XLVII ||| I Can Hear Your Heartbeat

Freezing time makes it all easier.

It allowed me to cheat and explore the hole in the 'one-week' deal I made with Oliver and the others. Every class we have the professors explain a bit for a short while and then pass a whole lot of assignments for us to do in the hour we are in their class, and I took advantage of that, stopping time the second they sent to my iPad what I was supposed to do and doing it in that froze minute. Then I would unfreeze time, give them what I did and then leave.

Felix kept insisting to sit on my left as Oliver sat on my right, and the Circle sat on our back, my roommates sitting on Oliver's side, and the others behind. I mocked them, bickered with Oliver, the Circle, and my roommates, outsmarted the professors' explanation, and left before any of them could make me any hard questions about what I'm keeping from them.

Then, I sat an alarm to warn me of the next class, flew to my dorm and used all of the remaining 40 to 30 minutes to freeze time and read some of the books, while doing the notes in Pangean.

My roommates didn't mess with me in a bad way anymore, only some bickering which I also put up with. They left me alone in my side of the dorm and kept going with their stuff. And in this time, I noticed that Samantha, Elsa, and Yuliana are a firm part of their little group of 7. Which Felix had called the popular girls squad, only second to the Circle.

When it was time to eat, I would freeze time altogether, walk into the communal dining room, get my food and Jack's, leave a note of thank you to the kitchen witches telling them I got our fill, and only unfreeze time when I got back to my dorm.

In this week I closed the 'weapon sales' and posted a note on their social media because I kept getting messages about it. Especially from the dumbarses in class that kept sending me stuff all the time, and I ignored it all thoroughly. The only people I answered were Felix and Oliver, only because I said I would and couldn't get back from it.

Mia also sent warden Atticus to tell me that I could use the private cabins for solo training that are located in the Blazing Woods that surround the Academy grounds, and she also sent me a key of it through him.

And it was very useful because I would go there every time the girls brought their partners in here. I didn't want to see either River or Dimitry, who are so bloody close to Oliver, who, like or not, is the one I'm avoiding the most. Not to mention that River is literally my mate's brother, and he's been trying to be more friendly, which is definitely because of that.

In fact, all the Circle has been trying to get annoyingly close to me. Maybe, if I hadn't gotten into direct conflict with them three times in my first day here, I would be more cool with it. But as I have, it's been annoying as bloody hell. Though I get it, Felix told me the Circle are all extremely close like a found family, so though River is his blood-brother, they are all siblings in a way. Not to mention that Oliver is their leader.

Do I even need to say that the most insistent is Rio? Irene too, as they kind of come in a package for being together every-bloody-second. They also seat right behind me with River, so, it's really annoying. And I thought no one would be able to be as annoying and persistent as Cosmos is, but damn, Rio gives him a run for his money. He only quiets down when Oliver glare at him or tell him to shut up.

He really has all the six Circle kids on a tight leash.

I still hasn't gather the courage to ask either Felix or Oliver himself about what his special powers are, since, again, I'm doing my best to ignore him because at each day that passes I get weirded when he's near me. And he knows it, which makes it worse.

It's more annoying because he keeps texting me, and I can't help but answer it, even though I don't want to get so close. The damn vampire purposely make it harder. And every time I take longer to answer, he guilty trips me, saying that he gets anxious when I took too long to answer him, and that I promise I would, that if I break a promise like that I would be hurting him.

Bloody bastard, sending me a bunch of texts during the day.

Oliver: When will you let me see all of your tattoos?

Oliver: You know, I'm really attracted to it.

Oliver: Oh, and you were bloody hot today, beautiful.

Oliver: That emerald corset looks absurd in you.

Oliver: Wrapped your waist heavenly well.

Oliver: Though my hands would do a better job.

See? That's what I'm talking about. This bastard. Keeps teasing and messing with me. Talking about how attractive he thinks I am. Ugh.

Me: Jade.

Oliver: *baiting eyelashes gif*

Oliver: What?

Me: The corset is made of jade, not emerald.

Me: But you know that, you're not stupid.

Oliver: It's the only way to make you answer me, beautiful.

