008 – BLESSED BECAME CURSED.

🦋 CATALINA 🦋

‘Catalina Blessed Theodore,’ my mother gave me that name, hoping that I would be blessed all my life, but it seems quite the opposite, what you ordered vs what you got. I’m literally cursed and screwed.

Somehow, I always end up in crises. More like, ‘Catalina Cursed Theodore.’

Every second I turn around, Rook the bully is ogling at me so intensely, it's uncomfortable, so I just choose not to look in his direction, not even by mistake.

He stated I’m marked. Magnus, the leader of Asmodeus' heir, declares so heartlessly, I owe him a death. My neighbor is freaking creepy, and Corvin, that godforsaken vampire, definitely wants my blood. It’s just a matter of when.

“Catalina Blessed Theodore!”

“Catalina Blessed Theodore!”

…

I looked up to find Professor Matteo yelling my name. I blank out for one minute, and he’s already calling my name? Isn't he the trap I was warned to never fall into?

“Do everything to make him hate you,” Tamara warned earlier.

Right, let’s make him hate me.

That’s if the ridiculous theory works for me. I caught him staring at me earlier… sighs.

“What did I say last?” He barks.

I raise an eyebrow, making his question look ridiculous, “My name.”

“What did I say before saying your name?”

“You were teaching, professor.”

A thin line appears on his lips as he gawks at me emotionlessly, pointing his index finger at me, “...Get out of my class! If your mind is not here, then your body shouldn't be either.”

“I don’t want to, Professor Matteo. The school has zero rules; I can do whatever I want!” I retort bitchingly, matching his energy.

“Not in my class.” He growls through gritted teeth.

“Ohh… with all due respect, watch me.”

“If you won’t get lost, sit! Stop disrupting the good students in my class!”

“No!”

“No?”

“I won’t sit! I just changed my mind, I’ll leave instead.”

I stand up abruptly from my chair, heading towards the door.

I get to the ladies' room and walk towards a basin, rinsing my face as I let out a tough sigh of frustration.

“Why is that Rook moron staring at me so terrifyingly? Arggg,” I murmur to myself, feeling a shiver going down my spine. “If only I could blindfold him.”

“Professor Matteo looked very pissed. Did I do too much?”

Filling my palms with another batch of water, I dip my face into it, then raise my head to stare at the mirror, my side gaze catching the appearance of someone.

“Jesus!” I jump, trying to calm myself as I stare at the figure of a male, in blue jean pants, a long-sleeve T-shirt, neatly combed hair, and glasses, who appears out of nowhere.

“Are you okay?” he asks innocently.

“Hi, aren’t you… Luka? The school’s top student.”

“Yes…” he replies so slowly and calmly.

Tamara was right about him; he looks like a girl child, if not for his height, you'll mistake him for a female child in jeans, and by the way he speaks, so softly, you'll know he's nothing but a baby.

“...I was wondering if there’s any way I can help you?” He murmurs, barely looking at me as he adjusts his glasses.

“Yeah, by leaving,” I respond coldly.

His tiny lower lip begins to quiver like a water droplet before it falls, pulling his entire face down into a perfect pout. His big, brown eyes are wide and glossy, holding back two enormous tears that seem too heavy for his little lids. It is the most adorable, heartbreaking little expression, a silent plea that says, "Please don't chase me away."

A soft, unplanned smile appears on my face, “I’m saying I’m fine… thank you, Luka,” I explain, unable to bear hurting someone this pure and cute.

Just as suddenly, a tiny, bright spark ignited behind his eyes. His lower lip snaps up, banishing the pout.

He isn’t just smiling; his whole face lights up with happiness. A huge, toothy grin split his cheeks, making his eyes crinkle into happy little half-moons. He gives a huge, chest-heaving sigh of relief, but this one is light as a feather, like blowing out a birthday candle.

He turns and walks away, his arms pumping, and his feet barely touching the floor, leaving the sadness behind him like a forgotten toy.

“He's so adorable!” I mumble.

Smiling, I step away from the basin and walk into the toilet to pee when I hear another noise coming from where I just left.

