Page 13 of Vexing the Viper

"Yes. I can turn people to stone by looking at them. Sucks sometimes, actually. I used to wear glasses all the time, because there was a filter in them that would protect people. Then, a couple years ago they made these fancy contacts with the same filters, so I finally decided to try them out.”

He looks at me and I'm momentarily stunned. Fuck, he's so gorgeous, but looking into his eyes is something I won't take for granted. Knowing that he could easily turn me to stone should have me terrified, but all I am is grateful I get to gaze into his light green irises.

"Wow," I murmur. "That's pretty damn amazing."

Niko rolls his eyes while huffing out loud. "No, it's not. It fucking sucks I have to wear these at all."

"I mean, yeah, that does suck but—"

He cuts me off before I can continue. "It's whatever. Come on, let's get to work."

We decide to go over review topics since it's only the first week of school and we haven't worked on anything new in class. Niko is so smart it's blowing me away. He has an ease about him that allows him to tell and show me different things I can easily pick up. He explains ideas in a way I can comprehend, and while I'm not dumb, some things are just harder for me to grasp.

But I’m having an even bigger problem: I'm so turned on. I was already physically attracted to him, but his brain is so fucking captivating right now. He spins away and I quickly adjust myself, my cock thickening from him running through my mind.

I close my eyes and try to think of things that will force my dick down. Slowly my hard-on starts to recede. Fucking finally. Wanting to make sure it stays down, I avoid looking at Niko. "Since your dad is the coach, do you ever go to any of the games?"

"No. I hate baseball."

"Really? How can anyone hate baseball?" I turn my head to look at him, and ugh, fucking mistake. He's still gorgeous but now his signature glare is back and aimed directly on me once again.

"Not everyone likes sports."

"I know that; I just figured since your dad was the coach and all..." I trail off, knowing I’ve put my foot in my mouth again. He's already told me he hates baseball, so I don't know why I brought it up again. But there’s just something about him that appeals to me. Iwanthim to like me, but everything I say is wrong. All I'm doing is trying to be his friend.

Neither of us says anything, the silence so awkward. Wanting to try again, I ask, "Do you have any plans this weekend?"

"Working at the library and studying."

"How is it working at the library? Seems like it would be pretty boring."

"Actually, I love it."

Fucking hell, I can't get anything right.

"It's quiet in there, and it's not too busy, so there's times I can take a break and get my schoolwork done. I also love chatting with the people who stop by. Plus, Mummy Mocha is in there, and I'm obsessed with their coffee." He offers me a small smile, then quickly turns away as though he remembered he's supposed to dislike me.

But he let something about him slip. His coffee fix is something I can use to get him on my side. Looking at the table, I see his cup he brought in from earlier. I study the sticker onthe cup until I’ve memorized his order. Next time, I'm going to surprise him with a drink. He'll want to be friendly in no time. His little attitude only makes me want to be even nicer to him.

Hell yeah. That's what I'm going to do.

Kill him with kindness.

7

NIKO

The weekend has flownby quickly, another Monday arriving before I’m ready for it. I love attending Creelin U, I really do, but I can't wait to be done with school completely. Most of my classes are pretty easy, and some are downright boring. Like the class I'm sitting in right now: economics. It's only the third week of school, and I'm already over it. The professor ends the class, and I head out of the lecture hall like a hellhound is chasing me.

I make my way out of the building and step over to the side waiting for Mateo to come out. We have plans to head over to the cafeteria and grab lunch. I lean against the pillar, closing my eyes. I hear a snicker and giggles, and when I open my eyes there's two human girls standing in front of me staring. They don't say anything, just laugh and walk away.

My fists clench at my sides and I close my eyes again. This used to be my safe place.Used to be. Not anymore. It’s a few weeks into the semester, you would think the novelty of being around monsters would have dissipated from some of these humans, but nope. I'm still getting the stares and whispers, and I hate it.

"Hey, man," I jerk when a hand lands on my shoulder. Turning around, I glare until I realize it's Mateo standing in front of me. "You okay?" he asks, looking concerned. He steps closer to me, and I deflate.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Come on, let's go sit down on the bench over there and talk." He leads us over to the bench where we sit side by side. "What's going on?"

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