7

However, a smug little smile appears on my face. If she's not texting me on my cell phone and using a college-grade method of communication, it's because I've always refused to give her my number. Do not dream, I was still not going to allow him to contact me at any time. Unfortunately, my smile disappears as soon as the first sentence is read.

"Dimitri has a grudge against you. Do you know each other? »

Why is everything about Dimitri right now? Ok, he's new, but if I could be left out of this stupid excitement, it would fill me with joy.

"He knows your friends, doesn't he?" I didn't manage to find out more at my party yesterday, but maybe you can give me more information? I just know he's from Russia and he's twenty-five, like the boys. Does Steve know him? »

Laurine must be on hot coals waiting for my response. She loves rumors with a capital R. And Dimitri seems to be a subject that interests her enormously. Poor him…

On the other hand, she allows herself to give them a nickname to Stevan and allows herself to call them "the boys" as if she knew them, which makes me cringe. I know that since their arrival, Laurine tries, by all means, to attract one of the boys into his net. The more they resist her, the more she will try. It's always been like that with Laurine. Except right now she wants to hook the biggest fish, Stevan. But I know that she could spend her whole life chasing him, and he will never accept. Much to my delight, I must admit.

I sigh then take the pen I've been chewing on for a while and write:

"No, I don't know this guy. And I don't know if he knows my friends. »

I'm tempted to send him back his piece of paper like that but I know his perseverance. I know perfectly well that she will not be satisfied with that.

"I just know he's got my nose and I can't blame him. You should be wary though. Looks like a hell of a dick to me. »

I don't know why I'm adding this. My good Samaritan side is more developed than I imagined it must be believed. Except for that, bad luck, after folding and throwing the paper, I follow its trajectory, which is more than approximate. I've always been bad at throwing but here, I go beyond the simple term of nullity. The paper doesn't land on the table I expected, namely Laurine's, but falls right into Dimitri's hands. I've always had luck.

The demon Immediately opens one eye and I strongly suspect it is pretending to sleep hoping to get kicked out of class. His first instinct is to hold out the paper to return it to Laurine, who stares at me furiously. She doesn't want Dimitri to know that she's desperately trying to find out more about him, which is understandable. Only she is not discreet and the dirty guy follows her gaze to land on me. Immediately, he pulls the paper back out of Laurine's reach and gives me a brief amused glance before gently opening the paper. Mercy! I'm screwed.

- Give it back! I mumbled, leaning over to his table, not far from mine.

- I do not think so, no.

His gloomy gaze tells me nothing worthwhile and I let out a half-stifled exclamation.

- You suck!

- Error, I'm pissing you off. And, that, I don't care about.

I'm going to insult him when a voice resounds in the front row.

- Both!

The paper disappears into the clenched fist of my new executioner and I glance at our interlocutor. The teacher pushes up his little glasses and looks at his watch for a moment.

- Since you're not focused on my class, and you're getting in the way of others, make yourself useful and get me those books from the library.

He pulls a small list out of his pocket and hands it to us, barely glancing at us. A few whistles erupt in the room and I even hear a salacious comment on my account. I do not react, telling myself that for the second day of class, I am already doing enough not to add an attack on the student. However, passing a friend of Alexis's, who claims that I've contrived everything to end up with the new one, I pass my hand over his table and his kit crashes on the floor, spilling its contents on the floor. I go in, scattering more cases.

- Whoops! I'm sorry!

The asshole swears and the professor's annoyed huff quickly makes me clear off, a big smile on my lips. I avoid Laurine's annoyed gaze and wait outside for Dimitri to retrieve the list. I'm sure that Laurine would have given a lot to find herself in my place and I would have exchanged it for her without any problem if the course had interested me for a while. Unfortunately for her, I'd rather have Dimitri's distasteful company than endure another half-hour lesson. Especially since I'm hungry and I can't concentrate when my stomach cries hunger.

Once joined by Dimitri, I go down the hall, without a word. I savor my stretches and my brief freedom, humming merrily. I saw the newcomer's gesture before leaving the room: he returned the paper to Laurine, without reading it. I finally have a guardian angel.

Once at the library, I ask for the books alone, my misfortune having dropped me for a moment to go to the bathroom. When he comes back, I hand him the books and our fingers touch without meaning to. At this simple gesture, an electric shock runs through me and Dimitri almost snatches the books from my hands before stepping back briskly. I watch him turn away quickly and wait for me in the hallway. Perplexed, and somewhat upset, I thank the librarian and join him, looking for what could explain his reaction. But the easiest thing is to ask and break the ice. So, with all the tact of which I am capable, I take a big step forward and position myself in front of him, preventing him from continuing his walk to the classroom. They stop just before he bumps into me and glares at me, which I'm starting to know. I don't let myself be discouraged.

- May I know what bothers you about me? I don't have strangles or the plague, and yet I feel like you're running away from me, or something like that.

- It has nothing to do with it, simply answers Dimitri in a gloomy tone.

- Then tell me what you have against me!

- You wouldn't understand.

- Ah yes of course! I grumbled, quite annoyed, I'm too stupid to understand the words of his majesty!

He lets out a long exasperated sigh and runs a hand over his face. I have the sudden feeling that he won't answer me, which has the gift of freaking me out.

- Hello? Is her majesty present?

- Stop looking for the little beast, he growls suddenly looking away, it's not a good idea.

His eyes flicker down the hallway, checking that no one is around. Serial killer reflex, which however leaves me unmoved.

- Why? Do you have something to hide? Wait, let me guess… Ah, I know! You are Hulk, right?

The gleam of interest that shone a few seconds before disappeared from his black eyes. I don't know which of my voice or my remark pisses him off the most, but, in an instant, Dimitri drops the books, which fall to the floor and pin me against the wall. His hand tightens around my neck and his face is a mask of fury. No more milk soup, you die.

- I told you not to get upset, he articulates, meeting my gaze.

The advantage is that he no longer needs to bend down to meet my eyes. I am now at his height since I no longer touch the ground. The downside is that I can't breathe anymore. So I panic.

I try to get him to let go, scratching his fingers, shoving him around, and hitting him, but nothing works. The pressure is growing more and more and I feel my blood leaving my face. My completely panicked look plunges into his, black with anger. Then suddenly his eyes switch to a completely different color. Colder, more metallic, her eyes become as gray as steel.

Auditorium doors slam abruptly in the distance. Quickly and quietly, he releases me, and I crash to the ground. I gasp and bring a hand to my burning throat. I raise my eyes completely panicked towards my executioner but he has disappeared. All that remains of him are the books still on the floor and the marks left on my skin.

A rather relevant thought quickly forms in my mind as I try to catch my breath: he tried to kill me. Or at least scare me enough to stop talking to him.

With trembling knees, I get up as best I can and avoid the gazes of the few people passing in the hallway. Forgetting the books on the ground, I join my room and make myself very small to grab my bag and flee as quickly as possible. Luckily, the teacher is having a big discussion with Laurine.

I then enter an empty toilet and splash water on my face and neck. With a breath that has nothing to do with weariness, I look up at the little mirror and gasp in surprise. The marks are visible, despite my brown skin and I swear, the voice is castling.

Damn… how did it get out of hand so fast? And also violently. Dimitri has serious concerns about violence, and I intend to report it. But while waiting to find out what exactly I'm going to do, I wrap a scarf found in my bag around my neck, hiding the marks left by the demon.

I then take my head in my hands and let out a shaky sigh. I was not prepared for this. Truly not. I let a tear fall. Only one. The second, I erase it and leave the toilet to go eat.