SERAPHINA POV
Artemis should know better than to keep his enemy close - close enough to see all his weaknesses, his blind spots, and knowing exactly where to strike. 31 days is more than enough to give that jerk what he deserves.
I just need to let him 'own' me, or better yet, make him think he does.
Just before I head to school this morning, I branch to the boy's dormitory, standing just outside the door that leads in, waiting for Artemis.
It's the last thing I want to do, and I never imagined I would be in this situation, waiting for my bully and the bane of my existence like this.
Sadly, it's all possible due to the stupid rules in school - but this time, it just might work in my favor.
Even the fact that I have to wear this dog chain in the form of a pretty necklace with his initials makes it worse, reminding me every moment that I'm bound to him for a month.
It's just for one month, Sera - one month that I could make the most of.
Minutes pass and a few other guys walk by, headed towards school, all turning to look at me waiting outside their door like a fucking mat. Half of them try to figure out just who I'm waiting for while joking to themselves.
I ignore it, checking the time on my wrist watch over and over again. I don't know about him, but I don't have any plans of being late to school today, especially with my first class being art class.
Finally, after weeks of writing countless letters explaining to the administrator on why I, as a human, have no business being in sparring class.
After begging to be put in a class with something that matches my capabilities, I received a letter from the secretary, approving my appeal to take up double art classes to make up the points.
Art is almost like an escape for me and having the teacher hate me a lot less than the others at school will do me so much good.
The door pulls open again and Artemis finally walks out. By his side is Jasper and that other friend of his whose name I didn't bother learning.
Their eyes meet mine the second they step out.
Jasper walks up to me briskly, roughing hours of effort put into my hair in only seconds.
"It's the little human girl." He yells out his default nickname for me.
I swat his hand away, trying to salvage most of it and hoping it's not bad now.
"Good morning to you too." I say sarcastically.
Artemis walks up to me, suddenly standing between Jasper and I, giving him a look that causes Jasper to compose himself and take two steps back before he turns to me again.
"I was expecting you to be waiting outside my door."
"There's no way I'm putting myself in the same predicament as yesterday." I respond, folding my arms.
It's basically a trap if he wants me to walk into the boys' dorm room again.
"Yesterday?" Jasper speaks, raising a brow but we both ignore him.
"Funny, I remember this not being a negotiable deal. Next time, I want you standing outside my door like a good girl." He smiles wickedly, patting at my head.
If only looks could kill, I'd have shot him down and blasted three more lasers to the center of his head, just to for the fun of it.
"Here." He stretches out the pile of thick covered text books, which I automatically reach out to receive. Only the moment he drops them in my hands do I realize just how fucking heavy they are.
"Carry them and follow me."
Just like that, he walks forward, expecting me to be beside him and match his fast pace.
I sigh, moving forward while Jasper passes ahead of me and from the corner of my eyes, I feel the gaze of the third nameless guy.
A rigid glare directed at me silently until he looks away without offering a single word to me.
Unlike Jasper, he chose not to even acknowledge my existence.
Well, that's fucking rude.
I ignore it though, walking behind them all the way to school while my arm hurts and I struggle to catch up with them, looking like one of their lackeys working on a pay grade.
This better pays off.
The second we walk into school, eyes automatically fall on the three guys, Artemis and his boys. Like some cheesy-ass K-pop drama, they saunter into school with grandeur.
Girls stop to watch and blush at the sight of boys so handsome that it should be illegal, no matter how many times they've already seen them.
Another group tries to make small talk, but they're ignored.
I can't help but feel pity for them as I follow closely. Forever cursed to pine after a group of assholes that aren't even worth the time and not even realizing it.
The group disperses at some point with each of them going to their respective locker. I follow Artemis to his and witness him opening what looks like two conjoined lockers made into one bigger one with so much more space.
First, he gets a whole room to himself and now, he has two lockers merged into one. The degree of favoritism this school allows is just so appalling if you think about it.
I'm sure as hell he hasn't done anything special to deserve such treatment, except being born with a golden spoon shoved up his ass.
Artemis pops open his locker just like that, signaling me.
I step up to it, trying to put the books inside but they're way too heavy. My muscles twitch and everything falls right under me.
"Shit." I swear under my breath.
"Be careful, each of those books cost more than anything you've seen back in your old neighborhood." He taunts.
I look up at him with a hateful glare, packing it all up in my hands before dumping it all in there roughly.
"Don't worry, I won't damage your precious books, dear Master." I snap at him.
His face contorts a bit and that snarky look falters until his eyes fall on my hands.
Somewhere along the line of them falling, I was cut by the sturdy cover and a thin line of red liquid drips from my hand.
He shoots forward, grabbing my hand to look at it with so much interest.
"You're hurt." He points out the obvious, almost sounding worried about it.
I would have believed the gesture if I didn't know the kind of person he is - a deceptive devil and a liar.
I pry my hands off his hold, taking a step away from him.
"Don't worry about it."
My words seem to only annoy him further for some reason, causing him to take a step closer to me again and grabbing my hand much fiercely.
"Why are you so fragile?" He asks while pissed off, like it's my fault I got cut by his books. "Just let me-"
"Artemis?"
Both our eyes move to the left, immediately noticing Kamila standing there, looking between the both of us. Her eyes fall on our joined hands, and there's an immediate frown forming on her forehead.
Artemis lets go faster than he had grabbed me, putting more distance between us. He forms a tight smile, walking up to her and placing an awkward peck on her forehead.
"Hi, Kam. Sorry, I left early." He greets her yet her eyes remain on me.
Unwarranted disgust and annoyance stare at me when none of this is even my fault.
I immediately nod my head at her as a form of greeting, walking away to let the two do whatever since it's clear he doesn't need me around him anymore.
My heart races as I almost begin sprinting across the hall just to get away from the both of them and her venomous eyes. I stop seconds later, catching my breath and pounding at my own chest, having successfully escaped, but a part of me knows it's just for now.
Someone like Kamila doesn't forgive things like this easily and now, she probably thinks I'm vying for her position.
The more I spend time around Artemis, the more trouble just always seems to find me, which contradicts his deal of protecting me from being targeted.
What can he do when it's his literal mate that wants to get rid of me because of him?
I look up just as the bell rings, signaling the beginning of first period and luckily for me, I'm already just in front of the class, having ran here on instinct.
Now, all I need is an hour with my paint brushes and I'll be fine.
After putting on the aprons provided for every student in class, I find a stool at a corner, right in front of a blank canvas.
The small locker beneath the chair holds all the paint materials that I could possibly need for class, and I bring them up, getting ready to summon all the creative juice in my body.
"Is this seat taken?" A male voice asks while I fawn over the beautiful clean brushes in my hand, too occupied to pay attention to him.
"No, it's free." I respond, half paying attention.
The stool beside me drags against the tiled floor just as whoever it is sits, followed by seconds of silence before he speaks again.
"Hey, Sera."
The familiarity and how easily I'm called out gets to me, and I turn to my side to find Lucian staring back at me with that sweet charming smile and silver eyes that momentarily disarm me, and my shoulders slump immediately.
You have got to be kidding me.