You’re Not as Immune as You Think
Rio leaned against the hood of her car in the school parking lot, the late afternoon sun stretching long shadows across the asphalt. She twirled her keys idly around her finger, her mind replaying her conversation with Billy. His smug tone rang in her ears, every word dripping with the kind of doubt Rio couldn’t ignore.
“She’s not like the others,” Billy had said, that stupid grin plastered on his face. “You’ll never crack Agatha Harkness. She’s cold, man. Untouchable. Bet she wouldn’t even look twice at you.”
Untouchable. Billy didn’t know the first thing about Agatha—and Rio didn’t either, not really. But she wasn’t about to let him plant that seed of doubt. If there was one thing Rio Vidal couldn’t stand, it was losing. And something about Agatha—the way she carried herself, the fire in her eyes when she looked at Rio like she was daring her to try—made her want to win this bet all the more.
Except, it wasn’t just about the bet anymore.
Rio tilted her head back, squinting at the sun as her thoughts churned. It wasn’t just Billy’s challenge—it was the way Agatha herself pushed back, made her work for every reaction, every flicker of acknowledgment. Winning over Agatha Harkness felt less like a game and more like unlocking a puzzle. One wrapped in wit, armor, and more sharp edges than Rio had ever encountered.
Agatha wasn’t someone you could charm with a smile and a compliment. Rio had seen that icy glare up close, felt the sting of her barbed words. But everyone had a weakness. Even Agatha.
She twirled her keys one more time, the clinking sound punctuating the hum of distant laughter from the quad. And then it clicked.
“She just needs to see it,” Rio muttered, leaning forward with a smirk. “Feel it. The charm, the looks, the vibe. She’s only human.”
Her plan started to take shape as she sat there, the smirk growing wider with each detail that slid into place. Agatha wouldn’t respond to pressure, and she wouldn’t fall for obvious tricks. No, she needed something subtler. Proximity. A reason to notice Rio—not because she had to, but because she couldn’t help it.
Step one: get her attention. The hallway stunts, the café run-ins—they’d worked so far. Agatha had looked at her—really looked. And that flicker of irritation, maybe even curiosity, was more than Rio could have hoped for.
Step two: be undeniable. Not overwhelming, not pushy. Just... present. Agatha liked control—Rio could see it in the way she carried herself, the way her sharp words were as precise as a scalpel. So Rio would let her think she was in control, even as Rio pulled the strings.
Step three: let her guard down. Slowly, carefully. A laugh here, a blush there. Agatha would come to realize that being around Rio wasn’t so bad. Maybe she’d even like it.
Rio straightened, her keys slipping into her pocket as her smirk settled into something more determined. “Alright, Harkness,” she muttered, sliding off the hood of her car. “Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
She crossed the lot, her mind already racing through the possibilities. A few well-timed encounters, some light teasing, a brush of her hand here, a lingering look there. It wasn’t about breaking down Agatha’s walls all at once.
It was about making her want to open the door.
Rio strolled into the campus library, her boots making soft thuds against the polished floor as she scanned the room with a practiced nonchalance. The smell of old books and fresh coffee lingered in the air, a calming mix she wasn’t used to but found she didn’t mind. She wasn’t here for Agatha Harkness—at least, not technically.
Her plan was simple: exist. Be around, be undeniable, and let Agatha notice her without ever trying to be noticed. Agatha liked control, so Rio wouldn’t wrestle it away from her. No, Rio was patient. She could wait.
Settling into a chair near the philosophy section, she pulled out her laptop and opened a blank document, pretending to write an essay she hadn’t even chosen a topic for. Her eyes skimmed the room, casually, deliberately, until they landed on her.
Agatha was seated at a table by the window, her posture rigid, her sharp profile illuminated by the late afternoon sun. Her head was bent over a textbook, and her fingers tapped an idle rhythm against the pages, as though she couldn’t quite focus.
Rio’s lips curved into a subtle smile. Cute. Agatha was always so tightly wound, always so determined to appear unaffected. But Rio knew better.
From the corner of her eye, Rio watched as Agatha glanced up. Their eyes didn’t meet—Rio was careful to keep her focus glued to her screen—but she could feel the weight of Agatha’s attention like a string pulled taut between them.
And then, the inevitable: Agatha’s gaze hardened, and she slammed her book shut with more force than necessary.
Rio fought back a smirk.
