That Brat

Chapter 01 Introduction

Chapter 01 Mate

Narrator's POV:

" Oh man, let me tell you, this place is like straight out of a movie, filled with all sorts of characters, and none of them are real. Everyone puts on a good front, but behind your back, it's all knives out," Olivia ranted animatedly as she and Dheeraj navigated the chaotic university campus.

Dheeraj chuckled, amused by Olivia's impassioned warnings, acting like he was a new born baby rather than a college freshman.

" Are you even listening? " Olivia interrupted sharply, pulling Dheeraj from his thoughts.

" Of course, Olivia. I'm hanging on to every word. I mean, I practically came here from mars. What do I know about how Earthlings operate? " Dheeraj retorted, dripping with sarcasm.

Rolling her eyes at his typical wisecrack, Olivia sighed, " Leave it. I know, since today is your first day of college, you wouldn't understand even a single thing. After spending days inside this college, you will understand me."

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when Olivia's tone shifted dramatically. " Hey, look who's coming, " she exclaimed, pointing down the bustling corridor.

Dheeraj turned to follow her finger and saw a girl strutting toward them, her black ankle-strap heels clicking on the pavement. She wore a red dress that hugged her curves perfectly and had an air of confidence that seemed to part the crowd around her. It was like a scene straight out of a movie.

Dheeraj's heart skipped a beat as she stopped right in front of them, a cloud of perfume swirling around her.

"Mate" he muttered under his breath.

His inner wolf howled with glee, shouting, in his mind. And his world did stop at that moment. Is she for real?

The mysterious beauty shifted her sunglasses from her eyes to the top of her head, fluttered her eyelashes, and graced him with a smile that could melt ice caps.

" Hey, Olivia. What’s up? "

" Not much, just showing Dheeraj around, " Olivia said, gesturing to him. " Dheeraj, this Mira."

Dheeraj’s heart skipped a beat as Mira turned her gaze on him. Up close, she was even more stunning.

" Nice to meet you, Dheeraj," Mira said, her voice smooth as silk.

" Uh, yeah, nice to meet you too," Dheeraj stammered, feeling an inexplicable pull toward her.

Mira gave him a knowing look, then turned back to Olivia. " So, Olivia, about last night I am really sorry. I forgot to drop you. "

She apologized sincerely to Olivia for some party-related mishap, her sweet voice weaving a seductive spell that left Dheeraj lost in her mesmerizing eyes and bewitched by her scent.

" No worries, I asked Tabitha to drop me later." Olivia cut in quickly, trying to defuse the tension. "Just don't make it a habit, okay?"

" Got it," Mira replied to Olivia while taking a glance over Dheeraj from sideways.. " Now, I’ve got to run. Catch you later? "

" Yeah, see you," Olivia replied, watching as Mira sauntered away, her hips swaying with each step., completely aware of Dheeraj's awe-struck expression.

" Oh my gwash Dheeraj stop looking at her a*s!!! "

Dheeraj snapped out from his staring gaze on Mira's retracing back. " Lol! I wasn't looking at her a*s. Don't make my mind dirty already. "

" Thanks me later " She winked.

" Yeah, yeah but I remember you said something about everyone being fake and blah blah. Are you fake too? "

" Shut up Dheeraj she's my friend, and she forgot to drop me because of that i***t that's why I was angry at her earlier."

" What do you mean? She forgot to drop you because of which i***t? "

" Don't you look very much interested about her? "

" What! A few minutes ago you were complaining about not paying attention to your talks and now you... Uff you girls " Dheeraj shook his head.

" Shut up and leave it. Now i don't wanna talk."

Olivia huffed in annoyance and started walking fast ahead of him towards their lecture class.

Dheeraj followed her and matched her racing foot step to reach the class. " It's ok babe. Now I am here so I will pick and drop you personally anywhere and anytime but just don't forget to take me with you whenever and wherever you go on this planet " Dheeraj offered, making her chuckle upon him.

" Sure but don't call me that I hate that babe word."

Both entered the lecture room and sat down on the last row taking the seats near to each other.

Dheeraj couldn't resist the urge to sneak a peek at the front row, where Mira sat with her group of studious friends, their notebooks practically glowing with academic enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, the rest of the students were scattered around like a confused game of musical chairs. Some were standing, some sitting on desks, and others seemed to be engaged in a heated debate over the cafeteria's best burger joint, creating a cacophonous atmosphere reminiscent of a jungle filled with chatty animals.

However, Dheeraj's keen eyes had a knack for spotting the supernatural amidst the mundane. He discreetly noticed a few extraordinary beings hiding in plain sight among the students. It felt like he had stumbled onto the set of a high school supernatural TV show, complete with werewolves, vampires, and witches masquerading as ordinary students. He half-expected someone to whip out a crystal ball out of the blue.

