The Ice Prince

Benji Ayori's POV

I leaned against the fence that surrounded my house, waiting for my ride to school. Since I lived close enough, I decided it wasn't worth paying the ridiculously expensive boarding f*e for the dorms, and I was saving up to get my own place, so living with my parents was ideal, and my mum sobs every time I tell her I'll move out eventually.

I checked my phone for the time and then saw a pop-up for an event I'd saved in my calendar. I grinned, excited as hell for today. My little sister had been begging me for months to take her to this event, and I finally caved. But, I also invited my team and their siblings with us too to show our support for the Academy's Princess - The raven-haired ice Princess that held the official title of 'Belle' at the Academy. 

Despite the icy, flat tone she shows outwardly, those of us who have taken the time to get to know her know that she's not at all very icy. Unlike the jerk of a best friend that we've all titled the 'Ice Prince'. Unlike Arte, he's genuinely a hardass who just wants to see the world burn. 

Speaking of, my ride pulled up. Light grey eyes stared deeply into my soul for a second before he nodded his head for me to get in. I pulled my backpack from my shoulder and slung it in the back as I opened the car door to his Range Rover SV Caramel Edition. I had always wondered how he managed to afford a car like this as a student, but I concluded that his family must have had some financial means. When I climbed in, I saw his foot lift the clutch slowly, barely giving me time to close the door. I just about managed to get the seatbelt in my hand when he revved the engine and then sped off down the street. 

I quickly clipped the seatbelt in and then whipped my head up to him "Damn, man! Give me a chance to sit down!" I yelled but only got an amused sneer in return. I huffed and pulled out my phone, beginning to scroll through the screenshots. I shared the screenshot with my best friend's phone, and then heard it ping. At a traffic light, he discreetly checked it and then raised an eyebrow at me, "What's this? A ticket?" I nodded at his question. "The ticket you'll be using to get into the race course tonight, obviously. We're all going. You can bring a plus one if you want to" I was positively beaming at him, but him...Not so much. He gave me a half-assed grunt and then threw his phone back into the cup holder, before setting back off again. 

Silence can mean yes, right? 

When we arrived at school, Lucanis parked quickly and recklessly - barely in his parking spot - and then got out as if his ass was on fire. I sighed and grabbed his phone and my bag, hopping out of the car and stretching out a little. 

The car locked behind me, and I walked over, handing Luca his phone. This guy walked so briskly that my thighs were always burning. I understood it, though. He was trying to avoid-- "There he is! Quick, go talk to him" Ah...Not fast enough. 

I sighed, shaking my head as I slipped by Luca, who was now surrounded by a group of four 'ladies'. I turned to peek at him, almost letting rip one hell of a laugh when I saw the mighty scowl on Luca's face. The guy hated attention, especially that of the female variety. 

He looked right at me, those menacing eyes of his peering straight into my soul, yelling, 'If you don't save me, I'll end you'. 

Alas!

I saw a familiar beauty and quickly used her as an excuse to escape. "Arte! Wait up!" I beamed when she turned, giving me a small smile that barely lasted two seconds."Benji. Good morning," Her tone was like mild ice, chilly and bored sounding. But her eyes were warm and held boundless affection and intellect.

"And a good morning it is! How're you feeling about tonight?" I asked, the excitement plastered across my very handsome mug - if I do say so myself. Arte gave a small sigh before she used her left hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her left ear. "Same as usual. It seems everyone but me is excited, even when they know the results" Most would say Arte was cocky...Arrogant. Those of us who knew her would say she's very hardworking and confident. 

Arte put in the work, and as a result, she was certain that she would win. Over the last ten years that I've known her, I've concluded that either she comes from money and is an heir, or her family has ridiculous expectations of her, but even her best friends are clueless, all except for Margot Knight. At one point, I even theorised that Arte was an illegitimate child...The scariest mistake of my life thus far. 

[FLASHBACK - 10 MONTHS AGO]

I'd known her for a while...But did I really know her? Arte Jones. An enigma, not just to me. Though the mystery of her only bothered a handful of people, including me. No, perhaps I should say 'myself being the no.1 pursuer of the mystery'. 

