Chapter 27: Targetted

~~~

Kael let out an awkward chuckle, waving a hand as if trying to disperse the tension like smoke.

“Alright, alright, let’s not start hazing the new guy on his first day,” she said, with a light but nervous tone.

“Markus here’s still figuring things out. No need to throw some villain-level shade at him.”

Her tone was casual, but I could tell she was watching them carefully, trying to gauge where this was going.

Selina didn’t budge, her fingers still resting on my shoulder, her smirk unfazed. The orc girl, Odhran, leaned in slightly, her red eyes gleaming with interest.

The brown-furred rabbit girl, who still hadn’t introduced herself, lazily propped her chin on her hands, watching me like I was something to be picked apart.

“Oh, we’re not hazing him,” Selina purred, finally pulling back just enough to meet my eyes. “We’re just making sure he understands the rules.”

Misha let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, Kael, don’t worry. We’re just being friendly.”

Kael’s tail twitched, and I could feel her growing frustration, but she forced a laugh. “Yeah, sure. And I’m the headmistress of St. Elms.”

The moment Kael made her little quip, the orc girl’s eyes narrowed.

Her large, muscled arm shot across the table in a blur, aiming to grab her. Kael yelped, nearly toppling off her seat as she ducked out of the way just in time.

“Whoa, hey!” I shot up slightly, raising a hand between them. “Stop this-”

“Sit down, new guy,” Selina murmured, her grip on my shoulder tightening ever so slightly. “We’re just talking.”

Kael, now a safe distance away from the orc girl’s reach, huffed, her tail bristling. “Yeah? Is that what you call attempted murder?”

The rabbit girl snickered, resting her chin on her hands. “Murder? If she wanted to, you’d be paste.”

Kael’s ears twitched in irritation, but she didn’t move any closer.

I exhaled slowly, my mind scrambling for a way to lower the tension. “Look, I don’t know what this is, but we don’t want any trouble.”

Selina tilted her head, continuing to smirk as if everything was going according to her. “Markus,” she whispered, her lips nearly brushing my ear. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

Then came her question, all hushed and sharp.

“Are you the type to take a hint, or do you need things spelled out for you?”

Her grip on my shoulder tightened for a second before she leaned back, her expression still as unreadable as always.

“You’re new here, so let me give you some advice.” Her fingers lightly traced the fabric of my sleeve, making my skin crawl. “You don’t want to get on the wrong side of people. This class has... a certain atmosphere. We like things to stay a certain way.”

I scoffed, roughly pulling my arm away from her touch. “Yeah? And what way is that?”

Selina didn’t answer. Instead, she simply raised a finger to her lips. “Shhh.”

Kael opened her mouth again, likely to cut in, but a new voice cut through the moment like a blade.

"Shut it, sewer rat."

Odhran’s voice was deep and rough, clearly carrying the lower temper she held. Kael clamped her mouth shut instantly, stiffening like she’d just been struck.

The fact that she called her a sewer rat just irked me, I couldn't hold it in.

“The fuck is your problem?” I snapped, not even thinking of the consequences. “She didn't say anything. At least she can speak more than 5 fucking syllables.”

Odhran barely reacted, unfazed. As if a boy speaking towards her wasn't worth her time.

But Selina’s twisted her grip, the tense hold dug into my shoulder as my expression soured.

Her smirk widened as she leaned in again, her voice as sweet as poison. “Listen, Markus. You have to behave, it'd be a real shame if you decided to disrupt the order we have. Otherwise... something might just happen to you.”

Her fingers tapped against the table, slow and deliberate. “A halfling like you doesn’t really know his place yet, does he?” She tilted her head, pretending to think. “But don’t worry. We’ll help you figure it out.”

I exhaled through my nose, forcing myself not to react. That’s what she wanted, and I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction.

Selina’s verdant green eyes flicked over me, like a cat toying with its prey. “Speaking of figuring things out… What’s with the hair?”

I stiffened.

She reached out, barely brushing the strands covering my face before retracting her hand. “Are you hiding something?” Her lips curled, feigning concern. “Like those boys conscious about how ugly their faces are?”

I moved to pull away, but she was faster.

Before I could react, her hand shot forward, fingers curling into my bangs. With a sharp tug, she yanked my face closer, her nails lightly scraping against my scalp as she pushed my hair back. My heart kicked up in my chest, and I immediately grabbed her wrist, but she didn’t let go.

For a moment, there was silence.

Selina froze for a second, her smirk faltering ever so slightly as her gaze locked onto mine. For a brief moment, she just stared, her green eyes scanning my face with an unreadable expression.

Then, her nose twitched.

She sniffed once, then again, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her grip on my hair loosened, but instead of letting go, she leaned in closer, her breath brushing against my skin.

“You smell…” She paused, tilting her head as if trying to place it. Her voice dropped lower, almost to a purr. “Nice.”

There was something off about the way she said it. The teasing edge in her tone had faded, replaced with something more distant. Her pupils dilated before expanding wide, swallowing the emerald sheen of her irises in a black abyss. It… she scared me.

The usual sharpness in her eyes seemed to haze over as if her mind was slipping into a cloudy state.

I struggled, my hand still locked around her wrist. “The hell are you doing?”

Selina blinked, as if shaking off whatever daze she had slipped into, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she inhaled again, slower this time, her fingers rubbing against my scalp.

Then, without warning, her arms wrapped around me, locking me in place before I could even react.

Her grip was strong like iron, her fingers pressing into my back as she pulled me in, closer, tighter. My body was practically flush against hers now, and I could feel the way her cushioned chest rose and fell, the slow, controlled inhales as she buried her face against my neck.

She just kept breathing me in.

Another deep inhale, her nose dragging along my skin, hot breath fuming against my collar. My pulse hammered against my ribs, my entire body going rigid as the heat of her body bled into mine.

Her hold never faltered, never loosened, if anything, it felt like she was anchoring herself to me, like she had no intention of letting go.

Misha let out a short laugh, the casual, amused kind that made it clear she was enjoying the scene a little too much. “What are you doing, Selina?” she mused, tilting her head with a smirk.

Then, without missing a beat, she leaned in slightly, her rabbit ears flicking. “Fell for the new student already?” she teased, her voice carrying a playful tone. “Didn’t peg you for the romantic type. To get weak in the knees over a fresh face? Must be a first for everything.”

Selina’s fingers dug into my scalp, her brows drawing together slightly as if Misha’s words had pulled her from whatever momentary daze she had fallen into.

Misha grinned wider. “C’mon, show us his face too. I want to see him! What’s the point of hiding it or are you planning to keep himself all to you?”

I struggled a bit, instinctively trying to pull back, but Selina’s grip remained firm.

Selina’s grip tightened for a fraction of a second before she suddenly let go, her entire demeanour shifting. Her voice, once teasing and slow, sharpened like a razor. “We’re leaving.”

The playful air she carried moments ago had vanished, her expression unreadable as she pushed off from the table, standing abruptly.

The others exchanged brief glances, sensing the shift in her mood, but no one questioned it. Even Odhran, who had been just watching moments before, just huffed in annoyance and got up after her.

Selina didn’t spare me another glance as she turned to walk away, but just as she passed by, she paused. Without looking back, she spoke, her voice quiet but firm.

“Meet me after school.” A beat of silence. “Alone.” The other jocks followed her soon, leaving us with a moment of respite.

Kael blinked a few times, she looked between me and the now-empty seat where Selina had been just moments ago. She let out a baffled huff, ears flicking back slightly.

“What the hell was that?” she muttered, shaking her head. “She just… what? Froze up, acted all weird, and then left? Just like that?”

I didn’t answer right away. My mind was still trying to process what had just happened, but something about it didn’t sit right with me. There was something in the way she looked at me, held me, was like… I didn’t want to recall that memory.

The goosebumps along my arms still hadn’t gone away.

“…I don’t know,” I finally admitted, rubbing at the back of my neck. My fingers felt cold, and I wasn’t sure if it was just my nerves or something worse. “She was acting strange.”

Kael gave me a long look before scoffing. “That’s one way to put it. Honestly, I thought she was gonna try something, well, something worse.” Her tail flicked once before curling slightly. “You good?”

I hesitated. I wasn’t. But I wasn’t about to say that out loud.

“…Yeah. I’m fine.”

Kael didn’t look convinced. She shifted towards my side, sitting beside me.

“You sure?” she asked again, her voice quieter this time. “You don’t look fine.”

I flinched, trying to push down the weird tension still crawling along my spine. “I just need a little time alone,” I said. “That’s all.”

Kael stared at me for a second longer, then sighed. “Okay. I’ll drop it.” She got up, adjusting her bag as she stretched.

I hesitated, then muttered, “Thanks, by the way.”

She raised a brow. “For?”

“For having my back,” I said, feeling a little stupid admitting it out loud. “Even though we just met.”

A smirk crept up her face. “Damn right. You owe me now.”

I scoffed. “Right.”

She rubbed her chin with her finger and thumb, making a thinking pose before snapping her fingers. “How about this? Lemme get a peek at your face. Let’s see what got Selina so worked up about.”

I shot her a deadpan look. “In your dreams.”

Kael laughed. “You wish I was dreaming about you. Maybe if you're half as good looking as Kelvin.” She winked before turning on her heel. “Alright, loner. See you later.”

