Zeus
I stay at the window and stare into the darkness that is her room, wildly fitting for how I feel. Darkness is something I have become accustomed to and revel in. It is the only thing in this world that I truly understand.
Emotions are not something that has ever been easy for me, and they became even more difficult after my accident as a kid. After that, it was like they were shocked from my system. Darkness and anger were the only things that I could deal with. That made my dad happy. I was turning into the son he always wanted.
The longer I stare, the more my chest constricts. A feeling I don’t know is warring in me. Anger twining with it. The rage mixed with whatever was coursing through me. I need to do something to get it out.
I see a glass on Midas’s desk beside me. I grab it and throw it across the room, shattering it against the wall. Not enough. I need something more. I look around his room, wanting to destroy it but knowing I can’t.
Serena is dangerous and not like the usual danger we deal with. She makes me feel things I can’t explain and want to do things I have never done before. She makes me want to feel.
When we saw her last night- and she smiled while leaving her house- I knew I would do anything to see her smile like that. At school today, she didn’t smile once, and it hurt me in a way I never expected. I also saw how she covered her cheek when she ran into me today. She was in pain. If I had to bet, her boyfriend did that to her. I was ready to beat any mother fucker in my way today. Some poor freshman almost got my rage turned on him when he bumped into me in the cafeteria today. The only thing that saved him was me looking over at Serena and seeing her starting to smile with her new friends.
I want her to smile like that with me, more importantly, at me.
I have done cruel things; most would call me a monster, but I want to be better for her. Become more than just this shell of a person I am and be her monster if needed.
A fucking boyfriend, though. Of course, a girl like her is already with someone. It doesn’t make me any less pissed. I need to figure out how to get him out of the picture and get her all to myself.
I don’t care what I need to do to get her. I will do anything. Lie, steal, kill. Anything.
With that thought, my anger slowly started to seep away. I just need to create a plan that will guarantee what I want, and I already think I know the perfect one.
“A fucking boyfriend!” Midas roars, breaking me out of my trance.
Midas is pacing back and forth, his body tense. Odin is lying on Midas’s bed with a crazed look in his eyes. I know both of them want her just as much as I do, but I don’t think they want her for the same reasons. Midas is eager to win the bet and claim the new girl. He always has liked shiny new things, and poor Serena is his current obsession. Odin is more difficult to read about what he wants. I can’t tell if he only wants to win the bet or if there is something more there.
“Oh, come on, man. It wouldn’t be the first time you fucked a girl with a boyfriend.” Odin chuckles, but the muscle in his jaw is thrumming. He is angry about this. Odin has always hidden behind his sarcasm, always been the comedic relief between us, trying to lighten the mood no matter how dark it gets.
I learned a long time ago how to read people. It made it easier to figure out how to act around them. Most people are easy to read. They keep their emotions close to the surface. Midas and Odin are ordinarily a brick wall and don’t let anyone know what is happening to them. We learned the hard way a long time ago to hide any weakness.
“Fuck you, Odin,” Midas yells.
“This isn’t the end of the world. A boyfriend makes it a little more challenging, but not impossible.” Odin shrugs his shoulders, acting like he doesn’t care. I can tell he already has a crazy idea.
“I will own her. I don’t care what I have to do.” Midas pointedly looks at us.
He wants her, but he isn’t the only one.
I watch as she walks to her car. She looks so perfect. Her blonde hair is down and flowing in the wind. She is wearing a pale blue sundress that hugs her curves, showing her exquisite body off. I have to continuously tell myself not to go over there, throw her over my shoulder, and leave with her. If I could, I would put her on the back of my bike and drive off into the sunset with her.
I don’t know what it is about her that makes me want to act like that, but I need to know. I need to figure out what is so special about her.
I’m sitting on my bike, a black 1996 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail, in my father’s laneway, waiting for her to leave. She applies her lip gloss before turning her car on and pulling out. I wait a bit before starting my bike and following her. I try to stay back, hoping she doesn’t notice me.
