Chapter 20
MICAI
A fter the dance on Friday, everything went back to normal. Most of the students went home late after the dance and arrived back on Sunday evening for our classes today. Nobody even mentioned a beast attack.
I head toward Mr. Finch’s classroom, after just having dealt with two blockheads trying to corner me in the stairway. It seems Adam wasn’t too happy with being stood up.
Funny how he still tried to go in that condition. Or was it all just talk, trying to make me feel some sort of guilt toward him? A wasted effort.
His face was twisted in frustration as he talked, his complexion pale with black bags under his eyes, probably from lack of sleep, or scratching .
He rambled on about me ‘owing him’ and how I ruined his night. That I should have been grateful he was even willing to take someone so pathetic, with such a bad reputation.
His leery eyes looked at me in the sleaziest of ways while he talked, like I was some object or piece of meat for amusement. And when he and his friend cornered me, telling me I should ‘pay ’ for what he had lost out on, they flipped a switch they shouldn’t have.
I decided to give him a piece of what he was owed –my knee connecting with his balls.
The pained grunt and gasp for air that followed made it worth having the disgusting creep near me. Even though he deserved so much worse.
His friend deserved the same, but a broken nose would do for now.
If they hadn’t learnt their lesson to stay away from that, then I would have no problem teaching them more thoroughly a second time. But they won’t be walking away with just a broken nose or some badly bruised balls.. .or walking at all.
I find an empty spot at the top of the classroom.
Annex had taken to sitting near me during classes, which meant that any seat I chose, the rest of the students gave the space around me a wide berth.
I settle in, getting comfortable as class starts. Even with the little stairway hold-up, I was still on time.
Other students in the class sit in their usual little groups, usually consisting of one of two girls surrounded by six or seven guys, or sometimes even more.
I catch some of their whispers, mostly about certain people hooking up at the dance or how great it was, or so and so’s costume being ugly.
There was no mention of Adam, other than his lack of attendance. And nothing about anyone being hurt or assaulted this time either. Nobody even mentioned the beast or an attack of any sort. Its corpse had also disappeared the next morning with only a few black marks left in its place.
The teachers had put it down to students playing with flame magic and the excitement from the night, and nothing else was said or done.
The academy must have covered it up.
But if they weren’t bothered with looking into it more, then I would have to do it myself.
How had that beast gotten so close to the academy? We had barriers set in place, so it shouldn’t have been that easy, or at the very least the faculty should have been alerted of its presence. But there had been no-one there that night to help Morgan.
Also, why was it so intent on chasing her? There had been two passed out bodies in the forest if it wanted a quick meal, so why her?
And why had they been so weak? What had they taken or been given to become like that?
There were just too many unanswered questions, and the more time that passed, the more questions I had.
Like the marks appearing on my body and my new strength and abilities.
Or the bracelet Seria gave me that seems suspiciously like the shackles in the Facility.
And now this beast that appeared on academy grounds, intent on attacking a student with no-one around from the Faculty to help. How–
My thoughts are interrupted when the door flings open and in walks Annex.
He's wearing a smirk the devil himself would be proud of, with small flecks of dark red drops coating his face.
The same red liquid drips from his fists as he saunters up the stairs toward me and plants himself in the empty seat next to me.
Mr. Finch clears his throat, breaking the silence the class had fallen into with his arrival. His eyes flicker once to Annex before quickly turning away. He continues the lesson, albeit a bit more shakily.
I try to remember my thoughts before being interrupted but feel a burning stare watching me from the side. I turn towards Annex.
“What?”
His eyes slightly widen in mock surprise. “I didn’t say anything.”
“But you were staring–”
“And how would you know that?” He cuts me off, a small twinkle gleaming in his blue eyes as a mischievous look takes over his expression.
“I could feel your eyes on me.” I reply as a slow grin stretches his cheeks.
“You could feel it, could you?” A small hum falls from his lips. “Are you normally so conscious of others sitting beside you? Or is that reserved solely for me?”
“I’d say more vigilant or watchful. Because you never know when some maniac is going to pull out a blade and start swinging it about.” I give him a deadpan look as his grin widens, a small chuckle leaving his lips.
He shakes his head before leaning in closer.
“Where have you been all this time, Red? Hidden under some rock or locked away in a cage? Almost three years in this shitty school and we only meet now? How the hell did I not know you before?” A strange soft look forms in his gaze. “Would’ve been more interesting with you around.”
My brows draw together with his words. How did we not meet before?
How had I gone this long in my previous life and never met Annex?
With the way he looks and acts, how had I at least not known of him before?
Was I that lost in my own little world and misery, that I never took the time to see anything or anyone else around me?
He pulls his bottom lip into his mouth, his eyes curving into soft crescents as he watches me, “But I guess you're here now.”
He was right, but not in the way he intended.
I was back, and experiencing all new things with each passing day.
This second chance wasn’t just about revenge anymore, but about living the life I should’ve always had.
One where I choose for myself and live each day without regrets.
Where I can experience things I never had a chance to, or was denied.
A small smile stretches my cheeks before my gaze narrows on the red flecks on Annex’s face, and then his hands.
Unless he was painting moments before he came, that dried liquid eerily resembles blood.
