The most nerve-wracking part of going to school was that Rika had to return home.
Her phone had been going off, and Rika knew who was on the other end even before picking up her phone.
'Mark should understand by now that I do not want to talk to him. But I am sure he would get Suzie to call me soon.'
The call came as soon as Rika thought about it.
It was not even a debate for Rika - she would not pick up the phone.
"Are you going to pick up your phone? Is it your brother telling you he will pick you up? When will he arrive?"
Emily fired these questions in quick succession.
The day was finally over, and it was time to return home. Mark usually picked Rika up, but she had no intention of going home with Mark today.
Thinking about being in the same confined space as her brother frightened her.
In her mind, Rika knew she should not fear Mark, and the only reason he attacked her was because his instincts got the better of him.
But knowing it in his mind and making his body remember it were two different matters.
'There is no way I will wait for Mark to pick me up. But there is no need to worry Emily or Damian.'
Her friends lived on the other side of the city, and Rika knew they needed their alone time after school.
She did not want to interfere with their time by forcing them to take her home.
And no! It had nothing to do with the face; their presence made Rika feel like a third wheel.
People often overlooked her presence when she went out with her friends.
So, as much as Rika loved her friends, hanging out with them was not on her bucket list. Lying was the best option Rika had at the moment.
"Mark will be here soon. I will wait for him. What about you? Will you be heading out as well?"
Damian had already picked up his bag, and Emily was doing the same.
Rika timed her question right when she knew her friends were about to head out. That way, she would not have to fight too hard to convince them to leave.
"You are going to wait for your brother? Rika, do you want us to stay with you-"
"No, you should go. Damian is already looking anxious and ready to leave."
Rika could not tell if Damian was looking anxious or not. But she doubted that Damian would contradict her words.
He was impatient, so Rika doubted he would want to stay behind her. And Damian would surely drag Emily with him.
For some reason, Damian did not like it when Rika and Emily spent time together. It had been the case ever since they met as kids.
Damian also only did this to Rika as well. She was sure that Damian did not like her, but he tolerated her for Emily's and his family's sake.
What other reason would he have for not leaving his 'Alpha Girlfriend' back with Rika? After all, it was not like Emily would run away with a beta like Rika.
Rika waited for Damian to leave, but he surprised her by pulling the chair back and throwing his body into the chair.
He looked serious, with his arms crossed in front of his face and his eyes looking directly into Rika's.
She was sure that Damian's eyes looked over her neck before returning to her face.
All this attention made the hairs on Rika's back tense, and she immediately felt a sense of crisis.
Rika looked at Emily for help, but she just shrugged and sat beside her boyfriend.
"Well, we will be staying with you until your brother arrives. I hope you have no problem with this."
Now, two pairs of eyes were looking at Rika, which doubled her nervousness.
The trio were the only people left in the classroom, and Rika felt stupid for deciding to wait for her brother inside.
While this was happening, her phone was getting increasingly busy by the second. It indicated that her brother had reached the school and wanted Rika to come down.
And knowing Mark, he would not wait around for Rika. He would leave without her or come here to drag Rika out himself.
It was only a matter of how pissed Rika had made him. And this time, he decided to get Rika.
That successfully managed to foil Rika's plans to escape from her brother.
"Hey, come down to the car if you finish your class. And why are you not picking up your phone…. what the fuck! Why does this place stink so much? Which fucking bastard flooded this place with their pheromones?"
Mark smashed the door open, and Rika's heart skipped a beat.
She was almost afraid the door would break because of her brother's force to open it.
"You should try to control your strength, Mark! Also, there is no need for you to make a fuss. I was coming back down to meet you."
Rika assured her brother while picking up her bag.
Now that her brother was here, Rika had no escape route left.
What made her uncomfortable was the angry and agitated look on her brother's face. It seemed as if it would boil over at any second now.
"Tsk, just pick up the phone next time and tell me if a pheromone bath is around you. I am lucky that I convinced Suzie to stay in the car. If she ended up in the hospital, it would be your fault. Seriously! What is wrong with you?"
Mark fell quite as soon as he finished speaking.
His words seemed to have finally registered in his mind, and it caused him to flinch.
Rika knew her brother meant only half of what he said, but that did not make the unintentional stab less painful.
"If you have such a problem with me, don't come and pick me up next time."
Rika stood up to walk past her friends as her brother made an impatient gesture.
They both forgot the real reason this classroom had turned into a 'pheromone' bath in the first place.