After what happened in the courtyard, you'd think that I'd be pumping with adrenaline. But I wasn't. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to really get my heart racing. It was exciting and liberating to know that I could take out professional fighters. But in the end, that sort of violence was pretty meaningless since it didn't help me achieve my goals.
Without an ounce of concern about the carnage I left in my wake, I continued my trek towards the Recreation Building.
Now that I wasn't trying to lead a group of assailants towards a deserted area, I was headed towards a populated area with plenty of people. Because it was Friday, there was a lot of energy in the air. The girls all wanted to have fun and relax.
I overheard some of them chatting about their weekend plans. Most of them were pretty mundane—going to the mall, streaming shows—that sort of thing. Some were a bit less mundane. I walked past a group of girls talking about getting wasted.
It was kind of funny listening to them. Their leader was a pockmarked dame with braces and oodles of confidence. The other girls looked just as awkward as their leader to worsening degrees. Apparently, she had the hook-up. They were talking about drinking and smoking like it was in vogue. But what do I know? Maybe it was. It wasn't like I had friends to talk about this stuff with anyway.
Friends, huh?
You know, after everything that happened, I really didn't have a single friend. Calypso was awesome, but she was more like a mentor than a friend. Kokopelli was like a wise, yet distant uncle. My relationship with Rhea was pretty much carnal. There was no one that I could unload on.
It was kind of sad.
Oh well. No sense in crying about it now. I've been a loner all of these years. I glanced at the girls making a scene about their plans to destroy their developing brain cells and just smiled. If that's how they chose to blow off some steam, who was I to judge them?
Several girls walked past me. Most of them smiled at me. Some leered at me…in a slightly disconcerting way. I didn't mind being checked out but come on!
My eyes are up here!
"Excuse me. Kyah?"
I heard a soft voice and I looked up. She was walking next to an older man in a mechanic's shirt and a pair of rust-covered jeans. His hands were big and scarred. Just from a simple glance, you'd know that he was a working man.
But it wasn't him who had spoken to me. It was the slim brunette beside him.
"Maria?" When I spoke her name, she smiled in a sweet way.
"Yeah." She glanced at the man beside her, "Papa? I'm going to chat with her for a quick sec. I'll be right there."
The brutish man smiled as he looked at his daughter. In that smile was boundless love and affection. In that moment, he didn't so much look like a brute than a gigantic teddy bear. It made me miss my own dad.
He left us alone without a word. But there was a pep to his step that told me all I needed to know.
Once he was gone, I stared Maria in the eyes. "You didn't tell him what happened?"
She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No. I couldn't. I don't want him to be worried."
"That's your choice. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life. See ya." As far as I was concerned, she didn't owe me anything. And I sure as hell didn't owe her anything, not even my time. I turned to leave.
"W-wait!"
But I stopped when I heard the desperation in her voice.
"Yeah?"
"Umm. I wanted to thank you. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid to consider what would've happened to me. Thank you. I'm incredibly grateful."
She smiled in a slightly broken way, but it was still a beautiful expression.
I took a moment to take a good look at her. She was wearing a scarf despite the warm weather. She was also favoring her side.
"Your dad didn't ask about the bruise around your neck?"
Her smile crumbled. "You can see it?!" She reached up to adjust the scarf.
I shook my head. "No. But the scarf stands out."
"Yeah. I tried putting make-up on. But I needed so much that I thought it would be noticeable. I used this for just a little extra protection."
"How about your ribs? Broken?"
"Hmm. Nope. They're bruised pretty badly. But I've had worse." She didn't elaborate and I didn't ask.
"Well, you thanked me and I accepted it. We're even. Don't go off in the woods with a psychopath anymore. Kay?"
"Yeah. It was stupid of me but I was desperate."
"That's your own business. But if you pull something like that again, don't think I'll show up to rescue you. I just happened to be passing by. I'm not your guardian angel."
Her face turned red. "Y-you're right. Umm…I'm sorry to ask but…"
I held up my hand, waving her words away. "Don't worry. I'm not going to go around and gossip about what happened. As far as I'm concerned, it's between you, me and that bitch. I won't say a thing."
She looked relieved. "Thank you so much! I know you said that we're even but I don't feel that way. I will definitely repay you one day. I promise!"