I grab his hand, pulling it toward me, trying to find the wound or cut it's seeping from.
“Not my blood, Red.” He smirks, wiping a few flecks from his face with his free hand.
“What happened?” I brush my fingers along his knuckles, not trusting his words as I continue to check for small cuts. He didn’t seem like the type to care even if he was hurt.
A small shiver runs up his hand with the slight touch. He clears his throat, his brows furrowing as he watches me.
“Just teaching some pathetic meat sacks their place.”
“Meat sacks?” Do I even want to know? I shake my head. “So none of this is yours?”
“As if it’d be that easy Red. I'm practically indestructible, you know. Not many get to make me bleed, and if they do, they usually end up being hauled away moments later in bloody pieces.” He chuckles, hitching a thumb behind him.
“Why do you think all these wusses are so scared? I’m not that easy Red. And either way, I won’t die from some measly cuts or bruises.”
I guess I shouldn’t have gotten worried anyway, it was Annex. It was probably the ‘meat sacks’ that needed the most help in that kind of situation.
I nod, letting go of his fingers. But as I slowly pull my hand back, he takes it in his, his fingers twisting around mine.
His gaze is fixated on our interlocking fingers as he opens his mouth again to talk.
“You’ve such small hands, Red.” His lips pinch into a straight line, “How can something so small and soft…” He mumbles, his words trailing off as he slowly pulls his hand back and gazes at it. Then he turns his gaze back toward me.
The creases in his eyes smooth out, the shadow of a frown tracing his lips replaced by a small grin, “Those eyes…” He leans in further, something deeper and intense growing in his gaze. “Never lose that, Red. That fight in you…Never let anyone take it away. With it, you can do almost anything.”
His sincere expression catches me, his words hitting deeper than I thought as a lump forms in my throat. Annex hadn’t even known me for long and yet he saw something in me, something no-one else did. Even with this magicless body and these ‘soft hands’ he could see strength in me.
I shake off the emotion trying to well up inside me.
“Even kick your ass?” I ask as I try to reel my emotions back in.
A soft chuckle escapes his stretched lips as he leans back in his seat.
“We’d have to test that one out.”
Suddenly his grin fades, a more serious expression taking over his face– or his version of one– as he looks toward the board while straightening himself.
“You should really stop distracting me with all this flirting though, Red. Some of us are here to learn. You should pay attention instead of hitting on me.” He glances at me, a shadow of a grin lacing his lips before he schools it and looks back toward the board.
His eyes are now fully focused on Mr. Finch as a shiver runs down the teacher's tweed blazer.
I almost choke on the laugh wanting to spill from my lips. Flirting with him?
“If by hitting on you, you mean actually wanting to hit you, then yeah, I’ve got it baaad for you.”
He shifts in his seat before glancing at me, a slight tilt to his lips as he bends closer.
“Let's keep the foreplay for later, Red,” He pulls himself up a little straighter.
“I don’t mind an audience but,” he side-eyes the rest of the room, “I’d much rather play when it's just you and me.” The following grin he gives me is down-right sinful, a promise in his darkening gaze that sends a slight shiver down my back.
I swallow, trying not to read too much into his idea of playing together.
He was clearly insane. So why would I even care?
His idea of fun probably involved a pick axe, a dark forest and prey that could talk.
He was a walking, talking horror movie, and clearly the antagonist. The type that would poke the bear for a reaction and then have the beast running from his deranged grin.
His gaze flickers between my eyes and lips as a dark smirk pulls at his cheeks.
Why would he think I’d even want to play with him? No matter how godly his appearance, clearly there were more than just a few screws and bolts that went missing when he was created.
I shake my head. Why was I even thinking about this and about him? I had enough on my plate and something like this , whatever it was, wasn’t possible for me anymore.
His piercing blue eyes meet mine, something deeper in them, something pushing me closer and niggling at me.
But all too quickly, he pulls away again, taking all those strange thoughts and feelings with him as he looks toward the board once again.
“Red, you're disturbing my lesson.” He shakes his head, a small playful smile tilting his lips as he continues to pretend to pay attention.
A small grin stretches my lips as I follow his gaze, deciding to play along.
“I didn’t know you were so studious. Especially since you haven’t turned up to most of the classes.”
He freezes, a slow wicked smirk taking over his face and pulling at his cheeks.
“Missed me, did you?” He glances back toward me. “Well don't worry, I’ll make sure you don’t feel lonely from now on.”
My brows scrunch together. What did that mean?
“What–”
Suddenly his phone rings, and the class goes quiet as he pulls it out from his back pocket. He glares at them and gives Mr. Finch a menacing scowl before answering.
Mr. Finch continues his lesson more quietly as Annex frowns at whatever he hears on the other end.
“Fine. I’ll be there soon.” He grits out.
He stands up, making his way past me before turning back quickly for one last glance.
“We’ll play later, Red.” With that he heads down the stairs and leaves the room, slamming the door as he goes.
What did he mean by what he said? Was he going to attend all of his classes now?
A visible sigh of relief spreads quickly across the rest of the room with his absence.
I glance around the room, already missing their anxious or panicked expressions.
Maybe having Annex around more wouldn’t be so bad after all.