The Billionaire's Weakness

Chapter 6 - The Trio

Chapter 6 - The Trio

Lucille's POV

I ate my lunch in silence after I didn't have the ability to concentrate long enough to order more than a salad. A bland salad that tasted like I was eating grass, but that I couldn't pass on eating since that was literally my only meal of the day. At least I won't gain any weight, I guess.

Anxiously watching the other people at our table, and counting until at least three of them left so I wouldn't look odd by being the first one to leave, I nearly screamed in relief when a large chunk of five stood up and walked away.

"I'm going to head out to my dorm room. I still have a lot to unpack and make the room my own." I meekly say, avoiding any form of eye contact with Franco. How did this place managed to transform me into a shy teenager in the span of 24 hours, I have no idea, but my days of ruling the school hallways as one of the most popular girls seem like a lifetime ago. Everything is different in the Swiss Alps.

"Great, let's go." Alaric stands up, clearly waiting for me to follow. I don't think I have invited him, did I? I mull over what I said, thinking that my translation from French to English might have taken a detour and accidentally invited my new friend to help me settle in the dorm room, when I see Franco getting up as well.

"Well, I have nothing better to do." He winks at me in his usual style, causing my cheeks to burn red again as I reluctantly get up and follow them outside.

To my relief and surprise, Franco keeps the little incident that happened yesterday to himself while we walk through the chilly courtyard and approach the dorms, heading in the direction of the girls' quarters. Again, I find myself highly annoyed that there aren't any security guards, or school staff that would prevent boys from going into the girls' quarters and vice versa.

---

We were getting along surprisingly well, chatting lightly about school and the things that one can do around campus, when suddenly I nearly jump out of my skin at the sound of rapid pounding on my door.

I freeze, rooted to my spot, and thinking that I will get in trouble for being caught with two boys in my room on my first full day on campus.

Franco is the one that gets up from the chair he has been occupying ever since we got here and heads to the door. Alaric doesn't seem to be as freaked out as I am either, so I watch curiously as an annoyed Franco opens the door and barks at the person standing in front of it.

"What?"

"Franco, you have a board meeting you need to shadow." The voice tells him, and I recognize it as belonging to the man that was in Franco's room last night, his bodyguard. Not even bothering to look at us or say goodbye, Franco exits and closes my door with a bang.

"A board meeting?" I find myself asking with a raised eyebrow, even if I know it's none of my business.

"Yeah. He's been groomed to take over his family's empire ever since he was born. His dad is... intense." Alaric tells me, surprisingly looking like he's feeling sorry for his friend.

I spend the afternoon laughing with Alaric, feeling like I finally got some much deserved girl time. He didn't shy away from telling me more about Franco either. I found out that Franco is an only child and that his family is putting a lot of pressure on him to take over their empire and become a successful business man. I got some major Italian Mafia vibes from that, but I didn't comment. I still find it odd that a teenager is attending board meeting, even it's just shadowing over a video call.

I also learned about the clingy blonde I saw kissing him earlier, her name being Cinthia. And just as I suspected, Franco is one of the school's major players, and I don't mean that in the sports department, unless you consider s*x a sport. Franco might very well do.

A pang of jealousy hit me as Alaric began to list the many girls that Franco has 'dated', and I use the term dated lightly, because I'm pretty sure he only had s*x with them before forgetting their names.

Remembering about how he made sure Rawley got what he deserved for messing with me, I vow not to become another name on Franco's list of girls.

---

I was pretty much left alone for the rest of the week. No pulled chair, no gum on my seat or spit balls in my hair, not even the odd snarky comment, which I assume it was all due to the fact that I am having lunch everyday at the 'popular table'. I should know better than to get myself into the trouble that Franco Toretti clearly is, yet I can't help myself, and I don't stop my mouth from speaking.

"What happened to Franco?" I ask Alaric during another late lunch break, seeing as today we haven't had the pleasure of seeing the guy. And I'm not the only one that noticed Franco's absence, everyone at the table staring me down, almost making me choke on my food. I guess those jackals smelled the opportunity of resuming their bulling. My fear and suspicion is confirmed when Rawley 'accidentally' bumps into me, making my chair move closer to the table, and my stomach being caught in between. f**k, that's going to leave a bruise, seeing as it nearly knocked the breath out of me.

Alaric glares at a smirking Rawley, before he answers my question.

"Uhm, he had a rough night so he needed to... uhm... rest." He tells me. I raise my hand, not wanting to hear more about the 'rough night' that Franco had. I have a feeling it includes, well, not Cinthia, but someone like her.

And speaking of Cinthia, she was shrieking about some upcoming ball that the school has, which, I must admit, piqued my interest. I nearly laughed out loud when she started telling her friends that Franco is most likely out preparing a surprise for her, so he can ask her as his date. Yeah, I wouldn't go that far, Cinthia. I bet the girl he screwed last night imagines the same.

"Fall formal?" I ask Alaric. I know I', stereotipying a bit, but surely he would know all about the ball, right?

"Yeah, it's next Saturday." Alaric tells me all about the event, and I must admit I'm getting a little excited. Sure, it would be nice to have a date, like most of the girls, but I am hoping Alaric is dateless and we can go together. I was planning on asking my friend just that, when all of a sudden I feel someone's breath on my neck and see Alaric's face twist in disgust and anger.

I made the mistake or turning round quickly, mostly by instinct, and I came face to face with Rawley 2.0. I think his name is Bentley, which only speaks to the high level of fortune his family has, and that is clearly in direct opposition to their imagination in choosing their child's name.

Everyone at our table laughs and the rest of the pupils stop whatever they were doing and instead, they focus on us. Bentley puckers his lips, trying his luck at kissing me, before I move away.

"Oh, you will be kissing me when we walk hand in hand at the fall formal." He whispers, making me gag as I smell the Camembert that he must have had in his sandwich. Again, more laughs, and I only want to disappear under the table.

"Bentley is asking the new girl to the fall formal." A random guy shouts, his echoing voice followed by a lot of pretend howling and odd noise from the most of the male population.

"No, thank you." I whisper, hoping that he would leave and stop caging me against the table. Bentley was about to try and force another kiss on me, his tiny brain most likely thinking that the caveman style approach he took will eventually pay off. I close my eyes and make myself as small as possible, moving my head to the side to avoid him, when there is nothing. I pop one eye open to peek around me, taking note that the whole table has gone silent.

With a strong grip on Bentley's bicep, Franco managed to drag the entitled bastard away from me.

"The bro code says it's not cool to try and take someone else's date." Franco spits in Bentley's face, making everyone whisper confused. Bentley looks at Franco with furrowed eyebrows, just as I notice Alaric taking an exasperated breath.

"Lucille is my date at the fall formal, so she'll be going with me." He announces, his words coming as a surprise to everyone, myself included. And why does it feel like Franco just stated his claim on me? What am I, a possession, because the last think he will get is another girl to warm his bed and give him another 'rough night'.

"And me. As a group. We're all going as a group." Alaric hisses with a murderous look directed towards Franco, that screams 'what the f**k are you doing?'. I know I should have said something, settle this, but seeing the priceless look on the face of the Queen b***h that started all my troubles, and the dumfounded faced of Rawley and Bentley, made me feel a little victorious, so I only smile and keep quiet otherwise. At least I have Alaric with me, and we're all going as friends, seeing as Alaric comes as a package deal with his asshole best friend, Franco.