Chapter 4 The Game

I take my seat beside Desmond placing my supplies and water on the table before shifting to a comfortable position. Desmond seems to take no notice of my presence being next to him, wrapped up in the workbook from first period with my neon green pencil firmly in-between his fingers while he writes. I take a drink of my water before clearing my throat awkwardly.

"Sorry about taking up so much room and bumping into you last period. I didn't mean to bother you." I awkwardly begin explaining, while trying to break the silence between us. "I can move over a seat if that would make you more comfortable." I offer, noticing no one has claimed the seat next to me so there's a chance it could be vacant. Desmond's hand stops writing as his body shifts in my direction. His brows knit in confusion putting pressure on the knot above his left eye that's already began to bruise and scab.

"You don't bother me Selene." He states. "Why would you think that?"

"Oh. I just.. thought because I bumped into you a few times that maybe."

"I bumped into you Selene." He interrupts correcting me, although we both knew it was him making contact with me the entire time. I was just trying to be polite. His hand stretches out then rests upon my forearm as his sapphire eyes peer deep into mine. His touch is surprisingly soft on my bare skin. "Did I bother you?" He asks. His voice laced with concern and a hint of something else I can't quite place. My breath hitches as I momentarily lose my train of thought lost in those eyes.

"No." I tell him as I shake my head trying to keep my thoughts together. Why am I acting like this today? What is wrong with me?

"That's a relief." He said releasing a breath between his slightly parted swollen lips. How can anyone possibly look this good while being a battered mess is mind blowing. "Are those still your favorite?" Desmond asks tilting his head towards the chocolate as he takes his hand back from my flesh. I notice the absence of his warm hand instantly as my skin cools where he had made contact.

"Yes, actually they are." I smile shyly at him before whispering. "I'm surprised you remembered."

Desmond's right eyebrow arches at my words before the corner of his mouth tilts upward into a sly smirk. As his lips part to tell me his response, a folded piece of paper smacks me in the chest. It bounces off my boob, then lands on the table in front of me interrupting the conversation between Desmond and I. Desmond looks down at the paper while I look up in confusion. Only to see Rosa's mischervis smile directed at me. Her eyes shift from me to the paper then back again, willing me to open the note. I unfold the paper wondering why she threw it at me in the first place. Too distracted to notice Desmond's left arm draped over the back of my chair as he's leaned in closer to me peering over my shoulder to look at the note. Opening the paper with no attempt to shield the writing inside, which was my first mistake. Especially knowing the person who wrote it as well as I do. I read the contents.

"Ask him if he wants to fuck already! We both know you could use a good dickin down!!! "

I feel Desmond's warm breath on the bare flesh where my neck and shoulder meet as he lets out a chuckle that vibrates from the depths of that firm chest of his. My eyes widen and my jaw drops as I look up at Rosa who is dying of laughter, hunched over in her chair holding her stomach in pain with both arms. I quickly crumple her note up into a ball as I feel my entire body heat up from embarrassment. I am absolutely mortified as I throw the paper at her head before burying my face in my hands begging the Lord to take me right this instant and spare me just this once. I can't bring myself to look at Desmond, I'm so humiliated, I have no idea what his reaction was. He probably assumes I'm just like all the other girls at this school pinning over him only interested in using him for his good looks and body. This could have been the perfect opportunity to open the bridge back up to a friendship between the two of us. He seemed willing to, at least that's how I interpreted his behavior. Now that's ruined. He probably thinks I'm some slut.

The teacher walks back into the classroom at the sound of the bell and begins the next lecture. While I can't bring myself to remove my hands from my face. This has got to be the worst Rosa prank ever played on me, in the history of our friendship. I shift my body so that my back is facing Desmond throughout the period hoping it would shield me from whatever Desmond was thinking. Unfortunately, I couldn't be so lucky. Throughout the class Desmond made it a point to scoot his chair close to mine. Making it easier for his body to lean closer to me and randomly whisper things so close to my ear I could almost feel his lips brush against my ear lobe. His minty breath fanned the exposed skin on my neck and cheek as he spoke, both igniting me on the inside and sending chills down my spine simultaneously.

