Chapter 106: I Don't Have A Boyfriend
Evelyn's POV
By six in the evening, Aria and I were starving but mentally relaxed after finishing our assignments. We headed downstairs for food before Conrad's arrival, only to find two hot meals already waiting at a table, labeled with our names.
"How'd they know?" Aria whispered, picking up her name card.
I smiled slightly. "Henry and Jenny have this weird sixth sense about what everyone needs. Reminds me of Isabella and Adam - they pay attention without getting in your face about it."
We ate quietly, though I couldn't ignore the tension in the room. Seraphina and her two followers sat in the corner, whispering and staring at us like we were some science experiment.
"What's their deal?" Aria muttered, stabbing a piece of meat. "They haven't stopped glaring since we walked in."
"Probably plotting how to mess with our drinks without getting caught," I joked, though I knew Seraphina's issues ran deeper than petty pranks.
We'd barely finished eating when Seraphina and her crew materialized at the exit, blocking our path with practiced precision.
"Well, if it isn't the training center's princess and her new sidekick," Seraphina sneered. "Since when does anyone get special meals before everyone else?"
I took a deep breath, but Aria beat me to it.
"We've got mission prep that needed an adjusted schedule," she said coolly. "If that bothers you, take it up with Warrior Conrad."
"Just another handout for the spoiled princess," Seraphina shot back, glaring at me. "Everyone knows why you're really here."
Aria stepped forward slightly, not aggressive but definitely assertive. "We started training before sunrise today. While you were still in dreamland, we were already sweating our asses off. We've put in more hours than you've seen. If you've got problems, the Sentinels picking us up at eight would love to hear why you're holding up mission personnel."
At the words "mission personnel," Seraphina faltered for a second before recovering her attitude. "Whatever. You two keep enjoying your special treatment while the rest of us follow every damn rule and train until we drop. Even if you graduate, you'll never get the important assignments."
We walked past them without another word. No point wasting energy on this - we really did train harder, with me dragging Aria out for extra conditioning every morning, not to mention dealing with all the obstacles Seraphina threw at us during regular sessions.
Back in our room, Aria flopped against her headboard with a sigh. "That girl has it out for you like it's her life mission."
"How do you know it's just me she hates?" I asked. "I'd think she's more jealous of you. You showed up and owned the place like you built it yourself, dominating training your first night." I laughed. "I probably still have bruises."
"Don't be ridiculous," Aria rolled her eyes. "We both know you heal in like five minutes. I'm a warrior; my aura should be felt. But seriously," she shifted position, expression thoughtful, "you arrived with nobody knowing you. This tiny, fragile-looking person..."
"Tiny?" I raised an eyebrow. "That reminds me of my friends."
I smiled, remembering. "I have this friend who calls me 'Tiny.' Actually, all my friends have similar nicknames about my height - 'Lightning Girl,' 'Mini Warrior,' stuff like that." The memories made me sigh. "I really miss them."
"Is he special to you?" Aria's eyes suddenly lit with curiosity.
"They all are," I said, "Stubborn and bossy, but also incredibly good people. I miss them a lot."
"They?" Aria's eyes widened. "How many hearts did you break when you left Polaris City?"
"Wait, what? Heartbreak? What are you talking about?"
"That look in your eyes," she sat up straighter, like she'd discovered buried treasure. "Come on, they're not just regular friends. How many boyfriends were you juggling back home?"
"What? No! It's not like that!" I felt my voice rise. "I don't have a boyfriend. Never had one."
"So you're saying you have guy friends but never did anything about it? No dates, no kisses, no hand-holding, nothing?"
"Well, they'd sometimes hold my hand when I got nervous - it helped calm me down. And yeah, they'd kiss my cheek or forehead, but no, I've never actually dated any of them."
"So they were all over you with affection, and you completely missed all the signals." Aria grinned like she'd won a prize. "You were totally clueless."
"That's ridiculous. There weren't any signals. They're my brother's friends and just super protective." I rolled my eyes.
"Keep telling yourself that." She shook her head, laughing. "You probably missed out on 'first experiences' with future Gammas, Deltas, and Alphas. Bet they had plenty of 'experience' they could've shared with you." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
I grabbed my pillow and threw it at her face. She caught it easily, laughing harder. "See? You're getting all flustered! That's how I know I'm right."
"Change the subject!" I demanded, feeling my face heat up. "The mission is what matters. What should we bring tonight?"
Aria sighed dramatically but played along. "Fine, but we're definitely revisiting this later. Grab an extra jacket. Always good to have more layers if we need to shift suddenly."
"I really wish someone would teach me how to shift without destroying my clothes," I muttered.
We each grabbed a thick jacket, then waited in the entrance hall, comfortable in our shared silence. One thing I loved about Aria - she didn't feel the need to fill every quiet moment with random talk.
At exactly eight, the door swung open to reveal Conrad's imposing figure. He didn't step inside, and his expression made it clear he was here under protest, not bothering to hide his displeasure. Seeing his face, my heart sank. Those old feelings crept back - of being unwanted by my father, of never being good enough.
I warned myself not to slip back into that mindset. I'd worked too hard to ensure nobody, including myself, ever felt that way again. Should I call him out? Or just ignore the obvious issue? At least Aria and I were together; we could focus on completing the mission and gaining valuable experience. Everything else - Conrad's attitude, Seraphina's jealousy, my distant friends - was secondary right now.
Conrad turned and left without a word. We hurried after him to an all-terrain tactical vehicle, its dark gray body looking menacing under the night sky, windows tinted to near-black. We climbed into the back seat, neither of us wanting to sit alone with Conrad in his current mood.
He glanced at us in the rearview mirror, grunted, and started the engine. The windows were so dark I could only see vague outlines of the landscape as we drove away from the training center and castle into territory I'd never seen before. My heart raced with excitement - this was a real mission, not some training exercise.
The vehicle jolted violently over rough terrain, snapping me back to reality.
"Hang on," Conrad growled. "Gets worse ahead. We usually run this route."
"If you normally run here," I asked pointedly, unable to keep the edge from my voice, "why specifically drive today? Is this another test?"