“Luka, I said I’m okay… can you just leave?” I voice, pressing the flush and standing up.

No movement

I turn the key and push the toilet door open, stepping out of the toilet to find four men standing at the basin and laughing so disgustingly.

“You are in the wrong place; this is the female's toilet,” I announce, and they all slowly turn to me.

One of them, the one in front, walks towards me with a grin on his face, a grin that's annoying if it's not on Yumeko, Corvin, or the ridiculous Rook the bully, who have handsome and beautiful faces to back up their devilish grin, but this one looks like a clown, a disgusting-looking clown.

“There are no rules in this school, girl.”

Of course I'm aware of the fact that there's no rules in this school which is just absurd, I figured the school is controlled by Rook the bully, as he has been here for ages yet, refuses to graduate, but what I didn't expect is for them to stoop this low, walking into the ladies toilet so shamelessly, yet without remorse, what if I was doing something crazy? What would it take for them to go into the male toilet instead?

“You're pretty,” the other says, walking towards me as he reaches for my face.

As soon as his fingers came close to my chin, I turned my head towards it and bit them… hard.

His scream echoes in the toilet, but I don't let go, I bite on it until his blood fills my mouth and until I'm afraid I'll separate his fingers from his arm.

There are no rules, so why don't I beat up this mother disgusting fucker!

I let his fingers go, and he cries and steps back, while the others rush towards me.

I'm not the weak kind of person, I'm someone ready to face the cruel world, I've been learning how to box ever since I started calculating well, I joined Archer team when I was in high school, always hitting the gym to increase in stamina and strength, always dressed like a guy, all for one reason; to protect myself. Don't mess with me!

The world is a scary place, and with men in it… It's even worse.

A second guy among them pulls my hair from behind, and I turn around, twist his arm, and hit his head on the basin in front of me.

Blood fills his head, but I don't care, and they don't give up.

The third one lands me a clear punch, and I retaliate, giving him twice as much pain. He stumbles backwards and shakes his head to see clearly.

But before I know it, the two behind me hold both my hands and pin me down, while another one holds my legs in place.

I am struggling, but I can't set myself free. The last one smiles in satisfaction and walks towards me, reaching for my pants zipper.

“Now, you're even more beautiful, and I love your spirit… I hope what's down there is even better.”

“Don't touch me, you madman!” I yell, spitting on his face.

His smile grows even wilder as he wipes my saliva off his face, “I can, there are no rules, remember? No consequences. I hope your pussy is this slimy.”

A wave of heat rushes over me, followed by icy sweat on my palms and forehead. My breath hitched, a short, shallow gasp that refuses to satisfy the deep, desperate need for air.

“Let go of me!” I scream at the top of my lungs, my composure shattering.

Out of nowhere, the one trying to take down my pants is flung to the wall, he hits his head with a loud echo, and falls to the ground.

I look up at who flung him away so easily, like a piece of wood; it was Rook, the one anyone should never cross paths with.

Those holding me down quickly stand up with shaky legs and try to run away from him, but he drags them back and throws them against the wall.

It took a minute for them to gather themselves and run out of the toilet, then Rook began to walk towards me.

I swallow hard, and with every step he takes, I push myself back with the help of my legs and arms on the ground.

I know this devil definitely isn't saving me.

And just like I predicted, he picks me up like a paper bag filled with nothing but groceries and throws me towards the wall myself.

I land on the ground, with my elbow hitting the wall so hard I think my arm is broken, but it isn't. Turns out I'm indeed strong; it's beginning to come in handy.

He walks towards me again, and this time I try to stand before he reaches me to slap him. If I have a bottle, I will have broken it on this idiot's head.

My fist lands on his chin, and his eyes widen. Even if I die now, I won't regret it. I hate being stepped on.

But my slap was so ineffective, as if he felt nothing, the slap I thought would save me and give me enough time to escape was like a mosquito’s bite. Fuck me! I shouldn't have left class. 'Make Professor Matteo hate you. ' Gone wrong... Totally off the track.

And then he mutters slowly, “I'm so going to fucking kill you.”