Chapter 5

AUTHOR

I pretty much don't know how Bonus Chapters works, 'coz I'm pretty much still in the navigating stage on this site. I'll just use this one then I'll see what will happen.

Enjoy!

**

"What do you say?"

She could feel warmth and soft fingers running along her lower back, giving her goosebumps.

"I—" Ginny stutters, finding herself speechless. "Um..."

Unconsciously, she tightens her hold on the latter's jacket. Persephone was leaning too close for her liking. Her sweet-scented vanilla perfume was rubbing on her body as if she were marking her. Her blue eyes were sparkling, seemingly in a daze.

"Ginny!"

Ginny couldn't be more thankful for that interruption. Persephone loosened her hold a bit but didn't let go. They both looked up and saw Natalie walking towards them with a raised brow and a smirk on her face.

"I've been looking all over for you." She gestures to Ginny with a hint of mischief. "I didn't expect that you'd rather ditch class so that you could flirt. How rebellious of you. I couldn't be so proud."

Ginny huffed in disbelief after hearing her best friend's words. This is totally not what it looks like! She was supposed to retort that but was cut in the middle by Natalie.

She looks at Persephone, nodding along the way, and says, "Hello, Persephone. Fancy meeting you here."

Her eyes travelled down Ginny's lower back, where Persephone's palm was resting. She couldn't help but give her friend a devilish grin, which Ginny just glared at in return.

"Likewise, Natalie." She nods back in a cool gesture. Her hand was now resting on the side of Ginny's waist.

"We're Lab partners." Natalie gestured back to Ginny. "Prof. Dudley says you'll get detention later for being late.

"Ugh." Ginny groans in annoyance. This was the very first time she was late after entering college. Now, her reputation for trying to be a good student has gone to ruin.

"Y'know each other?" Persephone asked.

Her hold tightened a bit around her waist. Ginny clasped her hand and gradually removed it, but Persephone intertwined them together.

"She's my childhood best friend," she simply said.

"How come you never introduced me to your childhood best friend before?"

"Well, Ginny is pretty much allergic to people." She shrugs. "She only tolerates me."

That earned a chuckle from Persephone, who said, "That pretty much sounds like Ginny," and looked at the little rascal glowering at them.

"I'm still here, y'know." Ginny narrowed her eyes, frowning a little bit, making her look like a little kid starting to throw a tantrum. "I can hear the both of you judging me."

Both of them chortled in amusement.

Persephone pinched her cheeks playfully as she cooed, "No, we're not. You're just too adorable."

That only made Ginny more annoyed, glaring at Persephone with all her might. She can hear Natalie snickering on her side.

"Give me your phone," Persephone asks, her palm facing upward. "I do believe you owe me lunch for helping you the other day."

"Didn't we have lunch on that day?" She narrowed her eyes confusedly.

"That was on me because I failed to feed you breakfast." Persephone gave her a playful grin. "Now, it's your turn."

Ginny could only groan mentally. She defeatedly took her phone out of her pocket and gave it to Persephone. The latter took out her phone and punched Ginny's number in with a satisfied grin.

"I'll call you." She gave Ginny's phone back. "By the way, Natalie, there's a Prefect meeting tomorrow at noon. It's for the upcoming St. Ives School Carnival Fest. Don't be late."

"Aye, aye!" Natalie saluted.

"I gotta go. I'll see you later, cutie." Persephone made a kissy face at Ginny, her blue eyes twinkling, then bit her lower lip in a flirty way.

Natalie just snorted, as she watched her best friend's face turn absolutely mortified by the gesture. They watch Persephone walk the other way.

"Huh. Not dating. Really?" She mocks.

"We're not!" Ginny's face was flaring so much, and Natalie could only laugh. "She just caught me off guard. That's why I couldn't respond well!" She said as an excuse but fails to sound convincing due to her fumbling.

"More like you were too smitten by her that's why you were speechless." She teases more, then adds, "Well, I don't blame you," and wink.

"Oh, pissed off!" She snarls. Natalie can see the smoke of embarrassment coming out of Ginny's head as she continues laughing. "A prefect? Really?" Ginny changed the subject. "Are you sure you're qualified for that? How did they let your rebellious arse in?"

"Hey, that is not a nice thing to say." She scoffed. "I am trying to build a good reputation for myself since we're in our third year now. It's for my future, babe."

Ginny snort. "Alright. My mistake."

Natalie is pretty much a magnet for all troubles. She's like the English version of Poppy Moore. Ginny always thought that Natalie could nail the Rich Girl vibe if given the chance. Their first and second years were filled with nonsensical shenanigans that almost got them expelled. But before that happened, Ginny pulled the "Let me call my dad" card and managed to make her family sponsor the school. It was the brattiest move she'd ever done in a while, making her father wail in utter bliss, muttering nonsense like, "Oh! My daughter is back!" and "Oh, I couldn't be so proud!" and all sorts of bullocks.

She felt her phone vibrate, capturing her attention. Ginny knitted her brows upon reading the message.

Unknown: Hi, darling. Dinner at my place? We can still have that movie night right after ;) (2:30 P.M.)

How dare. She grimaced. Who would dare send her a booty call? How utterly shameless. She swiftly replied, asking who the person was. After a second, her phone vibrated.

Unknown: It's your future wife ;) xx (2:32 P.M.)

How dare this person assume her sexuality? Ginny was supposed to block the number when another message popped up.

Unknown: Don't freak out. It's just me, Persephone. Give me a tinkle later. Class is about to start ;) xx (2:32 P.M.)

Ginny frowned, but before she replied to Persephone's text, Natalie called her.

"Ginny, we gotta go. Class is starting. Who are you texting?" She said in a hurry and walked towards the classroom.

"No one," she abruptly replied, hiding her phone in her pocket. "By the way, what's the meeting all about?" She asked instead to distract Natalie, which the latter enthusiastically answered.

"Well, we'll continue to vote on what sort of activities will be included in the carnival. I happened to suggest one and got it approved yesterday." She beams in excitement and faces Ginny. "I'll be in charge of the kissing booth, and you're going to help me."

Ginny narrowed her eyes in confusion and replied, "What the hell is a kissing booth?"

To be continued...