Page 132 of The Blackened Blade

After a very slow hour of contemplation, the class bell rings, signalling the end of the only class I had today.

The ‘Modern Calculus and Geometry’ class had been cancelled due to Mr. Aldeir helping with the ball’s preparation.

I head out into the hallway, thinking I should go outside and get some fresh air to try and ease the knots twisting my stomach, and smack straight into something hard. A low grunt rings out from above me as I steady myself.

“Micai,“ My name falls from her sickly sweet voice and instantly has me wincing almost like I was hit.

“Are you okay?” Seria stands beside Xander, her hand on his arm as he glares down toward me.

So that's what I smacked into. This stupid asshole. I instantly wish I had knocked the dickhead down.

“What's with the stop?” Calls Anders as he comes to Seria’s side, his smile falling a little as our eyes meet. Knox and Kane are next to appear, both surprised with my appearance.Unfortunatelywe go to the same school and share a few classes.Morons.

I shake the hit off and the contact like a bug bite. I’m about to leave when a hand snakes out, grabbing me.

“I wanted to talk to you, Micai.” Seria takes a step closer to me, a small frown tilting her small pink lips, “I know you’ve been a bit distant lately…I just hope it wasn’t because of the talk we had before. I only want what's best for you.” Her hand drops from me, her eyes slightly sorrowful as she watches me. And I wonder what she's plotting now.

Xander wraps his hand around her shoulder.

“What talk?” He asks her, his voice soft and gaze gentle before he turns toward me with a cold tone and stoney glare replacing his expression. “What did you say?”

Always Seria’s knight in shining dickhead. How did I ever like such a pathetic moron? One so blind, with no sense of his own?

“Xander, Seria never said Micai did anything–” Knox calls, stepping beside him and slightly between us.

“She doesn’t need to. Just look at her.” He glances back toward Seria, before turning his glare back to me. “And either way, we all know what Micai is like–”

“Do you?” I cut the dickhead off, his voice already grating on my ears as a headache begins to form. I wasn’t in the mood for their bullshit today. And how did he think he knew anything about me? He didn’t know shit, and I was tired of him acting like he did. “What do you know, Xander? I would love to hear it.” I look directly into his narrowed eyes. “Cause’ the last time I checked we hadn’t shared more than a couple of words with your ass glaring at me, and being an asshole for God knows what. But…” I shrug as Seria calls my name, trying to get my attention. I ignore her and continue. “I don’t care anymore. All this bullshit going around that I want you all,” I meet each set of eyes as a humourless chuckle falls from my lips, “I have better taste these days. I don’t need someone else's leftovers.”

“Micai, we–” Knox starts but I cut him off.

“It's funny that you think I’d pine over you like some love-lost girl. Do you really think I’m the same girl you abandoned all those years ago?”

Anders brows knit together, while Kane's face wears a deeper scowl than usual and Knox opens his mouth, trying to take a step toward me but Seria cuts him off, stepping closer to me, and blocking their view.

“Micai, you need to–” Seria calls my name, a strange, dark twinkle in her eyes as she tries to reach for me, but I ignore it and dodge her hand and she stumbles forward in the process.

Xander jumps forward and catches her before she reaches the floor, his face hardening as her hand clutches onto him.

His glare turns dark with pure vitriol hate, “Exactly the same as all those years ago.” He spits out between gritted teeth. “Always trying to hurt Seria. Your jealousy and manipulation knows no bounds. Even when she tries so hard for you, you still treat her like shit. You don't deserve her love…” His face contorts, his lip curling upward as Anders calls beside him.

“Hey Xander, you–”

“Don't–” Calls Knox, trying to place himself in front of me, but Xander pushes him to the side and into Kane.

“No-one could ever love someone like you. We were lucky to get away from you back then. You’re nothing but a–”

A hand flies from the side, catching Xander straight in the face.

He’s frozen for a second as Morgan passes him and places herself in front of me.

“You kiss your mother with that disgusting mouth? She’d have to bleach her cheeks from all the shit stains if you did.” Her two large partners flank her on both sides, covering my view completely of Xander and them as she continues. “I knew you were stupid, but who knew you were so vile?”

“Morgan,” Seria calls, “Xander was just defending me–”

“From what?” Morgan snaps, and they all fall silent.

“What happened for you to need to be saved?” She laughs darkly as she meets each frozen stare, “What? From a little fall?” She scoffs, “Fuck, you’reprecious. How is your two left feet her fault?” Her head whips back toward Xander. “Is she so precious that you become a witless dickhead with no eyes or ears?” There's no room for compromise with her tone, her voice cutting and cold as she continues. “Only a sloppy tongue wagging at the wrong one.” Her head turns back to me, her amber eyes narrowed. “Want me to get the other-side?” She hitches her thumb toward Xander, a small red mark appearing on his left cheek as she points to the right.

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