~~~

While Kael was away, I had gotten back to class. I rested my head in my arms, letting out a slow breath. My body felt drained, my mind even more so. I just needed a few minutes. A moment to myself.

But even with my eyes closed, I could feel it. Their piercing eyes just staring at me.

The jocks sat in their usual spots, minus Selina. She was gone. Wryn and Kelvin were missing too. Yet, even in their absence, the atmosphere was suffocating.

Every so often, I’d lift my head slightly, just enough to peek over my arms, only to catch someone looking. The moment I noticed, they’d turn away, pretending to be engaged in their work, in their conversations, in literally anything but me. But I wasn’t stupid.

The hushed whispers. The glances. The way they spoke under their breath and then immediately turned to peek in my direction.

I wasn’t imagining it.

I let out a slow sigh, pressing my forehead against my arm.

Then the door burst open.

“MARKUS!”

I nearly jumped out of my seat as Kael came barreling in, her voice loud and carrying across the classroom like she had no sense of volume control.

“Dude, you are ALL anyone’s talking about.” She practically skipped over to me, as she slid into the seat next to mine. “Guess what?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, already dreading whatever she was about to say. “What? Also, quiet down.”

Unlike before, there was no teasing grin, no obnoxious announcement. Instead, she moved in close, leaning toward me with an unreadable expression.

“Selina’s targeted you,” she murmured, voice low enough that only I could hear.

I blinked, sitting up slightly. “What?”

“She’s told everyone to back off. No one’s supposed to talk to you.” Kael’s eye twitched, and she shifted even closer. “Most people think it’s just her usual bullying, picking on the new guy or whatever, but…” Her voice dropped further, almost hesitant.

“But what?” I asked, my stomach twisting at the look on her face.

Kael’s rat ears flicked back, her gaze darting around the room before settling back on me. “She might be laying claim on you. Everyone who was there on that table knows it.”

I just didn’t know how this first day could get any worse.