Keeping her on her toes

The school hallways buzzed with the usual chatter, lockers slamming shut, and footsteps echoing on the polished floor. Elies moved quickly, clutching her books tightly to her chest as if they were a shield. Her hope for a drama-free day was fleeting, as she felt Damien’s presence even before she saw him. It was like the air changed when he was near—heavy with confidence and a touch of mischief.  

She didn’t have to turn around to know he was leaning casually against the locker beside hers, arms crossed, watching her every move.  

“Elies,” he drawled lazily, a smirk audible in his tone. “Running away already?”  

“I’m not running,” she shot back without looking at him.  

“Good. Because we wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea,” he said, stepping closer until he was right beside her. “You’re mine, after all.”  

Elies froze, her grip on her books tightening. She turned to face him, her eyes blazing. “I told you to stop saying that, Damien. I’m not yours, and I never will be.”  

“Hmm,” he mused, pretending to consider her words. “That’s not the impression I gave Chris earlier. Did you see the look on his face? Priceless.”  

Her stomach sank at the mention of Chris. The encounter in the cafeteria had been humiliating enough without Damien rubbing salt in the wound. “You need to stop intimidating people. Chris just wanted help with a project.”  

“And I just wanted to make it clear he’s barking up the wrong tree,” Damien said, leaning in close. His voice dropped to a whisper, sending a shiver down her spine. “You’re off-limits, sweetheart.”  

Elies stepped back, glaring at him. “You don’t get to decide who I talk to.”  

“But I do,” Damien replied with infuriating ease. “I’m just protecting what’s mine.”  

“I’m not your property!” she snapped.  

“You keep saying that, yet here we are,” he teased, his smirk widening. “Now, how about I walk you to class? Wouldn’t want anyone else getting any ideas.”  

Before she could protest, Damien took her books from her hands and started walking down the hallway. Elies had no choice but to follow, her cheeks burning with frustration.  

The day spiraled further out of control during gym class. Elies had managed to avoid Damien for most of the period, focusing on her volleyball game and ignoring the fact that he was sitting on the bleachers, watching her like a hawk.  

When the game ended, she grabbed her water bottle and headed for the benches, only to find Chris waiting there.  

“Hey, Elies,” Chris said with a warm smile. “You played great out there.”  

“Thanks,” she replied, smiling back.  

Chris opened his mouth to say more, but his words died on his lips as Damien appeared out of nowhere, his expression dark.  

“Fancy seeing you here, Chris,” Damien said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.  

Chris frowned, clearly annoyed. “Damien, I’m just talking to Elies. Is that a problem?”  

“It is when you’re ignoring the fact that she’s taken,” Damien shot back, stepping between them.  

Elies groaned inwardly. “Damien, stop it. You’re making a scene.”  

“Am I?” he asked innocently, turning to her with a smirk. “I’m just having a friendly chat with Chris. Right, buddy?”  

Chris’s jaw tightened. “If by ‘friendly,’ you mean territorial and obnoxious, then sure.”  

The tension between them was palpable, and Elies could feel the stares of their classmates. She stepped between them, placing a hand on Damien’s chest to stop him from getting any closer.  

“Enough,” she said firmly. “Both of you.”  

Damien glanced down at her hand on his chest, his smirk softening into something almost affectionate. “Relax, sweetheart. I’ve got this.”  

“I don’t need you to ‘have’ anything,” she snapped, pushing him back.  

Chris took a deep breath, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. “Look, Damien, I don’t know what your deal is, but you need to chill. Elies can talk to whoever she wants.”  

Damien’s eyes narrowed. “Not when it’s you.”  

Elies felt her frustration boil over. “For the last time, Damien, stop acting like you own me!”  

Damien tilted his head, his smirk returning. “You’re adorable when you’re mad, you know that?”  

Elies threw up her hands in exasperation and stormed off, leaving Damien and Chris glaring at each other.  

By the time lunch rolled around, the entire school was buzzing with rumors about the standoff in gym class. Elies couldn’t walk down the hallway without hearing whispers and seeing curious stares.  

She found refuge at her usual table with Jenna, who was doing her best to cheer her up.  

“Honestly, Damien’s possessiveness is kind of… hot,” Jenna admitted, earning a glare from Elies. “I’m just saying! He’s like one of those brooding bad boys in romance novels.”  

“He’s insufferable,” Elies muttered, stabbing her salad with unnecessary force.  

“Maybe,” Jenna said with a shrug. “But he’s clearly into you.”  

“That doesn’t make it okay,” Elies argued.  

Before Jenna could respond, Damien appeared at their table, carrying his tray like he belonged there.  

“Ladies,” he greeted smoothly, sliding into the seat beside Elies.  

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, glaring at him.  

“Having lunch with my girlfriend,” he replied casually, draping an arm around her shoulders.  

“I’m not your girlfriend!” she hissed, trying to shrug off his arm.  

Damien tightened his grip, leaning in close. “Keep saying that, sweetheart. Maybe one day you’ll believe it.”  

Jenna watched the interaction with wide eyes, clearly torn between amusement and concern. “Well, this is… interesting.”  

“Don’t encourage him,” Elies snapped.  

Damien ignored her, turning his attention to Jenna. “So, best friend, huh? Got any embarrassing stories about our dear Elies?”  

“Don’t you dare,” Elies warned, glaring at Jenna.  

Jenna hesitated, then grinned. “Well, there was this one time—”  

“Jenna!” Elies groaned, burying her face in her hands.  

Damien chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “I knew I liked you, Jenna.”  

Elies shot him a withering glare. “This isn’t funny, Damien.”  

“Oh, but it is,” he replied, his smirk never wavering.  

As the day went on, Damien’s antics only got worse. He showed up outside her classrooms, walked her to her next classes uninvited, and even interrupted her conversations with other students.  

By the time the final bell rang, Elies was at her wit’s end. She stormed out of the building, only to find Damien waiting for her by the front steps.  

“Ready to go?” he asked, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she snapped.  

“Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug, falling into step beside her anyway.  

Elies groaned, picking up her pace in an attempt to outrun him. But Damien was relentless, matching her stride for stride.  

“Why are you doing this?” she demanded, spinning around to face him.  

“Doing what?” he asked innocently.  

“This! The possessiveness, the intimidation, the constant hovering. What do you want from me?”  

Damien’s smirk faltered for a split second, replaced by something almost vulnerable. But then it was gone, and his cocky demeanor returned.  

“I just like keeping you on your toes, sweetheart,” he said, leaning in close. “Admit it—you’d miss me if I stopped.”  

Elies opened her mouth to argue but found herself at a loss for words. As much as she hated to admit it, Damien’s presence was becoming something she couldn’t ignore.  

And that scared her more than anything else.