Chapter 7

 

Jacob

I never wanted to go to this stupid polished school to begin with. I had a whole life back home. My parents and my little sister.

 

We weren't buoyant but we weren't broke either. My sister and I always had everything we wanted growing up. My mom made sure of that.

 

We would always visit Kenny’s family during the holidays. We were happy. Truly happy until the universe decide to rob me of my precious family.

 

My life has been hell since then and no matter how much I think about it, it would have been better if I’d stayed back home, but my uncle thought that was stupid and ridiculous.

 

He never believed I could take care of myself. Even before I came to this school he’d made Kenny swear to keep an eye on me.

 

This weight of everything that had happened since coming here pressed against my shoulders as I stood in the middle of my room.

 

The air was crisp and biting into my skin but I barely felt it. All I could think about was the night in Daniel’s room. It had stuck in my head like glue.

 

“Be my little plaything.”

 

I had hated the way it sounded but now it was all I could think about. All I wanted.

Mr Richard had given me the awkward smile the last time we spoke in his office. Well he spoke, I didn’t utter a word. I couldn’t.

 

I adjusted my bag, forcing my legs to move as I inhaled deeply before stepping out of the room.

 

I wouldn’t give Daniel the satisfaction that he’d succeeded in breaking me, even if I had to fake my confidence.

 

“Jakey boy,” Kenny’s agitation voice cut through my thoughts and I turned to see him striding towards me with that annoying smirk on his face.

 

“Yes Kenny,” I muttered, not bothering to hide how unpleasant this whole little meeting felt.

 

Kenny clasped my shoulders like he wouldn’t turn a blind the next minute if someone was tormenting me.

 

“Come on, Couz. We gotta get to class.”

 

“Oh! I totally forgot. Thank you for reminding me about class, Kenny,” I said sarcastically before shutting my locker and following behind him.

 

Entering the class was exactly what I’d expected. Kenny had planned one of his many kind gestures. It was ketchup on my whole body today. It could be pig’s blood on my bed tomorrow.

 

That’s just Kenny’s sick way of showing how much he adores me and I hated it.

 

Stood there, covered in ketchup when he walked past me, Daniel. The junior I’d seen him with was trotting behind him, his cross bag on his shoulders, while he held Daniel’s bag in with both his hands.

 

“Can I go to class now,” the junior asked, wiping a tiny sweat off his face.

 

Daniel didn’t say a word, instead, he motioned for him to drop the bag on his desk and leave.

 

I was still standing there, covered in ketchup. I tried to lift my legs but they felt heavier than they did a few minutes ago.

The whole class was bursting with joy at my yet latest humiliation, except him.

 

He didn’t even raise his head to look at me. He was focused on his phone, his beautiful delicate fingers dancing happily on the screen. It looked like he was texting someone and he seemed too happy about it.

 

Wondered if it was the junior who had just left the classroom or the one I’d seen him with in the Spanish room.

 

Fuck! Ares! I totally forgot about him. The boy looked like a Greek god. Of course, it’s him. It has to be. If he was texting someone other than Ares, then he’s really stupid, even if he’s “the” Daniel Cobbs.

 

We didn’t have the same classes as Ares. Thank Goodness. It would be such an eyesore having to watch Ares grovel over him in class.

 

Finally managed to walk to my desk. How could he just ignore me after everything. He was the one that came up with that absurd proposal and now he wouldn’t even look, let alone talk to me.

 

“Be my little plaything and I’ll protect and take care of you,” he said.

 

And I was gullible enough to believe him. He didn’t even have to try so hard. I went to his room myself and threw myself at him. Kissed him and now he was done with me.

 

The night was even harder. Threw myself in the tousled sheets after dinner. So many thoughts filled my head. I couldn’t sleep and there was nothing to do. No one to talk to.

 

“What would Kenny do?” I asked myself. I couldn’t believe I was thinking about what that idiot would do in a situation like this.

 

Kenny may be an idiot but he was the only family I had in this dungeon. And he was nice to me growing up. Like a big brother. Always took care of me and my little sister. I wonder what happened. Why he changed so much.

 

This school was supposed to be my fresh start. An opportunity of a lifetime but it don’t feel like it.

 

It was suffocating, to say the least. The pressure. The expectation from my uncle.

 

And now there was the issue with Daniel… and Mr… Richard.

 

Daniel whose dark and cruel nature had caught my interest. It didn’t matter if he bullied me for a thousand years. All I wanted was for him to at least look at me. Once. Just once.

 

And then Mr Richard, a breath of fresh air from all the drama at the school. My cr…

 

There was a loud thud just outside the door. Like someone or something had fallen.

There was no one there when I opened the door, but a note… just at my door.