Chapter 42 Treating them to dinner
Chapter 042
RAVENNA
After practice ended, I was still sitting on the bench when Coach Bonn approached me. His expression was a mix of concern and something that looked like fatherly disapproval.
"How are you feeling, Casmir?" He crouched down slightly so he was at eye level with me.
"I am alright, Coach. A bit sore, but I will manage."
"You should not be out of the healer quarters yet," he pointed out, his tone gentle but firm. "You sustained serious injuries. You need proper rest."
I laughed, though the sound came out weaker than I intended. "I did not want to be immobilised by staying in the quarters. I would go mad lying in bed all day with nothing to do."
Bonn shook his head, but I could see the hint of a smile on his face. "I understand that. You are a fighter. But you need to take your medications regularly. Eat good food. Try to do some light exercise when you can. That is how you will heal up fast. Pushing yourself too hard will only set you back."
"I promise I will take care of myself, Coach."
"Good." He straightened up, then turned to Samantha, who had been standing quietly beside me. "Take care of Ravenna very well. Make sure she does not do anything stupid."
Samantha nodded seriously. "I will, Coach. I promise."
"And Casmir?" Bonn looked back at me. "I am glad you are alright. We need you on this team. Just make sure you heal properly before you try to get back on the ice."
I smiled genuinely at that. "Are you saying you miss me already, Coach?"
He laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "Maybe a little. Now get out of here before I change my mind and send you back to the healers myself."
Samantha helped me up from the bench, supporting my weight as I balanced on my good leg. The crutches were awkward, but I was getting better at manoeuvring with them.
As we made our way towards the exit, Dorian appeared beside us. He looked awkward, his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes darting between Samantha and me.
"Hey," he started, clearing his throat. "How are you feeling, Raven?"
"I have been better. But I am alive, so there is that."
"Right. Yeah. Good." He paused, seeming to gather courage for something. "I was wondering if I could treat you both to a meal this evening at Angela's. My treat."
His eyes lingered on Samantha for just a moment longer than necessary. It was brief, but I noticed. Interesting.
Samantha's response was immediate. "No. Ravenna needs to rest. She has been through enough today."
"Actually, I think that sounds nice," I interjected before Samantha could continue.
She turned to stare at me like I had lost my mind. "Raven, you need to rest."
"I can rest after we eat. Come on, Sam. Dorian is not a bad guy. And we should hang out. It will be good to do something normal for once."
"But—"
"Please?" I gave her my best pleading look.
She sighed, her resistance crumbling. "Fine. But if you start feeling worse, we are leaving immediately."
"Deal."
Dorian looked relieved and pleased. "Great. That is... great. Thank you."
"Just do not make me regret this," Samantha warned him, her tone still suspicious.
"I will not. I promise. And Samantha?" He grinned at her. "You should chill. Stop being so hotheaded about me. I am not the enemy here."
She glared at him. "I am not hotheaded."
"You kind of are," I offered, trying not to laugh.
"Traitor," she muttered.
Dorian chuckled. "You look cute when you are angry, you know that?"
Samantha's glare intensified, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Do not push your luck, Masters."
"I would not dream of it."
Angela's was busy when we arrived, but we managed to find a table near the back. It was cosy and relatively quiet compared to the rest of the restaurant. Dorian helped me get settled, making sure I had a place to prop up my injured leg, before taking his own seat.
The waitress came over, and we placed our orders. I went for something simple, a burger and chips while Samantha ordered a salad and Dorian got a steak.
Once the waitress left, Dorian turned to me. "I wanted to ask you something. Do you know what happened to your bike?"
I shook my head. "It disappeared. We looked for it after I was released from the healers, but it was gone."
"The authorities took it," Dorian explained. "They probably either fixed it or disposed of it. It was pretty badly damaged."
"Disposed of it?" My eyes widened. "They cannot just dispose of my property without asking me."
"I know. I will help you follow up with them tomorrow. I'd find out what they did with it and whether you can get it back or get compensation."
"Thank you, Dorian. I appreciate that."
He nodded, then his expression turned serious. "And I want to apologize again for what Darius did. I know I keep saying this, but I genuinely did not know he was going to do that. If I had, I would have stopped him. Or at least tried to."
"I know," I replied quietly. "You are not responsible for his actions."
"I just... I do not know what is wrong with him. He has always been intense, but lately he has been different. More aggressive and unpredictable."
"Maybe he is just showing his true colours," Samantha offered, her tone sharp.
"Maybe," Dorian conceded. "Or maybe something else is going on that we do not know about."
I thought about what he had said before. About Darius going through things at home. About him not being who I thought he was. But I did not want to talk about Darius right now. I did not want to think about him or try to understand him.
So I changed the subject. "How long have you and Darius been friends?"
Dorian's expression lightened slightly. "Since we were kids. Our families have been close for generations. He is like a brother to me."
"That must be complicated sometimes."
"It is especially when he does things like this." Dorian ran a hand through his hair. "But I cannot just abandon him even when he is being an asshole."
The conversation shifted after that, moving to lighter topics about school, classes and the upcoming matches. Dorian was surprisingly easy to talk to once he relaxed.
He made jokes that actually made me laugh, and even got a few reluctant smiles out of Samantha.
Our food arrived, and we ate while continuing to chat. For a little while, it almost felt normal. Like I was just a regular student having dinner with friends. Not someone who had nearly been killed a few days ago. Not someone plotting revenge against the academy's golden boy.
Time passed quickly. Before I knew it, we had finished eating and the restaurant was starting to empty out as students headed back to their dorms.
Samantha checked her phone and frowned. "It is getting late. Raven needs to rest."
Dorian laughed. "You sound like her mother."
"Someone has to look after her since she clearly will not look after herself."
"Fair point." He stood up and gestured for us to follow. "Come on, I will escort you both back to your lounge."
"You do not have to do that," I protested.
"I know I do not have to. But I want to. Consider it my way of making sure you get back safely."
We made our way out of Angela's and across campus. Dorian walked beside us, keeping pace with my slower movements.
When we reached the entrance to our dormitory, Dorian stopped.
"Alright, ladies. This is where I leave you. Make sure you rest, Raven. And take those medications."
"I will. Thank you for dinner, Dorian and for the company."
"Anytime." He looked at Samantha. "And thank you for giving me a chance. I know you did not want to come tonight."
She shrugged, but her expression had softened. "It was not terrible."
"High praise coming from you." He grinned. "Goodnight, both of you."
"Goodnight," we chorused.