2 one

Dead leaves crunched against my boots, hackles rising as the crisp wind mercilessly whipped at my face. The dappled sunlight played across my arms, a supposedly innocent phenomenon, but it cut like razor blades stretched under my skin, searingly scorching. Each step makes chills cascade down my back. Gritting my teeth, I silently chastised myself: Levi, this is for Mia.

Mia. Her name was a distinct ringing in my ears. Images of her rosy cheeks and smiling face flooded, surfacing in my mind, murky hues of red and pink and green dulling into a mono black and white. Her name no longer hurts like a wound, instead, it's a dull aching in my chest, serving as a reminder of what I have to do: Finding Erin Laurent and sending him to Thorn Society. It was such an easy line that rolled off my tongue effortlessly, but with one slight error I can bid my farewell to this cruel world, needless to say the plans for avenging Mia.

Erin Laurent. The fire in my heart smolders, and there kindled a fierce and burning hate. HeisthereasonMiaisgone. The song of hate rose to a crescendo, drowning out my other thoughts. Gasping, I steadied my uneven breathing, closing my eyes: we are not going to commit murder. Not today.

Looking at the people around me, I had to conceal my snickers. So unassuming, all of them. While varsity games and cheerleading are their bread and butter, aiming at heads and splintering limbs are my bread and butter. But as good as my combat skills can be, this mission needed thinking and brains. Ugh, thinking hurts my brain.

Should I be the doey eyed sappy airheads who swoon like a damsel in need of saving, or be a Regina George incarnate?

Just as I narrowed my eyes, deducing at the options, my gaze drifted to a willowy figure approaching. The girl sauntered across the hallway, her lips a slash of crimson against her ivory skin, just like blood across snow. The crowd parted to let her stride across the hallway.

She gave a once over at the crowd, apparently unsatisfied. The crowd faltered and bowed their heads. Her azure eyes flicked towards my direction, lips curled up in a serpentine leer as she took in my facade, as though daring me to stare at her. I stared unflinchingly.

She looked away as a lean shadowy figure approached.

"Oh, Laurent, how fickle are you guys?" She said, giggling, flipping her hair, her voice sweet and sultry as she trailed a finger down his chest.

Laurent. I paled. Edging closer to have a better read on his physique, he walked away. To make matters worse, my virgin eyes had been tainted. Shame.

She winked, oblivious to my sudden chalkiness, and sashayed the way where Erin had gone, the sound of her high heels clicking against the floor fading away, her curtain of ink black hair flowing, like death's welcome mat.

I regained my composure and continued my leisurely amble to where the school office is, my pounding heart reducing to a mild fluttering against my chest. We have two months, I reminded myself. Two months. One rash decision will ruin everything.

Somehow managing to weave it through the hoards, I was in front of the office, where an aged lady was perched on a flimsy stool behind a mahogany desk, piled sky-high with stacks of paperwork. Her ashy brown hair was matted and dishevelled from her gruelling work. She glanced up from her papers and asked irritatedly:

"Can I help you with anything?"

"Levi Hart, new student," I said.

The lady huffed, a vexed expression carved on her face. She rummaged through a large chest, mumbling a string of displeased complaints.

A person whispered to me:

"You would be surprised as to the ungodly number of cookies that I have once stuffed in there.

I whirled around immediately, and a boy grinned apologetically at me.

I giggled, and the lady glared at us murderously.

"Don't mind her, Ms. Henderson is usually this grumpy. At least you weren't there when I told her 'cookies are now your salary'." That boy mumbled under his breath.

I refrained from snickering and instead leaned over to watch the woman pull out a few dusty books and scrap paper. She pushed them over to me, and I single handedly caught them and pushed them into my duffel bag.

"Wow, only a few survive her deadly book shoves." He said, feigning a stunned look.

I shrugged artlessly, grinning, "Glad I'm one of the few,"

"See you around then," he flashed me a momentary crooked smile and waved distractedly. I gave him a fleeting smile and dragged my duffel bag away with me.

—————

701, 702....709! I eased the door ajar, revealing a wall with a jagged surface of chipped off paint, and a girl flicking her book studiously, before whipping her head around.

"Hey! I'm Lynn, and you are..." Lynn chirped, hopping off her stool, and pulled me into an unexpected hug.

"Levi. Levi Hart." I said, flustered by the affectionate gesture, as I awkwardly patted her back.

"What a pretty name," she said, and I had to smile. Hey, let the girl live, it's not like I receive such compliments daily.

"So, how are you finding here?" She asked, arching a brow.

"Well..." I trailed off, and her eyes probed at me for an answer.

"Pretty nice, actually. Apart from the girl who has a fashion sense worse than an ant. Eugh, that's such an insult to the entire ant population."

Lynn gave a whoop of laughter, and said, "Yuh, that's who you need to be careful of." Her voice a so low I had to strain my ears to listen:

"Alurra Sadie can wreck your face with a single flick of a finger."

I kept my face neutral, but my mind was reeling from that piece of information. So she is like the queen bee here. I glanced at Lynn's open, genuine face, a hint of laughter still etched on it. What if I can gather more information from her?

"Any things I should be aware of, as the new student?"

She tilted her head, tapping her chin:

"Well...there's parties every Wednesday and a Meet Fest next week, I'm sure we can have quite a blast," she said, waggling her brows. "And as for the juicier news, Erin Laurent..."

My ears perked up in an instant.

"...he was nearly suspended by the school. But he managed to get out of it, like always. His father has so much power the school can't afford to suspend him."

I mentally jotted down notes. So he came from a wealthy powerful family.

"I'm assuming that he's with Alurra?" I asked casually.

"Oh for god's sake, no. He's the polar opposite of Alurra."

"How?" I pressed on, making my tone eager, and faking a blush.

"Ooh, why so interested?" she said in a sing songy tone, but I could hear the sharp note inquiring note in her voice. Suspicion rose in my head, and I quickly smoothed my face into coolness.

"He seems hot," I said, faking a light giggle.

She seemed to buy my lie, for she squinted her eyes, beckoning me closer. "He's been single for god knows how long. Perfect chance for you, hun." She sounded encouraging, but I could see the sourness layered behind that. Was she turned down by him?

Before I could open my mouth to question more, she yawned and said, "Naw, ya girl feeling groggy. Later sweetie!"

"Where are you going?" I crouched down as I started unpacking my things.

"Mhmm," She hummed, and skipped away, the question left hanging in the air.

Just as I was about to turn, my phone beeped.

Unknown number:

Follow her.