Burning Butterfly (Prefect #1)

4. Your Biggest Mistake

"Be quiet!" he hissed, and gripped both my forearms so tightly, that I flinched from the force of it.  "Other people can hear you-"

"What's this I hear about the Perfect Prefect finally getting a Buddy?" a voice spoke out above Prefect Eli's whispering, and we both turned to see who had engaged in our conversation.

A boy with angular features and dark brown hair approached us, the tips of his hair dyed a bright meadow green to match his eyes.  He wore a slim smirk on his full lips, his cleft chin defining more of his face, hands in the pockets of his uniform that he seemed to have adjusted to more of his liking, the silvery-gray jacket unbuttoned and his shirt untucked, and I suppose he decided to ditch the cloak as well since it wasn't currently sitting upon his shoulders like ours were.  An emerald green earring hung from his right ear, which I would have almost missed if he hadn't turned his head to the side just slightly.

"Loki, head back to the Dorm," Prefect Eli narrowed his eyes at the boy who slightly towered over him, and the boy merely chuckled.

"Now why would I do that when I've just heard the most juiciest gossip around?" the boy—Loki—smirked over at Prefect Eli before turning to face me with a wink.  "Hey, cutie."  My cheeks immediately heated at the pet name, just as Prefect Eli released his hold on my arms and shoved me behind him.

"As Prefect of Brickstone, I order you to return to the Dorm," Prefect Eli repeated with narrowed blue eyes, and I frowned.  What was his deal with this Loki guy?

"Pulling the authority card on me, huh?  You should know by now that doesn't work on me," Loki grinned mischievously.  "Hard to believe this little beauty is your Buddy, though."  He glanced over Prefect Eli's shoulder at me.  "Tell me, sweetheart, is it all that bad being the Prefect's Buddy?"

"Stop calling her that," Prefect Eli growled lowly, and took a menacing step forward.  I narrowed my eyes.

"It's worse, actually," I spoke up, and saw Prefect Eli halt in his advance on Loki, his own hands balling into fists at his sides.  I crossed my arms.  "I've tried my best, promising to study hard for both our sake's, but he refuses to relent that stubborn attitude of his."

Prefect Eli turned on me, his blue eyes growing dark, and I swallowed nervously.  "If anyone is stubborn here, it's you, amateur."

I growled, and balled my hands into fists, stomping on his foot for leverage, matching him for height as I leaned into his personal space.  "Stop calling me that!"

His blue eyes widened slightly, before they narrowed into slits, invading my own personal space as he pressed his forehead against mine aggressively, one of his hands reaching up to grip my arm.  "I can call you whatever I want, Buddy."

I reached my hand up to smack him, just about fed up with his attitude, when Loki spoke up from beside us, "Wow.  Who knew all this sexual tension would appear when you're both practically kissing each other?"

My hand froze mid-way in the air, and I blinked rapidly, Prefect Eli doing the same.  It was then I noticed how close we had gotten in the last few seconds.  Our foreheads were pressed together, one of my hands raised to smack him, not noticing his free hand had come up to grip my wrist to keep from hitting him.  His other hand—which had previously been gripping my arm—was now settled on my waist, and pulling me ever closer to him.  My face burned, and I hastily used my free hand to push us apart, Prefect Eli stumbling backwards on his feet as he quickly released my body parts and turned his head away, casually adjusting his uniform tie as he did so.

"What sexual tension?" I mumbled, while cradling my hip that suddenly became hot from Prefect Eli's touch.  I winced.  Why did it hurt so much?  Looking down, I gasped.  My uniform had been burned through, the skin of my right hip bare and bright red.  He burned me.