Ellie’s heart raced as she shouted, “Damien, stop! You’re going to kill him!”
The tension in the air hung thick as Damien froze mid-action. Slowly, he turned to face her, an exasperated smirk tugging at his lips. “Wow, Ellie Malcolm,” he drawled, his voice laced with sarcasm. “You scared me. I almost had a heart attack.”
Ellie stared at him, bewildered. How does he know my name? She crossed her arms, her curiosity bubbling to the surface. “How do you know who I am?”
Damien’s smirk widened, an air of playful mischief in his eyes. “Don’t you remember me?” he asked, his tone teasing. “I killed your canary. We were best friends once—at least for a few hours.”
The words hit Ellie like a slap of cold water. Her brows furrowed as a long-buried memory surfaced. She pictured a boy standing in her childhood bedroom, his wide grin, their laughter... and then the horrifying moment when he grabbed her beloved canary and ended its life. Her jaw dropped as she gasped, “You! Canary boy?”
“So, you finally remember,” Damien replied, his smirk never faltering.
“How could I forget the heartless brat who murdered my bird?” she shot back, her tone sharp enough to cut glass.
Damien chuckled, leaning casually against the wall. “Heartless? That’s a little harsh, don’t you think? It was just a bird.”
Ellie’s glare intensified. “Just a bird? You killed Tweety because I said I didn’t want to marry you! We were six years old, Damien! Who even proposes at six?”
Damien’s laugh grew louder, a deep and unapologetic sound. “In my defense, I was a very serious six-year-old,” he replied. “And you did choose the bird over me. That was a low blow.”
Ellie threw her hands in the air, exasperated. “We had just met, you maniac! And you strangled my bird to death. Do you know how traumatized I was?”
He gave her an apologetic shrug, though his smirk betrayed his lack of remorse. “I was a kid, Ellie. Forgive me. Besides, I’ve matured since then. I don’t strangle birds anymore.”
“Oh, wow, what an improvement,” Ellie shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve really evolved.”
Ellie took a deep breath, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. Then her eyes flicked to the other student, who was still groaning on the floor nearby. “Wait a minute,” she said, her voice sharp. “Why were you assaulting him this time? You better not tell me he had a pet parrot.”
Damien’s grin returned as he shook his head. “Nothing that dramatic. He tried to beat me up because his crush couldn’t stop staring at me. So, technically, this was self-defense.”
Ellie blinked, momentarily stunned by the sheer confidence in his tone. “Self-defense? Damien, you’ve probably broken half his ribs!”
Damien shrugged nonchalantly. “Hey, he threw the first punch. I’m just really good at finishing fights.”
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re unbelievable, you know that? Absolutely unbelievable.”
“And yet, here you are,” Damien replied smoothly, flashing her a grin that was equal parts charming and infuriating. “You can’t stay away, can you?”
Ellie shot him a look. “Oh, trust me, I’d love to stay far, far away. But you keep showing up and causing chaos.”
“Well,” he said with a mock bow, “I like to think of myself as the spice in your otherwise predictable life.”
“Spice?” she repeated, incredulous. “Damien, you’re not spice—you’re a kitchen fire.”
He laughed at that, his amusement genuine. “Fair enough. But let’s not forget, you’ve still got a little soft spot for me. Admit it—you missed me.”
“Missed you?” Ellie scoffed, her voice rising. “The only thing I missed was having a peaceful life before you waltzed back into it.”
Damien leaned closer, lowering his voice to a playful whisper. “You’re lucky I waltzed back in. Admit it—life’s more fun with me around.”
Ellie opened her mouth to retort but stopped, realizing she had no quick comeback. His grin widened, and she rolled her eyes, muttering, “I don’t know why I even bother.”
“Because deep down,” Damien said, straightening up and tossing her a wink, “you enjoy every second of it.”
Ellie groaned, her frustration battling the small, reluctant smile tugging at her lips. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love it,” Damien quipped, walking off with a confident stride, leaving Ellie torn between irritation and amusement as she wondered how she always ended up tangled in his chaos.
YOU ARE READING
The Accepted Outcast
Teen FictionEllie Malcolm was born with unusual features: she had no body hair, pale skin, and wide blue eyes, which made her seem unattractive to others. As a result, her classmates bullied her, and she felt unloved by her parents. However, everything changes...
