I have never been so excited for classes to start. At the beginning of the bet, everyone agreed that me and Ben would still be allowed to attend out normal classes so that the teachers wouldn't know anything is going on. A clause that I am thankful for.
All of the students come to the school three days before classes start so that the first years can get sorted into their house, and everyone else can get settled in, reconnect with their friends and familiarise themselves with where everything is. There are a lot of classrooms, training areas and buildings to try and find. It can get confusing if you've never been to one of the buildings before. The hardest to find are the training areas in the fields, especially field seven, which is the furthest field away from the main school building. Only a select few students go there, its where the sword training arena is and the close-combat training ring. Only the top students in each year are allowed to go to that field.
I'm making my way over to the field now, with the unfortunate company of Jayson Millard. We haven't spoken much the past couple of days. After Jayson's display of dominance the other day, the boys have been reluctant to ask me to do anything. The only ones that have are Kane and his friends. I found out from Blaise that Kane has been trying to turn the house against Jayson ever since he came to the school, but everybody seems pretty loyal to Jayson.
It's pretty common for the Ares house to appoint a leader, sometimes they don't even get appointed, they just make themselves leader and everyone just follows because they recognise them as their superior. It's pretty medieval if you ask me. Jayson manage to assume the role of leader because of his outstanding test scores. He over-scored everyone in the house, even the older students that were still there. The only person that got close to his score, was Kane.
Kane's group have still been making me get them drinks, make them sandwiches and dinner, but none of the other boys have asked me to do anything for them. A couple of Kane's group tried to get me to jump into the lake naked, but Jayson came out before they were able to do anything further. He has been watching me like a hawk, but he hasn't said a word to me, only fleeting glances and glares at the boys who are making me their servants. He hasn't stopped them though, only if they go too far, like trying to get me naked.
My injuries have stopped bleeding though, they've healed quite nicely. Today is the first day that I have been able to open my eye properly. It is still a brilliant shade or purple, but no one can see that with the amount of concealer that I have on it.
"You sure you're ready to go back to class?" I steal a glance out of the corner of my eye to where Jayson is walking next to me. He looks tired, his hair isn't gelled back like it usually is, its tousled, like he has been running his hands through it.
"I don't have a choice, if my father found out I didn't turn up to class, he would kick my ass," I whisper back, barely above a whisper. I take my gaze away from him, looking back in front me. We are nearly at the entrance to the field. Three teachers a lined up along the entrance with clipboards in their hands, waiting to tell students where they will be for the remainder of the day.
"Have your cuts stopped bleeding?" he asks, his voice just as low as mine.
"Yes, they have healed quite nicely. You know, you shouldn't really care about my welfare, Jayson" I reply tightly. I try to speed ahead of him, hoping that the conversation is over, but Jayson has other ideas. He grabs my elbow in a tight grip, pulling me back to him. I gasp at the force of his tug, causing me to fall back a little. Of course, he catches me, pulling me to him, my back against his chest.
"I care about more than your welfare, Evangeline," he whispers in my ear, tucking a strand behind it, making me shiver at the contact.
"What do you mean?" I curse myself for how weak the question comes out. I can feel his growing smirk against my ear, letting me know that he knows the affect he has on me.
"Eva!" I look up as someone calls my name. I see Charlie smiling at me from the entrance of the field. I can't help but smile brightly back at him. I didn't realise how much I have missed him until now. I miss being able to talk and laugh with him. I have always been a lot closer to Charlie than I have the rest of the group. I try to move out of Jayson's grip, to run up and hug him, but Jayson won't let me move, his grip tightening on my arm.
"You can't talk to him, Eva. Its against the rules of the bet," Jay whispers. He's right, it was in the rules that he dictated to everyone when I first came to the house. I smile sadly at Charlie, and he seems to understand as he smiles sadly back at me, stopping in his advances over to me. He turns back around to the group of people he was talking to, but looks back at me with sorrowful eyes. I close my eyes, sagging against Jayson, making his hold on my tighten even more.
"You already make my life hell, what more do you want from me?" I mutter under my breath.
"I want-"
"Wood! Millard! You're making the class late!" We both jump away from each other at the sound of Mr Anderson's booming voice. Everyone waiting at the entrance turns to look at us. I see Charlie and Jaimie looking at me with guilty expressions, probably hating themselves for not being able to do anything. I smile at them, pulling myself away from Jayson and walking over to the group.
"Right! Now that everyone is here," I flush with embarrassment as everyone turns to look at Jayson and I.
"We are going to do things a little different this year. You are going to be paired up based on skill set. Doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl, or what house you are in, you will be put with someone who has a similar set of skills to you. Mrs Tanner will call the names for weapons training. Mr Orland will call the names for close combat, once you hear your name, go to either the combat ring, or the weapons mats."
"Do you think this has something to do with your father?" I tense at the sound of Jayson's voice close to my ear.
"What do you mean?" I whisper back, keeping my eyes forward, listening out for my name as Mrs Tanner begins to read from her list.
