ARIA
When you really don’t want something to happen and hope that time would drag and drag, turning into eternity… it only flies faster than normal. Right before the clock strikes 4 pm, I walk to the field where my detention will take place, thinking if this is even legal to make me come here instead of our usual detention place in the library.
Kingston is not even there yet. But Hunter is. And I sigh, seeing the smirk plastered on his face. He is wearing his usual sports outfits with our school logos. While I have my favourite Nike set of leggings and a sports top.
“Trying to impress the warlock?” he snorts.
“No, but I have to say that you impress easily if you think so,” I retort. Here we go again. We haven’t had a normal conversation in like… ever.
“Haven’t you found a tighter outfit in your closet?” he crosses his hands on his chest.
“You know, if you have a problem with it, go to a doctor. I am sure they have pills for that!” I snap.
“Shame they don’t have pills to help you grow a wolf and shift,” he says and I clench my fists.
“Shame they don’t have pills to grow brains, you both might need those!” Alexander’s voice sounds behind our backs and we turn to see the warlock holding two long battle sticks and wearing the same outfit he had on in the morning. Plus a t-shirt. A simple black t-shirt. Thank god! Having him here topless is something I prefer to avoid!
“I am pretty sure there is a rule that prohibits teachers to talk to us like that”, Hunter growls.
“So you do know the rules of the school then?” Kingston smirks, “Then how about you start following ALL of them and not just the ones you personally like?”
“Anyhow,” I interject because something tells me those two can measure their…egos for quite a while, “What are we here for?”
“You are here to show me what you’ve got before we start working,” he says throwing me one of the sticks and then turns to Hunter, throwing him the second one, “And you are here because I don’t like you and we needed a punching bag.”
“Punching bag?” the werewolf chuckles, “You want me to hit a human girl? For real? Teacher, I am starting to think that you don’t like Aria more. I am going to crush her if we fight, so, therefore, I have to refuse.”
“And this is why I brought these for you?” the warlock produces two bracelets from outside of his pocket, “Put them on, Forrester. This will temporarily block your werewolf strength and you would feel what it is like to be a human.”
“No, thank you,” Hunter snorts, “I’ll pass.”
“No, Forrester, you are not going to pass anything if you don’t behave. And you are not going to graduate this year. Or ever. An Alpha who repeats year again and again and again…”
“Fine!” the werewolf grabs the bracelets and walks away to put them on.
Meanwhile, Alexander comes closer to me.
“Aria, I want you to show me everything that you’ve got now, don’t feel sorry for him,” he says and I look at him, surprised. No, I am sure that I can take down Hunter if he doesn’t have his werewolf strength and senses. I can even take down an average werewolf. My dad and my brother have been training me to fight all my life, looking for ways and tactics to win even without brutal power in me. But why is he so sure that I can do it?
“Ready, Princess?” Forrester smirks when we take our positions with the sticks.
“Oh, please, Hunter, be gentle with me!” I say pouting my lips and making big puppy eyes. But the next second I attack and knock him off his feet, the stick at his throat. The look on his face – priceless! God, this is satisfying! This moment may be even worth tolerating warlock’s attempts to fix me!
Next time – he makes me work harder, putting up a fight but still ends up on the ground. Time after time.
“Oh, princess, in real life situation it wouldn’t be so easy for you,” he whispers to my ear when he finally manages to trap me, pressing me against his body with his stick.
“For real-life situations, I have other tricks!” I groan and stomp on his feet, then dislocate his knee and nail him to the floor with his own weapon, sitting on top of him.
“That you do!” he chuckles, “Stay where you are.”
“What? Why?” I don’t follow and then I do. As I feel something huge and hard right under my thighs as he grinds slightly under me.
“Ewe!” I jump off him faster than a rocket, “You are disgusting!”
“Natural reaction, princess!” he starts laughing and I roll my eyes. Animal.
“I am not touching him anymore!” I turn to Kingston and he doesn’t look too impressed.
“Forrester, 20 laps around the field wearing bracelets,” the warlock says.
“Why on Earth would I do that?”
“For the very same reason, you are here in the first place! Off you go! Aria, follow me!”
We are about to walk away when Hunter yells, “What, no 20 laps for her?”
But when no one replies, adds, “See you at your birthday party, princess! I can’t wait!”
“You are not invited!” I turn in shock.
“Of course I am! All my family is! It’s going to be the event of the year!” he snorts, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”
“Let’s go!” Kingston starts dragging me away by my arm but I turn one last time to show Forrester a very meaningful middle finger.
We are back at his office in no time. Well, actually it’s the headmistress’s office but somehow it is also his now.
“And where is Mrs. Simmons?” I ask, “Is she really fine with your being at home here?”
“She took a long holiday,” the warlock smirks, “It looks like she didn’t have one in years and the school’s committee insisted she takes one this year. So, you will not see her for another few months.”
“Oh, wow… And you are?”
“Acting in her stead until she is back.”
“I see,” I flop into the chair opposite his new desk, “Don’t get me wrong but it is strange that you were chosen, considering you are not even a real teacher.”
“What can I say, I have some qualities that make me perfect for this position,” he smirks and I don’t even want to ask what it is exactly that he means.
“So,” I sigh heavily, “What was all that about? Don’t get me wrong, kicking Forrester’s ass for the first time was very satisfying. But it wasn’t really just for the sake of that, right?”
“Clever girl,” Kingston puts feet up on the desk, just like the last time we have been here, “Well for him – he needed a lesson. The boy’s ego is too huge.”
“The boy’s?” I chuckle, “Aren’t you like just 6 years older than him?”
“I am, but he is stuck somewhere in 15. So, calling him a man would be a stretch. At 20 I expect more from a promising Alpha,” he reports calmly.
“And what about me?” I ask.
“I needed to check your aura when you don’t control it and when you are not aware that someone is looking at it. It’s an important factor.”
“And? Anything interesting in my aura?”
“Not really,” he says, looking for my reaction. And I don’t give him any. My hope for being special died many years ago, “But I did find some abnormalities…”
“What kind?”
“And that, dear Aria, we will have to find out together. The sooner the better.”
Aksara