Athena Diaz never wanted to leave her home for Aurelia Heights, an elite boarding school in London filled with wealthy students who think they own the world. Forced to go as a scholarship student, she dreads facing The Big 5-a group of powerful and...
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It was finally lunch and this was a good and bad thing at the same time. This meant I had to face Victoria. Zach, Hana, and I walked into the cafeteria, took trays and we stood in the line along with the other students. A lot of things were being served for lunch today but I just decided on a beef burger, fries, and a Coca-Cola.
We went to sit where we sat as usual. I kid you not when I say not even two minutes passed and there was food thrown onto my tray. I looked up and saw it was the work of Audrey Rodriguez, and Victoria was standing with her, laughing
Audrey Rodriguez, daddy's girl. Audrey has a small bit of power in The Big 5, and she's known as Victoria Whitmore's lapdog. Since her dad works for Victoria's dad, she does every single little thing Victoria tells her to do. Her dad Marco Rodriguez runs parts of Victoria's dads massive companies, like security firms and other sectors. They're wealthy, powerful, and influential all because of Victoria's parents you could say. Unfortunately her mom was killed when she was just two, and no one knows what happened.
Gosh. A person can't even eat in peace at this school.
"What the f**k Audrey?!" Hana yelled and Audrey looked at her all confused.
"What?" Audrey looks around the cafeteria. "I was done eating so I threw my waste in the trash," Audrey said and there was laughter in the cafeteria.
"Victoria please take your service dog with you and stop being childish while you're at it," Zach said and Audrey gasped, offended.
"Whatever. Audrey let's go, it smells like poverty here." Victoria snapped her fingers and she and Audrey walked away.
"Argh," I stood up and I threw the food in the trash, well, there goes my appetite.
"This is getting on my nerves now," Hana said as she and Zach escorted me to the restroom, for the umpteenth time this week.
"They should get a f***ing new gimmick, this is getting boring now," Zach said.
"We're sorry you have to go through this every day Thena," Hana let out, concern laced on her face. "If you could just let us deal with this they won't bother you again," she said.
"No, it's fine I can deal with this on my own, and I don't want to be the only one who has an exception, what about the other students who deal with the same thing?" I said. Plus, four more weeks of this and I'm almost done, I won't need to deal with any of this crap anymore.
"F**k them!" Zach said. "They don't even care about you, they laugh along when Victoria does something to you." Zach continued.
"Yeah because they're trying to look out for themselves in this jungle we call a school, if they don't laugh what's being done to me will be done to them," I explained as I looked at the two.
I could see that they genuinely cared for me and wanted to help, it was nice to see that we had grown so close in a space of two weeks.
"Say you guys help me and do something about it, they'd want me even more because I was able to escape them and they would find a way for me to go back to being bullied by them," I said and they looked at each other as if I had a point and they were agreeing with me.
"Argh, fine. This is so annoying" Hana stomped her foot on her ground. "Who would've thought I would be best friends with a scholarship student and it would be this stressful" she continued whining and Zach and I laughed.
"Try being one," I joked and they laughed.
○●○●○●○●○●
School was over for the day and I went to my locker to put in my textbooks and workbooks. Hana and Zach stood by their lockers doing the same thing I wanted to do.
"Thank goodness that this day is finally over," Hana said with a huge smile on her face.
"Today was very hectic, let's do this again tomorrow?" Zach half joked and I laughed but Hana didn't. "Anyway, I should get going I have tennis practice," Zach said and I nodded.
Hana pouted, " I wish we could do our homework together but I have to go to the fashion club." she said and I nodded in understanding.
"It's fine, I'll do it by myself," I said
"Okay, see you guys later." we waved at each other and we walked out separate ways. I got to the girl's dorms and I got into my dorm and changed out of my uniform and into a white tank top and baggy pajama pants. I did all my homework and assignments.
It was currently 21:30 which meant it was late enough for me to go to the library and enjoy it by myself because no one would be at the library at this time. I put on my gray hoodie and my Ugg boots, took my phone and my dorm keys, and left. The walk to the library wasn't that long and soon enough I was in the library.
And I was right, no one else was here, which meant I had all these lovely books to myself for the time being until the night owls came to study. I went to sit down at the hidden spot that I sat at the last time I was here. How was Theo going to know I was using his secret spot selfishly?
I picked the book I've been planning to read ever since I arrived here and I sat down on one of the bean bags. I carefully opened the book, and a familiar aroma rose to meet me—a rich blend of fresh ink and the distinct, slightly musty scent of aged paper. I got cozy, not cozy to the point where I would accidentally fall asleep, but cozy enough.
I read the book and I was so immersed in it, I checked the time on my phone and it was 22:40. Just then the library door opened but I didn't pay attention for long as I thought it might've been a student who had come to study. I carried on reading the book.
"Good to see you're using my secret spot," Theo said, his deep British accent startling me. I immediately stood up and he towered over me as he was 6'1 and I was 5'6. Without even knowing I started scanning his body, he wore black track pants and a matching sweater with a white t-shirt showing.
He raised his brow and looked at me up and down and he went to sit down on the bean bag next to me. I followed with my eyes as he went to sit down and he looked at me with his brows raised. "Aren't you going to carry on reading your book?" he asked.
I slowly walked to the bean bag I was sitting on and I took the book and opened it where I left off. Theo on the other hand took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter, and I furrowed my brows in confusion as he lit up the cigarette that was in his mouth.
"You're smoking? In a library?" I asked, forgetting who I was talking to. He turned and looked at me after the smoke came out of his nose and mouth. "Yeah," he said and took another puff. "Aren't you here to read a book?" I asked. "I didn't say this secret spot was for reading," he stated, and I nodded.
I went back to reading my book and I tried to not let the smoke from Theo's cigarettes get to me, after all, this was his spot, so who am I to complain?
"The Kiss of Deception?" he asked after he read the book cover. I nod, "What is it about?" he asks and I look at him confused.
What's up with him?
"Uhm, it's about a brave female protagonist who runs away from an arranged marriage to start a simple life in a small village. But two men follow her—one is the prince she was supposed to marry, and the other is an assassin sent to kill her." I summarize for him and he nods in understanding.
"Is it your first time reading it?" he asked and I nodded. I carry on reading the book and I hear movement next to me, and it's Theo who stands up and is now looking at me. "You want to go grab something to eat?" he asked and I raised my brow in confusion. "Yes or no, I need an answer," he says.
"Uhm, yes?" I say and I stand up and put the book back on the shelf.
What in the world is going on with Theo Campbell? He's usually so intimidating and the biggest bully in this whole school, but he's been kind to me lately. Should I be worried?
"Aren't you coming?" he asked, his voice interrupting my train of thought.
