Chapter 5 -Highschool Sweethearts

Iris wasn't able to wake up as early as the previous day, as she had fallen asleep much later last night. As she descended the stairs she was met with Syra's parents. 

They were both very composed people, looking at Iris with worry while they drank their morning coffee. Syra's family wasn't rich, in fact none of the characters in the book were, they all went to a normal public school. The story was meant to be more relatable than tell a tall tale about some sort of elite school. However, of all the characters in the book, Iris's family was probably the most wealthy. Her parents were both very successful in their careers and yet had always found time for Syra. It would be extreme to say they spoiled her, but she did not want for much. Except for Leon, of course.

Both of Syra's parents, Syra's mother especially, carried themselves with confidence and ease, yet were genuinely kind people. It was a wonder how Syria became a villain. 

"Are you headed to school? We made some toast if you'd like some before you go." Syra's mother offered.

Iris felt a wave of sudden impatience surface in her mind that she tried to suppress. She headed in the direction of the kitchen.

"Okay." The two concerned parents exchanged worried glances as they watched Iris walk back to the table with breakfast.

"I signed up to be a tutor. I'll be coming home a few hours late during the weekdays." She curtly informed them, breaking the silence.

"Are you low on money? If it's something important we can help you if you want." Syra's father said.

"Not necessarily. I just think it will be a good experience."

"I see…" The troubled expressions on their faces deepened as they watched Iris eat her breakfast. They didn't know how to approach her drastically different behavior recently. After a few awkward minutes, Syra's father spoke up;

"Are you alright recently? We know school can be stressful, so if you're having trouble we can help you. Or have you experienced difficulties with your classmates? If so, please tell us. We just want you to know that we are here for you." He blurted out, a bit rushed. Syra's mother nodded beside him, agreeing with him.

Iris was silent for a few long seconds before raising her head, looking at them.

"I'm fine, just preoccupied with school recently." She had thought of ways to excuse the sudden change in demeanor, but decided it would be better to avoid the subject. She knew it would be difficult to avoid them while living with them, but she didn't want to pretend to be someone else's daughter. She would just minimize the time around them. They would adjust eventually.

She rose to put her dish away, but her hand was held by Syra's mother as she walked past her.

"What is this? What happened?!" Her voice was considerably louder than before as she observed the scabs on Iris's knuckles. 

Iris yanked her arm away, irritated.

"Nothing. I'm going to school." She quickly set her dish down and walked out the door before anyone could say anything.

-

After sitting at her seat, Iris kicked the desk next to her, making the already trembling boy jump.

"Get me lunch later."

"...Okay." Finn whimpered. He couldn't help but feel regret, he shouldn't have been fascinated by beauty. He sank into his seat, pitying himself and his bruises. He didn't know how he had offended this monster, but he would make sure to never do it again. 

Aside from having a new follower, the rest of the day was completely uneventful. When the two main leads weren't in contact, the world was peaceful.

 After school, Iris walked for about 15 minutes, stopping in front of a nice suburban home. She knocked on the door and waited. After about a minute, a beautiful middle-aged woman with long blond hair answered the door.

"Yes?"

"I'm the tutor for Leon." Iris answered shortly.

"Oh, Wonderful! I'll bring you up to his room."

Iris followed Leon's mother into the home. Iris attempted to answer all of her small talk but eventually realized that Leon's mother didn't seem to care whether she answered or not.

"I'm so glad you're here, this is going to be great for Leon. He really needs this. I've been telling him for a while that he needs to pay more attention to his grades, sports isn't going to get him very far. But he's like his father, stubborn like a mule." Leon's mother kept talking, occasionally getting distracted and pointing something out about the house. It took far too long to get to Leon's room.

"Your tutor is here!" She yelled as she knocked on Leon's door. After some muffled rustling, the door opened. Leon was exactly as described in the book. Despite his tall stature and wide shoulders, he had an innocent air to him. His blond hair was tousled lightly and his casual home clothes were ruffled. He had a handsome face with the youthfulness characteristic of a 16-year-old boy. He scanned Iris up and down, noting her flat, cold eyes. Syra was beautiful and Iris had transformed that beauty into something incredibly dynamic with her presence. Her brown, almost black eyes looked at him emotionlessly. Her lips were formed into a straight line but gradually dropped into a slight frown as he continued to look at her.

"Hello." Her cold voice echoed as she interrupted his daze.