He's A Jerk, But He's Cute

Dante's Inferno

Next chapter is gonna be fun af.

Octavian's P.O.V.

I had no hope things would get better after clearing the air with Rachel, Hunter, and Devon. Like Hunter said, we didn't speak about Rachel. Not for a while anyway. It was like... a time-out between all the hectic bull crap that had been going on lately. I knew it wouldn't last long, though. Not at this school.

Rachel's P.O.V.

"God, of all things to be concerned about, you're worried because Octavian isn't talking to you when he didn't talk to you in the first place, " Annabeth said and paused her PowerPoint on Dante's Inferno.

Ah... I could relate to that Dante dude right. My life is a fucking inferno. I hadn't told her about my talk with Octavian yet. She had walked in about 5 minutes after he left.

Plopping down onto my bean bag, I huffed in exasperation. I was doing that a lot these days. I don't know... it just felt like I was living through an ominous pause in a sentence... a death sentence.

"Annabeth, I'm just... scared," I frowned. "I think." Actually, I couldn't differentiate between fear and anticipation. Am I anticipating a conversation with Octavian, which would be completely abnormal considering he's the asshole who sent me into this anxiety frenzy; or is it that I'm scared that maybe Octavian wasn't lying through his teeth when he said the whole "Hunter is out for you" thing.

And then the whole run-in with Hunter the same night didn't do much to calm my nerves either. I mean he was high of course, as Annabeth had said the second she opened the door for him. Pupils blown so wide that his eyes seemed to be pools of black. He leaned heavily against the door frame and there was a smudge of white powder on his black pants.

"Wow, " Annabeth had said. "It takes some serious level of stupidity to do cocaine on a school campus while also wearing black clothing."

"Joke's on you, bitch, I had weed laced with coke," He shrugged. "And a lot of nice wine." He pushed himself away from the frame and smiled. "Anyway, I didn't come here for you, Elizabeth Montgomery," he snorted and pointed behind Annabeth to where I was sitting at my desk. "I'm here for Rachel."

I swallowed and looked pleadingly at Annabeth, shaking my head.

She sighed and pushed Hunter back a bit away from the door, causing him to stumble a bit but he eventually regained his footing. "Look, Annie, I'm not going to hurt anybody. I can hardly stand for one and after our talk, I'm gonna go sober up and take a long nap outside in the field. Perfectly harmless."

Annabeth folded her arms. "You weren't so harmless when you tried to rape my roommate."

You go, Annabeth, I thought with a smirk.

Hunter scoffed and folded his arms as well. "Well, tell your roommate not to flatter herself. I wouldn't even have sex with her, much less rape her," He spat. "Now let me talk to her."

Annabeth glared at him for a second then looked back at me.

I sighed deeply. I couldn't let him think he had shaken me. He had, obviously. But I'd hate myself if I let him think that he had something over me. I had to show him I couldn't care less. "Come in, Hunter."

Annabeth stepped to the side.

"And leave your drug paraphernalia at the door," I added.

"Ha," he said and took a lighter out of his back pocket and tossed it into the hall.

"That it?" Annabeth asked and sat down on the desk next to me.

Hunter laughed and sat down on Annabeth's bed, a hand's reach away from me. "No. But drugs are expensive, sweeties, so I'm keeping those in my pocket."

I put a hand to my forehead... "God, you're a lot less charming when you're high."

"And drunk," he added.

"Right," Annabeth said and shook her head, closing the door behind her.

Still hot, though, I thought reluctantly. I mean, it was true. Steel grey eyes, skin the colour of sand, and boy, did he have abs. His dark hair was long, long enough to be tied back into a small bun with loose strands that stuck to his tanned back on hot days...

My first year here, I had the biggest crush on him. I made Percy take pictures of him at swim practices and Jason ask him what his favourite colour was at football practice. And then I realized, people like him only live to ruin the lives of people like me. Make us feel like less than what we are. Like our goal should be to be liked by people like him. So I said fuck him and started living for me and my friends.

But here he was, recking my life after all.

"You were my first kiss, you know," I said quietly and Annabeth placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"I assumed as much. You're a really shitty kisser," He laughed again, sounding completely relaxed when I was so on edge. Bastard. "Devon is a lot better."

"Well, I thought you and Devon were a secret," I said and looked over at him. He was lying down now, twirling Annabeth's pen in his hand.

He met my eyes and held my gaze. "Not much of a secret when Octavian's told you already."

I gasped. "Did he tell you he talked to me?!" This is bad, this is really bad actually, I thought and scooted a bit away from Annabeth's bed in my chair. Because if he knows what Octavian's said, he probably is here to hurt me.

"Nah, he didn't tell me. But Devon texted me and said that Octavian's been here alone. And that he heard you two talking," he smiled. "My assumption is right, I guess."

Annabeth eyes widened. "You're like... bisexual?" She asked, sounding astonished.

Hunter groaned, "Yes, yes. 'Of all people to like guys, Hunter West?!' 'But his dad's a minister!' Yeah, I've heard that all before."

"I mean, yes, but... really?"

"So why are you telling me this? I suppose you came here to say you'll kill me if I spread this?" I asked and gave him a solid glare. As if he would come here, practically falling over his own two feet and make threats. Pathetic.

He frowned and stood a but shakily. "Essentially. But it sounds so harsh when put that way."

Dammit, he has a cute pout.

Focus, Rachel.

"You are harsh. You're an asshole, Hunter," I spat and pointed to the door. "Leave."

Hunter shrugged. "Fine. But we don't have to be enemies. I could clear your name if you were just a bit nicer to me... The whole school slut vibe you give off must suck, huh?" He walked over to the door and gave a false salute before stepping outside. "Give it some thought, okay. "

"Go," Annabeth and I said in violent harmony.

"Don't pretend you don't like me," he added and then shut the door gently behind him.

And after that, Annabeth decided to give me her presentation to calm me down...