Clandestine | On Hold

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ryan's POV

There's so much going on in my head right now. So much that it's making it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. My eyes glance at the files laying sprawled on the desk in front of me, files that I'm trying to go through but failing miserably. Frustrated, I slam the files shut and lean back on my chair, closing my eyes.

It's Sunday night. There's so much work to do. But all I can think about is the past week. About how I'd expected it to turn out and how it didn't.

Expect the unexpected, they say. Hell knows what other unexpected things are about to happen.

Some kind of 'clicking' sound reaches my ears, and along with it, I feel the room darken and brighten several times behind my closed eyelids. Frowning, I open them and realise it to be my doing. Somehow I'd caught hold of the table lamp's switch, and am switching it on and off, bathing the room with brightness for one second and washing it with darkness the other. But I didn't stop.

With the room brightening and darkening every alternate second, I'm pulled back to my thoughts that have been occupying my mind lately.

From setting my foot in Ridgeview High on the first day, to the last class I attended on Friday, every scene plays in front of my eyes, with three things sticking out. One, not getting any lead in this mission. The fact that we wasted a whole week doesn't sit with me.

Two, Alpha Nolan's words about how he believes.... no, knows about Iris being a strong projector of her emotions. That day in the hallway, after she'd walked by us, he said, and I quote,

"She is. A strong projector. Of her emotions...... I mean, even though she is a human, she projects her emotions so well and so strongly, that it is not necessary to be an Empath to feel her emotions."

"It's like, she possesses such a happy and positive aura, that people around her on their accord start feeling good. Positive. Happy...." His words had left me baffled.

And last, but never the least, Iris being..... well, Iris. I don't get it. I just don't. She behaves so childish at times, pretty much all the time. And I can't believe that one thought that had crossed my mind for a split second.

I, Prince Ryan Winslow, had thought, just for a split second, that Bennett is better than Iris.

After that thought had crossed my mind, I remember shaking my head violently. I had just compared my idiot of a brother to someone!!! I couldn't help myself. The amount of pranks she'd played throughout the week were way more than the pranks Bennett would play in a month's time.

Iris is a true enigma to me. There is something so mysterious behind those amethyst like eyes of hers. And whenever I think of her and her violet depths, my heart* goes on a pumping spree, just like now. I keep a hand on my chest and clutch it in an attempt to slow down my heart rate.

Just then someone knocks on my room's door, and a familiar scent wafts into the room. I scowl and stop playing with the lamp's switch.

"Come in."

The door opens slightly, and a grey beanie first appears, followed by a forehead and a pair of black rimmed glasses. After a second the whole face makes an appearance.

"Would you mind if I come in?" I want to smack his head, but I stop myself from doing so.

"You heard me," I say in a controlled tone. Tristan sheepishly smiles and enters the room, closing the door behind him. He walks up to my desk and I motion for him to take a seat. He does and that's when I notice two cups with straws he's holding in his hands. He offers me one.

"Sir Xavier told me you didn't have anything for dinner. So I thought of getting your food here." He and dad is concerned about me skipping dinner. I hide a smile, and take it from his hands. Sipping through the straw, I taste the metallic warm red liquid, and then look up to see a cringing Tristan. He tries to mask his expression with a neutral one, but isn't quick enough. I think he realised that too.

"It's just that...." He scratches his neck, "It's weird to see someone drink blood instead of a normal drink as their food." I try to interrupt him, but he continues.

"I know that vampires do eat food. But that's out of habit, I guess? But, um, yeah, I'll get used to it." He finishes awkwardly, before sipping his own drink. It must be Hot Chocolate, he pretty much has that every night. Sipping our drinks, we fall in a comfortable silence. I take my time to observe him, knowing the moment he showed up that something's bothering him.

"So, what brought you here?" His eyes slightly widen, but go back to normal. He opens his mouth to say something, when his phone beeps.

He pauses, slightly tilting his head to right as he takes out his phone from his back pocket. He taps away on his phone's screen, before seeing something on his phone. After staring at his phone for a good 5 seconds, he starts laughing like a maniac. And it started to look like his laughter is going to be never-ending, when he slowly stops. He looks up at the confused look on my face. He turns his phone's screen in my direction for me to have a look at it. And what I see makes me raise my eyebrows in amusement.

It is a picture posted on Instagram. It is a selfie taken by Iris, with an angry looking Caleb?!? to her left.... I think that's Caleb. He's completely covered with mud and grass from head to toe. The caption reads,

"I'm a trouble maker
Never been a Faker,
Doing things my own way
And never giving up."

I shake my head. Iris' and Caleb's friendship truly amazes me.

Still chuckling, Tristan tries to speak between his chuckles.

"She's.... she's unbelievable. Oh God! She totally reminds me of Alex Russo from Wizards of Waverly Place." My eyebrows furrow on hearing his words. His chuckles slowly fade, as his eyes gradually widen.

"Oh hell! Don't tell me you don't know what Wizards of Waverly Place is...."

"Is it, some kind of place where Wizards live?" His eyes widen so much, it looks like they can fall off their sockets.

"Aw man! You don't know what it is? You're wrong. Ugh! How can someone not know what it is? Anywho, it is a Disney show. It's about this wizard family, the Russo's, who live in a place called Waverly place amongst humans and how one of the three children, Alex, always causes chaos by using magic. Like, she messes up with every spell or the spell simply doesn't work for her, either ways she ends up getting in trouble."

"I can relate Alex to Iris because both of them play pranks, irritate others and are sarcastic...." He trails off, having a faraway look. I just shake my head and ignore his words.

"Okay, now that you've done with the description of some 'Disney show', tell me what's playing on your mind. What's bothering you?" He snaps out of his thoughts, and looks confused for a bit. But when my words sink in, his face grows serious. I've never seen Tristan so serious.

Something's definitely up.

He doesn't speak for a while, and I give him time to collect his thoughts. After some time, he says something that shocks me.

"What if I told you, that, um, maybe.... Maybe I think I've seen Iris before?"

• ☆ • ☆ •

Hey guys! Thanks for reading!

And just wanted to clarify something....

Yes, vampires DO have a beating heart. They need some organ to pump the blood they feed on from others to the rest of the body, right?

If you like the chapter, do vote and comment your take on this chapter.