Cute Pest

Damien’s eyes lingered on Elies as she walked away, her head held high, her steps firm despite the heated encounter. There was something oddly captivating about her resilience, the way she hadn’t flinched or looked away, even when he tried to intimidate her. It had been a long time since anyone stood up to him like that. Most students at Oakwood High either cowered in his presence or avoided him altogether, keeping a safe distance. But Elies was different, and he couldn’t help but notice it.

He leaned back in his seat, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Jake, sitting beside him, chuckled as he shook his head.

“I gotta hand it to her, man,” Jake said, his voice laced with amusement. “She’s got guts. You don’t usually let people talk to you like that.”

Damien shrugged, his gaze still focused on where Elies had returned to her table, her friends animatedly talking to her, likely encouraging her after her bold move. “She’s interesting,” he replied, a hint of intrigue in his voice. “Most people don’t have the nerve.”

Jake raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Careful, Damien. You sound almost… intrigued.”

Damien scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t get any ideas, Jake. She’s just fun to mess with. She’s got that spark, you know? It’s rare.”

But as much as he tried to brush it off, he couldn’t ignore the thrill that ran through him every time he thought about the look in her eyes. She wasn’t afraid of him in the way others were, and that unpredictability was a challenge he hadn’t expected.

The rest of the school day passed in a blur. In each class, he found himself glancing toward Elies, watching her every reaction and every subtle glance she threw in his direction. It was obvious she was doing her best to ignore him, but her occasional glances and the slight tension in her shoulders told him otherwise. She was aware of him, even if she didn’t want to be. And that was enough to keep him entertained.

By the time the final bell rang, Damien found himself heading toward the parking lot, where his motorcycle awaited. He leaned against it, pulling out his phone to check the time. It was his usual after-school routine—wait a bit, see who passed by, decide if he felt like hanging around or heading off somewhere to blow off steam. But today, he found his gaze wandering toward the front of the school, waiting almost expectantly.

As if on cue, Elies emerged, her gaze shifting around the parking lot as she clutched her bag tightly. She didn’t see him at first, and he took a moment to watch her, studying the way she moved, the determined set of her jaw. 

“Looking for something?” he called out, unable to resist.

She jumped slightly, her eyes darting toward him, a mixture of surprise and annoyance flashing across her face. “Not you, if that’s what you’re implying,” she shot back, her tone laced with defiance.

Damien smirked, pushing off his motorcycle and sauntering toward her, his steps deliberate and unhurried. He could see the way she squared her shoulders, bracing herself as he approached. She was trying to seem unfazed, but he could tell he was getting under her skin.

“Relax, Robert,” he drawled, stopping a few feet away from her. “I’m just making conversation.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, her expression guarded. “Why? Don’t you have other people to torment?”

“Maybe,” he replied with a shrug, “but they’re not as interesting.”

Her eyes narrowed even further. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

“Maybe,” he said again, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “But I think you like the attention. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come over to my table at lunch.”

Her face flushed, and she opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out. Instead, she seemed to struggle for a moment, clearly flustered by his accusation.

“That was different,” she finally managed, her voice tense. “I was standing up for myself. You took something that didn’t belong to you, and you know it.”

He chuckled, crossing his arms as he leaned against a nearby lamppost. “Is that what you’re calling it? Standing up for yourself?”

She huffed, clearly frustrated, and took a step back, as if putting more distance between them would lessen his hold on her. “Believe whatever you want, Damien. But this isn’t a game for me. That letter… it was private.”

Her voice softened slightly, and for a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of vulnerability in her eyes. It was strange, seeing someone so openly emotional in front of him. Most people hid their feelings, especially around him. But Elies wore hers on her sleeve, unafraid of being seen, even when it made her vulnerable.

“Maybe you should be more careful next time,” he replied, his tone surprisingly gentle. “This world isn’t as forgiving as you think, Robert.”

She blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in his demeanor. For a moment, she seemed unsure of how to respond, her gaze flickering between his face and the ground.

“You don’t know anything about me,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

He leaned in slightly, his eyes locked on hers. “Maybe not. But I know that people like you… they don’t last long in this world. You’re too open, too trusting. You make yourself an easy target.”

She looked away, her expression pained. “Is that what you think? That I’m an easy target?”

“Maybe,” he replied, though there was a hint of hesitation in his voice. “But that’s up to you to prove me wrong.”

For a moment, they stood in silence, the tension between them palpable. He could see the conflict in her eyes, the way she seemed torn between wanting to walk away and wanting to challenge him further.

Finally, she broke the silence, her voice steady. “You might think you know everything, Damien. But you don’t know me.”

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, watching her retreating figure. For the first time in a long time, he felt a strange sense of uncertainty, as if he’d been thrown off balance by something he couldn’t quite understand.

He watched her disappear into the distance, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn’t put into words. Elies was different, and for some reason, that bothered him more than he was willing to admit. She didn’t fit into the neat little boxes he’d created for everyone else at Oakwood High. She wasn’t scared of him—not really—and that made her an enigma he couldn’t resist trying to unravel.

As he climbed onto his motorcycle and revved the engine, he felt a strange sense of anticipation, as if something had shifted in the air between them. He didn’t know what it meant, but he knew one thing for certain: he wasn’t finished with Elies Robert. Not by a long shot.

---

The next day at school, Damien found himself scanning the hallways for Elies, his curiosity piqued by their encounter. He told himself it was just boredom, that he was merely looking for something to keep himself entertained. But deep down, he knew it was more than that. She’d gotten under his skin in a way no one else had, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

As he walked into first period, he spotted her sitting near the back, her head down as she scribbled something in her notebook. She looked lost in thought, completely oblivious to his presence. For a moment, he considered ignoring her, letting her go on with her day uninterrupted. But where was the fun in that?

With a smirk, he slid into the seat next to her, leaning over just enough to catch a glimpse of her notes.

“Studying hard, I see,” he remarked, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

She glanced up, clearly startled, and shot him an annoyed look. “What do you want, Damien?”

“Just making conversation,” he replied, feigning innocence. “You seem tense.”

She sighed, rolling her eyes as she closed her notebook. “I wonder why.”

He chuckled, unfazed by her irritation. “Maybe because you’re thinking too much.”

She gave him a skeptical look, clearly unimpressed. “And you’re an expert on thinking now?”

He shrugged, his smirk never wavering. “Maybe not. But I know how to enjoy myself. You should try it sometime.”

She scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “I’ll pass.”

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “You can pretend all you want, but I know you like the attention.”

Her face flushed, and she quickly looked away, her fingers nervously tapping on the edge of her notebook. “You’re delusional.”

“Maybe,” he replied, his tone light. “But I think you’re more interested in me than you’d like to admit.”

She didn’t respond, instead focusing on her notebook, refusing to look at him. But he could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she was gripping her pen a little too tightly. She was affected, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

As the teacher began the lesson, Damien leaned back in his seat, a sense......