Oliver: Shall I remind you again that your one-week time is up?

Oliver: I want to talk to you.

Oliver: In person.

Oliver: Just you and me.

Hell no. Not yet. I know I promised one week, and it's been 9 days already, but what can I do? The idea of being in the same place as him, all alone is freaking me out.

["Because you're scared of what you will do."]

"Of course, I am. This thing is messing with my head."

["You could just take advantage of it, you know,"] he grinned.

I blinked, "I am not going to take advantage of Oliver."

["He would love if you did, though."]

"Ugh. You don't know what you're saying."

["I do. You do too."] He gave me a don't-lie-to-yourself look, and blew a breath of yellow five at me, which I stopped by sending a wave of green fire at it. ["Come on, you're twenty centuries old, 17 physically, and you've never even kissed, or did anything else."]

My cheeks burned and I avoided his eyes, "No one can miss what they never had. I'm not tempted by those mundane things like those kids."

He let out a loud laugh in my mind, ["Not even you believe that!"]

I sucked my cheeks and glared at him, "I do, yes."

["No. You don't!"] Jack arched his eyebrows in disbelief, ["And you do recall that I can read your thoughts all the time, right? Including all those little naughty dirty and lustful thoughts that take over your mind when Oliver-beautiful-babe is near you."]

"That's invasive."

["Nothing we can do about that. I'm just shocked that you have the balls to tell me that you aren't tempted by those mundane things, when we both know that's bullshite, Hel. You are very, very, very tempted by it."]

Oliver: You know I can see when you visualize it, right?

Oliver: Do you see the little red mark under your text?

Oliver: It's red because I saw it.

Oliver: And all my texts are red in here.

Oliver: *bombastic side-eye gif*

Oliver: In fact, I have a feeling our conversation is open for you right now, and you are just straight-up ignoring me. Which hurts me. You promise you would answer my texts, babe.

["Just say something. He won't stop, we both know it."] Ugh.

Me: I'm not ignoring you.

Jack, the bastard, burst out laughing near me. ["That's bullshite!"]

Oliver: Even Jack knows this is not true, beautiful.

["Indeed, I know it!"] He beamed with the mention.

Me: I just answered you, didn't I, vamp?

Me: That doesn't sound like ignoring to me.

Oliver: Then tell me.

Oliver: What are your top 3 favorite colors?

What? I choked on my passion fruit juice. "What kind of question is that? That's not important, is it?"

["It is, when he's trying to know everything about you."]

"It's bloody random," I bit my bottom lip.

Oliver: Let me guess, black is the first one.

"Was it that obvious?" I looked at my clothes, all black except for my jade with gold corset. "Okay, maybe it's obvious!" At least today I did not have to use the white and gold uniform shirt, since it's the weekend.

Me: That one was easy.

Me: Black, red, copper, blue.

Oliver: I have blue and red eyes, depends of the time. +Black hair.

Me: Your eyes are turquoise, vamp. It's the in-between of blue and green. And the red is because you're a vampire.

Oliver: I think you're the first person to get my eyes right.

Oliver: Well, you did stare at it a lot.

Oliver: *flirty grin sticker*

"Ugh, I can't talk with him. He's lustful. Too bloody lustful, Jack."

["As if you weren't enjoying it!"]

"I didn't say I'm not. That's the problem," this dumbarse.

Oliver: I bet ten gold coins that you're blushing right now.

"Bastard."

Me: You lost.

Me: I don't blush.

Oliver: You are sooooo blushing right now.

Oliver: No need to lie, beautiful.

Me: I'm not lying, arsehole.

Oliver: Bloody damn straight you are.

Then I heard a knock on the door, and jumped startled. I let the person knock once, twice, thrice, and stayed here, pretending the room is empty. There's no way I'm meeting anyone.

It's probably one of my roommates friends, since they are always coming around to see them. Felix wasn't joking when he told me they were all popular in here. Popular is an understatement. They know everyone.

But then I felt that strong pull, and the hairs in my nape went up.

Oliver: Did you forget vampires hear heartbeats, beautiful?

Oh, hell no.