Chapter song: Arabella - Arctic Monkeys
A few days had passed since Julius arrived at East Laurence Preparatory School, and he was gradually adjusting. The school was beginning to feel a bit more like home, and he was slowly warming up to his housemates.
He still found it daunting to talk to his classmates and avoided talking to them unless absolutely necessary. He knew the kind of questions they would ask him like: where are you originally from, what school did you used to go to, why did you moved here and why are you currently living in the Ares house. Still it was an improvement for him and he was proud of himself.
As the lunch bell rang, Julius gathered his things and made his way to the dining hall, where he was set to meet Silas and Reese. Pulling out his headphones and selecting a song, he turned a corner into the southern hallway, but was startled to see someone he hadn't expected—Agares.
Since their awkward encounter at his welcome party, Julius had been deliberately avoiding him. But now, there he was, engaged in conversation with someone unfamiliar. The girl beside Agares had long chestnut hair and an air of elegance, but what surprised him the most was the fact that a girl was currently in the school. They were in close conversation, and she was casually touching his arm who looked visibly uncomfortable with the gesture.
Julius felt a surge of inexplicable emotions but couldn't quite place them. Feeling awkward, he decided to turn away, but just as he did, Agares caught sight of him. Their eyes met, and Julius felt a pang of panic. Agares gestured to the girl before heading in Julius's direction.
"Uh, what's going on?" Julius thought as Agares closed the distance between them.
Without a word, Agares grabbed Julius's arm and swiftly led him away from the girl. Julius, surprised and unsure, let himself be led by the boy who just as quickly as he had grabbed him, let go of his arm once they were away from the mysterious girl. Julius could still feel the warmth from where he had been touched.
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this," Agares said, sounding uncharacteristically apologetic. "I needed a break from Serene. She's quite persistent."
Julius nodded, sensing Agares's frustration but still unsure about the situation. He had questions, but he wasn't sure if it was his place to ask. His curiosity must have shown, because Agares sighed.
"She's Serene de Beauvoir, the student council president at Saint Ambracia Academy," Agares explained. "She was here to discuss joint activities between our schools."
Julius relaxed a bit, though he still wondered if there was more to it. He wasn't close enough to directly ask about their relationship. He managed a smile, which seemed to surprise Agares.
Agares studied Julius's warm smile and the contrast with his own reserved demeanor. He couldn't understand why he was reacting this way given how cold he was acting towards him. Most people wouldn't even bother to engage with Agares for this long either because they were put off by his curt attitude or because they were afraid of him. Agares couldn't help but stare at the boy as he slowly took in his warm smile that seemed to match his warm coloured hair.
The two boys stared at each other, each with their own thoughts when Agares looked away. "Anyway, why aren't you heading to lunch?" Agares asked, trying to shift the focus.
Julius blinked, realizing he'd been so distracted he'd forgotten. "Oh, I was heading there but got sidetracked," he said with a nervous laugh.
Agares nodded. "Right, sorry again about that."
"No problem," Julius replied. "I should get going. The guys are waiting."
As Julius hurried off to the dining hall, Agares watched him with a mix of curiosity and something else before turning back to his unfinished business with Serene.
Julius found Silas and Reese at their usual spot, chatting away.
"He finally graces us with his presence," Silas teased as Julius approached.
Julius gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I got held up," he said, eyeing the food on the table.
Reese slid a tray toward him. "We saved you a share."
"Thanks," Julius said, feeling a bit more at ease.
"So, what held you up?" Silas asked, munching on his food with a playful glint in his eye.
Julius hesitated but decided to share. It wasn't like Agares had asked him to keep it a secret, and he suspected Silas and Reese might know more. He recounted the encounter, and the two boys exchanged serious looks.
"That girl is definitely Serene de Beauvoir," Silas confirmed. "She's the only girl allowed on campus due to some incident."
Reese nodded. "Doesn't she have a major crush on Agares?"
"Yeah, according to the rumors," Silas said with a grin. "But Agares is a catch so who could blame her?" He joked.
Julius's heart sank. "So, are they together?"
The two burst into laughter. "Nah, man. Agares? In a relationship? Hell would have to freeze over before Agares Montgomery gets into a relationship," Silas said between chuckles.
Julius was baffled. How could someone like Agares not be interested in Serene? They seemed like a perfect match.
"Wait, Agares doesn't like her?" he asked incredulously.
"Not at all," Reese said. "Serene's never been rejected before. She's smart, comes from a powerful family, and is stunning. But Saint Agares? He doesn't even notice."
"Saint Agares?" Julius repeated, intrigued.
"Yeah, that's our nickname for him," Silas said with a smirk. "He's turned down every girl who's come his way. His focus is solely on running the school and volleyball."
Julius was taken aback. "Agares plays volleyball?"
"Yep, he's a pro and the captain of our team. He's the best player East Laurence has ever had," Silas explained. "There are scouts fighting for him already. We're going to nationals again this year."
"He used to play soccer but switched to volleyball in high school. He's still great at soccer, even if he doesn't play professionally anymore," Reese added, sounding slightly wistful.
"Haha, don't worry, Reese. Your spot as captain is safe," Silas said, patting him on the back.
The trio spent the rest of lunch chatting about lighter topics. As Julius returned to class, his thoughts lingered on Agares and the surprising revelations he had just learned.