KELANI POVYesterday, I had a close call – nearly knocked out by a 16-ounce handball and narrowly avoiding a mauling by Williams. Today, things seemed promising. After stowing the remaining books in my handbag, I slung it over my shoulder.Glancing at Riley's bed, I shook my head; she was nowhere in sight since I woke up.Not usually a deep sleeper, but yesterday's events and Dr. Kaden's examination left me drained. He discharged me, advising a return only if I felt dizzy or had a headache.After a final check to ensure I hadn't forgotten anything, I headed to the door, closing it behind me."Hey, Roomie."I spun around, eyes widening. "Oh my fucking goodness, Riley! You scared the fuck out of me!""You never struck me as a girl who curses. I like your potty mouth," she giggled, then frowned. "Where are you headed?""To class, obviously," I replied, wondering if it wasn't clear enough. I noticed she wasn't in uniform, not even dressed for class. Denim shorts, a pink sports bra, and run
VESPER POVHockey meant everything to me, and I'd go to any length to come out on top. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. However, it didn't seem like things were going well.Don't get me wrong; I was still the star player at Mystic Height Academy, something I was grateful for. However, failing classes could soon jeopardize that position.To stay at the pinnacle and maintain my spot on the ice rink, excelling academically was crucial.I couldn't fathom why grades mattered when I could just focus on playing Hockey, racking awards – something I excelled at – and forget about subjects like arithmetic and chemistry, which happened to be my weakest."You need to put in more effort. Or maybe I should talk to Coach Jensen about benching you more so you can take this as seriously as I do," remarked Headmaster Kendrick."What's the point?" I shrugged, glancing around the office, a large space with bland wallpaper and a floating bookshelf near the entrance. The headmaster sat behind
VESPER POVAfter practicing a bit with Nathan, I headed to my last class – a general one that all seniors and juniors had to attend.Otherwise, I wouldn't be stuck in the same class with these sore losers. The classroom was vast, easily accommodating a thousand students without anyone feeling crowded.It lacked furniture, and for some reason, I had a bad feeling about the supposed project we were going to engage in. Even though I didn't know what it might be, a sense of unease lingered.The project supervisors, Mr. Randall, and Mrs. Periwinkle, entered the room, each holding a placard under their arms with poker faces.Both were in their mid-sixties. Despite her age, Mrs. Periwinkle carried herself gracefully, appearing barely aged. She shared the greying hair characteristic with Mr. Randall and had very dark eyes. Wrinkles adorned her face, concealed by heavy makeup. In contrast, Mr. Randall didn't bother hiding his wrinkles, opting for a more natural look. After all, he couldn't use
KELANI POVThe Mystic Harmony Championship program seemed like a big deal, judging by the excitement on the students' faces and the teachers. Despite the apparent thrill for everyone, it was the opposite for me. My partner didn't want me, and I didn't particularly want to be with him either, but I had no choice.Headmaster Kendrick made it clear that I didn't have a say in the matter, and he had warned me earlier never to reject my partner. I had even laughed and assured him I wouldn't. I had assumed I would be paired with Riley until Mrs. Periwinkle made the unexpected announcement.Now, I would prefer Lia's partner over mine. Despite his habit of doing disgusting things like picking snorts out of his nose, I would still prefer him over Vesper. I could feel the anger radiating off him, even though I hadn't done anything to provoke it. It seemed like the mere sight of me made him furious.Perhaps he would erase me from existence if given the chance without hesitation.Clutching the pa
KELANI POVChecking my makeup to ensure it wasn't caking my face, just like Riley's. She had applied mine, too. I couldn't understand why she used so much, but it suited her perfectly. I couldn't imagine going out with that much makeup on without scaring anyone; it wasn't Halloween."How do I look?" Riley asked, twirling in front of me. She adjusted the floral print bodysuit's bodice and buttoned up her white shorts.Allowing a smile to grace her diamond-shaped face, she pushed back a strand of brown hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear."Hot enough to grab anyone's attention?" she inquired, fluttering her lashes."Yes," I nodded. Riley was beautiful, and everything seemed to look good on her. It was as if every outfit was designed with her in mind.Also, she could turn even a rag into something pretty – unlike me."Good, I don't want that bitch outshining me," she remarked, clicking her tongue."You mean Lia?" I asked, and she nodded.That was the only person she coul
KELANI POV"Are you hurt anywhere? I swear by the goddess, I'm gonna whoop his ass!" Riley declared, bristling. She repeated the question, and each time, I assured her that I was fine, mentioning Vesper coming to my rescue. Even though she seemed surprised about him helping me, considering his knack for being mean."Shane is part of the coven. He knows he shouldn't mess with you. I'm sure he's trying to get back at me," Riley muttered."Get back at you?" I asked with a frown."We messed around briefly, and I ended it soon after, but he wouldn't have it. Ever since, he's tried to make whoever was with me live a living hell. I never knew he would turn to you," she sighed."I'm sorry, Kelani. If I had known, I wouldn't have left you alone," she said."It's not your fault. You never asked for an ex like that. Besides, I was saved before he could hurt me," I said."I wouldn't have forgiven myself if something had happened," Riley muttered, then her face lit up. "Come on, let's go to the le
KELANI POVFuckI groaned, muttering a curse as I woke up and running a hand through my hair.My head pounded and was heavy as though there was an extra weight in it. The ringing in my ears I had attributed it to someone banging on a nearby table, but I guess it accompanied the headache.My mouth felt sour, like I had swallowed a lemon the night before, and my throat was dry, scratchy, and it ached as well.I had difficulty swallowing, but above all, I was thirsty.Although I was thirsty, I knew drinking water would only make things worse.The unpleasant sensations didn't stop there. Every muscle in my body ached and even moving just my arms felt like carrying extra weight.My queasy stomach reminded me that I had had more to drink than my body could handle. After struggling to open my eyes, I squinted around the room.Shielding my eyes from the sunlight streaming through a break in the blinds, I moaned. It was barely morning, and I wondered why it was already sunny."It's 9 am, darli
KELANI POVA few minutes later, I finished freshening up. The throbbing in my head had significantly lessened, too.Riley was right; the drug seemed to have a touch of magic because regular human drugs wouldn't have cured the hangover so quickly. But then, I had never experienced a hangover before, so I couldn't be sure if non-magical aspirin would work the same way.I put on my uniform since the infirmary was on school grounds, and it was a rule to wear uniforms during school days. I wondered if this rule might help identify students easily, although I hadn't really encountered students from other schools trying to pose as Mystic Academy students.Again, I pondered if the rule applied to students from the founding families or if they were exempt, maybe only required to wear uniforms in places like the cafeteria.I inserted my earpieces, even though knowing it was prohibited, but walking towards the school infirmary without any distracted wasn't something I fancied.I couldn't possibl