Part 3: What is worse than a human

"Hey, baby," Blaise whispers very close to my ear, his lips grazing the skin of my earlobe.

He probably intended his action to be sexy, but it only annoyed me.

I hate having him very close to me, and worse of all, whispering into my ears.

It creates such an intimacy that I don't believe Blaise, and I share.

Blaise is my mother's choice of boyfriend. He is from the right family, one of the kingdom's powerhouses, and as the next in line to the throne, it is only right that I marry someone of equal status or with a powerful background to support my claim to the throne.

And with that in mind, I can't shove him away like every part of me itches to do.

I have to bear it, and not just bear it, but smile and pretend that I love it. That I am head over heels in love with him.

His closeness I can bear, but I draw a line when it comes to acting like a lovesick puppy.

I don't respond to Blaise's greeting, nor do I relax against his body. He holds my stiff body for a few minutes before he lets go.

For our friends' sake, Blaise likes to pretend that we are the perfect couple, and even though I remain cold and standoffish towards his romantic gestures, he persists in his pursuit.

He probably believes he would wear me down with time, but that would never happen.

To me, Blaise is a friend and nothing more. He is just a boy I grew up with.

Would I marry him?

Of course. That is what is expected of me, and I have long resigned myself to that fact. Love is a luxury someone like me can never afford, not that I am looking for it.

"So, who was she looking at?" Isabelle powers her way to the window to look as well.

Hearing her question, you would think the blonde is just being curious, but Isabelle Landcroft is never driven by mere curiosity.

Isabelle learns about something for one purpose only.

To use it against you.

I am usually extra cautious around the blonde. She might have the face of an angel, but she is as deadly as a thorn of roses.

"Mmm, can't see anything interesting."

I relax a little at Sasha's words. He left. I highly doubt that if he is still in the courtyard, Sasha would speak in the tone she just spoke.

Bored.

Not with a face like his.

Or maybe I am just the only one who feels stimulated at the sight of him.

Impossible.

I have very high taste.

Looks bore me, and most humans I find zero exciting. Not that I am excited by him.

Liar.

Ignore my inner voice. Sometimes it has a mind of its own.

"But fresh meats are everywhere," Isabelle purrs, her voice as seductive as a female sex operator, the look in her eyes predatory.

"Slut!"

Rishi hauls at Isabelle, half joking, half serious. He just arrived in time to hear the blonde's words, looking very put together, with his usual lollipop swishing around in his mouth.

Rishi is one of the best-dressed students we have, and only second to

Moi.

Isabelle, never one to take insults from our tall, dark, and handsome friend lying down, stiffens and turns to face our newly arrived friend, her gorgeous face etched with irritation, anger, and a hint of hate.

Emotions that only our friend can effortlessly arouse from the blonde.

"Says the manwhore," Isabelle fires back in a classy and cultured voice. The blonde likes to think of herself as better than our tanned friend.

And honestly, these two are cut from the same cloth.

Just think of the duo as a similar version of each other in the opposite sex, and they are always at each other's throats. One would suggest they just fuck to get whatever it is out of their system.

But the two would sooner kill each other than have sex with each other; that is how deep their antagonism runs.

While these two go at each other as they customarily do, Denzel sniffs at Rishi's clothes like he is a police hound trying to sniff out drugs from luggage getting on the plane.

"Dude, did you just fuck someone?!"

His excited exclamation catches everyone's attention.

"Ew!" Sasha makes a face like Rishi is a pile of shit. "Dude, that is just nasty. Where did you find the girl to fuck? The school just started, bro."

Rishi shrugs, as if finding a cunt to thrust his cock into is as easy as ABCD.

Probably is for him. The boy is very easy on the eyes and has the dark, broody intensity that tends to attract girls to him like bees to honey.

"I don't know why you sound surprised, Sash. We all know Rishi would fuck anything in a skirt. Probably found some desperate loser to fuck."

"Jealous?" Rishi wiggles his brow at Isabelle, a smug, sly smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. Rishi is one arrogant son of a bitch, who doesn't give a fuck about what anyone thinks about him.

His ego is as big as his head or even bigger, and the only one with more ego than him is probably my boyfriend.

Isabelle snorted, making a joke of Rishi's words. Her hands crossed against her chest to display her delicate, slender fingers with perfectly coated red nails. She makes a face like Rishi just suggested she eat a pile of shit. "You wish. I have standards."

Her thinly veiled insult hits home.

A twitch of his brow indicates Rishi's growing irritation. It is funny how he always baits Isabelle, but gets furious when the blonde claps back.

Probably because the blonde is the one girl Rishi desperately wishes he could fuck, but she doesn't give him the time of day.

While my two friends banter back and forth, I stand and walk away without a word.

They crashed my solitude without invitation and, as such, don't merit an explanation or a warning that I am leaving.

"Hey, where are you going?"

I ignore Sasha's words and make my way to the Isle where I got the book I was reading. I place it back on the shelf and head for the door.

"Babe! Wait for me!"

Blaise's hurrying footsteps echo behind me, as well as those of my friends. He slung his arms around my shoulders like I was his property, but a sharp glance down at his invasive limb had it dropping faster than a blink of an eye.

Sasha falls in step beside me on the other side, matching her stride to mine, while the others bring up the rear.

"So where are we going?"

I am going to the auditorium where I will be holding orientation for the new students. I don't know where my friends are going.

My lack of an answer doesn't bother Sasha. Not that they needed any anyway. They would do what they usually do.

Follow me.

I am the leader of the pack, and anything I say or do goes.

*****************************************************

JESSE’s POV

I turn to leave when I find my path suddenly blocked. The boy blocking my way looks well put together, shirt tucked into his pants, buttoned up to the neck, with a smart-looking bow tie, and his dark, glossy hair, so much gel it could fill a container, neatly brushed back.

I give the boy a questioning look, wondering why he is blocking my path. People usually don't come to me, and as such, his appearance before me feels weird.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have striking eyes?"

His chocolate brown eyes are staring at me with cat-like curiosity, like I am some exotic animal he has taken an interest in.

Striking is one of the nicest ways my eyes have been described.

Weird, freaky, abnormal, demon-like—most common- are but a few words that people have used to describe my golden eyes with brown freckles.

He must be a nice guy, but his appearance makes me feel wry. I hate dealing with people because it requires being nice, and I am not nice.

I go to move around him, but he quickly imitates my movement, blocking off my path again.

"I am Moksh, one of the student body representatives." He stretches his hand to me while wearing a friendly smile that puts all his teeth on display.

You know what's worse than humans? Friendly and perky people. And I have one of those smiling like the sun blocking my way.

I need to get rid of him.

When I moved, I did it so quickly that he didn't realize it and, as such, couldn't block my way. When he realized I was no longer in front of him, I went into the building ahead of us.