The Succubus's Plaything

Chapter 13: Hon High

Both my sister and Inesa get off the train, and I am left frozen, my heart beat reverberating  in my chest as the past evening flashes before my eyes. Before the doors close thankfully I snap out of it and follow. 

My sister turns around to see what's holding me up, but seeing me step out of the train, she turns back and reengages with Inesa in eager conversation. 

We continue to walk towards the school for several minutes, along with some other students that I've seen before, but don't know. 

Our school, Hon High, is a rather large school with close to two-thousand students, from the outside, you can tell that the tuition is high. The school is based on top of a large hill and to get up to it, you need to climb a singular, long, flight of stairs. 

Hon High itself is spread out over multiple large buildings scattered over the school premises, the largest one being up front with a large dome in the centre. 

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, most student experience a bit heavier breathing, unless they belong to some sports club, and to see the tip of the dome, one has to strain their neck backwards. 

The senior students have their lockers in this main building, but as I'm a junior, I have to continue to a building a little bit further away. But the fastest path there is to walk through it anyway. 

The large door opens after a student holds up their student ID card up to the reader, and the train of student each keep the door open as we walk past, allowing the next to also come through. 

Nervously I follow the two girls ahead of me, the gentle knocking from everyones shoes against the stone floor echo in the wide room. Once they turn left to their lockers I will hurry past them, and then hopefully I will forget about my current situation for the remaining of the day. Although I doubt that will be possible. 

But as Sara turns left into the corridor with the lockers, Inesa stops, but does not turn around. 

Seeing myself nearing her, I slow down. What do I do? Do I just walk past? Turn to the side? I swallow my saliva and go with my first option. Just stay calm Hal. 

I can almost feel the sweat forming beads on my forehead as I am just steps away from her, but just as I enter reaching distance, she turns around, causing the already unsure pattern in my steps to get disrupted. 

Inesa turns towards me without moving her feet, only twisting her upper body and neck, and before I can react, she reaches out to grab my tie, pulling my face right up next to hers. I can just barely make out the faintest hearts in her eyes. 

"Meet me behind the gymnasium during lunch today." Her smooth voice goes deep into a tone that would make anyone's heart skip a beat, regardless of who you are. 

Wide-eyed, all I can respond with is a nod and a simple; "Mhm.." 

"Good. Don't keep me waiting." She lets go of me and instantly turns away, and with with a click from her heels and quick steps, she catches up with Sara once again. 

With the firm pressure pulling me forward suddenly released, I stumble backwards into a guy from one of the other classes and receive an annoyed grunt as a response. 

Distracted however by what just unfolded, I barely notice. Today.. At lunch.. No peace for me I guess.. I sigh. 

The bell announcing that homeroom starts in five minutes rings, and once again my mind is filled with urgent thoughts. Shoot! I need to hurry!

Just let me have some peace!

I walk pretty much as fast as I can without it qualifying as running, and after stuffing a couple books from my locker into my bag and locking in my coat, I just barely make it in time. 

Sitting down I am glad that I didn't forget to use deodorant today. 

"This time you were even closer than normal." I turn to see Gabriel grinning at me. 

I open my mouth to answer, but am cut off by our teacher, miss Lowe. 

"Alright class, welcome back to another day, before we go over a couple announcements lets just quickly take the attendance." 

I don't particularly see anyone in my class as friends, although I don't see anyone as the opposite either. I just don't really have the time to hang out with anyone much outside of school. But in school he doesn't stop pestering me, so at this point I guess you could count us as friends. Although that doesn't really translate to life outside of school.  

The twenty minutes in homeroom goes pretty quick, and aside from announcements with additional information regarding the upcoming winter festival and briefly getting questioned about my absence, getting some laughs and a frown from my teacher when I explained I had no excuse, there wasn't much new. Everything just went like a normal homeroom class should. 

My next lesson is mathematics I groan silently, the one lesson that seems to always take an eternity. Although I reason to myself, if it really did take that long, I wouldn't have to meet Inesa during lunch. While I can't know for sure I think I have a pretty good idea what will happen.. 

Lunch.. Food.. Succubus.. Blood.. Yea.. 

"You really not have any better excuse rather than just saying you didn't have an excuse?" Gabriel walks next to me inquiring. 

"I didn't really have the time to cook up one quite yet.." I slump my shoulders.

He chuckles. "You know miss Lowe is going to keep her eye on you now right? Your untarnished record now has a pretty ugly dent in it now." 

"Yup.. I know.." 

"So what were you doing then?" He swings his math book and notepad idly as we walk. 

"Well.. Yea.. About that, how about you ask me again once I've cooked up an excuse?" 

He laughs and grins. "Sure enough bro! Everyone need a secret or two. Just make sure to make the story juicy alright?" 

I crack a smile. "Alright. I'll do that." 

Somehow for a moment, I feel like everything might just turn out alright. I guess I can count him as my friend.