Chapter Four
• • •

Why? Why him?

"You have made that very line my daily bread, son," Hart returned.

The other three exchanged stifled laughter while Ugly Narcissus smirked It off for all he cared.

"Alana!" Hart turned to me rather enthusiastically. "Human history is associated with three monkeys. One with the eyes closed. One with the ears closed and one with the mouth closed. However, in Greenwood, we have four. Behold, ye monkeys!" Hart sighed dramatically as he opened his arms to present the four late monkeys to me.

The class erupted with laughter.

Hart grinned along with the class. "Just thought you might want to know that."

Much to my nightmare, I noticed Ugly Narcissus' eyes fall on me. I dragged my gaze away as fast as possible but, he had seen me staring at him. From the corner of my eyes, I caught the smug expression plastered on his face and I mentally face-palmed myself.

If only he has trouble remembering things.

I didn't want to get associated with him in any way. If there was anything I wanted to do with him, then it would be to break his pretty face.

I sat stiffly, not moving the slightest bit, not turning my head in any direction or even blinking, trying to pretend he was a complete stranger – which he was but for the little incident that took place in the cemetery the day before.

Keeping my eyes straight on my notes, I listened to the fuss of them taking their places and I breathed in relief when Hart started to give us announcements. Until all of a sudden, I felt a kick at my feet under the chair from the back. I started at once and twisted my body backward.

Here goes my reflex reaction.

I saw him sitting right behind me, but he looked so lovingly innocent that it had me wondering maybe it was a mistake.

"Yes, Ms. Lancaster?" I heard Hart address me.

I turned back at him. "Yes?"

"Any problem?" He cocked an eyebrow.

I shook my head.

"Eyes on Hart," he said, making the eye-to-eye signal with his fingers, and resumed with the announcements.

I quietly settled back in my chair. Something that set my jaws to the edge was that I heard Ugly Narcissus behind me chuckle. I knew it was him!

Fifteen minutes later, the bell rang, indicating the end of homeroom. Half the students immediately leaped up from their seats to leave for the first class.

As I picked up my backpack from my desk, I heard Ugly Narcissus whisper over my right ear. "We meet again, Mongrel."

Startled, I whirled my head to find my face less than an inch away from his. I know I shouldn't be this startled but there was something about the tone and the nearness. It sounded too close – way too close – and the feel of his hot breath on my skin gave me the creeps. He grinned. I pulled my eyebrows together. He chuckled under his breath and peered into my eyes. I stiffened meaninglessly.

What the heck?

Slowly, the naughty grin on his face receded and his stare deepened into mine. I stared back and found myself captivated by his deep, brown eyes. As I gazed into them, it almost felt like they were having voices of their own, calling me into them, tempting me to get lost.

"Can't take your eyes off me?"

At first, I was a bit dazed at his blunt question but, I eventually replied, "Yeah. Reminds me of potatoes."

He immediately started to laugh. Nothing had ever impressed me as much as the bright blueness of Jacob's eyes, and here were Ugly Narcissus' brown ones questioning my choice despite my lie. They were deep and yet there was light in them. Mesmerizing.

Nonetheless, I pulled my gaze away and opened my timetable.

"Excuse me," he said as he reached out and took it from my hand.

Narcissus pored over it and then he whistled as he nodded with a goddamned smirk plastered on his lips.

"Give it back to me," I demanded.

Smiling impishly, he returned the paper to me and rested back on his chair, folding his hands behind his head like he ruled the world.

"Tell me, Mongrel. Do you have any particular interest in Latinos?" He asked.

I frowned at him.

The hell is with this guy?

It was a pretty weird question to give an answer to.

"I see that you take Spanish."

"I like the language." I glared at him dead in the eye before looking away.

One of his friends came and slapped him on his back. He stood up and went out with his group. But as he passed me by, he had the nerve to pinch my cheek. It was totally uncalled for and I looked up at him, startled. "Ow!"

