Haven And Chaos

35) Sneaking out

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MAYA'S POV
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Our lectures were now being held in a classroom, which made the atmosphere even more depressing with Mia and her little gang taunting me.
But I was starting to get used to it. After all, she was a dog with only barks and no biting. She would have been a better villain had she learned a thing or two from her evil mom who went to the extent of hurting a dog.

Whenever that threat came to mind, my teeth gritted and my fists hardened, craving to be dug through Lori's face to disfigurement. One day, I'd have my revenge. One day, I'd make her life miserable and have her eat from the floor.

When the class began, Nikolai was nowhere to be seen. This left me sitting by myself awkwardly at the center of the third column. I wasn't complaining though. If he had shown up and asked why I hadn't called or texted her, that would have been triple awkward and embarrassing.

As soon as class ended, the others rushed to leave while I took my time, hoping to meet none of them or even talk to them.
They disgusted me with their shitty attitudes and sky-high pride.

I gathered my books and left as well, leaving behind only one student who was busy talking to someone on the phone, a big stupid smile endlessly stretching her lips.

Stepping into the hallway, I caught a shadowy figure from the corner of my left eye which was leaning against the wall. I jumped gasping as sudden terror attacked me, my books thudded on the floor close by but that was irrelevant.
"Maya! It's me!" He shot dashing to my line of sight pushing his hood off his head.

"Nikolai?!" I breathed frowning. "Why would you- argh! You almost scared the soul out of my body," I cried rubbing my chest.

"My apologies." He squatted and quickly collected the four books lying carelessly on the tiles floor. "I wanted to...see you," he said handing me the books.

"See me?" I repeated, a bit curious and touched. The calm look he had on his perfectly young attractive face would have been enough to melt my heart had I been a naive fourteen-year-old.

"How are you? How was your weekend?" He enquired as we walked along the hallway littered with students from our department. His golden hair was curlier today than ever and there were faint bags under his eyes. He appeared exhausted even though it was only in the morning.

"My weekend was fine... What about you? Why didn't you attend the class?"

Nikolai chuckled turning his face ahead.
"I had some...family business to take care of. My father is being hard on me."
This, this had to be the longest conversation we had had since we met. It was like he was trying to break the ice between us and unburden whatever stress he was holding in.

"What kind of business? And why is he pushing you so hard?"

Nikolai sighed.
"It's for my own good," he answered sliding his hands in the kangaroo pocket. "So, um...do you mind if I invite you for a drink?"

Our eyes collided and I pushed out a friendly smile. If he was going through shit, might as well unload together. But the only major problem was how to escape Gale and his driver. I was certain hell would break loose at night, but at this moment, someone needed me. Someone who might be of use to me in the future.

"No, no problem," said smiling like a fool.

Nikolai smiled back and we continued making our way out of the building.

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In the end, I had had to borrow his hoodie to help me flee the school grounds. It was almost as long as the dress I was wearing because of my height, but worked great, giving me a completely different look that nobody would recognize me from afar.

Nikolai hadn't questioned my actions but had thrown me a curious look as any normal human would have.

He chuckled driving his posh sports car which must have cost anywhere over five million dollars. That laugh sounded genuine and light. He didn't possess the impenetrable wall he always wore today.
'So this is what you look like when you're normal!' I thought while staring at him from the side.

"You look like those Robin Hood characters," Nikolai said, his eyes meeting mine for a split second before being tossed on the road ahead. "You should keep it."

"Oh no, I don't want to-"

"Do you find it filthy or sweaty?"

"What! No. It smells great. Your cologne is gentle and alluring-"

Nikolai laughed heartily. "I'm just joking Maya. Jeez, you're so rigid."

I frowned turning my head to stare outside. "That wasn't funny," I mumbled crossing my arms under my chest.

"I'm sorry. But I did mean it, you can have it if you want. I've only worn it like three times so it's pretty much new. And don't worry, it's custom-made, so it's the only one in this world, just like every human."

'...the only one in this world like it, like every human on earth...' Cindy's empathetic line crossed my mind after hearing Nikolai's words.
I looked his way only to meet his life-filled eyes and the small smile directed at me.

The wind grew dramatic and blew into the car from my window, making my hair dance over my eyes. "It's beautiful," Nikolai said refocusing on the road.

"Huh?!"

"I've been meaning to tell you how your hair is beautiful. So are those little freckles on your face."

My hand came covering my nose and mouth as some heat spread throughout my cheeks from his compliments. I had received praise for my hair, but none had ever complimented my freckles.
"Tha-thank you," I said softly with my gaze on my exposed thighs.

He was being quite chatty today. It left me wondering what had happened over the weekend.

"By the way, why didn't you call me? You seemed awfully lonely. And from what I've observed, you don't have any friends at school."

A wave of nervousness attacked my insides, solidifying them until it was hard to stay still. "Um...I...um..."

"You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable," Nikolai said, and then a period of deep silence followed. The wind whooshing past us from the outside became my only source of sound which I used to overcome the loud thumping of my heart.

I sighed to myself, reminding my lonely soul that Nikolai was trying his best to create a bridge between our different existences. There was no point in demolishing it.
"I don't have a phone," I said out of the blue, breaking the silence.

"Oh!" That was all he said.

'Shit! I should have just kept quiet,' I scolded myself turning my neck away, almost wringing it just to hide the embarrassment filling my eyes.

"You live in the archduke's house, right?"

"Hm?... How did you..." But then it hit me, Mia had spread all these rumors about how I was a maid in their house, well, Gale's house. Of course, everyone in class was aware of exactly where I lived