A Dragons Tale

T-A-T-I

“Ms. Laxon, always a pleasure.” Tati’s acidic smile drips sarcasm as I enter our shared lab class.

    “Ms. Birmingham.” I mirror her as I take out my notebook and pens. Tati and I had fostered a bitter rivalry ever since kindergarten when she claims I stole her boyfriend.

    “Your boyfriend is late—as usual.” She snides.

    “Eugene’s tardiness does not reflect me in any manner,” I tell her taking a second to peruse through my phone for any text from the blue-eyed i***t. He’s been gone all day; I couldn’t even find him during the passing period. But seeing as Chemistry was a class we shared he’d have to eventually appear again.

    “When a dog breaks free of its leash it’s the master duty to find it again.” She clicks her tongue. “Where’s your dog, Lia?”

    I open my mouth to respond with some clever remark but the door to the amphitheater-style room is thrown open and Oryn steps inside.

    “He’s here?” I whisper under my breath. Tati shoots me a sharp look but even she seems intrigued.

    He spends a few seconds talking to the teacher at the front of the class before the man motions to our table. Pretty soon after Oryn plops himself in the seat directly across from me. His lips pull up into a delicious grin.

    “We meet again princess.”

    “You two know each other?” Tati’s pert little nose scrunches up in disgust. “Lia I expected more from you.”

    “Hey babe,” Eugene chooses that moment to appear. Marking him with my glare I can’t contain the snarky words that bubble out of my chest.

    “Where have you been.”

    “Hey, hey. I was helping Alisson with her…math homework. You know how it is babe.” He smiles in a way that’s supposed to say ‘I’m innocent’ but I see right through it. As the President of the student committee—and as the daughter of the largest beneficiary to the academy—my privileges had allowed me a glimpse at my dear fiancé’s g.p.a. Cleary he would not be tutoring anyone.

    “Well babe, you’ve met Oryn right?” I draw his attention to the shaggy-haired boy at his side. Eugene’s jaw clenches but he pulls out a sweet grin.

    “Oh, nice to meet you. We have English together right? I witnessed the whole fiasco and I’m totally on your side by the way. Too bad you got detention though.” He clicks his tongue almost theatrically. “If you need me to I’ll talk to the headmaster to get it all sorted out.”

    I can feel Oryn glance at me from the corner of his eye. “Nah man, it’s all good. Everything happens for a reason.”

    Somehow, I feel he’s talking about me. For some odd reason, I feel my ears heat up.

    The majority of class Eugene tries to chummy up with Oryn. The latter is polite for the most part but definitely deflective. And except for her occasional jab in my direction, Tati is mostly silent.

    “Catch you later babe,” My stupid fiancé plants a kiss at the top of my head before running out at the sound of the bell.

       “Moron,” I mutter beneath my breath thinking no one can hear.

    “Is this how the Laxon family treats their political fiances?” Oryn walks in step with me as I exit the class.

    “So you do know me.” I knew it.

    “I know how to use a computer. And I was curious, what makes a girl like you date a guy like that.” He smiles unapologetically.

    “Well if you must know, I love Eugene so so much,” I add the last part so that the people around us can hear. Every now and again it’s good to remind people that this is totally my choice, that my daddy hadn’t forced it upon me without my consent. “Now if you’ll excuse me Mr. Ásta I have important business to deal with.”

    I don’t really but I need to get away from him. Tati is right I can't be associating with someone who’s never even gotten a haircut before. Besides today we’re doing swim in gym class and I need to come up with a good reason to be excused.

    Mrs. Smith, the gym teacher, is what many people would call the ‘unconquerable commoner’ but I just call a pain. Not that I would ever condone bribing, but life would be so much easier if she could be.

    To my increasing annoyance, I can sense Oryn behind me. Finally having enough I turn on my heel and manage to turn my snarl into a pinched smile. With clenched teeth I grind out, “Why are you following me.”

    “Following? Princess, I’m shocked, I have class.” He motions behind me to the gymnasium doors. “Are you stalking me now?”

    He walks around me and I let out an unladylike sound into the crook of my arm. I can feel eyes on me and I offer the onlookers a shaky smile before scurrying into the girl's locker room.

    Damn him.

                                                                                                #

Telling Mrs. Smith I was on my period and deathly allergic to tampons earned me an ‘excused’ for the whole week and a seat on the bleachers overlooking the male group.

    “Eugene is so~ hot.” There are two other girls on the bleachers. Ms. Ariel Santana and her friend Ms. Clarise Cobbs. They hadn’t done a day of physical education their life so seeing them on the bleachers was given.

    The guys were busy playing flag football while the girls were going through their swim lessons. They were split into two, Eugene was captain of the shirtless side and even I had to say the boy kept his body toned.

    Call it pretty wrapping paper for an otherwise shabby gift.

    “Check out the new kid.” Ariel’s tone dripped with distaste. “Ugh.”

    “Yeah, it looks like he hasn’t ever even showered.”

    Unconsciously my eyes find Oryn. He’s on the shirts team standing by their goal, looking otherwise bored. His black unruly hair had been half-hazardly pulled back into a ponytail but it was like he hadn’t even bothered to try and tame his bangs.

    From the field, his gaze seems to lift straight to the bleachers. He pinpoints me immediately and I can just make out his smile.

    Huffing I lean my elbow on my knee and drop my head into my hands. I turn to find my boyfriend and try to distract myself.

    “I didn’t know she was back there—you ask her.” It’s Clarissa who turns around. She smiles at me sweetly as if she hadn’t just been talking about my boyfriend and her. “So Ms. Laxon how do you do?”

    “Ms. Cobbs, Ms. Santana, nice to formally meet you. Please feel free to call me Lia it seems everybody does.” Not that I appreciated the nickname. But if it kept them from calling me Aurelia or any form of Ophelia then so be it. “What is it that you wanted to ask?”

    “Do you know Eugene’s number?” Ariel asks. With a dimwitted smile on her less than average face. “I want to invite him to Cleft Hill Diner—to study of course.”

    “Of course I do, he is my boyfriend after all,” I clench my fist and barely control the sudden pulse of rage. Not that I’m overly concerned with her wanting his number, by all means, have at it. But her disrespect was a jab at my pride. “I’ll give it to you. Right as soon as class ends.”

       Sitting up straight I ignore them both and focus back on the field. In my momentary distraction chaos had ensued.

    The boys were on top of one another fighting.

    “Ohmygosh! Ben! Ben baby don’t fight it’s bad for your cholesterol—” Clarissa springs off the bleachers apparently going after her boyfriend. Ariel follows.

    In the midst of the commotion, I spot Oryn standing further away from the scuffle. Hands at his side as his body obviously shakes from laughter.

    “Weirdo,” I mutter a chill traveling down my spine when he seems to hear me. He c***s his head in my direction and grins.

    Weirdo.