Serpentine (Randall Carpio)

Chapter 2 - Serpentine

"Hey! You should tell me more about what you just said!" Randall followed Yvette even outside of the bar. He was surprised to know that Yvette was also a shapeshifter. He was curious of answers of how the girl that he knew since middle school, ended up being a serpent...or so she claimed.

"It runs in my family..." Yvette explained further. She was well aware that Randall would not let this go. "...but not all of us are shapeshifters. Some are born normal and there are some who are like me. We are called the serpentines," Yvette knew that her father and some of her cousins were serpentines. At first, she could not believe it when her father told her but as time went by, she felt the signs. "I knew it ever since I was young. I could hear whispers from a distance and I heal fast. Also, I feed off to fear. Fear makes me stronger,"

"So...you turn into a snake?" Randall was having a hard time digesting the information.

"Nah," Yvette shook her head. "My eyes turn to slits and my skin turn to scales. I have venom in my fangs but overall, I still retain the form of a human,"

"Uh—I don't know what to say—just wow," Randall had his eyes widened. As a werewolf, he thought that his kind was superior than others until he heard of the serpentines. "I never thought that other supernatural creatures aside from werewolves exist,"

Yvette wondered why Randall was not afraid of her. She was hoping that Randall would get a little scared so that she would be able to feed on his fear. She guessed that being a werewolf himself, Randall was not in the least astounded by what she said. "How long do you plan on following me, Randall?"

"I don't know," Randall answered. "Umm...Eve?"

"What?"

"Did you ever wonder why I tormented you a lot back when we were in middle school and yeah, high school?"

"It's probably because you're just immature," Yvette's words were sharp. There were a lot of pranks pulled on her by Randall Carpio himself. Sure, the pranks were not that severe to inflict serious damage but Yvette thought that the pranks were childish enough for her to hate Randall. "I'm not really the type who enjoys reminiscing the past, Randall. Why don't you get straight to the point already?"

"Uh—how do I explain this?" Randall whispered to himself. "Do you know that a boy usually teases the girl that he likes?"

"Yeah...and...?"

"I had the biggest crush on you for years before. I teased you a lot so that you would notice me," Randall breathed out. He had never thought that he would be able to tell the truth to Yvette right after Andy broke up with her. "I avoided you when you started dating Andy during senior year,"

"You could have told me about your feelings before," Yvette continued on walking. She wanted to be in her room so that she could contemplate about all the things that Randall had told her. "I would've have given you a shot,"

"Wait...really?" Randall could not believe his ears. "You're saying that if I had been honest before...you would have considered my feelings?"

"You were a cute boy," the serpentine admitted to the werewolf. Yvette could vaguely remember how her former friends had a crush on Randall Carpio, the cute troublemaker. "You were making more than enough trouble on your own during middle school. I just think that you could have left me out because the trouble that you caused our former teachers were already enough for me to notice you back then,"

"Really—Wow,"

"If you haven't realized, we're now in front of my room," Yvette chuckled. Being a little tipsy made it harder for the two to realize that they walked a long way from the bar and to the dorms.

The moment that Yvette opened the room, Randall could not help but notice that there was only one queen-sized bed. "I'm a RA but I never heard a student having a room all for herself. What strings did you pull?"

"Vera Stone,"

"That's the new Grand Magus of the Order," Randall frowned. Vera was also the reason why he and the rest of the knights had forgotten their memories.

"She's also the chancellor of Belgrave University," Yvette added the information. "This is a bribe for me to join the Order,"

Randall looked around the room and noticed half a dozen of blue roses on top of her drawer. "It looks like you're not kidding about that. It seems like they really want you to join the order,"

"I'm guessing that they know about the origins of my family," Yvette shrugged. "They probably think that it's a good idea to try and control a serpent,"

"And you don't like that idea?"

"Who does?"

"Eve...can I ask you a favor?" Randall looked serious. He had never thought that he would ask his old crush for a huge favor. He had no idea that that their encounter would end like this.

Yvette sat on top of her bed. Having a guy inside her room was not awkward for her, even if that guy was Randall Carpio.

Yvette eyed Randall like he grew a second head. "...What's in it for me?" Instead of answering Yvette directly, Randall pulled his hoodie over his head. He was not wearing a shirt underneath so his bare torso was exposed to the woman with forest green eyes. "Pleasure in return?" Yvette could not help but bite her lip. "Who am I to refuse?"