Instead of going straight to school, she pulls into the café. I park a little down the road and walk back to the café to sneak in. It’s moderately busy this morning, but it usually is. The Hot Cup Café has been around for as long as I can remember. Mr. and Mrs. Jones opened this place almost forty years ago.
I stand in the corner and watch Serena stand in line. She stares at her phone, frowning at what she is looking for. Whatever is upsetting her is pissing me off. I want to make it better. When she finally gets to the counter to order, I move closer.
I need to get as much information on her as I can. Nothing is too small. The more I know her, the better chance of getting her to be mine.
I stay in the shadows and watch- God, I feel like Odin. Knowing him, he is probably not too far away. The man is obsessive and loves to know his prey. He can blend in and be inconspicuous when he wants to be. It’s what makes him so dangerous.
Serena gets her coffee and walks back out to her car. I sneak out the back and head to my bike, keeping my eyes on her the whole time. She is sitting in her car, and it looks like she is texting someone. Who are you talking to, princess? Looking defeated, she tosses her phone down and starts the car. I put my helmet back on and followed behind her to school. She parks in the back of the lot, far away from where I always park.
I pull my bike in next to Odin and Midas and turn it off. I sit on my bike as I watch her walk into the school. God, she looks so fucking good in that dress. The only thing that would make it better is if she had some leather on.
Or nothing at all.
The morning goes by slowly. I have been impatiently waiting for lunch, hoping my stupid idea works. Finally, the bell rings, and I rush out of the class and down the hall to where her last class was. I wait a little down the hall, knowing she needs to walk past me to get to her locker.
I see Serena walk out the door, her head down, not paying attention to anyone until Valerie and her little minion Melanie walk up behind her and purposely bump into her, knocking her bag and books on the ground. My fists clench, and I storm over to them.
“You should watch where you are going, new girl.” Valerie sneers at her while Melanie laughs.
“Maybe you should watch where you are going, Val,” I growl behind Serena. Serena’s body tenses then relaxes as I pull her behind me, creating a wall between her and Valerie.
Valeria and Melanie’s jaws drop as they look between us two. It’s wildly out of character for me to stand up for anyone, let alone someone I don’t know. It is also against my nature to hit a woman, but right now, these two bitches want to make me break that rule.
Serena places her hand on my back. I look over my shoulder at her. Her stunning pale green eyes stared up at me. The anger in my body slowly dissipates the longer I look at her. An uneasy feeling courses through me that I can’t place, like a peculiar sense of calm I have never felt before. As if Serena can sense where my thoughts are going, and she shakes her head at me.
I stare at her, warring with myself about what to do next. I want to hurt them for hurting her, but would I be hurting her if I went against what she wanted? I begrudgingly sigh and nod at her, earning me a smile that melts my frozen heart.
I turn back to the two bimbos in front of me. I never understood what Midas saw in Valerie. She is a vapid, pretentious social climber. Her father wasn’t a well-off man, and she hated that. Valerie always felt like she was intended for more. In her eyes, Midas was just that. We all knew the power he would have one day, and she wanted a piece of that. She would be untouchable if they were tied together. She would be a queen, even if it was just in this small town.
I stare down at both of them. Melanie at least has the decency to look scared at me. She’s not as dumb as I thought. Valerie stares defiantly back at me. She always assumed because Midas fucked her, that meant she didn’t need to fear us. She also thought Odin and I would come crawling to her as well. I guess fucking her before school started with them wasn’t a great idea, but I was needy and desperate that night, needing an outlet. Since then, she has bragged about how she ‘finally’ conquered all the Kings and that she was ours.
“You can’t speak to me like Zeus.” Valerie sneers at me. Melanie gasps at her. Serena stiffens a little behind me.
“I will do whatever the fuck I want, Valerie. You don’t own me and never will. Remember that, bitch.” I growl. Fuck, this girl is going to get on my last nerve.
Melanie grabs Valerie’s hand and pulls her away, but that doesn’t stop her from glaring at Serena. I scoff at her stupidity before turning to the girl who occupies all my attention.
