“You’d better,” I tease.
“Anyway,” Damien clears his throat. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Knew it, the coffee was just bribery? Spill it.”
He scratches the back of his head. “Well, this semester has been terrible for me. And I failed two classes.”
“Why did you fail?”
“Couldn’t be bothered to attend them, really.”
My mouth opens, then closes. No words. What am I even supposed to tell him? He sighs, rubbing his temples for a moment, then finishes his coffee, tossing the empty cup into the trash bag next to the bench.
“Oh, don’t give me that look.”
“What look?” I feign innocence, looking away.
“That judgmental look you have going on,” he points to my face.
I roll my eyes. “Well, I am judging you. You didn’t attend exams because you couldn’t be bothered? That’s no excuse. It’s our senior year, Damien.”
“I know, I know,” he groans. “Please, can you tutor me?”
“When are you retaking your exams?”
“Same time as you,” he responds. “So, you can definitely tutor me, or be my study buddy?”
“Fine,” I sigh.
Damien, just like Grace, Soren, Kenzo, and Aiden, attended Saint Valley from elementary school all the way to the academy. We’ve always been on good terms, our fathers used to work together. We’ve only gotten closer, especially after junior year of the academy ended, and we spent a summer together in the Bahamas. He’s a good friend and a great person overall.
“Thank you! I’ll buy you that new bag you’ve been eyeing.”
I lift a brow. “Now, now, how do you know what I’ve been eyeing?”
“Avalon told me you were complaining that it was sold out.”
“It wasn’t sold out,” I defend, taking the last sip of the coffee and tossing it into the trash. “It was a limited edition, and I didn’t see it in time to buy it.”
“If I get it for you, will you tutor me free of charge?”
“I’ll even take your exams for you,” I smile, only half-joking.
Damien grins. “No need. Just tutoring will do.”
“Okay. I’ll call you when I get back, then.”
“Perfect,” Damien stands up, then opens his arms.
With an eye roll, I follow suit, standing up and giving him a hug. He embraces me tightly, and the hug lasts for about thirty seconds before he pulls back, the usual smile on his face.
“Be careful around Soren, try not to burn this place to the ground, and return to the Academy in one piece, alright?”
I roll my eyes. “No promises.”
Damien laughs, then walks off. I give him one last, smallwave before turning the other way, picking up a new trash bag, and heading toward the place with a lot of trash.
My body freezes, and I stop dead in my tracks. Not even four feet away is Soren, with a uniform matching mine. He’s leaning against the tree, a cigarette between his fingers. Slowly, he takes a drag of it before exhaling. His face is as expressionless as ever, but there’s something in his eyes that makes my blood run cold. He’s always been the stoic, almost brutal type, yet this seems different. Something I can’t decipher is in his eyes, and his body language is vastly different.