"They've never mixed the houses up before, they've always done boys with boys and girls with girls, do you think your father has asked them to mix us up because of the bet?" I frown at his words. He has a point. They have never mixed the houses up before, and they never let the boys go up against the girls.
"Maybe, but why would he do that?"
"To make sure you win? This is way you won't be able to come in contact with anyone from Zeus, he might be making sure that there are no chances of you losing," Jayson whispers back, moving closer to me as he does.
"That doesn't sound like my father. He wouldn't do anything that would raise questions with the other teachers though," I turn my gaze to the side to look at Jayson. I jump back a little at how close he is to me, his eyes searching out mine. "What are you doing?" I mutter shakily, moving back to put some space between us.
"You're very jumpy today, Eva," Jayson smirks at me before turning his attention back to the teachers. Everyone from Mrs Tanner's group has headed over to the weapons mats, leaving just ten for Mr Orland.
"Okay, the rest of you are in Mr Orland's class this morning so head on over to the combat ring," of course me and Jayson have been put in the same class. If this does have something to do with my father, he definitely knows how to ruin my school life.
"Alright, listen up!" Mr Orland shouts as we all line up in front of the rings. Mr Orland is a scary man. The rumours are that he used to be in the army, but he got captured and tortured by the other side, causing him deep trauma. Then he came here and became the close combat teacher. He's brutal and relentless. He doesn't care if you have a broken leg and can't walk, you will continue until the bell signals. He's a stocky man, bald head and piercing blue eyes. I don't think there's a single person in the school who isn't afraid of him.
"Okay, so as Anderson said, today is going to be different," Mr Orland paces in front of us, his hands behind his back and his head held high. "I will put you into groups of two and you will work on the techniques that we touched upon at the end of last year. I want to see precision and accuracy. I don't want to see any of you guessing. You have to read your opponent, watch their every move to calculate where they are going to strike before they even know where they are going to strike. It's not going to be easy, and a lot of you will get hurt, but if any of you coming moaning to me that you need to go to the nurse, then I will fail you. Is that understood?"
"Yes Sir!" everyone shouts back. I relax a little, knowing that at least this class will be easy. I excelled at this last year, got full marks and was undefeated. I let a little smirk lift my lips as I listen to the names being called out.
"...Bennet you're with Smith. Carson with Jones and Wood you're with Millard," I gape at Mr Orland. I guess I can't be too surprised, Jayson and I are top of the class, so it would make sense that we be put together.
"I'll be sure to go easy on you," Jayson winks at me as he makes his way over to our designated ring. I scowl at his back, a new found determination fuelling my every cell. I march over to our ring, just a few steps behind Jayson. I go over to the chalk bowl that is placed to the side of the ring and make sure to dust my hands and feet. I take off my shoes, socks and my hoodie, leaving me in just a sports bra and shorts. I am aware that everyone is able to see the bandages on my stomach, but I block their eyes and voices out, only focusing on Jayson who is gracefully pulling himself up into the ring.
"Wood!" I turn around to see Mr Orland walking over to me, his eyes focused on the bandages around my stomach.
"What happened to you? Are you okay to fight?" I look up at Mr Orland, and I think this is the first time that I have ever seen him worried about someone. I guess it's because my injuries didn't come from his class.
"I'm fine, sir. Don't worry, this won't affect my performance," I straighten my posture as I talk to him, wanting him to see that I am full capable of completing the class. The last thing I need is for him to send me out, or speak to my father.
"If you're sure," Mr Orland shakes his head, but walks over to one of the ring next to ours. I let out a long breath of relief before pulling myself up onto the ring, stretching out my arms and legs.
"You should probably sit this class out, Eva," I narrow my eyes at Jayson, who is stretching his legs in a similar way to me.
"You'd love that wouldn't you? Then you'd be able to brag to everyone how you're now top of the class," I shake my head, grabbing a hair tie from my wrist and tying my long, brown hair up into a high pony tail, feeling it cascade down my back a little.
"I'm more worried about you opening one of your wounds again, Eva," Jayson shoots back, his eyes narrowing on mine as I begin to circle him.
"Like I said, you shouldn't be worried about my welfare. Anyways, who said you'll be able to get a hit on me?" I smirk at him, taunting him to get in the ready position, letting me know that he is ready to fight.
The room is filled with the sounds of people shouting insults at each other, the groans of people being hit, and the loud bangs of people being knocked to their backs. I continue to circle Jayson, my eyes never leaving his as I see him think about what he's going to do. His eyes flicker down to my legs for a spilt second, if I had blinked I'm sure I would have missed it. Its the mistake that everyone makes. They look for their next move rather than just think about it. They make it too easy to predict where they are going to go.
Suddenly, Jay launches forwards, his leg kicking out, hoping to make contact with mine, but, of course, I move before he is able to, jumping back, causing him to fall forward a little. I quickly run up behind him while he is distracted, kicking my foot into his back, making him bounce against the ropes surrounding the ring. I jump back a couple of feet, my hands up in defence as Jayson catches himself, his eyes meeting mine, surprise and determination dancing in them.
