The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Six - Red Eyes

Crystal Raine Meadows

It was quiet and the only thing that I could hear was the loud thumping of my heart because I was so nervous right now.

That voice sounded so really familiar right now! A few people looked at us and whispered like they're creating rumors or because they probably know him, so I panicked for a moment as I lowered down my head.

He let go of my hand, so it gave me time to compose myself before looking straight at him, my eyes widened after our eyes met. It's him.

Those red eyes stared at me intently without any emotion, his lustrous hazelnut tousled hair made my heart skip a bit because I have never seen such natural beauty of man.

His uniform was not fixed properly, his inner polo was loose on the front, his coat was rolled up into his elbows, doubling up his dark and mysterious appeal. Why does it suddenly feel so hot in here?

It's been so long since I saw him so this was quite a shock because I wasn't prepared, the last time I saw him was from that freaking dance, I shook my head. I could feel my cheeks heating up just by remembering it.

"Hey woman, didn't you hear me? I said, why do you keep on falling whenever I'm around? Why don't you watch where you're going?" he asked, so I furrowed my eyebrows for a moment because of his question.

"W-What? But I didn't know that you were around plus, I distinctly remembered that this is the first time I bumped into you today aside from...the dance," I stated a fact, and the tension in the air became heavy.

"Calyx my man! You're finally here! Why are you late?!" Peter Hughes beamed before pulling his gorgeous friend away from me.

"Sorry about that, this guy isn't a morning person, are you alright..." he paused for a moment before looking at me intently, "Hey! You're the cousin of Katherine Tales Woods, you know? The microphone woman?" he exclaimed, so I wanted to laugh for a moment because of his statement.

"U-Uh yes, that's me," I smiled at him, so he reached out his hand towards me like he wanted to do a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Peter..." he was cut off after Calyx after he harshly grabbed Peter's hands away from me.

"Just do your job and leave right now woman," he glared at me, so I furrowed my eyebrows for a moment. What is wrong with him?! How rude!

"Crys, let's go?" Jenny tried to steal my attention while she was offering her hands, so I flinched before nodding at her.

After we left, I could feel her fuming beside me, "What was that about?! How do you know those hot guys?!" she exclaimed after we left the main entrance and looked for our chairs.

"I don't know them personally, but I just know them," I sighed because that was so stressful, I can't believe I met him this early. 

Even though I know I promised, it's just that...it's just that! I was hoping I'll meet him in the middle of the semester or something.

"Oh my gosh! Did you see Calyx?! He looks so dreamy! He's every girl's dream boy here! Ahh! I can imagine him as one of the main antagonists in the romance novels that I read!" she almost squealed, so I glared at her.

"Dream boy? Did you see how rude he was?" I madly pointed my fingers at the back so she just laughed at me.

"That's what makes him even more attractive! Though he was really rude," Jenny exclaimed, so I looked at her in disbelief.

"I can't believe you're hunting them this early," I exhaled out a lungful of air before sitting on the chair that we are designated to sit on.

"Crys! Come on! We're almost eighteen, we should be literally looking for them, who knows, we might have a great year ahead!" she beamed before sitting, so I just sighed.

"I don't have freaking time for that, you're my friend, so you should know that," I complained, so she smirked at me.

"On the way how your breathing changed right after you saw that hunk again after that freaking sweet dance, I don't think that's really your real case," she teased me, so I blushed before pushing her away from me.

"I-I was just surprised! I thought I was going to fall okay?" I explained, so she just laughed probably because she never saw me flustered before.

"Chillax, you're taking everything seriously and it's only the first day!" she nudged my shoulders.

"Right, let's just listen to whatever they announce and take down notes okay?" I ordered, so she beamed before nodding at me.

"Greetings everyone!" A loud voice was heard talking on the T-square stage in the middle part of this big arena.

"I'm Mrs. Light and will be here to announce the things that might be important for the upcoming next school year!" A beautiful middle-aged lady was on the stage together with an emotionless intimidating guy on her side.

"For this year, I'm sure that you're all aware, but we'll be having two semesters," she smiled before looking at the crowd before us.

"The first semester will be the training of your knowledge through paper and book works and your strengths in physical abilities in the training fields," she added, so I took down notes even though I knew about that.

"While in the second semester, we will be having the famous Dragon Games and the awaited of many young people like me, even though you know I'm not getting younger anymore," a few people laughed together with her, "The Twilight Ball!" she cheered, so the whole arena turned wild as shouts and claps surrounded the whole place.

"Woah, we must be ready when that time comes," Jenny commented while giving me a bottle of water.

"Why? Is that ball really important?" I curiously asked so she shook her head at me like she was utterly disappointed.

"And you were supposed to be a smart girl," she commented, so I glared at her before sighing.

"I'm confused Jenny, is there something I should know about that party?" I curiously asked so she shook her head at me.

