God Of Desire

crossing paths

Anastasia :

As the saying goes, "another day,
another slay."

I stepped out of my car, my heels clicking against the pavement as I tossed a casual nod toward Tolya, who returned it with his usual stoic expression. His presence was reassuring...always there, like a silent shadow. The front doors of the school loomed ahead, and with every step, the energy of the place hit me harder.

Inside, I was immediately met by Jett’s lazy smile, her posture just as relaxed as ever, and Indie’s more cheerful, lively one. Before I could react, Indie rushed at me, throwing herself into a hug that I barely managed to catch. Her enthusiasm was... infectious, even if it was still a little new to me.

It had barely been two weeks since we met, but already, something about these two felt comfortable, familiar. Unexpected, really, considering I wasn’t usually the type to click with people so quickly. But with them? I had to admit...maybe, just maybe, I’d found a pair that wasn’t so bad after all.

As Indie finally released me from her grip, she beamed up at me, her energy bright enough to light up the dull hallways. "So, are we suffering through math together today, or did you manage to escape this time?"

I let out a small laugh, brushing a stray hair back. "I managed to dodge that bullet...history instead. You?"

She groaned dramatically. "Ugh, I’m stuck with it. Jett, what about you?"

Jett shrugged, casually tossing her bag over her shoulder. "Not today. I’ve got physics next. Boring, but I’ll survive."

Indie pouted. "Guess I’ll be all alone. Maybe I can charm the teacher into letting me leave early."

Jett smirked, her lazy smile returning. "Good luck with that. He's immune to your tricks."

Indie turned her attention back to Jett, raising an eyebrow. "By the way, are the boys coming or are they skipping again?"

Jett gave a short nod, her grin widening a bit. "Yeah, they’ll be here. I think they’ve got a free period after gym, so expect them to show up fashionably late."

"Of course," Indie replied, rolling her eyes but clearly amused. "It wouldn’t be them if they weren’t making an entrance."

My ears perked up at the mention of them. I guessed these two still didn't know about the meeting, so maybe I could play dumb and act like a total doll.

“Am I missing a page? Who are these boys?” I asked casually, arching an eyebrow.

Indie leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “The boys are the Four Horsemen. You’ve already met two of them.”

Jett rolled her eyes. “Yeah, the Four Horsemen, my ass. You let two of them already.”

I chuckled, leaning closer. “You mean Gunner and Aaron? You guys seem pretty close with them.”

“Yeah, well, one of them is my brother, and the other three are our cousins” Jett explained, shrugging. “It’s kinda complicated. Our families have been friends since high school, maybe longer.”

Indie jumped in, her excitement bubbling over. “The other two are Madden, Jett's older brother, and Ivarsen, Gunner's older brother. They’re both seniors, but you’ll be seeing a lot of them from now on since they’re back.”

I feigned ignorance, keeping my expression light. “So, what are they like? They seem the talk of everyone here.”

Jett leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Madden? He’s a whole different beast. Cold-hearted and pretty controlling, to be honest. He doesn’t say much, but when he does, you better listen.”