CHAPTER 1-BIG RED

ETHEL

“Tell me, if Declan dumped you tomorrow, would anyone here still know your name?”

The entire hallway drowned in laughter around him.

My books hit the floor before I could even process that I had been shoved. My soda followed, the cap popped free and the dark liquid soaked my economics textbook.

“Instead of going on a weight loss journey,” Tavian snickered, tilting his head like he was genuinely puzzled, “you are hauling more junk drinks around. What's the goal here, Ethel? To fill the entire hallway when you walk past?”

The laughter became ridiculously louder.

“... Big Red,” someone called out.

“... More like double XL Ethel,” said another.

My fingers curled into a stiff fist as I tried to keep my face neutral, but the tears prickled at my eyes like they always had. I slowly reached for my wet textbook.

Tavian glanced at the commenters and their mouth clamped shut.

“I don't remember asking any of you to butt in.”

They dispersed like chicks chasing chick-peas because apparently, nobody had it in them to talk back at Tavian Graves.

But I had enough. I rose to my feet and met his gaze.

“You are such a jerk, Graves. You should know that.” .

He leaned down and smiled.

“Better a jerk than Declan's fuck toy.”

Just like that, the little confidence that I had gathered to stand up to him had gone out like a flame. I should've known better than to indulge him, it was exactly what he wanted. My lips quivered but I refused to cry in front of him.

“What princess?” He grinned. “Cat got your tongue? Aren't you going to say anything else, call me a douche maybe?”

A voice boomed from the end of the hallway.

“What is happening here?”

Declan came down the corridor with his hockey stick still in hand.

“Is everyone deaf?” he said. “I asked what is happening here.”

Tavian rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Mercer. I was just having a conversation with your little girlfriend.”

Declan's gaze dropped to the puddle of soda I was standing in. He walked up to me and cupped my cheeks. "Ethel." His thumb brushed just under my eye. "What did he do? What did he say to you?”

"He's not worth it, Declan," I said. "Just forget it."

Because I knew his temper. I knew exactly how quickly it could tip, and Tavian was not worth Declan getting suspended two weeks before the opening season.

“This is the second time this week he is attacking you, goddess forbid I let this slide.” He threw the stick away and started to position his fists. “Come on, Tavian. It's about time someone teaches you a lesson.”

Tavian squared his shoulders and started to take off his jacket.

“Do you really want to do this at eight in the morning?”

“Declan no, look at me…” I stood in front of him, holding his hands. “This is exactly what Tavian wants, you cannot give him the satisfa—”

“I don't give a shit.” Declan ordered me to stand aside. “I will fuck your face up, Graves!”

The crowd started to thicken. People that were just entering the hallway stopped at the entrance and took out their phones.

“Declan, stop. Don't do this.”

“Come at me, Tavian. Let me see your best shot—ah!”

The words were still in his throat when Tavian punched Declan in the face, the loud crack of bone could be heard, and in that same split of a second, he fisted Declan's jersey and flung him like a figurine into the lockers at the other end of the hallway.

“Declan!”

The entire hallway went silent and only occasionally gasping could be heard. Blood rushed from Declan's nose like a fountain as his team mates gathered around him.  

Tavian simply collected his jacket from Colton and acted like nothing had happened. I didn't know when I had shoved him out of anger. He stumbled a step backwards, clearly not expecting that.

“What is wrong with you? What is this stupid vendetta you have with RedHaven, is it because they beat you guys last tournament season? You are such a sore loser, grow up for goodness sake.”

He narrowed his black eyes at me.

“They played dirty, I'm only returning the favor.”

The bell rang at that moment and he winked at me.

“See you at detention, Princess.”

Wait. What? D-Detention?

“But… but I didn't… I didn't do anything.”

He grinned. “You shoved me, remember?”

And then he was gone.

________

At Briarstone University, detention never lasted hours. They lasted the entire day. Two hours after the closing bell had rung, I was still seated in this grim classroom worrying headlessly about Declan. My butt had gone numb.

Mrs. Lotham sat at the teacher's desk eating popcorn.

“You can go.” She didn't even look up.

I grabbed my backpack.

“You allowed Tavian to leave an hour ago when he was the main orchestrator of the fight, isn't that suspicious?”

She pushed her glasses down her nose and peered at me over the rims. "You're a girl who ran away from a barbaric northern pack to seek refuge here. He is the direct descendant of one of the founding Alphas of this university and you expect to get equal treatment?" She popped a kernel into her mouth. "In what world does that work, Ethel?”

“That doesn't make it right.”

“Shush. Just take your bag and go, Big Red. I'm too tired for you today.”

I stopped at the doorway. Tavian had started the stupid nickname, and now it had spread far enough that a teacher used it to dismiss me from a room. I looked at her over my shoulder.

“Just wait until I'm Declan's Luna. I'm going to show every single one of you.”

She laughed and popped another popcorn kernel in her mouth.

“Leave the door open on your way out.”

I didn't, I banged it shut behind me.

Mrs. Lotham was one of those teachers who cared more about her paycheck than her students, not that it was the major problem, no. The major problem was that she had an issue with refugees like me. She called us out-laws and she specially made sure to make her classes feel like a living hell.

And as the only refugee in Briarstone of now, my life was indeed a living hell.

The only thing that made it bearable was Declan.

I stopped in front of the infirmary.

The bed was unmade, the window was open, but there was no sign of Declan. The school nurse, Miss Barlow looked up and gave me a small, tired smile.

“He left a while ago, he wanted to wash off the blood.”

There was something strange about her smile. It was not half as warm as it used to be.

“Oh. Thanks. I'll head to the locker rooms then.”

Her hand closed around my wrist before I could move an inch.

“Ethel... I-I don't think you should go there.”