Jasper stood inches away from me, leaning down slightly so he could get a glimpse at the computer screen, his hand braced on the back of my chair.

“Mon dieu, look at that side profile,” he commented. “If the quality was better, this would be all over my social media.”

“Oh,” I muttered, fighting the impulse to reach out and turn off the screen, “H-hey Jasper.”

With a grin, Jasper leaned his hip against the table. “So, you found The Chitter Chatter?”

I nodded, aware that my cheeks were probably flaming red.

“Find anything interesting?”

“Not really,” I lied. “I was just looking at it to get to know everyone a little better.”

“M-hm. Let me guess, you looked up Noelle’s name?”

My face got even hotter, which didn’t go unnoticed. “Oh, no need to get all flustered, princesse,” he chuckled. “I would want to find out as much as possible about her too. You know, to make sure she won’t suffocate me with a pillow in my sleep.”

“She . . . she wouldn’t do that. Right?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Not without a good reason.”

My eyes widened when I thought back to her violent reaction to me trying to read her notes. “She hates me.”

“She hates everyone. Don’t take it personally.”

“She doesn’t hate you though.”

“She doesn’t hate me as much as everyone else,” he corrected me.

“Either way, don’t believe everything that’s on The Chitter Chatter.

Half of it is made up.”

“Do you know who writes it?”

“No. No one does.”

I hummed, intrigued. There was an element of mystery to this that I was sure Seth, with his penchant for crime novels, would appreciate when I told him about it later.

Jasper leaned forward a little. “How does it feel to be in the top twenty? Flattered?”

“You tell me,” I retorted with a smile. “You’re in second place.”

He breathed an exaggerated sigh. “So I’ve been told. I can’t help it, I’m just too damn attractive.”

“I’d like to have your confidence,” I laughed.

“Why don’t you have it?” Jasper cocked his head to the side.

“Open that braid and pimp the boring uniform a little and you’ll make it into the top ten of The Watcher’s ranking.”

“How do you pimp a white button-down and a stupid skirt?

Not to mention these ballerinas. Walking in these hurts.”

“Just don’t wear them then. Noelle wore them the first day and then never again.”

“But what about—”

“Dress code? No one really cares about it, except for Amelia,”

he said. “Just look at me. I break pretty much every rule, and no one’s suspended me from class yet.”

For the first time, I really took a look at his entire appearance.

He was right. If he could walk around wearing black platform shoes and a long coat instead of a blazer, then I could at least disregard the ridiculous shoes.

“Tell me if you need any help,” Jasper said, pushing himself off the desk. “I’m heading back to the boys’ wing; the library closes in five minutes. I think it’s safe for you to go back to your room now.”