Bow Down To Your King

Chapter 3

POV ZEKE (THE KING)

"Can I help you?" she said, peering up at me with her blue eyes. I watched her fight off the scowl that was so obviously forming on her face.

"I just wanted to say you're welcome." There's that scowl. "I haven't seen you around before."

"I know," she said, her words were sharp, dripping with venom. She hated me. Of course, she did. I'd hate me, but that's just part of being King; winning people over when they thought they would never ever associate with you, let alone fuck you.

"What's your name?" I asked, not caring that the whole classroom was witnessing our meet-cute.

"Julia."

I nodded, "Interesting."

"What?"

Too easy.

"Nothing," I smiled, walking to the back of the room and claiming a new seat, one not a tolerable distance away from the leaky vents. It wouldn't be the end of the world. Especially not if it meant that Julia would be thinking about me for the rest of the day.

But even with small wins, came big losses. And I want to read Pilgrim's Progress again like I want to bathe in lava.

Luckily, Professor Anderson wouldn't make me do too much coursework, especially not after our tryst. Bagging a teacher earned double points in the All-Saints game, and she was my first pick.

Julia scoffed at me, unimpressed by my "cocky behavior". I was sure she'd yell at me, call me a dick, an asshole, anything negative and punchy enough to ease the anger she felt boiling inside her.

They always react that way, at least at first. My theory was that they were really trying to fight off their initial attraction, pretending that I didn't have their attention from the moment I walked into the room.

But she didn't yell, scream, or throw her Hydroflask at me (Yes, that's happened). Instead, she turned around and kept her mouth shut.

I chuckled, not careful if she heard me, knowing she could only keep her act up for so long.

I was the King for a reason.

***

"Did you see the new girl?" Jared asked as we walked into the cafeteria. His books were torn hand-me-downs from his brothers; all of them were unlucky sons of a bitch to be sent here, one right after the other.

"Which new girl?" I asked, knowing she was only two steps ahead and overhearing a carefully placed question like that could drive her crazy, making her think I didn't care about our classroom standoff. Julia who? Oh, right. "There's a lot of them this year."

If she did hear, she didn't cause a fuss. She didn't seem to notice my presence at all; she didn't glare at me, threaten my dick, or anything else on the typical list of angry responses. No, Julia didn't give two fucks about my existence.

Maybe not even one fuck.

Then, when she moved her long, black hair, I saw her earbuds. She didn't even hear me.

Fuck.

I know what you're thinking. I'm moving "too fast", playing the subtle put-down card before seducing her, making her want to help me win.

As so many women did.

In a perfect world, I could take my time, and woo her the right way. I wouldn't make her feel insignificant on the first day we met. But time was a luxury that I didn't have. Slow, steady romances weren't easy. They took undivided attention and attraction.

And Julia didn't seem like the type to want to take things slow.

The fight in her eyes, the scowl on her lips, everything, pointed toward a whirlwind, enemies to lovers plotline.

So she could hate me, loathe me for as long as her little heart desired. But I saw through it, I knew it was just a means to an end.

For example:

She wanted me to think that she put no effort into her appearance; like her wrinkled blouse and messy hair were so not like the other girls. But if you ask me, which you didn't, every "not like the other girls" girl I've ever seen, or fucked, is absolutely like the other girls.

Maybe even easier. Their nonchalance was basically a flashing sign saying: DADDY ISSUES.

So maybe Julia wasn't interested, yet. But I was confident that I could change that.

Jared chuckled, "She's in my business class. She suggested that capitalism is inherently evil. Can you believe it?"

I shrugged, suddenly wishing I was taking Business For Dummies with him. "She's right."

"What?' Jared turned to stare at me after grabbing his tray and placing it on the long metal bars in the cafeteria.

Sometimes I couldn't help but notice the similarities between St. Anne's and a prison.

"It'd be stupid not to see that," I said, distracted by the way she pushed her own tray along, unbothered, pointing at the food, and smiling at the cafeteria workers.

So that's what her smile looks like.

I fought off my own, knowing that was a one-way ticket to getting mocked.

Jared groaned, "Not you too, man."

"Yes, me too. Ignore who your dad is for a second. Capitalism is one for one, never all for one."

I really have to stop reading The Three Musketeers at night.

The cafeteria lady, Sharon, handed me my plate.

Jared rolled his eyes at me. He was just bitter because his family made their fortune by paying immigrants cents to the dollar. "Whatever you say." He gestured to Julia as she walked off. "She is cute though. Want her in the lineup?"

I watched her saunter away, already heading toward the first empty table in the cafeteria. I frowned, surprised she didn't try to sit with the stoners, overachievers, or undercover gays. Sitting alone on her first day at St. Anne's was bold, maybe just plain stupid. Without friends, and protection she'd be an easy target when the games began.

But it didn't really matter, it was only a matter of time before I got her to sit on my-

"Yeah," I said, ready for a challenge, "draw up the proposal. We don't have long before the point guide goes live."