We circle each other again, my eyes connected to his, but I can see him shuffling his feet from my peripheral, allowing his right foot to become the more dominant in his stance, and I know that he going to strike a punch to my right side. As predicted, he moves into my right side, his fist out, his attention on one point of attack. A silly move. I grab hold of his hand before he can come in contact with me. I quickly turn, twisting his hand behind me making him hiss in pain, but before he can think of anything to do to defend himself, I lurch all of my strength forward, bending down, and sending Jayson over my back. He flips over, landing with a hard bang on his back.
The room suddenly goes quiet, and I know that they are all watching us now, but I block them out. You cannot allow any distraction during a fight; that is how you get yourself injured. My eyes never leave Jayson's slumped body. I am in high alert, any sudden movement from Jayson makes every nerve in my body come to attention.
Jayson quickly recovers, getting back onto his feet gracefully, but I can see the slight limp in his left foot, and I know that he hurt his ankle when he hit the mat. I make sure to not look at his foot, the second I do, he will know what my next move is. I keep my eyes on his, but I note all of the weaknesses that I can see out of my peripheral.
"I definitely underestimated you," Jayson chokes out, his eyes still trained on mine. I haven't seen any changes in his composure, making it hard for me to determine where he is going to strike next, but I know he will make a mistake. They always do.
"That was your mistake, Millard," I bite back, but my focus never leaves him. I know he is trying to distract me by talking to me, but it won't work. He knows nothing about my fighting technique, yet I can already tell all of his favourite moves and attacks just by looking at the way he punches and moves. He forgets that I have been beaten up by him before, I know his moves. Luckily, I never fought back, so he doesn't know mine.
"We're back to last names are we?" he smirks at me. I scowl back him, still circling, waiting for him to make a move.
"There are a few other names I would love to call you," this makes him laugh, giving me the opportunity to run at him. I jump up, grabbing his shoulders with my hands to aid my jump. I lift myself up so that his head is between my thigh. I push all of my weight to my right, swinging my body around and bringing Jayson with me. We both go crashing to the floor, but I have the fall in control. The second we make contact with the floor, I pull my thighs closer together, basically trapping Jayson in a choke hold.
"You forgot the fact that I have been beaten up by you for so many years, that I know all of your moves," I whisper to him as his hands quickly clamp down my thighs, tapping them twice, signalling that he gives in. I let go him quickly, jumping up and moving over to the side of the ring, grabbing hold of the ropes to catch my breath.
Before I can register what is happening, a hand is around my waist, pulling me up against a chest.
"You forgot the most important rule. Never turn your back on your opponent," Jayson whispers in my ear. I gasp he pulls me over his shoulder, slamming me down onto the mat, taking the air from my lungs. Jay quickly comes over to me, straddling my waist, bending down so his arms are on either side of my head and his face close to mine. I move my arms up, hoping to trap him in another hold, but he grabs them before I can, pinning them above my head.
"What are you going to do now, huh? I have you in my complete control," Jayson's eyes flash with excitement knowing that I can't move. I guess he still underestimates my abilities.
"I don't know, I think I quiet like it down here," I whisper back, a smirk teasing on my lips as I watch his eyes widen, but they quickly darken, his hold on my hands tightening.
"I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work," he mutters, his eyes still dancing with excitement.
"No you don't," I lean my head up, letting my eyes fall to his lips for a second. His eyes flash with warning, but, they too, fall to my lips, looking back into mine with hunger. I feel his grip loosen on my hands a little and I can't help but smile. Boys are just too easy.
Before he can react, I smash my forehead into his nose, making him cry out and let go of my hands to hold his now bleeding nose. I reach my left leg up and hook it round one of his before flinging my body over, causing Jayson to fall underneath me. I straddle Jayson's waist, pushing his arms into the mat. I lean my head down next to his ear and I feel him stiffen underneath me.
"Next time, think with your head, not your dick," I dig my knee into his groin, making him groan out in pain, his eyes scrunching closed.
"Alright! Alright! I give up!" He shouts out. I lift myself up, standing next to him as I look down at him in triumph. He is still led on the mat, his nose bloody and running down his face, and his hands holding onto his now crushed balls.
"Evangeline," I spin around to see my father stood at the side of the ring. He has his usual black suit on, his greying hair combed back, not a single hair out of place. He smiles up at me, but his eyes do not match the happy look on his face; they are blazing with anger. Oh god, what have I done now?
"Well done on your fight, Evangeline. You definitely earned the position of top student," to the untrained ear, his word sound proud, but to me, they sound forced and harsh.
"Thank you, sir," I straighten my posture, cupping my hands behind my back, not making eye contact with him.
"I need a word with you," he leaves the room, obviously done with formalities. I move to get down from the ring, but Jayson grabs my hand, stopping me. I turn around and see that he has gotten up from the floor, his bloody nose dripping onto his naked chest. He looks a mess.
"You can't go alone with him," his voice is stern and his eyes flash a warning at me.
"Don't make a scene here, Jay, please," I whisper to him, aware that there are other eyes on us. He reluctantly lets go of my hand, but his eyes never leave mine.
I know that if I come back with even a scratch, he is going to make more than a scene.