The classroom was filled with chatter and laughter of teenagers. Some threw curious glances at Marley, who was glued to her desk quietly. From all the stares and glances she had received so far, she concluded that this school hardly ever received new company.
She wished either Kiara or Rachel were here, who had opted for french instead of chemistry. Although she had only known them for a few hours, they made her feel welcomed.
A poke on the shoulder startled Marley. She turned around to find a guy looking at her with a big grin on his face. He had tanned skin that went perfectly with his green eyes and short, curly dark hair.
"Just arrived here?" he asked, throwing in a smile.
Marley nodded.
"I am Sanjay."
"Marley."
"Don't feel awkward. We are just not used to new students. Apparently, it's a rare occurrence here. I came here two months ago, and unfortunately from personal experience, these stares take time to settle down," he sighed before glaring at the girl who was staring at them.
The sound of heavy footsteps cut Marley off just as she was about to speak. Both of theirs attention shifted to the door only to find three familiar figures walking in.
One was the blond who only an hour ago had caused the chaos in the cafeteria. He looked breathtakingly hot with those ocean blue eyes and bad boy attire.
The other one had sat beside Mark during the whole event. He had ginger-colored hair and a very similar face to Mark's.
Then her eyes fell upon him. She looked away quickly, resisting the urge to gape at him like a dying fish.
"Here comes the royalty of Marshville High." Sanjay whispered into Marley's ear, his tone dripping sarcasm.
She noticed the blond guy staring past her. Curious, she glanced back and found a blushing Sanjay. He dropped his gaze instantly, which only made the blond's lips curl into a smirk.
"That's Oliver Augustine. I don't get what his problem is?" Sanjay whisper-yelled once he noticed Marley watching him.
"My only problem is you," Oliver answered, now settling at the desk just beside Sanjay's, his eyes still plastered on the blushing teen.
Sanjay took a deep breath and gave Oliver his meanest scowl, but turned his attention back to the Marley once he realized it only amused the latter.
"I can't deal with him right now." Sanjay threw a glimpse at the other two of the Royalty. "That's Matthew. Mark Wilson's twin brother. I am pretty sure you must have met Mark. I saw you at the calculus earlier." His eyes were directed to the corner of the class, where the red-haired guy sat.
"Beside him is Eden Brown, the brooding one," Sanjay continued, "he's like their leader or something."
On hearing Eden's name, Marley felt something stir inside her heart. She tried her best to ignore the feeling and continued listening to her new-found guide.
"The other guy you saw at lunch today with Oliver was Callum Davis. I don't get it why all the girls in this school drool over them when they are just a bunch of big muscular stupid bullies."
Marley glanced at Sanjay who looked frustrated because of Oliver's intense glare. Nevertheless, he smiled brightly at Marley, who tried to return him the same despite the awkwardness of the situation.
Soon the teacher entered the class and everyone adjusted themselves in their seats. On hearing Sanjay's low groan, Marley looked back at him.
"I just realized I forgot my homework," he said with a low chuckle.
Marley nodded with her own small laugh, before turning her focus back on the teacher. She listened attentively throughout the whole class unaware of Eden's eyes on her.
******
Sanjay and Marley walked into the gym together. Marley's mood uplifted when she spotted Kiara and Rachel on the benches. After a few minutes of chatting with the three girls, Sanjay left them to hang out with his own friends.
"Do you have your gym clothes?" Rachel asked Marley.
"No, I haven't got them yet."
"It's alright. Coach will let you go. It's only your first class."
They looked at Kiara whose mind was somewhere else.
"Look at those assholes. They think they own this place," Kiara gritted, her eyes fixed on the five royalty boys. They were harassing the same guy from the cafeteria.
"Why don't the teachers stop them?" Marley asked, her brows knitting. Where were the teachers, principal or any sort of school authority to put an end to their bullying?
"Well, their parents keep the principal's mouth stuffed with big donations, so they get away with almost everything," Kiara replied as though speaking to a child.
Marley frowned, not satisfied with the answer.
"I know it sucks." Rachel shrugged.
A loud whistle was heard, ceasing all other voices and turning everyone's attention towards the coach. He was a tall man in his mid-forties, wearing a blue t-shirt and white sweatpants.
Fifteen minutes later, the students were divided into two teams for volleyball. Marley, Rachel and Sanjay ended up in the same team, but Kiara was stuck on the other side—with the guys she loathed.
Although she didn't come off as an athletic person, Marley played surprisingly well. Back in her hometown, she was part of her school's volleyball team that had won many inter-school tournaments. Marley had this knack for picking up new skills quickly—something she had inherited from her father.
The whistle was blown and the game came to an end. The score favored Marley's team. Sanjay, Rachel and other on her team screamed with over-exaggerated joy, deliberately rubbing the win to annoy their opponents.
Marley was about to join them when she felt a sudden, strong hit on her face, making her stumble a few steps back. She turned around to find a guy looking at her with a smirk on his face.
"Oops, the ball slipped," he said sarcastically. It was obvious he could not handle the defeat and this act was a low move from his side to satisfy his ego.
Suddenly, a ball slammed into the guy's face, knocking him to the ground.
Marley snapped her head in the direction where the ball had come from and found Eden glaring at the guy, fury written all over his face. Something was different. Marley gasped when she saw his brown eyes flicker golden.
*****
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Hombres Lobo"I won't mind ripping out any guy's heart who so much as look at you in a more than friendly way. You are mine." He turned his head towards her and Marley could see his brown eyes turning gold. "Mine only." ********* The life...
