Chapter Five

The office of the staffs was a separate building altogether. It was positioned uniquely beside the main classrooms.

Even newcomers took notice of this place.

With its surreal atmosphere, there was no sign of students loitering around.

Furthermore, none of them desired an encounter with Stephanie's father.

A senior with a potbelly who was known for his strict disciplinary actions.

When called upon to deal with the students, he received various nicknames.

Lucas stood in the hallway after being scolded by the principal for arriving late.

"Do I have to spell it out for you to comprehend?!" he barked at him, but Lucas remained unfazed as he averted his gaze.

They were inside his lavishly furnished office - having a discussion.

Miss Felicia, his class teacher, sat on the plush furniture with them; she hoped for his cooperation so that she wouldn't have to listen to the principal's complaints for the rest of the day.

She even tugged at his shirt, hoping he would show some remorse, but he aggressively pulled it back.

The principal clicked his tongue in annoyance at his behavior.

"You rich, spoiled br*t..." he lashed out, but when the child he was scolding was provoked by the labels he was giving him, they engaged in an intense stare-down.

"I d*re you to finish your speech and see if I don't switch places with you," Lucas rudely retorted before walking out on them.

There had been rumors that Lucas' father, a wealthy and renowned business tycoon, had made the largest donation to support the school.

And Lucas had purposely used that leverage against him.

Did you see that? How can a child stare at his teacher so threateningly, eyeball to eyeball?" the principal shouted as he slammed his office files on the glass-topped table.

"I'm sorry, sir," Miss Felicia spoke on behalf of her student.

Mr. James glared at her angrily.

"You are dismissed, and don't you dare set foot in this office again unless you can change him" he sternly warned.

"Yes, sir. I understand" she said and hurriedly left the room.

He was a constant headache.

Lucas' anger knew no bounds after receiving tedious lectures on how to stop arriving late to school.

Imagine him having to come early to school by 7 am when he spent most of the night clubbing.

A deliberate choice led him to skip his first class, for the sole purpose of indulging in donuts and skimmed milk at a small snack shop two blocks away from school.

Occasionally, he would develop a spontaneous craving for snacks.

Being a frequent and valued customer, they would always serve him his usual order, along with some extra treats as a token of appreciation.

This was their way of ensuring customer loyalty.

With him as their VIP customer, they were confident in making a fortune in a single day, as he would rent out the entire place for himself.

Relaxing against the cold wall of the hallway, he propped his feet up and casually unbuttoned his shirt.

Despite Lucas frequently displaying irresponsible behavior, he would always find time to groom his unruly hair, dress impeccably, and partake in the activities of his wealthy peers.

He intentionally chose to disregard punctuality, as it did not align with his schedule.

Lucas was widely known as an infamous bully.

Belle strolled into the hallway with a cheerful demeanor, on a mission to submit her assignment to their teacher.

As she neared the center of the hallway, she noticed a shift in the atmosphere and came to a halt.

It was the same eerie feeling she experienced when she ventured up to the rooftop, which sent shivers down her spine.

She could see another shadow behind her.

With heart in mouth, she knew he was here.

Lucas!

Lucas sudden appearance seemed as though he had materialized out of thin air.

He looked at her effortlessly, as if she had failed to notice him at all.

Lucas believed he had her on edge after their encounter on the rooftop.

But upon seeing her now, she appeared fearless once more.

Belle felt a surge of fear wash over her. Had she spotted him earlier, she would have retreated instead of moving closer.

Realizing they were uncomfortably close, she instinctively inched back until her back pressed against the wall. However, Lucas closed the gap between them.

Lucas noticed the fear that enveloped her, causing him to appear triumphant.

"Are you going somewhere?" he interrogated her, placing his hands on either side of her head.

"Yes!" she responded sharply, clutching her book against her chest as the only barrier between them.

"Then why aren't you moving?" he slyly inquired, observing her search for an adequate response.

Before Belle could anticipate his next move, Lucas swiftly slid his hand behind her back and pushed her against his chest.

The collision took her by surprise, preventing her from being able to defend herself and they locked eyes.

In the midst of their passionate gaze, she felt a sense of disorientation in his grasp.

Lucas, overcome by his perverse nature, shamelessly fixated his gaze upon her chest.

Although Belle became bashful, she resisted the urge to withdraw, perhaps due to her body's unwillingness to cease.

Witnessing this captivating sight, Lucas's eyes widened, his astonishment palpable.

Although he had encountered girls like her in the club, he had never been so intimately close to one.

He couldn't help but acknowledge her remarkable physical attributes.

With a husky voice, he whispered into her ear, "You are truly beautiful."

A delightful shiver ran through her body, as she yearningly pressed herself against him.

She desperately wanted to halt this intoxicating encounter, but her physical desires betrayed her will.

Belle couldn't believe that she had succumbed to his charms with just a few simple words.

As the proprietor's office door creaked open, Belle hastily disengaged from Lucas's embrace, accidentally bumping her forehead against his.

"Ouch" she groaned, pain evident on her face, but Lucas's suffering was far from over.

She swiftly grabbed her notebook and swiped it across his cheek before bolting towards the teachers' office.

On the ground, Lucas whimpered in agony, clutching both his head and cheek.

Why was she behaving so fiercely? After all, she had seemed to enjoy every moment of their encounter, Lucas pondered as he watched her disappear into the distance.

💌💌💌

Upon entering the classroom, Lucas strolled in nonchalantly with his hands casually tucked into his pockets, only to be met with uproarious laughter from his classmates.

After a brief moment of closing his eyes and reopening them, he made his way to his usual seat at the back, the laughter further aggravating the pounding headache he had developed.

His classmates seemed to excel in this particular form of amusement.