I was always told I'd make a fantastic detective, like my dad. Detective Ayori was famous. As a rookie at the age of just twenty, he outsmarted and took down the number one most wanted at that time - Alan Myers. Notorious man who used his intellect to invent and create traps and dungeons, using them for murder, selling them to the highest bidder. At the time, he had gone underground after killing three cops, a detective and a witness to his latest crime. 

When I asked my dad what led to his capture, he always said, "The smell." And then he took me to the shed and asked me to help him with the gardening. Every time, he asked me what I could smell. It wasn't until I was fourteen that I realised what he was talking about. Alan Myers used frangible bullets when he killed those people. My dad spent months gathering evidence and staking out farms, pharmaceutical factories and fertiliser factories. Anywhere that used ammonia, he sat for days. He crossed each one of his list until he was left with two. 

Earned himself a promotion and honour for all that. Growing up, his coworkers and friends would say I inherited his nose for mystery and justice. My mum, on the other hand, always complained that neither of us 'knew how to leave well alone the things that we should'. That's probably why I can't shake the mystery of Arte Jones. 

Beautiful, intellectual, strong, kind. I've observed her from close up and from a distance so many times, and yet I just can't figure out what is under the surface of that flawless skin. Like now, she's sitting, eating with such grace and poised mannerisms that I'd laugh in your face if you told me she was from an average family. I know she isn't. Her manners, the way she carries herself, her speech, and the way she's so well groomed that not even a wrinkle could be spotted on her clothing. 

She got up to leave, but Margot stayed behind, texting. I took the chance and rushed over, throwing myself into the spot across the table from her. She didn't even need to look up to know it was me. "Benji, for the last time. I won't tell you anything about Arte. If she wanted you to know, you'd know" The same line she's said to me a million and one times. But this time, I had a theory! "No need to tell me. I figured it all out". I was confident. Too confident, but my words piqued Margot's interest. "We know nothing about her - We, as in me and even her best friends. Except you, you seem to know...Something. I digress, so we know nothing about her, including her family. Not their names, nor any mention of her siblings. It's almost like...They're a secret" I squinted my eyes at Margot, who frowned, something unreadable in those eyes of hers. Something I had never seen before. 

My instincts were telling me that the centre of the mystery was indeed her family. But I didn't turn up anything important with the name Jones around here. "I already know. She's an illegitimate child, isn't she?" 

CRACK!

My jaw felt like it was swinging and rattling. There was a sharp ringing in one ear. I blinked a few times and then looked up at Margot, who was standing on her feet, staring down at me with such unfiltered rage I thought lightning might strike from the sky. "Benji Ayori, how dare you? Arte is nothing of the sort, and even if she were, it's nothing to do with you! Goddess only know why people seem to think you're like your father. They must just be saying nonsense!" 

Ouch. Her words hurt, but not as much as that left hook. I couldn't even get a word in before she pushed her chair back and stormed off. 

[END OF FLASHBACK]

I avoided that death flag of a girl for a whole month after that. It's only recently that she started talking to me again, despite all the apologies I made. 

"They're excited, Arte. You're a role model for a lot of young students and, quite frankly, a fan favourite in our city. So, give me spoilers. What will you be dr-" I was cut short by a firm grip on my shoulder. "You've got balls, Ayori. To leave me behind like that," A pissed-off voice sounded behind me.

"Aha...Haha...Uh...I saw Arte and thought I'd say hi?" It came off as more of a question than a statement. "A-Anyway! Luca, this is Arte, the star and winner of tonight's competition." 

Lucanis frowned at me as if I had said something wrong. Arte paid no mind to it all and instead reached out her hand to introduce herself. She didn't even get the chance before Lucanis smacked her hand away with a disgusted sneer. "Another ice bunny looking to use my friends to get close to me? Fuck off" To say I was shocked was the understatement of the century. I could feel the colour draining from my face as Arte stared at her rejected hand with a deadpan expression and icy eyes. Lucanis slipped his hands into his pockets and waited for her to collect herself and leave. 

What he didn't expect was what happened next...