The Fire of Ares

Ch3- Bad boy

Max.

I'm going to hit Chris the next time I see him.

He smiled at me before Ares and I got up to head to class. It wasn't a genuine smile—no, it was something darker, almost sinister. It was like he knew that Ares affected me in some way, and I'm still trying to figure out what that feeling is. I'm not scared of him, but I get chills every time he's near. What does that mean? Maybe I'm just intimidated.

"Did you grow up here?" Ares asked, his voice pulling me from my thoughts.

We were walking to class, and he was taking his sweet time. I could feel him looking down at me, not quite meeting my eyes but taking in my entire face. I caught his gaze wandering lower. Is he checking me out?

"Not really. I moved here almost five years ago."

Ares nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, so you know the area. Maybe you can show me around sometime." The way he said it felt more like a command than a request, and for some reason, it was hard to say no.

"Sure, but to be honest, I mostly just stay home. Your best bet would be either Elio or Chris."

"Mmh." He tilted his head, his light brown eyes—almost golden—were back to analyzing me.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, smiling.

I forced a smile in return, trying to be friendly, but I found myself wishing this moment would hurry up and be over. I caught a glimpse of our classroom in the distance and let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding.

"So, not much of a talker, huh?" Ares asked.

I shook my head, feeling an instinctive urge to escape from him. "Not really. I'm usually quiet unless I know someone well."

He nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "I guess you'll have to get to know me, then."

As we entered the classroom, I made my way to the back, only to see Ares following closely behind. I nearly wanted to scream. Great, this is going to be a long class. Just as the last stragglers rushed in, someone I didn't expect caught my eye: Chris. I bit my lip, fighting the impulse to leap up and confront him. Chris waved at me before sitting next to a guy who had called him over to the front of the class. I know I said I wanted to hit him, but now I felt like I could actually kill him.

"Are you okay? You're about to bite your lip off," Ares chuckled.

I feel my face flush red, "Oh. yeah, "

The teacher walked in and began discussing essays and various topics. I started to tune him out as I glanced over at Ares, who was staring at the front with bored eyes, absentmindedly playing with his pencil. I couldn't deny he was attractive; it was hard to ignore the way he carried himself. With his strong jaw and light brown eyes, he seemed like the kind of guy who had girls falling at his feet. He looked like a model straight out of a Calvin Klein campaign, dressed in a fitted white t-shirt and dark blue jeans. I glanced down at my own outfit—quite the contrast—wearing a black shirt and grayish pants.

Ares turned slightly, leaning in so that his mouth was almost touching my ear. "It's hard to concentrate when you're checking me out."

I shivered at the feel of his breath tickling my skin. "Uh—um, I wasn't..."

Ares chuckled, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "I'm just messing with you."

--

"I hate you," I said as I climbed into the car with my friends. Chris was already smirking at me. Before he could laugh, I gave his arm a hard smack.