Five

Raven

I dumped down on a chair at the back, grinding my teeth together in annoyance. What was Vlad up to? His aggravating smile could explode my brain at this point. 

It was no coincidence that he joined the math club after I did. My stupid brain couldn't stop thinking about him all through last night and this morning when he looked at me, the pit of my stomach heated.

It would be utterly ridiculous for me to have issues because I knew all eyes were on me.

 Everyone expected me to slip or get into another scandal to ruin my already damaged reputation. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction and if Vlad would be the target, I'd avoid him like the plague. 

Restless, I tapped my foot like a caged animal trying to escape. I just needed to keep my head low, finish senior year and escape this place.

Vlad kept looking back and giving me a wink, licking his ruby lips like a cat lapping up cream. It almost looked like he was wearing lipstick.

My brain conjured images, wondering how the heady sensation of his lips would feel against mine. 

"You're dancing with the devil, girlie," the rational part of my brain, the part that wasn't consumed with lust, warned me. 

"Is he bothering you?" William, one of the Lycans in Math Club, whispered to me with concern in his voice.

I stared at him through my side eye and slanted against my table, offering him a small smile.

"It's nothing I can't handle," I said, trying to sound tough. "Don't worry about me."

William was a classic geek, glasses, braces, and all. For some reason, I felt comfortable around him. Perhaps it was because he was a loner like me. 

"Are you sure?" William asked, looking at me with genuine concern. "Just because he saved you from Troy yesterday doesn't give him the right to harass you." 

"I'm fine," I mumbled and scribbled an equation into my notebook.

Whenever Vlad turned and met my gaze, I'd always look forward to the whiteboard, pretending not to notice him and when he wasn't looking, I'd fix my gaze to the back of his head. 

"Get it together, Raven," I chided myself. 

"All right, guys," Ms. Alicia said, tucking her colored hair behind her ear. "As you know, you have to collaborate on the project I sent to your emails. So you must work with whoever you're sitting with."

I sighed in relief, grateful that I changed seats, even though a tiny part inside of me regretted it.

"So there are lots of formulas, theories, and worksheets. Whenever you're free, you can always use the library and utilize your time. Come to me if you have any issues. Remember we have four weeks left until the competition."

Vlad raised his hand like a king demanding attention. "I was wondering if you have selected the representatives already."

Ms. Alicia gave him a long look, sizing him up. "Yes, we have. And even if we haven't, it's too late for you to join us. Because each person is required to answer a question."

"Try me," he smiled smugly. "I know my sudden appearance may seem unexpected, but I assure you, I am ready to work hard and prove my ability to you."

Ms. Alicia scoffed, tucking her hair beneath her ear. "Well then, let's put that to the test. Can you solve this problem for me?"

It was a question on trigonometry. Something even a baby could answer. But I wasn't expecting Vlad to get it since most of the soccer guys were airheads. 

I thought he'd back out, but he approached the board with confidence, like a knight heading into battle. "Of course, I'd be happy to. The equation is y = sin x. And if we use the Pythagorean identity, we can simplify it to..."

Whoa!

"Wow! You know what you're doing," Ms. Alicia chuckled, sounding impressed. "Perhaps you got lucky. Let's up the stakes."

She wrote a harder question on the board, and I watched as Vlad took more time to solve it. Some students were already chuckling, but eventually, he got the answer. Some of the males in the class nodded in approval.

William whispered to me with a frown, "Phony ass." 

 Vlad turned around and gave me that wink again, then went back to his seat.

"Well done, Vlad," Ms. Alicia clapped. "I underestimated you."

"So does this mean I'm in?" Vlad asked.

"We'll see," Ms. Alicia shrugged.

The ding-dong sound of the bell indicated the next class, a free period for me. Thankfully, Ms. Alicia's eyes were on Vlad like a hawk until he walked away.

I sighed in relief and picked up my backpack. "So I'll see you at the library for us to begin our project," William said with a broad grin, and I responded with a nod. 

"Raven, one minute please," Ms. Alicia turned around while washing her hands in the class sink. 

I stood on the spot, wondering what she had to say to me. As much as I admired math I didn't want to warm up to Ms. Alicia or anyone in particular. 

