Chapter 4 - A full moon, almost.

“Everyone does.” Troy retreats a bit and takes his hand, tries to bend it outward, but to no avail. He holds on with an iron grip.

“You're a first-year. You're not supposed to know… Who are you?”

“Get your hands off me, dick.” Troy bites through the pain that is searing in her arm, then she looks down at where his crotch is, measuring the distance with her eyes. If she lifts her knee now, she might reach and hit him right in the nuts…

As if he can see the plan unfolding in her eyes, he also looks down, narrowing his eyes. Then he releases her, holding his hand in the air as if surrendering. A smile flashes on his face, then it's gone.

“It was you behind that tree yesterday. Why were you stalking me?”

“Stalking? God, you have some issues, don't you? Paranoid much?”

“Vigilant.”

“Listen, I heard your name at the… the fight… people said he was your guy… they said your name.”

Dorian keeps quiet at first, looking her up and down. “But why did you stalk me?”

Troy takes only a split second to decide her next move…

“I thought you were… hot, okay!”

“Hot?”

“Yeah, like real pretty for a boy.”

He looks at her for a moment too long, then a wicked smile creeps slowly onto his face. “You think I'm pretty?” He starts laughing. And it reaches his eyes. 

A sick feeling settles inside Troy. He is actually laughing at her. Like, she is the funniest thing around here. Fuck. 

Finally, when he is done laughing at her, he tilts his head again. “You should stay away from me, sweetheart. You have no idea who I am.”

“And yet, you were the one coming over to me just now.” She refuses to falter. Lifting her chin.

Dorian shakes his head and lifts an eyebrow. 

“He's been looking at you the whole night,” he says without looking in the direction he is speaking of.

“What? Who?” Troy asks and looks around. Then she catches the guy from earlier looking at her from far away. “You… saw him looking at me?” A genuine surprise is in her voice.

“You’d be surprised at what I can see.”

“Really, and what's that?”

“I can see your pulse quickening every time you lie.”

Troy swallows. He can see her what? 

His eyes whip to her throat, then back to her eyes. He grins. “But also, stay away from that guy. He's bad news. Or not… perhaps go. See if you can keep up with someone like him.”

“Someone like him?”

“I heard he fucks like an animal. Maybe you're into that sort of thing.” Dorian laughs again.

“Whatever.” She swallows the embarrassment down.

He tilts his head, with a challenging, wicked smile, sizing her up and down once more. Then he turns around and starts walking.

Okay. 

So, this was a bad idea. Perhaps if she could enrol at some community college, she could still start over. Like…tomorrow.

Troy bites her lip. Hard. No. Fuck that. No giving up. Just a change of plan.

Her head whips to the other guy. It's a deviant idea. And she’s a bit drunk. Actually, very drunk.

She can feel Dorian’s eyes pinning on her as she starts walking over to the green-eyed, bad-news guy.

Might as well. The diary will help make sense of this mess tomorrow.

She walks toward him until she stops at where he sits, then slides onto the chair next to him.

He watches her without saying a word.

“He just said your bad news. Warned me. Why is that?”

“'Cause it's true.”

“Just like that? It’s true?”

“It is. But I would also tell you, I'm not the one to worry about.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means, if you're going to be talking to Dorian. You're in for a shit-fest.”

“I haven't been talking to him.”

“Sure, you have. At the dining hall. And now. And… he never talks to women anymore. That means…Well, I just hope you're tougher than you look.”

“I can take care of myself, thank you. But also, have you been keeping tabs on me?”

“Not you. Him.”

Troy looks back at Dorian. Flashing a smile. He doesn't flinch as he watches them.

Looking back at the man in front of her, she frowns. “That's why you're buying me drinks? Because you're keeping tabs on the only woman he talks to, supposedly?”

“Hey, if he is interested in you. I want to know why.”

“Okay, so he was right about you. Bad news. Good to know.” She sighs and sits next to him. “At least you’re honest. So, your enemies or what?”

“It’s complicated. But really… be careful of him.” He brings his gaze back to her, his intense green eyes locking onto hers. “I’m Calian.”

“Poppy.”

“Poppy? Is that a nickname or…”

“Nickname.”

“And I’m not supposed to know your real name because…?”

“I don't like it, so no one gets to know it.”

“Well, Poppy, it's nice to meet you.” He extends a hand, and Troy takes it, meeting his firm grip before releasing. Her eyes scan his features. His eyes are almost the same shade of green as her natural ones—though he will never notice behind her dark contact lenses.

“So, Calian,” Troy purrs, leaning in. “Do you want to get out of here?”

“You wanna get out of here, even after his warning. That I am bad news??”

“Especially because of his warning.”

Calian looks at her, then cuts his eyes back up to Dorian. A dangerous, mischievous smirk crosses his face.

“Then… absolutely.” He mocks Dorian with his smile. Then he lowers his head to her ear. “Maybe you are tougher than you look… lead the way.” He glares with a smile back at Dorian.

Then, throws the last of his drink down his throat and grabs his coat. Holding his hand over her shoulder, they make their way out of the building.

Once outside, they walk onto the lawn under the moonlight, where she studies him now.

Tall and large, muscled just like the rest of the guys she has spotted with Dorian. The difference is, he is obviously not with Dorian.

“Gosh, this is so much better. That music is just too loud.”

Calian turns to her, studying her face intensely. “So go on, tell me then.  Who are you, really?”

“I told you, I’m Poppy.”

“I mean, who are you to him?” he says, a slight frown tugging at his brows. 

“A five-second conversation. Now… where are you taking me? Your place?”

He huffs a short laugh. He lifts a hand, his fingers reaching out to gently tuck a stray strand of hair blowing across her face. 

“My place then.”

Before his fingers can brush her skin, a distant, strange glow flickers deep within his pupils. Just like the flash she saw in Dorian’s eyes earlier. Back then, she assumed it was rage. But this?

Calian suddenly snaps his head up, staring directly at the moon. It is nearly full. Glowing intensely in the night sky. An irritated grunt comes from his throat.

“Fuck” He grunts between his teeth.

Then he looks at her apologetically.

“Actually, I have to go," he says and wipes his hair backward, looking uncomfortable. A glimpse of some tattoos sneaks out from under his hair, over his neck.

“Really, why?”

“Have to take care of something. Are you getting home safely?”

“Yeah, I'm here with my, uhm, friend.” She gestures to the entrance.

“Good. Go home.”

But he doesn't wait for her to reply. He turns around as if in a trance and steps forward, looking at the moon. She watches him as he walks away. 

But then, a sudden chill sweeps past her. A shadow brushes past her, whipping silver hair in her face like whispers. The scent of him hits her like a physical gut punch.

Dorian.

He moves past, his shoulder bumping against hers, as if he doesn't know she is standing there. 

Watching the moon as if in a trance, he comes to stand next to Calian.

For a second, they seem like two guys, admiring the moon together, one light, one dark.

Maybe even friends. 

But the silence between them is too charged, and the body language screams animosity. 

They exchange one tense, sizing-up glance. Hate.  

And without a word, they pivot and walk away in completely opposite directions into the night.

Leaving Troy standing completely alone under the moonlight, utterly confused.