Page 28 of His To Claim

And there it is. Just like every other male here, breathtaking exterior, rotten interior.

I walk over to the empty desk beside Ace, dropping onto the plush chair, and open my bag, setting my MacBook on my desk. I really hope I can figure out how to work this thing out on my own, so I won’t have to ask for help. I have used a computer before back at the Grayson’s house and at the library at our old high school, but this is something entirely different. It’s innovative and full of programs I’ve never seen before. I’ll have to get Stella to give me a crash course on this unfamiliar technology.

“So, as you all know my name is Professor Macallan and this is English Literature 400, but most importantly your homeroom class. This year is essential to shaping the rest of your future,” he says, interrupting my train of thought.

I decide to just open a blank document and begin typing away as Macallan speaks.

“This class will be unorthodox compared to your previous English Lit classes. We will focus on the Romanticism literary movement of the late 1700s to mid-1800s. This period of literature focused on emotions and symbolism, among other topics. Though our focus for the first part of the course will be Lyrical Ballads by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth. The lyrical ballads are believed to begin the Romantic movement in English Literature. We’ll also analyze much of the work of Edgar Allen Poe and the eccentric symbolism of his work.”

The next fewclasses go by rather quickly, each professor only going over their syllabuses and expectations for the courses. After English Lit with Professor Macallan, I had US History with Professor Hastings, Honors Biology with Professor Grant, and Algebra 2 with Professor Mortimer.

To no surprise, all teachers were just as condescending as Macallan.

The stares and whisperings continued to follow me around butat least nobody was bold enough to talk to me. To no surprise, Ace and I have had the same classes thus far.

Coincidence?My subconscious snickers. I don’t believe in those.

Although Ace has sat next to me for every class, at least he’s kept his snide comments to himself. Though now as the next bell rings informing us it’s lunchtime, I’m afraid he’s going to approach me.

Instead, he quickly exits the classroom before everyone else and disappears into the crowd. Finally, I can breathe without having him so close to me. Apparently, every professor is on board to sit me right next to him.Again, coincidence?

I follow a crowd of my classmates to the main courtyard in the middle of campus where Stella mentioned the dining hall and other school restaurants were located. I’m relieved I can finally meet up with everyone, since I have had none of them in my classes so far.

Heading toward the center of the courtyard and into the large dining hall, I make my way over to Stella, Drake, and Jade who are waiting by the door. They look over and see me approaching.

Stella waves me over enthusiastically. “Scarlett, finally,” she says, pulling me into a hug.

“I headed straight over,” I say, confused at her surprise.

“Yeah, it’s just we haven’t had you in any classes yet. Luckily, Jade and I have you for the last two classes. I think Kai might be in there too.” She turns around and I see Kai, Jax and Ruby already in line for food.

“Let’s go get some food,” Jade says, pulling me with her while Stella and Drake follow right behind us.

The dining hall is no ordinary cafeteria, instead resembling a five-star buffet with about six different types of food. There are signs for Italian, Asian, Greek, Mexican, a Sushi bar and American food. At the end of the room, there is a whole drink station and next to it a dessert bar complete with a chocolate fountain.

The amount of food in this place is insane.

We catch up to the rest of the guys and I grab a few things from the Italian food section. Jade and I grew up on nothing but frozen foods and processed meats, and rarely even had an appetite, so honestly anything here is a gourmet meal compared to that. But the pasta, above all, looks absolutely delicious.

After everyone’s gotten their lunch, which apparently, we don’t have to pay for, we walk outside to the quad and find a table as far away from the section Stella said is reserved for the Horsemen and their Queens.

Drake of course sits right next to me with Jade on my left and Stella beside her. Kai, Jax and Ruby sit across from us in that order. We eat rather quietly, since it looks like none of us woke up in time to come down for breakfast. Between bites we briefly talk about how our classes have been so far and I find out apparently all professors are just as patronizing as Macallan was this morning. I can sense Drake is tense, so I place my hand on his thigh squeezing slightly. He turns to me and I tilt my head up slightly, asking him what’s wrong.

“I still can’t wrap my head around why that sick fucker Servite thinks he can keep harassing you like that. And Ace, that little bitch thinks he can have what’s,” he stops himself as I raise my eyebrows.

Mine. He was going to say what’s his. Not a chance, Dragon.

“Think carefully about what you’re going to say next, Dragon,” I reply, taking another bite of my pasta.

“There’s just something about him, Scar. You need to be careful around him. I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

“Like I said before, he’s harmless. Just a cocky asshole with a giant ego who needs to be taken down a notch. We walked in here not giving a shit about their hierarchy and his ego took a blow. Once he sees we are indifferent to him and his friends he’ll leave us alone, leave me alone.”

“I’m not so sure, Scar. He wants you… I can tell when he looks at you.” He sighs, obviously frustrated.

Voices all around get louder with every minute as more and more students join us out on the courtyard.

I lean in closer to Drake so he’s the only one who hears me. “My eyes are on you, Dragon Man. He can look at me all he wants but you’re the one I’m looking at,” I tell him and his demeanor relaxes. He smirks at me and his smile makes me weak in the knees. I lean into him, our lips almost touching just as we’re interrupted by a group of dimwitted blondes.

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