SERAPHINA'S POV
The next morning, I'm jolted from my deep slumber by the sound of laughter - particularly the kind you'd hear after every punchline in an old nineties sitcom.
I ignore it, thinking it's just an extension of my dream until it resounds again, originating from the outside world, and my body descends.
I groan with annoyance, hating the fact that I'm being woken up so early in the morning and swiftly turning to get whoever it is to shut the fuck up.
Then, out of nowhere, a migraine hits me like a bomb.
I can feel every blood vessel pumping blood to my brain, each pulse fast and hard, causing excruciating pain in the process.
Settling back down on my pillow, I keep my eyes shut, waiting for the discomfort to subside. Once it does, I tentatively open my eyes, only to be immediately blinded by the morning light flooding the room.
Ah, it's definitely morning.
Obnoxious laughter echoes once again. Slowly turning to the side, my vision begins to normalize. I find myself staring at the silhouette resting on Artemis' bed, one leg gracefully raised like an arch.
It takes a moment for my brain to register the dirty blonde hair and recognize Ace.
He chuckles at whatever's on his screen, his laughter mingling with the prerecorded guffaws of a TV audience. He's enjoying himself, clearly, and torturing me in the process.
I emit a low noise from the back of my throat, a subtle signal for him to realize how much his movie-watching is bothering me, but he's too engrossed in his phone to notice.
Clearing my throat, I sit up slowly. "Do you mind?"
"Do I mind what?" he responds, his voice icy and detached, never lifting his gaze to meet mine.
"Do you mind turning that down a bit? I'm trying to sleep here."
"Bit late to be dreaming, don't you think?" he snaps back, his voice a dull monotone. He continues to play his obnoxiously loud video, just to annoy me-I'm sure of it now.
What do I care if it's late? I had a rough night, and the school has given me a week off. I fully intend to exploit this reprieve.
Realizing I've been hard-headed, I decide to adopt a softer approach this time around.
"Please, I just want a few more minutes to rest my head, especially with everything that's been going on and-"
"No," he interrupts, slicing through my words with cold finality.
Now, I'm furious.
I knew he didn't like me, but damn it, this is just rude-and it's not even his room! With a surge of animosity, I grab a pillow and hurl it at him.
He simply tilts his head to the side, dodging my projectile with an ease that only worsens my mood.
As if things couldn't get more infuriating, he cranks the volume up to the max.
Now, every line of dialogue and background sound effect from his screen assaults my ears with crystalline clarity.
In a burst of exasperation, I snatch up my remaining pillow and scream into it. Then, tossing the covers aside, I rise from the bed.
The sharp pain that strikes my head with the sudden movement doesn't slow me down one bit.
"Where the hell is Artemis?" I demand, my voice seething with pent-up frustration.
We need to have a serious talk about who enters this room and when, unless I decide that a shack on the outskirts of this godforsaken school is a better living arrangement.
The jerk doesn't dignify me with a response. He's probably decided we've already exchanged too many words for one day.
Not wasting another second, I dash out of the door, propelled by sheer annoyance. The room has become too cramped to contain the both of us.
As I make my way down the hallway, I consider retreating to my own room for some much-needed shut-eye.
Lost in thought, I'm interrupted by a group of boys passing by, their deep baritone laughter filled with talk of sports and fighting, most likely.
Each one is barely dressed, a towel dangerously draped over the edge of their waists, revealing chiseled v-lines.
My cheeks flush and I avert my gaze, suddenly feeling as though I've seen way too much.
Living in the boys' dorm comes with its own set of problems-like the ever-present risk of bumping into a nearly naked guy in the hallway.
Normally, I dodge such awkward encounters by going out when I'm certain most have finished showering and are off to class.
But in my desperation to escape Ace's insufferable presence, I'd completely forgotten my usual caution.
As the group of boys pass by, their eyes catch my wandering gaze, which just can't seem to stay put. The first guy smirks and licks his lips like a ravenous beast, throwing a winking eye my way for good measure.
Mortified, I look away instantly, my own heartbeat thumping in my ears.
The moment I do, the group erupts into laughter, likely mocking my clear lack of elegance. There's no doubt they've pegged me as a prude based on my uncontrolled gawking.
My thoughts swarm with musings of boys and Ace as I shield my face with my hands, leaving just enough of a gap to see where I'm going.
