Everyone was laughing, and a relaxed tone cascaded over us. That didn't last long.
Bolton’s ex best friend walked into the pizzeria, and the bell chimed at the same time the door moved, warning us all. Leo, someone I haven't had much time with, announced to the group to stay cool. I knew he was only speaking to Nyx, the only hot head here.
I mentally prayed over and over again that he wouldn't come over.
Like all my other prayers, it went unanswered.
I studied his features as he sauntered over to the booth and stopped before us. His features were sharp, almost hard to take in entirely. His jet black hair only reminded me of a dark version of Bolton’s, except his was villainously neat.
No villain ever had messy hair; think about it.
He wasn't much taller than me, and was bulky like he worked out more than his body could handle. He was all American and the average kind of eye candy.
I could see his tricks safely harnessed behind his eyes, ready to attack at all times.
He looked directly at me, ignoring everyone else at the booth. “You're Bolton’s girl, right? Where is he?”
“Excuse me? I'm not his keeper. I'm pretty sure he has a phone.”
It came out without thinking first. I should have denied being his girl first and put sarcasm last. In any instance of feeling threatened, I lash out with very little thought process.
I could hear my dad’s voice swell like the queued up soundtrack in a movie, each action perfectly paired with music.
You have to think before you speak. Count to five and then speak, my Little Archer.
He tried to teach me early, but it was no use. I was ruined by my emotions.
I pushed my chin forward signaling Nyx to slide out of the booth so I could leave. As I stood up to breeze by Bolton’s clear tormentor, Caellum stepped quickly in front of me, making me pause my storm out.
Things weren't the same without Bolton’s presence lingering over everyone, hating that we could have fun and he wouldn't let himself even smile.
“Tell your boyfriend—”
I cut his words off before he could finish the sentence. “Are you deaf?”
I didn't even finish the comeback as I watched his face scrunch up in confusion at my left field question. After I waited long enough I finished, “I'm not his keeper. You wanna tell him anything? Find him yourself. By the way, not his girlfriend. We’re enemies slowly working towards frenemies.”
I slipped past him, reminiscing on the progress Bolton and I had made by seeing each other vulnerable. He had lost, only to have it rubbed in by this asshole, and he knew a sliver of me now that I wouldn't normally share with anyone. Somehow he lured it out of me effortlessly. I wasn't even completely sure how it happened.
The word “magic” came to mind.
Caellum didn't stop me; no one did. My storm out was complete when the cool air felt like relief from the tension Caellum dragged behind him.
The campus was a lot darker now, only illuminated by the lights hanging above the path between buildings. I squinted at almost every door, trying to place my own.
Note to architects: make buildings less similar on campuses.
Finally I found my building, after getting turned around a half dozen times. I pressed my fancy new keycard to the pad and watched the red light turn green.
Arbitrary, huh? Trust me, I'm on your side here. We are smarter than equating green to go and red to stop.
The door closing behind me was the only sound I could hear in the dark hallway. It was so quiet I heard myself shift from unfazed to paranoid easily. I wasn't afraid of the dark. I just knew that nothing cheerful ever came from the shadows and all that.
The dark, quiet, places were unsettling. I moved along the hallway, trying to find my room, closely looking at the room numbers and regretting leaving now.
“Arianna?”
I heard my name, but I hadn't recognized the voice saying it. No one used my actual name here. Not yet. I turned around slowly wanting to squeeze my eyes closed.
“What are you doing in the boys’ dormitory?”
Bolton said my real name, and his voice wasn't soaked in disdain. I didn't even know anyone knew my name, let alone him.
My brain wasn't catching up fast enough to speak when my eyes were boring into his shirtless chest. His illumined scantily white skin shone against the moonlight pouring in through the window. Every curve of his taut muscles made my mouth salivate.
“Boys’ dormitory? Damn. I should have waited for Luna.”
He stood there, leaning against the door, silently, like he refused to converse with anyone, hence not going for pizza.
I took a step closer, examining more of him when I saw the same type of scar as Luna. I could easily make out a ram’s horns.
How could they not notice this? Maybe I was the only one to see him shirtless.
“Hey, your scar; it's a ram, like the sign Aries... Luna has a weird scar on the back of her shoulder that looks like Cancer. What are you guys… in some kind of secret society?”
He didn't laugh or even budge. “Never seen a birthmark? Born with it.”
My eyes slanted down, and my tongue swiped against my teeth, like I was thinking with so much effort for a better excuse. If there was one, he wasn't giving it up.
“That's what she said too...”
He changed the topic without me being done with it smoothly. “Hot date, or you prefer sneaking into designated boys’ areas?”
I sarcastically, all monotone, pushed a “ha-ha” out. “Left without Luna. This place is creepy in the dark.”
He laughed walking without me further down the hall, but he kept talking so I knew to keep the pace. “Why did you leave without Luna? She hitting on Nyx again?”
My eyes went wide, and I was thankful this hallway was almost too dark to see.
“What? No? Caellum came looking for you, and I was over it. Gave him a heads up I'm not your girlfriend. You’re welcome.”
“I'm sure he did. You piqued his interest, New Girl.”
I kept following him up a set of wide stairs to a second level without questioning where we were going or why. I simply kept putting one foot in front of the other and fed my own motivation to keep up with the school’s king.
I refused to be deemed less than anyone, especially him.
“Not interested. The pretentious heartthrob vibe isn't my type.” I didn't think before I spoke, once again.
He stopped at the top of the landing, looking down at me, as all kings do, and popped an eyebrow, like I meant to offend him directly.
“I beg to differ. You're the one still following me, aren't you?”
“You've got the pretentious, asshole part down to a T. Jury is still out on the rest.”
A silence hit after he stopped responding and our back and forth faded. I let it, until he pushed open his door to a bedroom twice the size of my room I shared with Luna. I leaned in the doorway, completely aware that I was invited in.
“Nyx and Luna? Seriously?”
I watched him lay down on his bed, long and lean, starkly pale against his black sheets, and his hair still slightly wet. His blonde hair darkened from the water and stuck to his temples in a way I'd find annoying. The birth mark looked more like a scar in this light, and the edges were irritated with red.
“He's off limits. I know you're new and all, but maybe give it some time before you profess that you're into everyone.”