Chapter 35 WHO'S THE NEW GIRL?
SERAPHINA'S POINT OF VIEW.
I walked through the grand halls of Ravenscroft High, dressed in my uniform. My heels clicked against the marble floors as I walked, my head high as I ignored the stares of everyone. They all looked at me with curiosity and interest in their gazes.
"Who is she?" I heard a girl say, as I walked past her.
Looking ahead, I saw them: Sloane and Him.
Lucien Ravenscroft, my fiancé. He tilted against her as she leaned against her locker, her books held tight against her chest, as she blushed. It was like the idiot didn't know any damn thing about PDA, and how disturbing it fucking was.
His hands were around her waist, as she playfully fought against him, her books pressed slightly against his chest as she turned away slightly. The blush on her cheeks almost made me gag as I stared at them.
He whispered something in her ear that made her blush and hide her head in his chest, as he smirked against her head. They were surrounded by four guys in impeccable uniforms.
My eyes locked with one of them. Dressed in the red variant of our uniform, his dark eyes settled on me as I walked towards them.
For some reason, my skin lit up as I moved, registering his eyes on my body. All of a sudden, I felt hot and small, the force of his stare intense on my pores.
I got to them in no time and stopped beside Sloane.
She turned from Lucien and smiled at me.
"Oh, hi, it's you!" She said, her expression joyful and light as she held onto Lucien's arm. The latter regarded me with a smoky expression, like he knew who the hell I was.
He pulled Sloane closer to him, as his hand wrapped itself around her arm protectively. "Seraphina." He said, his tone heavy and raw with something restrained.
Sloane's eyes widened as she looked between him and me, her mouth slightly agape as her eyebrows tightened.
"You're..?" She gasped, staring at me with a different expression I couldn't place my fingers on yet.
"Yes, his fiancée.e" I said, smirking as I ignored the gaze of the guy in a red uniform. His stare burned into my face, as his eyes fixed on me like I was a damn spectacle he couldn't unravel yet.
Turning to Lucien, I smirked, "I see you've been keeping busy. I'd advise you to get your affairs in order before it's too late. The engagement gala is coming up soon, and we wouldn't want any...." I trailed off, staring at Sloane before I continued, "Distractions are getting in the way of our union."
Lucien looked at me with a glare that could kill, but I fixed him with a sugary smile, as I leaned in to whisper, "Don't piut, dear future husband. Our union has been in the works for years now, and I don't lose. I'll let you play house with her, but not for long. When it's time, you belong to me alone." I said, and turned to Sloane.
"You can enjoy him while it lasts, but once it's time, I don't want to see you anywhere near him," I said, and turned to walk away.
"You're mouthy for a scholarship kid. You must not know what we do to them." His voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned to meet him as his dark eyes stared at me, his gaze still intense.
Lucien looked between him and me, as a small smirk played on his features.
"Isn't Lucien's plaything a scholarship kid?" I said, and walked off.
My heart beat almost exploded in my ears as I tried not to increase my pace; their eyes burned into my back as I walked, before rounding the hall.
The second I was sure they couldn't see me anymore, I broke into a small run until I got to the bathroom.
My cereal from earlier this morning rushes up my throat as bile rises, and I empty the contents of my stomach down the toilet.
My stomach coils with a sick feeling at the thought of hurting her. Her hurt eyes flash in my mind, forcing more food up my throat as I clutch the toilet bowl with tight fingers.
I groaned, clutching my stomach as I flushed.
"I don't think I can do this," I muttered, speaking to myself as I walked to the wash basin. Turning on the water, I washed my face, splashing the ice-cold water on it.
Staring at myself in the mirror, I fought tears as I thought back to the original plan.
'Protect her, she's the top priority.'
Sloane didn't know it yet, but she has been a constant in my life, from the moment my father brought me from the orphanage. My life has been dedicated to her, and anything concerning her.
The bathroom door opened, and footsteps echoed as heels clicked against the floor. I could smell her vanilla perfume as she walked in.
Stopping at my side, she wrapped a hand around my waist and whispered, "It's gonna be okay."
I looked at her with tear-filled eyes, as my lips wobbled up against the force of my composure. "I don't think I can do this, Mom," I whispered.
Her eyes softened as she caressed my cheeks tenderly. "I know it's hard, but this must be done. We have waited too long, and things have gotten out of control beyond what we can manage. If we wait even a moment longer, she'll move further away from us." She says, reminding me of the reason I was here.
"But what if Sloane remembers everything before it's time. What if her memory comes back? We already sent her the threat to leave Lucien, or her father would lose his job, and that didn't work. If anything, it pushed her further into Ravenscroft's arms."
She smiled, her eyes light with understanding, but I knew better. She had something up her sleeve, and when she released it, I hoped Sloane would survive it.
"I expected it. It's alright, there's a plan B." She says, pulling me to stand straight, as my reflection stares back at me.
"It's your first day. I wouldn't have you looking anything less than powerful. So chin up, and face this head on." She says, tilting my chin up.
On instinct, I stood straight in front of the mirror and took in a couple of deep breaths.
She stood beside me in silence as I did my exercise.
I opened my eyes and met her stare in the mirror. A smile pulled at her lips as she said, "I take it you're good again."
"Yes, mother. I think I have to get to class. It is my first day after all." I said as I pulled my lipstick from my skirt pocket.
Applying a retouch on my lips, I smiled at my image in the mirror, as the sight of my true self was unveiled once more.
"That's more like it. " She says, before heading out the door.
"Mom?" I call out, and she stops, waiting to hear what I have to say, but without turning to face me.
"Good luck with literature class."