Monday passed by like a breeze. Just as expected, the news of me and Lucian hadn't made its way to school.
Arrogance? I wish.
There had always been gossip about my competitions, general school life activities, and, of course, embarrassing events.
At first, I thought that maybe it was just a few schoolmates that happened to see things. But when private things started going around, I figured that gossip was actively being started. Of course, the narrative has always been skewed, so I've always been portrayed as the cause.
But I guess Alexa was too embarrassed to spread gossip about Saturday's unilateral slaughter. The image would not look good.
It was once spread that I lost a baby tooth while trying to take back something that Alexa was playing with. My role: the bully. What else?
But what wasn't reported was that I was trying to rescue Mr. Fuzzy, our pet hamster, from the clutches of that little monster.
I lost a tooth because she pushed me towards a table and had to take the hit to protect the hamster.
Only what's beneficial to her image would be broadcasted for the public to feast on.
I had expected this phenomenon, which was why I told Lucian to seemingly arrange for two different slots.
The insane likelihood that someone was going to end up in the hospital right before we were to sign the certificate was so high that we'd have to do it this way.
We could also storm the bureau and ask on the spot, but that's asking for trouble. For best results, nothing must be known until that certificate is signed.
That's why I'm seated in his car, portraying the delicate girlfriend who's being sent to school by his boyfriend.
I do have a class in the afternoon. I just have a short stint of getting married in the morning. Now tell me about efficiency.
Sitting next to me was Lucian who didn't look any worse for wear. If I hadn't known about him fervently looking into possible threats over the last two days, I'd think he was fully enjoying his forced leave.
"Where do you want to have lunch?" he suddenly asks.
"I've got a spot near the school. Are you actually planning on eating lunch with me?" I asked with a quizzical face.
"And if not me, were you planning on having lunch with someone else?"
He's got that jealous boyfriend act down pat.
"Fair point. But you're treating." I announced. You wanted to use that money, then feed me.
As expected, the waiting area was filled with a bunch of excited and apprehensive couples. So we seemed a bit out of place.
Lucian looked like he's just lining up for coffee, while the rest are either too invested in their two-person worlds or people-watching.
But if I'm being honest, it's because the guy next to me just happened to look too good. And this very unapproachable look he's sporting made him look more dramatic.
Don't be fooled, people!
Seeing that some husbands-to-be were annoyed at their future wives for salivating too much, I had to do something.
"Lucian, ease the pressure. If you don't, we'll have a brawl or mass separations."
On the verge of giving me a stink eye, he's finally noticed the looks he's getting. But the more annoyed he was, the tastier he looked.
"Stop that," I whispered indignantly, but what I got was a tugging of the hat I was wearing.
I was preparing to ask what the hell he was thinking, but the staff suddenly came over to call us, just as a very happy couple came out of the office.
Nearly bumping into us, the new wife suddenly exclaimed, "Wow! Are they mortals? I took forever to look decent for the photo, but look at them?!"
That attracted some attention from the earlier lovesick couples, so I mustered a thank you and pulled at Lucian before his face ended up plastered on various posts.
The staff immediately handed out the documents for our approval, and the world managed to stay together after the registration.
If not for the odd looks we've been getting and the photographer who had wanted to keep us for much longer to take more photos, I'd say that getting the certificate went on smoothly.
That was until I got out to leave. Oliver looked relaxed and even managed to give us his sincere-sounding congratulations. Nothing amiss had the fucking trunk not been shaking wildly.
"Let's leave first." Lucian gently stuffed me into the car with the marriage-related documents.
"Oliver, did you kidnap someone?" I couldn't help but ask. Did I get married to some crime lord instead?
I panicked because Lucian looked too chill for someone with a person stuffed into the trunk.
"Ma'am, it's nothing, just a friendly conversation with a bug." Oliver smiled, both eyes curving nicely like a gentle, non-kidnapping guy.
"We've got a tail from the moment we left your house. He's been caught before we got here. But just in case, we'll keep him with us until next week."
"Who's tail was this? Yours or mine?" Because this didn't seem like Alexa's memo.
"Mine." With a dark face, Lucian issued additional orders. "I want a report by tonight. For now, drop us off near Summit."
Orders had been given and it was only after arriving near the school that I managed to come to my senses.
"Have a good day, Sir, Ma'am." Oliver waved goodbye to us, and I managed to thank him despite my surprise.
"Is this why you actually wanted us to live together? Because you seem to have enemies." I hope he'd be frank because as much as I can physically protect myself, I haven't had to guard to this extent.
"No. I could protect you even when we're not next to each other. But it'd be easier to bully you when you're right there." He smirked at me while messing up the hat on my head.
"You animal!" I tried stepping on his foot but got hauled instead.
"Now, my dear wife, people would think that you're beating me if you don't stop taking a jab at me," he whispered just enough for me to hear.
I stalked away in anger after being toyed with by my newly minted-husband. I had decided to get him bankrupt by eating my heart out.
"If you had wanted to hurt my wallet, you could've chosen an expensive place." He looked amused at the amount of bowls I had around me.
"Shut it. You'll make me lose my appetite." I had forgotten that, unlike some of my school friends, this guy wouldn't blink at me spending to feed the entire school. So the only thing I'd be hurting would be my stomach.
"I doubt it, but I'll be nice." He definitely enjoys being a prick, but at least he didn't detest this place, unlike Jasper, who kept making me, the owners, and the other patrons feel bad.
Lucian ate properly, even managing to eat another serving. The owner was too happy about that, so she kept on offering a free refill.
"Auntie, it's okay! Let us pay since he seems to like it." Inwardly, I had wanted her to charge for the oxygen that Lucian was breathing here at her store.
"Aish! These youngsters today! Eli, it's my way of greeting your boyfriend. He seems like a kind lad." The noodle Auntie insisted, and I almost choked on my food.
"Thanks, Auntie, but think of it as him greeting you instead." I smiled at her because I couldn't really refute anything. Lucian would be known as my boyfriend until next week, just to be safe.
Auntie's joy and words seemed to attract the other diners, who looked pained as they tried not to gossip next to us. The place is too small, after all. So they held it in while trying to rein in the number of times that they glanced over.
The moment we exited the small restaurant, it suddenly got noisier, as if they had only been waiting for us to leave.
"Your school seems lively," Lucian said as we returned to school.
I rolled my eyes at this because we both know that it was his sensational presence that's really got those people excited.
He walked me towards the building entrance before suddenly pulling me over.
"Just say whatever you feel like saying." Then came a kiss on my forehead.
What the???
I was caught off-guard, almost wanting to ask if he hit his head somewhere. But then I noticed a very green-looking Jasper who had stopped by the corner.
He looked like I had kicked his nonexistent dog.
That made me respond to Lucian with an, "I'll see you later."
Envy wasn't something that I had planned on utilizing against them, but I'd be lying if I said that his face looking like that didn't make me feel better.
I'll take the bonus any day!