If any harm were to befall his esteemed head, he was determined to make Belle pay dearly for it this time.

"Hey dude, what's going on with your head?" asked Ben, one of Lucas' comrades, as he amiably reached out to touch his forehead.

With a weary sigh, Lucas swatted his hand away, causing the entire class to erupt into laughter at his expense.

"Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with him. Some girl must have caught his eye," chimed in another student, initiating yet another burst of laughter throughout the room.

🗣️Oh my! What happened to Lucas' forehead?

👥He must have gotten into another fight.

🗣️That swelling definitely does not complement his handsome face.

John observed Lucas as he made his way to his seat, but Lucas detected his gaze and scowled at him before looking away.

The class reporters began snapping pictures of him from head to toe, with some even having the audacity to request specific poses.

By complying willingly, Lucas sought to show the owner of the establishment that he was still a contented individual despite the reprimands he had received.

The photographers were still preoccupied with their picture-taking when Belle entered the classroom. She quickly noticed the group surrounding Lucas and attempted to discreetly exit.

"That's her, the one who caused this swelling on my forehead!" Lucas pointed his finger directly at Belle, freezing her in her tracks.

Among those in the front row, John's jaw dropped as he silently implored Belle to explain what had gone wrong.

How had Lucas noticed her?

The class observed Belle with amusement, eagerly cornering her before she could evade them.

Lucas had intentionally orchestrated this event in order to divert any unnecessary attention that he had inadvertently attracted.

Another wave of laughter ensued when they spotted a fresh swell on Belle's forehead.

🗣️Unbelievable! Why on earth would they engage in forehead combat?

👥It must be a lovers' quarrel.

👥Do you think Lucas will make her his girlfriend?

👥What exactly transpired between the two of you?

Noticing Lucas from amidst the students who surrounded her, Belle could sense that his demeanor was neither cheerful nor grim.

Even though they were not in close proximity, his unwavering gaze left her feeling bashful once again.

Why was she continually finding herself in these situations?

A camera click prompted Lucas to turn his attention towards the person capturing his image.

"Hey! Don't you have more sensible things to occupy yourself with?" he snapped at his companion, who responded with a smile.

This content was captivating, and he anticipated that everyone would gather around, hands on hips.

Just kidding!

However, the boy pulled out his phone and aimed it at his mouth.

"Is there some sort of relationship between the two of you, considering how you looked at her?" he asked Lucas smirking.

Lucas batted his eyelashes rapidly, aware that he had been caught in the act.

To alleviate his unease, he cleared his throat.

Lucas gaped at him in surprise before messing up his neatly styled hair.

This situation was becoming more intense than he had anticipated.

Even those who feared him approached him head-on to question his intentions.

Lucas leaned against a surface and advised the boy, "Step aside before I lose my temper."

The boy smiled and stepped away.

But his next statement pushed Lucas over the edge.

"Guys, I've just come up with the perfect nickname for these two," he announced, capturing everyone's attention.

"I've named them the swell couples," he muttered, sporting a wide grin, which prompted applause from everyone.

"Yahhh!" Lucas shouted, tossing his headrest at him.

However, he missed.

🗣️Swell couples, swell couples

👥Swell couples

🗣️Swell couples

The entire class chanted together.

Stephanie and her friends glared angrily at Belle, resentful of the attention she was receiving from their male peers.

It was supposed to be Stephanie who garnered the spotlight.

Lucas wanted to stand up and halt the chanting, but a hand held him back, forcing him back into his seat.

"Calm down, lover boy. You'll be fine," Ben reassured, playfully massaging his shoulders, while the others laughed.

When Stephanie could no longer contain her anger, she and her friends approached Belle.

"So, celebrity, what's your next move? Trying to surpass us?" she sarcastically inquired, crossing her arms.

As soon as she mentioned "us," the class fell silent, eagerly awaiting Belle's response.

However, Belle couldn't retort, as Ella attempted to escort her out of the classroom.

Out of nowhere, Lucas swiftly grabbed Belle from Ella's grip, used his hip to nudge Stephanie aside, and exited with her.

🗣️Woah, that was unexpected

👥 They are truly a couple now

🗣️ Stephanie will need to find comfort in her tears

👥 Poor Steph.

As Lucas pushed her aside, rumors swirled about Stephanie.

She felt like crying as Belle had taken away her only option.

In an effort to avoid feeling like a failure, she decided to initiate a conversation with John.

But to her dismay he left the classroom, gathered his books and put on his earphones.

This left her alone with her girls, seeking solace.

🏝️🏝️🏝️

In the cafeteria

Belle finished getting her food and was ready to join Ella when Lucas approached her.

She glanced at him and brushed past, but he pulled her back by grabbing onto her shirt.

"What do you need now?" She finally spoke, causing him to grin.

"I thought you weren't going to speak, you owe me for the desserts," he said, trying to appear serious as he led the way towards the chefs who prepared their lunch.

"And why should I?" She snapped angrily at him, refusing to take a step.

"Because... this," he gestured to his swollen face, "it's a pain when you know you'll look ugly, all thanks to someone," he spat out.

By now, the other students were watching, some reaching for their phones to capture pictures and videos.

"I don't have any money" she grumbled, turning away to go sit with Ella, but Lucas unexpectedly yanked her back, causing her food to fly up in the air.

Just as Belle was about to fall, John walked in and noticed the falling food.

However, he ignored it and rushed towards Belle.

Now, both guys had their arms outstretched, ready to catch her.

Both John and Lucas seemed oblivious of the other's presence as their aim was to rescue Belle.

Belle was relieved that she didn't hit the floor, fearing that she may have lost a tooth in the process.

"Thank you..." She started to say, but when she caught sight of John, she became startled and jumped towards Lucas.

"What's happening here?" She questioned him.