She brought the pencil to her lips, gave it a playful little kiss, and winked at him as if to say, ‘Haha. I fooled you. I had my own the whole time.’

She shifted one of her legs, her academy skirt riding up a noticeable inch as her knee bent, subtly blocking the cleanest path to the pencils on the floor.

Then, without making a sound, she formed the words with her glossy, pretty lips, slow and clear. ‘Aren’t you going to get your pen?’

To retrieve it, he’d have to get on his knees, duck under her desk, and navigate into the space between her legs, the scent of her perfume, the overwhelming closeness. It was an impossibly mission.

She watched him, her head tilted, her smile soft but her eyes blazing with playful, demonic mischief. She wanted to see Cedric blush in embarrassment of having to put his head near her lap.

Cedric felt a bead of sweat trace a path down his temple. He subtly shifted in his seat.
Molly noticed. She slowly fanned herself with a sheet of paper, creating a gentle breeze that carried her sweet scent on to him. Then she leaned in, whispering, "Is it just me, or is it getting a little... heated in here? You look kinda warm, Cedric."

Cedric went to recap his pen. The plastic cap slipped from his fingers and rolled across the floor, stopping near Molly's foot. Instead of picking it up, Molly looked down, then at him. A slow, wicked little grin spread across her face. She placed her foot, her cute, ankle-boot-clad foot, gently on top of the cap. She didn't say a word. She just looked at him; her expression said it all. 'Come and get it, if you dare.'

Cedric stared, frozen. With a soft giggle, Molly lifted her foot, nudged the cap back toward him with her toe, and said, "Guess I'll let off the hook this time. But you should really be more careful with your... equipment. Someone might take advantage."

Cedric said nothing. He simply bent down, snatched the pen cap. But inside his head, the noise was loud.

"I cannot believe this girl! What is her deal?! Why is she… why is she like this?! Teasing me! During Professor Hemsley’s lecture of all times! If you’re going to be disruptive, at least pick a time and place! Or better yet, don’t do it at all! This is a place of learning, not… not whatever this is!"

A terrible, familiar realization dawned. The focused, cheerful, inescapable annoyance. The way she seemed to take genuine pleasure in his discomfort without any real malice.

"Wait. Hold on. Something feels familiar here! I have two older sisters. This… this is exactly what they do. She is! She's the ‘annoying big sister’ type of person! The one kind of person I can't stand!"

He risked a glance at her notes. His eye twitched.

"And she’s not even taking notes! She’s drawing… animals! In a Hero Academy! Is this a joke to her?!"

 Her page was full of doodled kittens with big sparkly eyes, a chibi dragon wearing a tiny crown, and what appeared to be a very fluffy sheep with a speech bubble that said 'Baa-nal Ethics!' Not a single coherent note in sight.

"She didn’t listen to a word! She was drawing! She can’t even perform a basic Holy Slash properly! …Though, to be brutally honest with myself, I was… moderately impressed she held her own against Leon in that spar. But it’s obvious now he was holding back for her sake. She’s a flunky. A complete airhead who got in through some backwater noble connection! A distraction. A chaotic, glittery, ankle-twisting distraction. Why is she even here?! What possible purpose does someone like her—"

“Ahem.” Professor Hemsley’s voice interrupted Cedric’s spiraling thoughts. He stood at the front of the room, a stack of papers in his hands.

“Before you are all dismissed. Given the… atmosphere of suspicion that has regrettably taken root regarding the integrity of our admissions process, we will be taking a quick, surprise evaluation.”

A collective groan filled the room. 

“This will be a written test on core concepts. I will show the result publicly, after you are done. This should, once and for all, demonstrate that there are no individuals here who have cheated their way into the most prestigious academy in the empire.”

He began passing out papers. “Anyone who cannot pass this basic assessment of material has no business being here and will be asked to leave. But I have no doubt that will not be necessary.”

The message was crystal clear, and every eye in the room darted toward Molly. 

Cedric felt a flicker of grim satisfaction. "Finally. Order. Proof. She’ll be exposed for the unserious distraction she is. All that teasing, and for what? She’ll be packing her cute little bags by the end of the day. Good. Let’s see you talk your way out of this. Miss Molly Moriana form Sunny Beach!"

A heavy silence descended upon the classroom. This wasn’t a review; it was an ambush on material delivered just minutes ago. 

Cedric's eyes scanned the questions, "Good. These aren’t recycled entrance exam questions. They’re new ones. No one could have prepared for this. No cheating. This will be the definitive proof. And these questions are no joke either. Hard. Very hard. Even I might not secure a perfect score on all subjects. For her, however…"

His gaze, almost against his will, slid to Molly.

 She was half-slumped in her chair, one elbow on the desk, her chin resting in her hand. Her free hand held her pen loosely, and it was moving across the page with quick scribbles.

"What? She’s doodling? She’s actually doodling during a test that could get her expelled. Is she stupid?"

As if sensing his scrutiny, Molly’s eyes lifted from her paper. She caught him staring. Her expression melted into that same, infuriatingly playful smile. She puckered her lips subtly and blew a silent, tiny kiss in his direction, following it with a deliberate wink. Then she giggled soundlessly behind the fingers she brought up to cover her wide, grinning mouth, her shoulders shaking with giggle.

Cedric’s pen nearly snapped in his grip. He whipped his head back to his own test, heat flooding his neck and ears. "Unbelievable! This is a serious academic evaluation! Our futures are on the line! And she’s… she’s flirting?! Or teasing?! Or whatever that is! Does she not understand what situation she is in? Or does she just not care?!"

"Ugggghhhh, booooring. Whaaat even is this? A pop quiz? So boring. Professor Hemsley is such a buzzkill. I was having, like, the best time teasing Mr. Class President over here. Look at him go. So serious. It’s kinda cute, in a totally stressed-out, needs-a-hug kinda way. Gotta keep myself entertained somehow, right?"

Her eyes drifted to the test paper. "Blah blah blah. I’ve read, like, twelve different books on this. Easy. I could totally ace this. I know all the answers they want. What a snooze fest. But what’s the point? I’m not here to be the top of the class. I’m not here to impress Professor Buzzkill."

A dreamy smile touched her lips as she gazed out the window, imagining a different classroom. "I’m here for one thing, and one thing only: to get my hero’s heart. Leon’s heart. Preferably wrapped in a cute ribbon. 

Acing this test won’t make him fall for me. If anything, being too smart might scare him off. Gotta keep the ‘cute-but-clumsy’ vibe going. But can't fail either. Ugh, fine. I’ll write something. Just enough to pass. It’s, like, average. Approachable. Not threatening. Totally my brand right now."

Her thoughts wandered again, a pout forming. "Ahhh, I wish I was a third-year already. Stuck here with the babies and the rule-followers. Leon’s probably in some cool, advanced class right now. ‘Advanced Heroics’ or ‘How to Look Hot While Swinging a Sword.’ I wanna be there! I wanna sit next to him and accidentally bump his arm with mine during a written test… not tease Cedric about his small pen."

She finished her last short paragraph, drawing a tiny heart to dot the ‘i’ in ‘I'm done.’ "There. All Done. Passing grade, get. Now, how long do I have to sit here before I can ‘accidentally’ run into Leon in the hallway…?"