Page 95 of Knight

I won’t let him get to me. Not this time.

“Hey!” Lea’s voice comes at me the minute I step into the foyer. “Medusa!” She’s storming towards me in a purple poncho thing that only covers half her arms. Her posse of prissy princesses storms up behind her.

“Lea,” I groan. “I don’t have the time for this.”

“I heard about your festive fuckfest with King.”

“You can have him,” I say, waving her off so I can keep going. “I’m done with him.” It doesn’t feel as good to say as I thought it would.

She looks like she’s not sure what to say so I turn around, walking away. “Well I’ll teach you once and for all to not fish in our pond!” she calls.

Flipping her the bird I keep walking down the hall. Isaac’s hanging out at the end, between two girls. He doesn’t look too far gone today. Not yet.

Ignoring Lea’s words, I’m still raging from outside’s altercation.

Taunting his friend with a video of me? Twisted fucking prick.

Isaac lifts his chin as I get closer and I give him a wave and a small smile. One I can muster. There’s one King who’s usually less dramatic and that’s Isaac. He smirks, that old-school drawl back in his voice that tells me his heart’s mending. “You look like you’ve been to hell, baby.”

“Something like that,” I mumble. I feel like hell too. “Are you okay?” We haven’t spoken much since the hotel incident and I feel like I played a part in what went down. If I’d been more on my toes, I could’ve warned him. Or stopped Damien.

Who am I kidding? There’s no stopping Damien from getting what he wants.

Spoiled dick.

Beautiful spoiled dick.

He gestures to the pretty girls beside him, one with tits bigger than my head. “Don’t I look okay, sugar?” Leaning in, he whispers something to one of the girls and she giggles. I’m shaking my head but there’s a smirk. I’m happy to see him moving on from Marion.

“Are you and Damien okay?” I’m asking out of sheer curiosity. I’m in awe at how many chances Damien gets when it comes to his friends.

“Fuck no,” he says this as if it’s obvious. “And as much as it pains me to turn my eyes on a sexy piece of ass, I should stay away from you too.”

“What? Why?” I look around the halls as if I’ll find an answer but all I see are glaring students and expensive accessories.

“I don’t want anything to do with King right now,” he explains, glancing around now too before he eyes me up. “And that means you. Sorry, baby.” Taking the girls down the hall he throws up a peace sign as he walks away with the swagger of a celebrity.

Whoever’s left in the hall snicker and laugh at me, another King leaving me in the dust.

Great. Even when I’m trying to stay away from Damien, he’s ruining my life.

I’m supposed to be feeling better without him.

Free.

So why am I so suffocated?

* * *

Winter days are short, but fuck, this day feels longer than ever.

Right now it feels like nothing’s changed. Like the last semester was a whirlwind and I’m back to being a social outcast. Square one. Zero. And this time it somehow feels worse than before.

Damien King is not easy to get over.

He’s like a strong virus, mutating until it becomes unstoppable. As much I want Damien out of my brain, he’s latched onto every part of it. I keep glancing at my phone like I’m expecting him to text but he doesn’t. Not that I should talk to him. I’m supposed to be keeping my head down, face in my books. Eye on the prize.

Art is my last class on my first day back and I’m dying to see Clara’s cheery smile and kickass band tees. I’m also stoked to show her my project. So stoked that I’m damn near racing to class. Something I’ve never done.

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