Looking down at me with the softest eyes, chuckled at how startled he'd caught me. I should be annoyed but the way he looked at me threw me off-guard and I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in his Varsity jacket. I stared behind him. He was so damn tall and so damn attractive with a slight tan, dark eyes, chiseled jawlines. . . Truth be told, he was a total charmer.

"Who's she?" one of his friends – a blonde-headed guy – asked, looking back at me.

Narcissus didn't reply. He just grabbed his friend's head and shoved him out through the door.

I grabbed my backpack and left the room, poring over the school map which looked like rocket science to me. I had no idea where I should go next. Chewing on my bottom lip, I stood by the door and took a long look down the hallway.

"That way's Room-146."

I looked up and saw Narcissus standing on the other side of the door, leaning against the wall with his back. He hadn't left yet.

"History, right?"

"Yes."

"It's that way." He pointed toward the left down the hallway. "Take the stairs, you'll come to another hallway and then you'll find your way."

"Okay. Thanks."

And then he left, taking the other direction. As I was directed, I took the hallway on the left and descended down the stairs. Just as he said, I found myself in another hallway. I went on checking out the boards above the doors. Ten minutes had passed and I had also walked one more hallway but, Room-146 was nowhere to be found. So, I finally opened the school map, put my mind and soul in it and checked properly. I was literally breathing fire after that.

I can't believe I trusted him!

Room-146 was just a left turn from homeroom hallway. I should've checked the room number of that classroom but, I had simply followed Kendra without bothering to. Now, I was already fifteen minutes late because of him.

When I finally reached the classroom door, the first thing I saw was Ugly Narcissus, the ugly bastard, the ugly jerk, grinning ear to ear and quietly chuckling in his seat. I felt my fingers itch with the desire to tear the ugly grin wider if only we were out of class. I pulled on my best scowl and bored my eyes into his. He winked.

Wait till I strangle you.

"Lancaster?" The male teacher inside asked me.

"Yes. Sorry, I'm late."

"Got lost?"

"Yeah." I glared over at Ugly Narcissus and he laughed in return, leaning over to the seat in front of him. He had his backpack on the chair as if he was saving it for someone. All the other places had been taken.

"Take a seat. I'm Collins." He pointed to the chair right in front of Narcissus.

I felt like asking Collins if I could change place with someone but that was out of the question, being already late for class. So, I nodded and settled in the chair right in front of Narcissus. Then, again, he kicked my feet under the chair. My breathing hitched but this time, I bit my lower lip and kept my reflexes under control. I managed despite my ever-rising frustration.

Collins' lecture felt like a century because I was itching to beat the crap out of the jerk sitting behind me. After thirty-five minutes, the bell rang.

Immediately, I spun back at Narcissus and frowned at him. "The heck is wrong with you?!"

He knitted his brows together and watched my face smugly without a word, smiling away in his own amusement.

"What?!"

"Do you have starbursts with you?" he asked out of nowhere.

"What? You planning to steal it from me?" I snapped and then it hit me.

A truckload of memory came crashing down on me.

Oh. My. Gosh.

My mouth immediately fell apart and I gaped at him shocked. His gorgeous face slowly split up to an even more gorgeous smile. I could hardly look away.

"You're Xavier Arquette." I stated.

"I didn't think you would remember me."

"Of course, I would never forgive you for all the starbursts you stole in elementary."

He chuckled. "You know, my dog's still alive. You still into Starbursts?"

I hesitated to answer because Starburst was and still the love of my life and I couldn't risk losing them every morning again. He used to steal them every morning in elementary just to feed it to his dog. He even used to keep on kicking me under my chair. His body rippled with laughter at my reaction, throwing his head back and the deep sound of his laughter filling up the entire room. I could admit it was a good view.

"That's a yes, I'm sure." He continued to laugh. "Yeah. Better stay on the safe side, right? I'll see you around, Mongrel." He flashed me a vibrant smile before standing up from his seat

• • •

Thank you so much for reading this. Love y'all so much.

📌 Xavier is pronounced hah-vee-er in this book.

With hope, Hermyne