Chapter 19: Gossips

I checked the time on my wrist watch as I frantically made my way to the next lesson. I could not see where I was going, so there were times when I accidently butted shoulders with someone who passed on the side of my path that was opposite theirs. My thoughts kept going back to the eerie and intriguing events I experienced while I was there in that *realm*, which were still fresh in my memory. It blows my mind that a spot like that can be found in the center of one of the most prestigious and towering multi-billionaire buildings in the nation!

"Hey, you weren't able to make it to the group reporting earlier. You're lucky that the instructor provides you at least fifty percent of the credit for the work put forward by your group—”

I swiftly put up my hand, closed my eyes in irritation, and bit the bottom part of my lips. I had almost completely blocked out the fact that Mackenzie was standing just behind me when I turned around to see. “I-I’m sorry… I was just—”

“Preoccupied, it’s alright! I get it,” Mackenzie stopped me off in the middle of my sentence as he gripped his hand together and tried to force himself to chuckle. Whatever the case may be, his dimples remained visible, and the way he shook his shoulders emanated an air of natural authority.

I took a step forward while simultaneously shaking my head and accidently knocking over a table. After bringing my attention back up, I noticed that I was already inside of our classroom. The horrified looks on the faces of my classmates looked like they saw a ghost. After I inadvertently stared into the eyes of my fellow members of the group, they all turned away, and some of them began talking among themselves while gazing suspiciously towards the periphery of their vision.

Mackenzie held my waist as he was trying to get me back onto the freeway. "You are not yourself, Lita,” Mackenzie sort of laughed as he wondered, "Where were you yesterday that caused you to feel tired like this?"

As our gazes connected, I quickly blinkered my eyes several times. My lips were apart, but it seemed as if my mouth was attempting to form a word that I shouldn't be sharing with anybody. The specifics of the blood contract that I had signed came flooding back into my consciousness, and I recalled that it said that I am not permitted to discuss it with anybody who was not a member of the realm or tell anyone else about it once I am *outside the realm*.

Mackenzie persuaded me that he couldn't sleep at night merely waiting for my messages, despite the fact that I shook my head and told him to stop being so demanding. To be honest, up until this point, I didn't even bother opening my phone.

*Come on, Lita! You should think of an alibi!*

“I… I—” *My goodness! I can’t even think properly!*

“Perhaps she’s doing some personal stuff knowing that her sister has been in need of medical attention lately because of the swimming pool accident.” A voice that was casually interested yet mostly unconcerned abruptly cut in.

*It’s Dwayne.* As soon as he realized that I had noticed him, he immediately moved to a position where he was resting his back against the doorknob while standing in the center of the doorframe.

The expression on Mackenzie's face unexpectedly changed to curving downward lips. After a little period of looking down, he suddenly walked up to Dwayne and sought him to give him a high-five. In the end, Dwayne did shake hands with Mackenzie, which was a surprise to me since I thought he wouldn't accept Mackenzie's handshake.

During the time that the two of them were talking about something that I couldn't hear, the thought of Dwayne's existence in the realm kept running through my head. He carried on that *Dwayne* I knew from school as if we hadn't just emerged from the previously mentioned terrifying ordeal.

“Psh, so noisy,” a classmate sitting next to me complained. She moved to a seat further back in the room in order to avoid hearing Mackenzie's chuckle. My eyes followed her motions and I stared at her as if I were looking into nothing more than a black void.

After Mackenzie had finished talking to me, he approached me with a smile on his face and his cheeks protruding. He then offered, "Why don't we have some coffee after class?" He made a motion with his arms as if he were ready to give someone a hug.

Mackenzie and I made eye contact once more, and ever since then, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the werewolf shadow that appeared before my eyes that night and came from Mackenzie's direction.

After recognizing that I was not engaged in what he was saying, his cheerful face gradually vanished. When I turned around to look at Dwayne again, he had made a noise with his teeth before he left the classroom. I immediately followed him before the class began shortly, which left Mackenzie's offer hanging in the air.

"Dwayne, hold on just a second!" I addressed him in his presence. Even only a few of the nearby students cast their eyes our way.

Dwayne came to a halt and confronted me after turning his back on me. "Would you just try to maintain some kind of respect for yourself? Everyone's eyes are on you as you go by. You make it seem as if you live in a rough neighborhood.”

I gulped down some saliva as I stared at the wrinkles between his eyebrows. “D-Did we meet each other in a… you know…” *I can’t say it here!*

He turned his back.

“Wait!” I held his elbow out of desperation. When he looked back, I quickly added, “How did you know that *place*? Where did you go after you ran away from those werewolves?”

Dwayne seemed intent on peering into my eyes as if trying to make out his own reflection. He was so taken aback that it took him well over a minute to even glance at some parts of my face. His bleary eyes were starting to soften, and I found myself both aware and inquisitive about his thoughts. Until we heard a swarm of people capturing pictures at us, we didn't realize we were holding each others’ hands.

Dwayne removed his hand from me. He postured himself upright and moved several paces away from me before standing still. He turned his head aside as if nothing had taken place. After then, his face resumed its authoritative expression.

He did a throat clearing and coughed twice. He continued to stare around until the students gradually left and stopped snapping photographs of us, at which point he stopped sneering at them too. Even if we didn't do anything illegal, it's almost certain that these images will be sent around the school and that it will become an issue.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he responded… No, he *denied*.

I blinked my eyes several times and let out a huff. With a creased forehead I attempted to step forward to emphasize my questions more, but the bell suddenly rang, indicating the start of our next class.