Serena’s head is down. She looks so meek and timid, but I can see the fire in her. She needs someone to stoke those flames and turn her into an unstoppable force.
I bend down and pick up her stuff before she can. I look up at her from my knees. Her mouth drops open a little, and a small gasp leaves her precious lips. I smirk at her, loving the reaction I get from her.
“Th-thank you.” Her voice is small and quivers a little.
“You never need to thank me, siren.” I shrug as I stand back up.
She is so beautiful and delicate, especially beside me. I stand at 6’3”, and she has to be six or seven inches shorter than me. I imagine what she would look like on my arm, the back of my bike, naked in bed. Fuck, I need to stop that before I get hard.
I place my hand on her back and slowly guide her toward her locker. She keeps her head down the whole time, but I can see the blush spreading across her cheeks. A warm feeling is spreading through me, not knowing what emotion this is, but I like it. She places her books in her locker and shuts it. We stand so close that it is beyond tempting to close the distance and kiss her. I won’t, not until her boyfriend is out of the picture. Then, and only then, I will make my move, and if that doesn’t work, there is always plan B.
I give her what I hope is a reassuring smile before guiding her to the cafeteria.
Midas and Odin are sitting at our table. Valerie is moping next to Midas. He looks like he doesn’t care what she is saying, but she won’t shut up. Odin is wearing a cruel smirk until he glances over at me. I can see the jealousy in his eyes as he quirks his eyebrow at me. Midas glares at me.
Serena and I get into the line. She grabs a small salad and a bottle of water. That’s not enough food for her. I give her a look to ask if that’s it. Her cheeks redden, and she shyly nods her head. I load the tray with a burger, fries, chips, and cookies. I pay for both of us and walk over to an empty table. We sit next to each other.
Say something to her, you idiot.
She pushes her salad around with her fork, not eating any of it. I scowl.
“You need to eat something. Here, have some fries.” I push the plate closer to her.
She looks down at the plate, her mouth practically watering. I push it in front of her and give her a small smile. I bite into the burger and wait for her to pick a fry. Her hand shakes a little as she grabs the smallest fry. She reluctantly takes a bite, a sigh leaving her lips. She goes to take another fry but stops and pulls her hand away.
She quickly goes back to eat her salad. She looks so nervous beside me. Her little body has a slight tremble that I don’t think she even notices. She is constantly looking around like someone might jump out and hurt her. It stirs something animalistic in me. Whoever she fears, I want to kill them for her and lay them at her feet like a trophy.
Serena is barely looking at me. She seems so uncomfortable, and I hate that. I like having her next to me, it”s an addicting feeling. I want her to feel the same way with me.
“Zeus shouldn’t be standing up for a nobody like her.” Valerie loudly says. “She’s a freak.”
I look over my shoulder at Valerie, ready to yell at her. Midas has his hand around her throat, squeezing. Valerie”s eyes light with excitement at first until Midas tightens his grip. Valerie starts to panic and claws at his hand. Odin is on his feet, looking ready to step in if Midas will let him play. Melanie wisely sits quietly and doesn’t dare try to get in between.
“I don’t give a fuck what Zeus does, and he certainly does not take orders from you. You better remember your place, or I will remind you. Trust me when I say you won’t like it.” Midas throws Valerie to the ground. Her body crumbles to the ground. A roaring chorus of laughs sounds through the cafeteria.
I turn back around to see Serena gone. Fuck. I don’t see her in the cafeteria at all. I want to get up and look for her, but I have no clue where she would go. I grab my tray and sit down next to Odin. Valerie is still on the ground, staring daggers at Midas. At least she is smart enough not to say anything else.
Valerie eventually gets up and sits back beside Midas. She acts like her excessive public humiliation didn’t happen and starts flirting with Midas. She cautiously touches his arm and leans to whisper something in his ear. He stays frozen like a statue while she whispers in his ear before nodding to her.
I don”t know what is happening between Midas and Valerie, but it”s not good.