I almost forgot everything after a good night's sleep. Daniel had not come to my room to apologise. I really wasn't expecting an apology because I was well aware that his behaviour last night was a glimpse of his inner demon.
The words of that mysterious woman echoed in my head, she sounded like Daniel's mother, but didn't his mother pass away?
Anyway like always I was late for college. I was still lying in my bed, a bit reluctant to go outside because of last night's dramatic incident but I knew my homeroom professor was going to chew me alive if I kept being late to college.
I picked up my phone and messaged Tara as usual.
"Good Morning."
She immediately replied:
"Are you coming to college or what?"
My reply was very complicated.
" If the situation improves, I'll come otherwise take a picture of all the notes for me."
Thankfully she thought I was referring to my health. She went offline immediately. I pulled on a sweatshirt and went outside as quietly as ever. My heart pounded in my chest but I made my way to the kitchen hoping that Daniel wasn't there already.
Thank goodness the kitchen was empty. I saw a note pasted on the fridge door. It said:
"Dear Viviane, I am truly sorry for what happened last night, I am going away for a while, I'll be back before you arrive from college."
Well, this devil was very gentlemanly or gentle devilish. I cringed at myself silently.
He was so civilized I couldn't imagine him burning people in hell. Without further ado, I got dressed and had a rapid breakfast, luckily I caught a bus.
I was present in my college by the end of my first lecture. Tara saw me and gave me a look that said "Ms Natasha is gonna skin me alive" So I avoided her at all costs.
My day went smoothly thanks to Tara's special help until I was specially called to the Principal's office. Dreadfully Ms Natasha was also summoned there. I wanted to vanish into absolute thin air.
My Principal asked:
"Miss Viviane I want to meet your guardians next Saturday. Is that possible?"
I replied: "I am not sure as you know my guardians are in Florida, but I can ask them, if it's possible we can avoid calling them here, I'm sure we can sort things out."
Ms Natasha blurted: " No not at all!"
I kept my mouth shut. My Principal said:
"Yes but after we discuss things with you, you will try to arrange a meeting with them."
I nodded. The discussion was so long that I had to stay after off time. Mainly my constant absences were the issue. My grades were fine except for History and Geography as it seemed impossible to read maps and memorize all the important dates.
I finally escaped the long lecture by saying:
"I will improve my attendance and show you better results."
But Ms Natasha caught me in the hallway.
" I will make sure you fail this year, mark my words, Viviane. I'll prove that the spoilt adopted daughter of a billionaire can never pass or graduate from college."
I bit my tongue to prevent myself from arguing, but this was my limit. Tears filled my eyes as I ran away. I heard Ms Natasha speak:
" Crying or Running won't save you."
My anger made me ignore Tara who had been waiting for me outside our campus. I wasn't in the mood to let Tara see how messed up I was.
I reached my apartment and opened the door. I went to my room and flung myself onto my bed, burying my head in my pillow as I cried to my heart's content until someone softly called my name.
Daniel. He was sitting on my balcony. No surprise there, I mean he could fly all the way to my balcony without using the elevator. I didn't reply so he came near my bed and wordlessly picked me up so effortlessly as if I was a flower or a leaf.
I didn't try protesting against his actions for two reasons; I was exhausted and also curious where he would take me. I wanted him to drop me in the depths of hell. He read my thoughts and said:
" Only a fool would drop a gem like you in hell...." He said with a pause. "But if that is your wish my lady then....."
Oh My God! My sarcasm was gonna get me killed one day. I replied:
"No please don't ever drop me, even if I say so and would you give me some privacy, always reading my mind."
He chuckled. We were in the air, and I was almost clinging to his shoulder, my ear inches away from his mouth. He murmured quiet words on my neck.
"Never, I would never drop you because you're mine."
My heart skipped a beat, sensing his possessive demeanour but I was glad he'd never let me fall. I asked innocently:
"Thank you but what do you mean by me being yours?"
He smirked and said: "You'll see eventually."
Those words sent a shiver down my spine. We flew in silence for a long while until he broke the ice by asking:
"Earlier, you seemed upset. Did I cause your sadness, love?"
His nickname made my head spin but I forced myself to think straight and answered:
"No that wasn't your fault. I just ran into my homeroom teacher who has a huge grudge against me."
He seemed very interested and asked why. I replied quietly:
" Well, it's a very weird story. Her spoilt son asked me out and I obviously refused, then he began stalking me and I reported him to the police. When Ms Natasha found out she threw a tantrum that my adoptive mother had to fight off. And since that day she thinks I'm a spoilt and rich girl who refused her poor little son."
A funny expression appeared on Daniel's face.
"You humans are very peculiar indeed, but in my opinion, you have a right to refuse any unwanted love interests. If you don't mind me asking, Viv does this happen very often with you?"
"Well, yes lots of guys ask me out but I refuse them all because I'm scared that once they see the truth through all my makeup and beauty, they will surely run in the opposite direction. And I don't need any more heartbreaks."
Daniel gave me a look that told me he understood me very well. He further questioned:
"Have you found love yet?"
I almost choked while answering that question but I told him the truth.
"Well, almost. I fell in love with Micheal Drew, whom I first met in high school and he has been my crush ever since but you know better than anyone, what happened to that love story. I got betrayed by my first love and hence I'm a bit scared and hesitant to go looking for love."
When I finished, Daniel wordlessly lifted me into the skies, by my waist and I savoured the cold breeze on my face that made my hair fly. Something made me yell:
"Take me higher than the stars, my Devil Prince."
The moment those words left my lips, Daniel grinned with satisfaction, he wasn't making fun of my poetry infact he had a look of triumph on his face, he had won my heart. I mean no other boyfriend could take you for a flight through the clouds than the Devil himself.
A flap of his majestic black wings made me slip right through his grip but I clung to him tighter than ever. He looked at me mischievously and said:
"It was your idea to go higher Viviane, so do hold on tighter, I wouldn't want to break my promise of never dropping you."
I laughed and teased him:
"Just try to drop me, you Devil, and I'll make you regret it very much."
His eyes widened at my playful threat and he grinned. A raise of his eyebrows made me ask:
"What?"
He said:
"Are you always this attractive or is it one of the effects of flying so high with me?"
Damn, he made me blush so often, I bit my lip to stop the ridiculous grin from spreading on my face. I chose silence as the best answer to his question.