"Sera?" A guy's voice interrupts my internal thoughts, and I freeze.
"Lucian?" I reply, tempted to turn but restraining myself at the last moment.
"Are you naked?"
"Uhh... no?" The tone of Lucian's voice tells me just how awkward and random he finds my question.
Slowly, I drop my hands from my face, taking a cautious peek to confirm he's fully clothed before lowering them completely. The last thing I need right now is a nosebleed from seeing Lucian's naked sculpted form in the hallway
"Hey," I say, sounding more upbeat.
"Hey. Where are you going?"
"Um, nowhere, actually. Just stepping out for some fresh air," I lie through my teeth.
Mentioning Artemis' name would be the worst conversation killer right now, given the mysterious tension between the two. Better not to poke the bear.
"Ah, cool. Just wanted to RSVP for tonight's party."
"Sure, you can definitely RSV-wait, what?" The information takes a moment to sink in, finally hitting me like a brick wall.
"You know, tonight's party? The one you're hosting because you won the elections?"
"Yeah, I know which party you're talking about; it's just that I didn't realize it was tonight." How could a party planner forget the date of their own event?
"Oh... The announcement came up on the school website this morning. Thought you'd know," he laughs nervously, clearly sensing the change in my mood, even though I'm doing a terrible job at hiding it.
My calm is vanishing, replaced by boiling blood.
"No, actually, I didn't," I say, already suspecting the real troublemaker.
***
I stomp back into the room, yanking the door open and slamming it shut behind me. Three pairs of eyes lock onto me, thanks to my dramatic entrance-the new pairs belong to Jasper and Artemis.
"Artemis Sinclair," I seethe, my eyes narrowing into slits as I close in on him.
"Ooo, you're in trouble," Jasper whispers from the corner, quickly stepping aside to clear my path to Artemis.
Artemis is mid-change, caught with a new shirt half-on. Judging from his outfit, he's likely skipping school too. His face twists in confusion, tinged with a little fear, as he freezes, hands raised in surrender.
My eyes wander for a split second, unintentionally landing on his abs. They're not just toned; they're sculpted, each muscle perfectly defined.
They have this subtle sheen, like he's just been working out, and it makes them stand out even more. It's momentarily disarming, but I snap out of it, pulling my gaze back up to meet his eyes.
"Whatever it is, I swear I didn't do it," Artemis jumps into defensive mode before I can even fully accuse him.
"First off," I begin, glancing between Jasper and an indifferent Ace, "we need some ground rules about friends coming into this room unannounced."
Ace briefly locks eyes with me, rolls them dismissively, and refocuses on his movie, volume still annoyingly high.
"Secondly, who in the seven hells gave you permission to set the party date for tonight?"
"That wasn't me," Artemis retorts.
"Then who?"
"That would be the handiwork of your campaign managers, Janet and Alicia," he informs me.
"You mean Juliet and Alice," Jasper corrects, cutting into our conversation.
"Yeah, whatever. She knows what I mean," Artemis snaps, annoyed.
I, on the other hand, slowly begin to calm down, realizing he has nothing to do with it. Even if I faced the real culprits now, there's no point; the ball has already been set into motion.
I sigh now.
"Well, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I was going to last night, until you stabbed out my eye. And well... you saw how the rest of the night went."
"You almost stabbed him in the eye?" Jasper's jaw is dropped, oblivious to the need for discretion.
Both Artemis and I shoot him a glare that instantly shuts him up.
"Not important to the current conversation, Jasper," I say, diverting my gaze as I start rubbing my temples.
A nauseating feeling of panic starts settling in the pit of my stomach, making me want to vomit. Maybe it's just the remnants of last night's alcohol acting up.
I pace away from them, lost in thought.
"Well, that's just great. I'm not prepared at all."
"What's there to prepare for? They've planned everything; all you need to do is show up," Artemis says, as if attending a party thrown in your honor is as simple as waking up on a Saturday morning.
"It's not that easy, Artemis. People are going to expect me to walk in there with the confidence befitting the title I've won. I don't even have a dress to wear," I counter.
He seems to ponder my words for a moment, genuinely considering how I might be feeling. Then a mischievous smile suddenly lights up his face.
"Leave that to me," he says, his eyes twinkling with a glint that I can't quite decipher.