Agatha stood abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. Her heels clicked with purpose as she crossed the room. Rio kept typing—or pretending to—but her peripheral vision tracked every step.
“Are you lost, Vidal?” Agatha’s voice broke through the quiet, sharp and biting.
Rio leaned back, finally looking up, feigning mild surprise. “Harkness,” she greeted, her tone light, casual. “Didn’t see you there.”
Agatha’s jaw tightened, her glare boring into Rio like she could set her on fire through sheer will. “What are you doing here?”
Rio shrugged, gesturing to her laptop. “Homework,” she said simply. “You know, that thing we’re all supposedly here for.”
Agatha’s eyes narrowed, and Rio could see the gears turning in her head. She doesn’t believe me.
“Right,” Agatha said slowly, crossing her arms. “Because you’re such a dedicated student.”
Rio tilted her head, letting her lips curl into a lazy smile. “Don’t sound so shocked. I do have layers, you know.”
Agatha huffed, her irritation clear as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “You’re telling me it’s pure coincidence that you just so happened to show up here? In the library. While I’m here.”
“Completely,” Rio replied smoothly, leaning back in her chair. “Believe it or not, Harkness, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”
For a second, Agatha’s expression faltered, just a flicker of something Rio couldn’t quite name. And then, just as quickly, the ice was back.
“Could’ve fooled me,” Agatha muttered, turning sharply on her heel and walking away before Rio could respond.
Rio watched her retreating form, the determined set of her shoulders, the way her fingers clenched around her book. She could practically feel the frustration radiating off Agatha, like she couldn’t quite figure out why Rio’s presence bothered her so much.
And that was the point, wasn’t it? To make her notice. To make her wonder.
Rio leaned forward again, her fingers tapping idly at the keyboard as a small, satisfied smile played on her lips. “See you around, Harkness,” she muttered under her breath, even though she knew Agatha was already out of earshot.
She didn’t have to say it aloud. She knew they’d cross paths again soon enough. And if Agatha kept looking at her like that—with all that fire and frustration—it was going to be even more fun than she’d planned.
The sun was high, blazing just enough to make the soccer field shimmer with heat. Rio jogged leisurely across the grass, the ball rolling ahead of her as she controlled its path with practiced ease. She wasn’t taking the scrimmage seriously—it was just gym class, after all—but she knew how to put on a show.
Her team was ahead, mostly because Rio had scored three goals with almost no effort, earning her the admiration of a group of girls gathered by the sidelines. They weren’t subtle about their interest, and Rio wasn’t about to let the attention go to waste. Every once in a while, she’d glance their way, flash a grin, and they’d giggle like clockwork.
But that wasn’t who Rio’s attention was really on.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Agatha Harkness, running laps around the track that circled the field. Agatha was focused, her brow furrowed in concentration as she paced herself with long, deliberate strides. Her gym uniform—a fitted tank top and shorts—showed off more skin than Rio was used to seeing, and the sight made her smirk.
Rio dribbled the ball lazily toward the far side of the field, just close enough to the track that she could see Agatha more clearly. She let the ball roll to a stop, planted her foot on top of it, and wiped her forehead with the hem of her shirt.
She knew exactly what she was doing.
The shirt lifted just enough to expose her abs, glistening with sweat under the sun. She heard the girls on the sidelines gasp, one of them audibly whispering, "Oh my God."
Rio didn’t look their way. With a quick twist she sent the ball flying to her teammate. Then, she bent forward slightly, letting her toned arms flex as she adjusted her socks, and caught Agatha glancing at her from the corner of her eye.
Gotcha.
She straightened, her movements casual, like she hadn’t noticed a thing, and started jogging again. A teammate passed her the ball, and she took off, her strides long and effortless, as though the game was barely a challenge. She made a point of running closer to the track, her body cutting across Agatha’s line of sight with perfect timing.
When the whistle blew for a water break, Rio sauntered toward the sidelines, her fingers hooking the hem of her shirt again to wipe at her face. She grabbed a bottle of water from one of the girls, who practically tripped over herself to hand it to her, and tilted it back, letting the cool liquid spill down her throat—and a little down her neck.
“Thanks,” she said smoothly, handing the empty bottle back with a grin that made the girl blush furiously.
Rio stretched her arms over her head, her shirt riding up just a little more, and finally turned her attention to the track. She spotted Agatha slowing her pace, her chest rising and falling with exertion as she finished her lap. Her face was flushed, though Rio couldn’t tell if it was from the running or something else.