"Are you going to ask me?", "Is it true, selene?" The way my name rolled off his tongue sent electric tingles down every inch of my body. " Are you really in need? " He taunted me throughout class making it next to impossible to hold my composure.

His teasing reminding me of our childhood when he and Leviathan used to taunt me over small things just to get a rise out of me. Over the years Desmond stopped picking on me and would scold Leviathan every time he attempted to tease me. I had forgotten how sweet Desmond could be, I had also forgotten how relentless his teasing could be. I keep my back turned to him and my open right hand up against my forehead trying to block his view from my face the entire time. Doing my best to ignore his comments and not let him see a reaction from me. All the while begging for the embarrassment to end.

"Do you request my services?" I can hear the smile on his lips as he speaks these inappropriate things to me. He's enjoying this, hoping to visibly make me squirm for his entrainment. I'm one more comment away from losing it. The embarrassment becoming too much to bear. Desmond is showing no signs of letting up on the torment he's causing me. "Selene, are you imagining me bending you over this table right now? Like I am." He whispers, catching me completely off guard because his lips made contact with my ear while his hand dropped under the table caressing my bare knee before riding under my skirt. With each word he spoke his fingers lightly tailed further up my leg before coming to a stop at my mid thigh where he then pressed his palm against my skin.

My body shot up straight at the sudden contact, my hands dropped to the table as I pressed my palms down flat against the wood. My head snapped in his direction, eyes wide in surprise and disbelief. I quickly dropped my right hand under the table smacking his hand away from my skin, before grabbing the hem of my skirt and readjusting it while crossing my right leg over my left. Attempting to pull my body away from him. My mouth opened about to scold him for thinking he could not only talk to me in that way after so many years of not sharing a single word between us. But for the audacity of thinking it's acceptable to touch me in such a way, in a public setting, especially without my permission.

The classroom door opened and abruptly slammed shut, drawing our attention to the front of the classroom as Leviathan stepped into the room. Stopping at the desk to inform the teacher of his arrival he passed along his note from the principles office excusing his tardy.

"Morning teach." He greeted with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Mr. Hawthorn, nice of you to finally join in on the fun. Glad to see you didn't receive too severe of a beating this morning." Mr. Oliver retorted, not hiding the annoyance of being called teach.

"Not to worry teach, I barely felt a thing. I've ran into chihuahuas with more of a pack to their punch than Desmond. " Leviathan laughed as Desmond let out a low growl from the depths of his chest.

I looked over to Desmond to see his hands balled into tight fists and his veins bulging from his neck and arms. His jaw clinched so tightly that his teeth were about to shatter from the force. It was a scary sight now that I was witnessing it up close. Without thinking my hand reached across the table and rested on Desmond's busted fist. I felt the muscles beneath my touch ease up and relax upon contact of my skin on his. Desmond's eyes were wide in surprise as he fixed his gaze to my hand atop of his.

"I would have been in here sooner but that new nurse you guys hired this year is quite the looker." Leviathan teased, knowing that nurse was Mr. Oliver's wife.

"Well if you've finished with your pointless ramblings, take your seat and participate in class now Mr Hawthorn." Mr. Oliver dismissed Leviathan, handing him the work sheets and pointing in the direction of the seats. Abruptly ending their conversation.

Leviathan turned to face the classroom in search of his seat still smiling that cocky sideways grin that radiates trouble. He sent a few nods in the direction of some of his friends as he moved through the classroom. My heart rate quickened, my throat became dry and my palms began to sweat as Leviathan walked past the first empty chair. Desmond's body tensed up beneath my touch. As realization hit the both of us at the same time. Leviathan, completely oblivious, not spairing the room a single glance sense walking through that door. He came to a stop after reaching his chair finally looking to me then Desmond before shifting his green eyes to our intertwined hands atop the table. I quickly recoiled my hand placing it on my lap as I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.

Leviathan let out a deep laugh as he shook his head looking to me then setting his sights on Desmond.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise." Leviathan says through gritted teeth. He claps his hands and rubs them together, like he's warming them up. "This is going to be fun." He winks his right eye before sliding into the chair next to me.