8

Damon's POV

The swift passing of buildings and trees finally stopped as I pulled over my bike at the apartment basement. I got rid of my helmet and quickly chained my bike to a pole; I'm not risking what I had worked hard for to some sleazy thieves in the neighborhood. They could be crazy.

7:48pm , the time read.

I hurried towards the convenience store of the four storey building at the floor level and there, I found my minx. She's not so little though. 14, but she'd always be little to me. 

Dawn glared at me with a scowl.

“You said 7 pm Damon!” She yelled, rising to her feet and startling the store keeper who finally looked up.

“My bad” I grumbled out while pursing my lips. Of course I was guilty.

“You took quite a while, Damon. I was about to close the store.

“Something came up” 

“You could have texted me something, still” Dawn continued sourly.

“I apologized. What more do you want?” I grabbed her bag.

“That's not all it is. I've been waiting and starving” 

A brow of mine rose; that was it. Here I was wondering why she was making a mountain of the mole of me 48 minutes late.

“Fine” I looked around the store. “Take whatever you want. Have it in mind that would be your dinner too”

“Yeah, whatever” she chirped as she hopped off. “Thank you”

“She had picked two doughnuts before your arrival though” the store keeper said.

“It's fine. Thank you”

A few minutes later, we were standing in front of our apartment. It's not too small and not too big, but something just enough for us. For now.

Choki meowed from a corner and I sneered at its poop somewhere in the middle of the room.

“Tch. It messed up, Damon” Dawn shook her head as she had also spotted the mess.

“Yeah. So you better tell it to behave lately, or it would find itself on the street someday”

“You won't do that.” She scowled at me. “I'll fix it”

I watched her walk away and come back with tissue paper to clean up the mess while the perpetrator peered up at me with its big eyes.

“The fuck are you looking at?” I grumbled lowly at it but it didn't even back away. Instead Dawn had almost screeched at me.

“Stop cussing at Choki!!”

The cat still didn't look away. I exhaled as I moved to grab its food from the cupboard and I poured it into its plate. It rushed at it. I must have been hungry. I gently caressed its ginger fur while it ate.

Dawn walked back in.

“Damon, you're hungry?” She asked sincerely. “I'm not hungry, but I can help you with pancakes if you don't mind”

“I'm not hungry” I frowned. “And you don't get to go close to the gascooker for now”

“Oh please. Stop being a grumpy old man. I'm not a kid anymore”

Says who? Since when?

“Since you're rejecting my offer, I'm leaving. And please get a shower Damon. I don't know… but you reek of sweat. My gosh” she sauntered off with a little scrunch of her nose.

Isn't she some little brat?

At the thought of brat, my mind drifted off to a certain someone.

Tch. 

I made my way to my bathroom.

‘Get over here and let me keep my end of the bargain.’

‘Balance it up and stop giving excuse’

‘Stop being so lazy.’

‘And make sure you have your shower before going to bed’

Reyes’ spoiled and bratty voice rang in my head as the water showered down my body. I frowned. Enough about her, but isn't she something?

She's got guts and some audacity. What was I expecting though? She's got nothing to fear.

It's just a pity…

By now, I was done showering. I stood at the balcony with the cigarette hanging between my fingers. I smoke, it's bad but I can't help it and I can't risk Dawn knowing about this.

I put on my phone and of course, Vienne's message notification greeted me.

‘We're meeting at the school lot tomorrow’_vienne.

‘Alright’ . I typed out before replying to the other messages from my model agency.

The night runs into morning again and I rode through the gate of Minerva's high.

Right under a tree, Vienne stood resting on a car's bonnets that is not hers. I can tell; that's not her ride.

Through the helmet, I saw her throw a disapproving gaze at me. Or my bike. 

Tough shit, Reyes.

I rode around to pull over somewhere not too far behind her. I grabbed my bag pack and strolled over to her.

“Reyes?”

She turned around and she couldn't even mask the shock on her face.

“You own that?”

“What is wrong with that?” I frowned

“Didn’t know that belonged to you. That's the devil's machinery. Do you want to lose your life or an arm?”

“Well. Too bad, I haven't. It's been a year”

“That is dangerou_”

“enough about my buddy” I cut her mid-sentence and she frowned.

“Don't come crying to me later” she mumbled to herself but much to my hearing and I raised a brow, slightly amused.

“Good morning anyways. I bet you didn't go through the jotter before sleeping last night, yes?” Her lips tipped down a bit in displeasure.

Of course, I didn’t. I was busy blowing smokes out after sorting out my Manager's demands. I went to bed almost immediately. But she didn't need to hear that.

“Do I have to start reminding you every night, Calloway? Make my effort count.” She raised her brows as she had almost snapped at me.

“My bad” I say dryly, almost scoffing out in amusement. She's already standing so close, peering up at me in annoyance like she can't wait to jump in my face and attack me. She didn't even realize.

Cute.

A couple of girls walked by, giggling at us and I can't even tell what was so funny to them.

Vienne seemed to have noticed the extent of our proximity. She slowly backed off, clearing her throat.

“let’s just go” she hooked her arm around mine as we made our way into the corridor.