Rio caught her eye.
For a second, she thought Agatha might ignore her, might look away and pretend she hadn’t been watching. But instead, Agatha’s gaze held, sharp and defiant, as though daring Rio to make something of it.
Rio couldn’t help it—her lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk. She raised a hand, giving a lazy little wave that was equal parts teasing and smug. Agatha’s eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening, and she turned sharply, marching toward the gym building without another glance.
Rio chuckled softly, tossing her soccer ball in the air and catching it with ease. She could still feel the tension radiating from Agatha even as she walked away, the stiffness in her shoulders, the way her fists clenched at her sides.
“Cute,” Rio muttered under her breath, tossing the ball to her teammate as the coach called them back onto the field. She jogged off, the smirk still firmly in place.
Agatha Harkness was going to break before she did. And Rio was going to enjoy every second of it.
The game ended in a predictable victory for Rio’s team, not that she’d been paying much attention to the scoreboard. By the time she jogged off the field and grabbed her bag from the sidelines, Billy was already waiting for her, leaning against a bleacher with a smug grin plastered across his face.
“Well, well, well,” Billy drawled, crossing his arms as Rio approached. “Looks like you’ve got more game than I gave you credit for. Didn’t think Harkness had a pulse, but the way she was staring? You might actually have a shot.”
Rio rolled her eyes, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “I wasn’t doing it for her,” she said nonchalantly, though the smirk tugging at her lips betrayed her. “She just happened to be there.”
Billy snorted, shaking his head. “Sure, whatever you need to tell yourself. But if you keep this up, you might actually get her to the party this Saturday. That’s the goal, right?”
Rio paused, pretending to think. “Oh, I don’t know, Billy. She doesn’t seem like the keg-stand-and-loud-music type.”
“Exactly,” Billy said with a laugh, his grin widening. “That’s why it’ll be a victory. You show up with her, and everyone will know you’ve cracked the ice queen. Including Jen.”
Rio’s smirk faltered for a split second before she masked it with a lazy shrug. “We’ll see,” she said, keeping her tone light. “I’m not making any promises.”
“You don’t have to,” Billy replied, slapping her shoulder as he walked off. “But if you do pull it off, first round’s on me.”
Rio shook her head as she watched him go, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. Billy’s challenge might have started this whole thing, but the stakes felt different now. Agatha wasn’t just some cold, untouchable prize to be won. She was…complicated. Interesting. And that made everything a lot harder—and a lot more dangerous.
“Pull it together, Vidal,” she muttered to herself, shaking off the thought as she headed toward the locker room.
Across the field, Alice was sitting in the shade, her notebook open on her lap as she pretended to study. But her attention had been firmly fixed on the track—and on Agatha—since the moment Rio had pulled her little stunt. Alice smirked to herself, snapping her notebook shut as she stood and started toward the bleachers, where she spotted Lillia waiting.
“So,” Alice said as she dropped onto the bench beside her, grinning conspiratorially. “You’ll never guess what just happened.”
Lillia looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
“Rio’s got Agatha on edge,” Alice said, leaning in like she was sharing a secret. “You should’ve seen it—she was practically fuming by the end of her run. And guess what? Billy wants Rio to bring her to the party on Saturday.”
Lillia’s eyes lit up, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. “Which means Jen will be there too.”
“Exactly,” Alice said, nudging her shoulder. “Perfect opportunity.”
Lillia’s grin widened as she tucked her phone into her bag. “This party just got a whole lot more interesting. What’s the plan?”
Alice leaned back, crossing her arms with a satisfied look. “We’ll make sure Jen knows about it, for starters. And then, we’ll see if we can work a little magic.”
“Subtle magic, though,” Lillia pointed out, her tone teasing but firm. “If we push too hard, she’ll bolt.”
“Of course,” Alice replied smoothly. “But if there’s one thing I know, it’s how to make things fall into place.”
Lillia laughed, shaking her head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“And you love it,” Alice shot back with a wink.
They shared a knowing look before Lillia grabbed her bag, standing up and stretching. “Alright, then. Let’s make this party one to remember.”
Alice nodded, her grin widening as she watched Lillia walk off. Things were starting to come together, and she couldn’t wait to see how it all played out. Because if there was one thing Alice knew, it was that sometimes chaos was the quickest path to clarity.