Chapter 179 Room 315

Chapter 179 Room 315


Zarek’s POV

This damn day kept getting worse by the second. Apparently being five minutes late to orientation was a crime punishable by torture. That was the only explanation I could come up with because the instructor had flat-out refused to give me my room packet.
No room key.
No schedule.
Nothing.
Instead, he’d informed me that since I’d missed the first orientation, I’d be attending the next one in its entirety.
Lucky me.
So now I sat in the exact same chair princess had tried stealing earlier while listening to the same boring speech all over again. The thought alone made me roll my eyes. 
Honestly, I still couldn’t believe she’d planted herself in my lap. Normal people didn’t do things like that. The girl was completely unhinged.
More students filtered into the room while I suffered through my punishment. One guy in particular walked through the doorway like he owned the entire academy.
I almost laughed. The confidence was impressive. Misplaced. But impressive.
He headed straight toward the back and dropped into the seat beside me without so much as a glance in my direction. My attention immediately drifted toward the crest stitched onto his blazer.
A bat. Of course he’s a vampire. Just my luck. The guy finally looked over. His gaze landed on my sleeve before a smirk appeared. “Damn.”
I lifted an eyebrow.
“Hello. I’m Adrian.” He introduced himself casually before glancing down at the packet on his desk. A second later his eyes shot back to mine. “Oh please forgive me.” The apology sounded genuine. “Is this seat taken? I probably should’ve asked before plopping my big ass down.”
He started to stand. But I raised a hand. “No. You’re fine.”
The relief on his face was immediate. “Oh thank the gods.” He dragged a hand across his forehead dramatically. “I thought I was about to become a cautionary tale.”
Despite myself, I almost smirked.
The instructor started talking before either of us could continue the conversation. Not that I was interested in continuing it. I already knew everything he was about to say. Unfortunately, knowing it didn’t stop him from talking.
Several minutes later the doors opened again. Two girls stepped inside before immediately freezing.
A grin slowly spread across my face. Finally. Something entertaining.
I raised my hand. The instructor looked less than thrilled to acknowledge me. “Yes?”
I motioned toward the doorway. “So since orientation already started, are they attending the next one too?”
Several students snorted. The instructor’s eye twitched. Oh fuck. This was very much worth it.
His gaze shifted toward the girls before returning to me. His shoulders slumped as though life had personally betrayed him. “Yes, ladies. You’ll need to attend the next orientation as well. You’re welcome to stay or return later.”
The look on their faces was priceless. Especially the taller one. Her head snapped toward me so fast I thought she might hurt herself. Then she marched straight down the aisle and stopped directly in front of my desk.
I crossed my arms over my chest, making sure my dragon crest remained visible.
Her gaze dropped to it. Then immediately returned to my face. Her eyes widened slightly.
Interesting. Most people either stared too long or avoided looking altogether. She did neither. Instead, she narrowed her eyes before taking the seat directly in front of me.
The blonde girl accompanying her sat beside her before turning around with a bright smile. Uh oh. This is not going to be good. 
“You know you’re cute, right?” She smiled real big. 
Adrian immediately elbowed me. Hard. “I think she likes you.”
I shot him a look. He looked entirely too amused.
The blonde giggled. “My name is Miranda. I’m fae.” She motioned toward her friend. “That’s Bernice. You should be careful around her though.” Bernice groaned. Miranda ignored her. “She’s a witch. She might turn you into a frog.” Another giggle escaped her.
Bernice looked like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Personally, I understood the feeling.
I slowly inhaled before releasing the breath. Yeah. This day needed to hurry up and end. One girl was flirting. The other looked ready to commit murder. The instructor hated me. And I still didn’t have my room key. Fantastic.
The speech dragged on for what felt like years. Every few minutes I glanced toward the clock only to discover another thirty seconds had passed. At one point I seriously considered throwing myself through the nearest window.
Eventually, mercy arrived. The instructor finally began passing out the actual packets. The second mine touched the desk, I grabbed it. Mission accomplished.
I didn’t wait for dismissal. Didn’t wait for closing remarks. Didn’t wait for another speech. I stood up and left. Fast.
The academy hallways were still crowded as students carried luggage toward the residential wing. Several noticed the dragon crest stitched onto my blazer and immediately stepped aside.
The farther I walked, the quieter the corridors became until I finally reached the upper residential floors. 
I checked the room number on my packet. I knew I’d be put on the third floor. This floor was the deluxe suites. My parents insisted that I be put away from others. For their sakes of course. 
I slid the key card into the lock. The light flashed green. The lock clicked. Finally. I pushed the door open.
At that exact moment, the door beside mine opened as well. The sound made me pause. Slowly, I turned my head. My entire mood immediately crashed. Standing in the doorway of room 314 was the last person I wanted to see.
Arabella.
For several seconds neither of us spoke. We simply stared at each other. Disbelief mirrored my own expression.
Then her eyes narrowed. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me, Mr. Lizard Boy.”