Payback
1336 Words
This had to be some kind of joke, right? I stared at the middle-aged man in front of me, speechless. "You can’t be serious."
"We don’t give special treatment to our students," the man replied. He was the head teacher here, according to Killian. I’d been hoping he’d be the voice of reason, that he’d find me a private room and save me from this nightmare. But, of course, I was wrong. "Killian’s room is the biggest in the entire dorm. There’s more than enough space for you to be comfortable. You should be glad he offered to share it with you."
"He’s a guy! Do you expect me to live with a guy? I’m already the only girl in a school full of men; can’t I at least have a room where I can get some privacy?"
"As I said, if you don’t agree to share a room with Killian, I’ll assign you another roommate. But I simply can’t offer you a separate apartment. Make your choice quickly; don’t waste my time."
The man looked at me with impatience. He was barely giving my concerns any thought, treating my request like an inconvenience. I wished Principal Brian were here to help, but I doubted even he could do much against Killian’s influence. This had to be Killian’s doing—he was the one who’d insisted I share his apartment. Why was he so fixated on me? I got that we had a passionate night together, but it was just a one-night stand! He himself called it a "quick fling," so why did it seem like he wanted to keep me here?
If I still had my phone, I’d call my dad to pick me up, but they’d confiscated it, saying mobile devices were restricted here. Supposedly, they’d only distract students from learning. Yet, I’d seen Killian and plenty of others with phones. So, clearly, this rule only applied to me. I felt trapped.
"Miss Winterfest, make up your mind," he prompted.
"Is there really nothing you can do?"
"No. So please decide. Would you rather share a room with Killian or should I assign you another roommate? I won’t entertain any complaints after this."
"I...I'll share with...Killian."
"Good choice." He looked visibly relieved. Taking a sheet from his desk, he handed it to me. "This is your timetable. You can start classes tomorrow. You may go."
I took the paper and left, shutting the door harder than necessary to vent my frustration.
---
“Yo.”
"Oh, God!" I jumped, startled by the guy in front of me. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. I’d checked the hallways before leaving the office, hoping to avoid everyone, yet here he was—Deric, the blond with pretty eyes who’d been with Killian earlier. "Uh...can I help you?"
"Not really. Killian asked me to give you something, and he wants me to bring you back to his apartment—assuming you agreed to it."
"It’s not like I had a choice."
"Of course not. Glad you figured it out, bro." Bro? Right, I reminded myself, everyone here thought I was a guy now, all thanks to Killian. But honestly, if it meant they’d leave me alone, I could live with it. "Take this."
I looked at the item he was handing me and took a step back, horrified. "What the heck is that?"
"It’s a gun."
"I don’t want a gun! Why would I need that?"
"Everyone has a gun here," he shrugged. "Suit yourself." He tucked it back into his jacket and began walking away without a word, clearly expecting me to follow. "That over there’s the showers. Just remember that in the future."
"I’m sure there’s a shower in the apartment. I won’t need it."
"Alright," he replied simply, though something in his tone hinted he knew something I didn’t. "Name’s Deric, by the way."
"Jade."
"Hope you survive here, Jade. You probably won’t, but I hope you do. You’re the most interesting thing to happen here in a while."
Well, that was comforting. Everyone here was acting like I’d been dropped into some prison. Sure, it was full of bad boys, but they were still just students, not criminals. As long as I kept to myself, I’d be fine, right? I just had to last until my dad could visit, and then I’d get out of here. In the meantime, I’d share a room with my one-night stand. How hard could that be?
---
I stepped into the most lavish living room I’d ever seen. Plush velvet sofas, an elegant chandelier hanging from the ceiling, intricate marble flooring—it looked more like a high-end hotel suite than a dorm. The principal wasn’t kidding when he said Killian’s apartment was big enough to be comfortable.
"Here’s the girl, Boss," Deric said.
I finally noticed the other man lounging on one of the sofas, playing with a powdery white substance on the table. I didn’t even want to think about what it was.
Killian looked up, grinning when he saw me. "Oh, so you chose to come back? I thought you might try to get Ethan to switch you to another room. I even brought your things." He nodded toward my luggage piled in the corner. It looked like it had been rifled through. The audacity of this man!
"You can leave," he said to Deric.
Deric left without a word, though he gave me one last look, almost as if memorizing my face. I sat down across from Killian, determined to settle things. "I think we need to talk."
"What’s there to talk about?"
"About what happened between us some weeks ago. It was just a fling, right? A ‘quick fling,’ as you called it. So, I hope we can put it behind us and get along as friends." I extended my hand, hoping for a handshake. If we were going to be roommates, I wanted to clear the air.
Killian stared at my hand, then smirked. The look on his face was unnerving. "Friends? You think I’d just let this go?"
"What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything wrong."
"Didn’t you?" His gaze sharpened. "I was minding my own business when this girl comes up to me, asking for a quick fling. I tell her no, but she insists. So, we go back to my place, I make sure it’s unforgettable, and what do I get in return? She’s gone by morning, my favorite jacket missing, and a nice little note by my bed."
"W-What?"
"I’m usually the one leaving notes, not the other way around. And yet, I felt like the one being used for some stupid dare."
Before I could react, Killian grabbed my hand, pulling me closer until our faces were inches apart. "You used me as a dare. Now, you’re going to play my game. I dare you to survive a month here—then we’ll be even."
"Wait..." My heart pounded as I tried to process this. "You’re mad about the dare? I don’t get why this even matters; it’s not like it was a big deal! We both got something out of it. Are you telling me you brought me here just to get revenge?"
"No." His smile was chilling. "I brought you here because I was bored. I want to see how long it takes before you break. I’ve got a lot of money riding on one month, so don’t let me down. Or else, I might just put a bullet through that pretty head of yours."
I swallowed, eyeing the gun on the table. This psycho might actually use it. Maybe I should have taken the gun Deric offered—at least then I’d have some way to defend myself.
All for one stupid dare. I hadn’t hurt anyone, yet here I was, stuck in a nightmare. My only hope now was that my dad would come for me soon, because I needed to get out of here—fast.
- Writer