 "Please sit," she gestured towards the chair that Vlad had just left. His scent still lingered around, a potent mix of lust and danger.

 "Girl, get your head out of the gutter," my subconscious yelled at me and I sat down. 

"How are you?" Ms. Alicia asked her eyes like a searchlight, seeking the truth within me. I shrugged, trying to hide my feelings behind a mask of indifference.

"That's not an answer," she said, her tone stern but gentle. "I want you to tell me how you feel."

"About what?" I asked, looking away from her. I didn't need anyone's pity.

She sighed sadly. "Honey, I heard what your classmate did to you yesterday, and other things…"

She trailed off, testing the waters. When I didn't react, she continued speaking. "They're too harsh for a young girl your age. I know you're the victim here. I was once in your shoes and… "

A gasp escaped my lips and I turned sharply to stare at her. "I'm fine." 

She looked at me with pity in her eyes. "You know, the most unassuming males are usually… "

"I said I'm fine," my voice hardened. " I don't need your pity."

"Raven, I want to help you because I can relate to everything you're going through. And from your record, you're your dad's stepdaughter. I know these things are having a heavy toll on you."

"Ms. Alicia, with all due respect. I don't need your help," I said and headed out. 

"Raven, hold on," she started to say, but I raced to the door, my feet like a stampeding herd, eager to escape.

All day, I kept my distance from Vlad. We didn't share many classes, thank God for that. I hoped what I felt was just a fleeting crush and nothing more.

 Whenever I caught a glimpse of him, I would duck out of sight, hoping he wouldn't spot me. It would have been a disaster if Nova was in the math club. She'd surely phone my dad or Clarissa with the news.

During lunch, I made my way to the cafeteria. I found an empty table in a quiet corner, where I could eat in peace.

Nova and her friends walked into the cafeteria, strutting around, wearing matching purple jackets.

"Hi Raven," a familiar voice said and I looked up to see William, my math partner. I gave him a small smile and he grinned in response. "Why are you eating alone?"

"I like to eat alone," I answered.

"Oh, okay. I'll leave you to it then," he said, getting up from the table.

"No, wait," I said. "You can sit if you want."

As William sat down, I heard gasps from the other students and turned to see what was going on.

 Vlad strode into the cafeteria with his usual overconfident swagger, heading straight toward me. The closer he got, the faster my heart raced, as all eyes were on us. How could he publicly come looking for me like this?

"What does he want?" William snapped, adjusting his glasses. "If I were you, I would report this to the principal. He's going to get you into a lot of trouble."

Before I could respond, Vlad was already at our table. "Hey Raven," he smiled, revealing his perfect teeth.

"What do you want?" I snapped, my annoyance rising and my stupid heart racing with shameful desires.

"Ouch, that was cold," his hand touched his heart. "I was wondering if you could tutor me in preparation for the math competition."

"I can't do that," I said firmly. "You have a partner for a reason."

"That one?" Vlad scoffed. "I don't think he knows what he's doing. I need someone really good."

"Well, here's William," I said. "I'm sure he can spare some time to help you, right William?"

William narrowed his eyes at Vlad, glaring at him like a predator ready to pounce. "Yes, I can," he said sharply. "Are you trying to get her in trouble or what?"

Before I knew it, Nova was at our table, batting her eyelashes at Vlad and eyeing him like candy. 

"Vlad," she winked at him and tucked her hair behind her ear. "What are you doing here? You know you shouldn't be here. And why are you talking to her?"

My annoyance grew, but I kept it in check. It was obvious that Nova had a crush on Vlad.

Who didn't?

"Why? Does she have an infectious disease or what?" Vlad said, giving Nova a staredown.

I knew I wasn't supposed to smile, but I almost did, because Vlad was putting my sister in her place. 

Nova cleared her throat and tugged his hand. "Well, rules are rules. You're not supposed to be here and I'm one of the prefects on duty. I'm only doing my job. 

Then she narrowed her eyes at me like I was a disgusting pig. "My sister knows that whatever you two are doing has serious implications and she wouldn't dare put herself in trouble again. Right sister?"

Abandoning my half-eaten burger, I got on my feet and walked away from the cafeteria, not minding the hundreds of eyes staring after me.