"Of course! It's important because all of the students there will dance with their mates! It's an important tradition! Did you forget about that?" she exclaimed, so my eyes widened in disbelief.

"I-I didn't read something about that," she looked surprised after I said those words, I know, okay?! I really didn't read anything about it.

"You never miss a thing! How could you miss this?!" she complained. I don't know why I missed it either in the handbook...where was it located? I scratched the back of my head before looking at our behind.

"Would you ladies quiet down? You're wrecking our eardrums, it's freaking annoying, damn it," my eyes widened after seeing Calyx looking at me intently together with the three idiots on his side.

Someone hit his hands, "Calyx man, be nice, maybe they just saw each other today," David Ronin defended, so I smiled at him.

"We did, I'm sorry, we're just discussing something," I sincerely apologized, so David Ronin just shook his head at me.

"No problem," he smiled, so I sighed in relief. I'm so glad that his friends are much nicer than this...mean guy.

"Oh! It's you guys again!" Peter Hughes beamed at me, he has a pretty girl on his side that kept him busy, it's probably his mate. She looks extremely beautiful.

"O-Oh, hello, I apologize again, we'll quiet down," I bowed my head before avoiding eye contact with their intimidating friend that has red eyes.

"You better be, have shame on yourselves, you're a woman, stop acting like a chicken's butt," Calyx commented, so I glared at him.

"You're a man, so stop acting like a jerk," I firmly stated, so our eyes battled with a huge amount of intensity. 

"What did you say?" his voice sounded like he was warning me, but I didn't care. The only thing that I'm afraid of is Ate Kathy when she's mad.

"Sorry, I don't repeat words to a deaf pretending person," I exhaled out a lungful of air before biting my lower lip.

He stared at what I did for a moment before looking at my eyes again, he looked intrigued, but his face was expressionless. What the hell?

"I also know a saying that one word is enough to a wise person, jerk," after I said those words, he didn't mutter anything as we glared at each other intently.

Jenny tried to calm me down as she forced me to face the front while fanning herself, "I'm sorry Crys, it's my fault, oh my gosh, that was so embarrassing, but what the heck, that guy is so freaking rude!" I heard Jenny mumble as she hid herself up in her seat. 

Calyx Nyxerian Paraiso

The first day was a complete disaster, boring, annoying, and it's just morning, how else could it be worse? 

I woke up late because of my freaking nightmares and Hailey's been bugging me a lot lately about that M-word and those nightmares.

Aside from that, I also have a major problem. It's that strange girl that's giving strange feelings. She's in the same University as me. Why do we keep on bumping against each other? It's so annoying, especially those sapphire-colored eyes of hers.

This is a big University, why on earth did I end up seeing that woman again? First in the forest, second in my new home, and now, here?

Is someone desperately trying to annoy me? I shook my head and immediately left with the group after the meeting was over.

They should've just done that orientation per class, they're wasting a huge amount of time by doing the listing and all.

"Dude, what's your problem a while ago? That lady didn't even do anything to you, plus you remember her right? She's the woman you danced with at the wedding of your sister," David Ronin scolded, so I just scoffed.

"Who cares?" says my mind, but my heart was thumping because I wanted to see her furious face again, it was so freaking adorable.

I didn't know sapphires can even turn into a ruby sometimes, I must be out of my mind seeing her eyes that way.

"You do care though, you're not the type to bother someone or something from around your surroundings, but now, I don't know," David Ronin sighed.

"But they were really loud, do you expect me to keep quiet about that?" I complained, so he just sighed.

"You should be mad at the other girl, why does it looks like that you're only mad at Ms. Meadows?" David Ronin asked so I stopped for a moment.

"And dude, I know we're friends, but we're the student council also, we're role models here so now that you're not wearing the proper uniform," he gestured to all of me, including my loose necktie.

"You'll get detention later together with Mr. Light, oh boy, if Hailey knew about this, she would be mad at you," Razer Black nagged me, so I just sighed.

The last thing I need is having Hailey getting mad at me because of this, she was mad I woke up late on the first day.

I didn't have time to wear my uniform right, "Fine, just don't tell Hailey or something, she'll get mad or worse get worried," I requested, so they smirked at me.

"If Hailey wasn't your twin, I would really think that you like her," David Ronin laughed, so I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"But I do like my sister, do you have any problem with that?" I raised my eyebrows, so they looked at me and sighed while raising their hand in the air.

"We can't argue with sister complex right now, let's just get to class alright? And dude, be nice, some have a bad expression with you," Peter suggested, so I shook my head at him.

"I don't care about what they say about me, people I care about know what I really am, so their opinions don't matter, let's just get to class alright?" I invited them, so they have no other choice, but to follow me as we all proceed to class.

I wanted to scold myself because my heart is really excited if we're going to end up in the same class and room. If that happens, I don't think I could stop annoying her.

To be continued…