"Sure. Sure. No problem. You'd better not keep your dad waiting for too long."
"You're right. Thanks again, Kyah."
"You're welcome. Bye."
I didn't ask her how she knew my name. It was obvious she knew who I was last night. Besides, everyone in this school knows who I am. I used to by the heiresses' whipping girl. They'd beat me up and down this expensive private school. They all knew and no one did a thing to help me, which is why I don't feel obligated to go out of my way for any of these assholes.
Maria's situation was an outlier. That's all it was.
Seriously!
Ahem! Anyway…
I finally made my way to the Recreation Building. Since I was there, I decided to check out the pool.
The smell of chlorine was distinct as I headed down the tiled hallway towards the tinted double doors. On the other side, I could hear girls laughing and water splashing. When I opened the door, the sounds of laughter suddenly stopped.
There wasn't a lifeguard on duty, so there were a bunch of impromptu games going on inside and around the pool. Several girls were playing chicken. While a few were playing some sort of water basketball/rugby combination. When they saw me, they all quieted down, but when they realized I wasn't an authority figure, the games continued.
I watched them for a few minutes and then got bored. I turned to leave when suddenly I heard someone call my name.
"Kyah! Hi!" I turned to find a cute and bookish girl running towards me. Her short and wet curls stuck to her head while she directed a resplendent smile in my direction. Her body was soft and surprisingly curvy in her 2-piece. She looked like a river nymph, with her soft curves, sweet face, and sex appeal.
I almost didn't recognize her. "Lexi?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Hey!" She wasn't wearing her glasses, so I didn't know it was her at first. In that moment, I finally understood how Lois Lane must've felt. The lack of glasses and a costume change completely changed everything about her. She was cute before, but now she was downright tempting.
When she made it over to me, she pulled me into a hug.
I felt awkward considering this was only the second time in the last 5-years that we've spoken. Her overly familiar behavior was slightly off-putting, regardless of her hot figure.
"What's up?" Gently, I pushed her away while I stood up to my full height.
She didn't seem bothered by it. "Nothing. I'm just hanging with some of my girlfriends." She pointed over her shoulder and I saw 3 girls watching us. None of them looked particularly familiar. "I saw you after I got out of the pool and wanted to say hi."
"Oh. Okay. Well, hi. I'm going to go out to the gym."
I turned to leave and she stepped forward and grabbed my hand. I stopped. "Hey, umm. Are we still on for Sunday?"
I saw the subtle heat in her eyes. She reminded me of Rhea in a way. They were both unassuming but there was definitely a strong erotic bone in their bodies. I nodded.
She smiled, "Great! Hey, umm…so Mira's parents actually came to pick her up as a surprise. So, it's just going to be the 2 of us. Is that cool?"
I couldn't help but smile. She was looking up at me through her long eyelashes. Her full and shapely lips looked downright delectable.
I don't know what came over me, but in that moment, I felt something stir inside of me. It wasn't exactly sexual. It was more bestial than that.
I turned until I was directly facing her. I towered over her. I pinched her chin between my fingers, "Are you nervous?"
She shook her head slightly, "N-no."
I stepped closer to her. I could feel her body trembling. "Don't worry. I won't eat you alive. But if you want, I'll give you a front row seat to what you heard the other night. That is…if you're a good girl. Can you be a good girl for me, Lexi?"
She stared into my eyes, her eyes swimming while her face grew red. She was rubbing her knees together as her chest heaved. I could feel the lust radiating off her in waves. She licked her lips in a slow and delightful manner.
Her voice was as quiet as a whisper, but I could hear her perfectly. "Y-yes. Yes, I can be a good girl for you."
That was all I wanted to hear. I smiled as I imagined what I would do to her.
"Good. Then I'll see you Sunday." After winking at her, I released her face and turned around to leave. This time, she didn't stop me.
The gym wasn't as busy as it was last time. There were only a few people last time. But now, there was just me and 1 other girl. But when she saw me enter, she hightailed it out.
I didn't pay any attention to it. I didn't really care. I wasn't trying to make friends. I just wanted to sweat.
I completed my workout in a little under an hour and headed into the shower. It was even dead in there.
"Whatever. No sweat off my back."
If I'd been more aware, I would've realized the emptiness around me was just a prelude to the incoming danger.