But back to the present, Olivia, his ever-vigilant friend, was clearly not amused by his lingering gaze on Mira. She leaned in closer and hissed, " Stop looking at her! I don't like the attention you're giving! "

Dheeraj's mischievous grin only widened as he teased, " Why, Olivia? Are you jealous, my BFF? " His inner wolf was practically doing cartwheels in his mind, screaming, 'My mate!'

"Jealous and me?" Olivia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Dude, let me make this crystal clear. You're about to enter a realm where stunning gals with more curves than a rollercoaster are as common as pigeons in the park, especially the ones who are flying solo. You'll be so gobsmacked your jaw will need a seatbelt! And hey, let's not forget, you might need a few upgrades to even come close to my standards."

" Oh really? "

" Yes and -------"

Before Olivia could finish her sentence, the classroom's atmosphere shifted as Miss Bennet, the teacher, entered the room. It was as if a spotlight had suddenly been turned on, and all the students scrambled to get into their seats.

Following an unspoken script, the front row students, including Mira and her studious friends, greeted Miss Bennet in perfect unison, " Good Morning, Miss Bennet. " Miss Bennet, in return, graced them with a sweet smile that could have rivalled the warmth of the sun.

Addressing the entire class, she said, " Good morning to all of you! " Silence washed over the room, like someone had pressed the mute button on a chaotic sitcom.

With a flourish, Miss Bennet unfolded a piece of paper in her hand and called out, " Dheeraj Prajña! " It was as if she had just summoned a character into the story.

Olivia, true to her role as the best friend, nudged Dheeraj, who promptly stood up and replied, " Yes, Madam! " Suddenly, every set of eyes in the room was trained on him, including Mira's, who looked at him with a mix of surprise and confusion. How could she not recognize him? He had transformed from a cheeky schoolboy to a chiseled Adonis since the days when he swiped her precious crown and disappeared into the abyss. He was the one who took the crown made by her in the school days and never returned it. That was the first achievement in her life that out of all the students Miss Kimberly the perfectionist selected the crown made by her but after he lost it she chose another one.

After that she cursed him so hard in her mind that suddenly he disappeared from the school. Olivia told her that his father got a job in another estate.

Whatever, who cares!!

Still, his sudden reappearance was an enigma she couldn't quite decipher. Olivia, her loyal friend, was the one who seemed genuinely intrigued by his return, but Mira couldn't bring herself to share that fascination.

Meanwhile, Miss Bennet beamed with delight at having Dheeraj back in her class. " Would you like to introduce yourself? " she asked him politely, as if he were a long-lost prodigal son.

Dheeraj seized the moment with a charismatic grin, " Yeah! I'm Dheeraj Prajña. I transferred from Atlanta University. My hobbies are football, baseball, basketball..."

But before he could finish his introduction, someone in the class couldn't resist making a teasing remark, " Whoah! Too much into balls! "

The room erupted in laughter, with Miss Bennet graciously choosing to ignore the comment. " Welcome to the college in the middle of the session, Dheeraj. You have quite a bit of syllabus to catch up on, so feel free to ask me or consult your friends if you have any. "

Dheeraj nodded politely and took his seat, once again sneaking a furtive glance at Mira, who was back to engrossing herself in the lecture. Her studious front-row companions seemed immune to the chaos that unfolded behind them.

While some students had resorted to sleeping through the class, others engaged in an elaborate game of desk nudging to while away the time. Olivia, in a commendable yet futile effort, attempted to grasp the lecture's content before eventually succumbing to a nap.

As the class finally came to a close, Dheeraj overheard Miss Bennet sternly handing out detentions to the students who had been relentless in making obnoxious remarks throughout the lecture. This was his chance to get closer to his mate.

With a playful poke at Olivia, he quipped, " You can wake up now, sleepyhead! "

As Dheeraj gently teased Olivia about her unintentional nap during the lecture, she playfully retorted, " Okay, okay, I'm not sleeping. " She lifted her head from the desk, giving a dramatic yawn for effect, and casually closed her biology notebook.

Dheeraj, however, wasn't about to let her off the hook so easily. With a grin, he couldn't resist pointing out the obvious, " Don't lie, Olivia. You opened your biology notebook in the middle of a chemistry class, and you were sleeping on top of that. "

Olivia, ever quick with her wit, responded with a mischievous wink, " Well, I wanted to be a little creative by learning biochemistry. " Her playful justification earned a chuckle from Dheeraj, who couldn't help but appreciate her sense of humor.

As the two friends bantered back and forth, Dheeraj noticed that Mira had vanished from his immediate view. Curiosity piqued, he decided to follow Olivia as she headed towards their lockers, intending to grab their books for the next period.

As they reached the row of lockers, Olivia suddenly couldn't contain her excitement. Her eyes widened with glee, and she practically bubbled over with enthusiasm. " OMG, Dheeraj, look at what you got! "

Dheeraj furrowed his brow in bewilderment, his curiosity now fully engaged. " What? " he asked, eager to uncover the mystery that had Olivia practically jumping with anticipation.

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Fun fact.

Dheeraj Prajña

Prajña means intelligent in Sanskrit.