I smiled.
He was the new boy. He still had no idea of who I was or expectations based on my historical actions and that was the best part for me. It meant I could use him to start over.
Like pressing a reset button and starting everything from scratch, be myself again. These past years I felt like I had lost myself somewhere along the way, but so far back it was impossible to return and retrieve.
This dangerous, scary looking creature in front of me was my chance.
"You've got a cute smile."
I stopped smiling. Who was I kidding? He was the new guy, he definitely needed a warm heart and a fun friend. Also, he was talking about dating. No one would want a messed-up soul like me. A new person in my life would mean one more person to pretend to.
No, I shook my head slightly, I was too drained and exhausted to keep pretending. I just needed a place where I could be myself again. Or rather, where I could recover my wrecked self again.
"Don't pretend too be rude," He grabbed my arm. "You don't want to walk out on me."
And that was the problem. When I tried to be me and walk my thoughts, everyone thought I was pretending. "I am rude."
"It's obvious, you don't have to introduce yourself."
"I look rude?" That caught me off guard. I turned my head to look back at him. I was often told I was rude but never at first sight. My first impression was usually of a sweet, kind girl and that was wholly why everyone expected me to be that girl.
"Are you asking a stranger how you look?" Ash shifted to stand right in front of me. "You look pretty, tiny and innocent, could fool a normal person that you're a cutie. But those are all devil pretenses."
I felt myself frown. "Huh?"
"Date with me."
"Date with you?" I double blinked and snorted. "You come up to me on my blue day and tell me I'm a devil and ask me to date with you?"
He tilted his head a degree and continued looking at me. His eyes gave me the chills. Made me think of myself as a caged prey that was under observation of the predator.
Predator. Prey.
I smiled. I suddenly remembered Javier. The idiot ruined my day but he also had the power to fix it.
"Is that a yes?" Ash asked.
"Hell no." I smiled up at him. "I suddenly thought of something that can make me happy."
"You dont need anything to make you happy. I will do it for you." Ash lifted a hand to the side of my head.
I dodged. "No. Bye!"
I vaguely saw Ash turn and watch as I half skipped half walked home. I needed Javier, not some strange scary beast.
"Hi,"
I froze halfway up the stairs. My brother was home. What made it odd, he was in the living room.
That was my place, the black soft couches with stuffed cushions, a glass table with a bowl of fresh fruits and another with dried fruits. Dark marble tiles and cabinet of all my trophies and awards and shelves filled with all sorts of books covering two sides of the wall.
That was my thing, my style, his was the balcony, the gym room, and the study.
I turned and wished I had rather continued up the stairs as though I hadn't heard him. Or at least stayed on the street with Ash.
Six pairs of eyes were looking back at me. A pair belonged to my brother, two pairs to two identical guys, another pair to some guy whose whole body was covered in tattoos, and two pairs to some nerd who had a nose ring and also looked the type to have a tongue ring.
And I was right, that moment, the nerd reached for my dried fruits and placed one on his pierced tongue. I shook my head and nervously smiled. I had never seen these four guys before, but they gave off dangerous vibes.
My eyes widened. Bad guys perhaps after my brother for his money? Wait I searched the ones closest to my brother. Was one of them holding a gun to my brother under the table?
Was it a break in? Robbery? Did they know I was his Achilles heal, perhaps they were threatening him with me? Working together with Ash to get to my brother?
No, he shouldn't worry about me, I'd be fine. He shouldn't give the bad guys anything for my sake. Yes, I should tell him that I would be fine.
"Devyn," I started but my throat was dry resulting in a croaky voice that sounded more scared than I thought I was.
"It's okay, Adey." Devyn nodded towards my room. "You can go up to your room. I refilled your snack bar."
He was literally telling me to go up to my room and not come out.
My heart pounding hard against my skin, I turned and ran. I didn't stop until I was sure my door was locked. They were clearly bad guys. But if they were bad guys, I shouldn't leave Devyn out there alone with them, should I?
I unlocked the door in case he'd need to run up to my room for cover. Then I started working on a cover story for the cops. In case a fight broke out and someone ended up dead.
Not my brother. Devyn was strong, I just thought he was outnumbered. He could take on two but four would be a scene from an action movie. He didn't even look that scared, he was only worried for me, that was why he sent me up to my room.
Hence, he could take on two of them before the other two knew what was happening and still have time to run up to my room for cover. As long as he took on the two that didn't include the nerd, he was too cute to be bruised...
I mentally knocked myself, my brother was in danger, he wasnt organizing a sex party. Also, the nerd was eating my dried fruits for heaven's sake.
Changing into more comfortable clothes, I started doing some stretching, sit ups, in case we'd have to run from our own home...
The door burst open and I had the illusion of my skeleton jumping out of my body. I kept staring at the door but couldn't see clearly.
"What are you doing?"
I blinked. Devyn was standing there, cool as ever and appeared to be laughing. Laughing? "Are you okay?"
"You look like you're auditioning for a role in All of us are dead."
"And you're laughing? I thought you..."
"Were in danger and those guys are bd guys?" Devyn walked up to me. "If you go on like this, I'll ban you from reading novels. Plus, have some faith in your brother, did any of them look like they could answer back to me?"
"But..."
"I told you to go to your room because they were all staring at you. Tell me, how are you anyway?"
I shrugged him off and sat on the bed. I felt like such an idiot. Novels he said, huh?