The Fallen HODWIII

Chapter 11 : Juice

"So, what happened between you and Xenon last night?" Cassy asked, wiggling her eyebrows as we walked toward our classrooms for our first morning class. Tch, I'm not disappointed... really.

I shrugged for an answer while Drena pinched Cassy's side. Well, nothing really happened; after he kissed me, he took me back to sleep for more rest.

"Do you think we will see Daniela today?" Drena asked, her concern evident.

"I hope not. That girl is just getting on my nerves," Cassy replied, irritation flashing across her face.

I heard Drena sigh. "I think Daniela is up to something, and she won't stop until she achieves her goal."

"Yeah, right." Cassy’s voice dripped with sarcasm, probably thinking of Daniela. "So, I'm going now. See ya later!" Cassy said before heading to her class.

Drena turned to me with a weak smile. "Shall we go?"

I nodded, and we headed to our classroom.

Whatever she was up to didn't matter to me anymore. Life must have been hard for everyone right now, but it was worse for me before. I don't think anything could be worse than that.

I might feel that something is going to happen, but that doesn't scare me. I don't know if I'll ever truly feel scared again. Maybe I felt scared before—when I thought I was going to lose him, when I thought Xenon would reject me because I am a monster. But unexpectedly, he accepted me for who I am.

"Class dismissed," the teacher declared, pulling me from my thoughts. I stood up, fixed my things, and proceeded toward the canteen, where I would meet Cassy and Drena.

Stella, on the other hand, was busy. I didn't know where she went, but I could feel that sometimes she was sneaking out of the school without Lucas's knowledge. It was her life, and I didn't care what she did with it. She could do whatever she wanted.

When I reached the canteen, I spotted Cassy and Drena in the corner, lost in their own world. They didn't even notice me approaching.

"Yeah, he is so cool, right?" Cassy said to Drena, admiration lighting up her eyes.

"What's cool about that? He nearly killed his opponent over a basketball game," Drena replied, disgust coloring her voice.

"It was a game! Accidents happen when you're playing. It wasn't intentional; he just excels at it," Cassy defended.

"I don't care. I just don't like him. Can you please stop talking about that Julius guy?" Drena said, irritation evident.

"Tch. KJ, can you at least act like a teenager sometimes, Drena? We're still young, but you act like you're 80," Cassy said.

I slid into my usual seat in front of Drena, where food was already prepared on the table. "You done?"

The two looked at me, surprised that they hadn't noticed my arrival.

"When did you sit there?" Drena asked, shocked.

"Can you please be aware of your presence, Claire? You nearly gave me a heart attack," Cassy demanded, and I shrugged.

"Just now," I replied, answering Drena's question. "Shall we eat?" I asked, and they nodded in agreement.

"Wait!" I was about to take a bite of rice when a voice interrupted me.

"What is she doing here?" Cassy asked, anger evident.

"Don't tell me she wants to eat with us," Drena added, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

I ignored them and continued eating, just as I felt someone take a seat beside me.

"What are you doing here?" Cassy asked Daniela, who had now settled beside me. I could sense the smile on her face as she turned to me, ignoring Cassy's question.

"Claire, I bought you snacks," she said, placing a pack of treats on the table beside my plate.

"Thanks," I replied flatly, not glancing at her or even touching the snacks.

"You're welcome!" she said cheerfully, turning to Drena and Cassy. "Now, let's eat," she stated with a smile, starting on her food.

She had a tray filled with food when she arrived, including the snacks she had just given me for lunch.

I felt the weight of Drena's stare, so I glanced at her and nodded. She nodded back and resumed eating, as did Cassy, since she had no other choice.

We ate in silence, Daniela chattering away, but we heard nothing from her except for a few nods. The situation felt awkward, but I didn’t care. She was here for a reason, and that reason was for her benefit. So, I couldn’t be bothered to entertain her; it wouldn't benefit me anyway.

"Claire, where do you live? I heard you have a brother? Oh, I bet he's handsome too," Daniela said, making me stop mid-bite of sliced meat.

How did she know? No one knows my identity here except my friends and the Insigma Fighters. Even Cassy and Drena momentarily stopped eating, returning to their food only after a moment.

I looked at Daniela. "He’s ugly," I said simply, causing Cassy to choke on her food. She quickly drank a glass of water, while Drena bit her lip to stifle laughter, caressing Cassy’s back.

Daniela’s head hung low, her lips pouting in disappointment. "I see. Oh, it's okay," she said, trying to cheer herself up.

Wherever she got her news about me, I suspect someone has already gotten too close. I need to be more careful these days; I cannot let that someone touch any of my friends. They may have gotten close, but they cannot get any closer.

"Would you like some juice, Claire?" Daniela asked. I was about to say no when she stood up. "Let me get one for you," she insisted, walking toward the counter.

To be honest, I didn't like her presence, but it would be a waste of time to think about it, so I ignored her suspicious actions. As long as she didn't do anything wrong, it was okay. But if she did, that would probably end her little charade.

I sensed a number of students in the cafeteria, and most of them stopped for a moment when the entrance door opened.

They weren't the Insigma Fighters, but their strength was undeniably strong. It wasn't Stella, either, but I knew who they were.

"Oh em gee, he's here," Cassy giggled, but Drena ignored her.

"We should not have eaten here," Drena muttered, frustration creeping into her voice.

"Goodness! They're looking in our direction," Cassy said, her smile wide.

Without glancing at the door, I knew they were Julius and Emma.

I felt their gazes on me, the intensity buzzing like electricity in the air. But that didn’t scare me; it thrilled me instead.

"Claire, here's your juice," Daniela said as she approached, handing me a glass. I already had a glass of water, and juice wasn't necessary, but I couldn’t just reject her offer in front of these students; that would make her upset. I didn't want to make a reckless move, so I took the glass of juice.

She stood there, watching me eagerly as if waiting for me to drink it. "I chose lemon flavor; I hope you like it," she said, but there was something in her tone.

I shrugged off my unease, but just as I was about to drink from the glass, I stopped.

I thought I would just ignore her, but this wasn't right anymore. Daniela had just stepped into fire as my eyes changed color.

****** viona99 ******

Good day! Thank you so much for the continuous support guys! I was so busy preparing for my thesis, and I am currently writing an exclusive book on Novelstar, I hope you visit it, just search my pen name, viona99. Thank you!

I am so sorry for a very long update, thank you so much for understanding ❤