𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋

00:10

•••
CHAPTER 10
I defied death for this ?

"Are they staring at me, or your metal band of a brother?" I whisper to Nye, feeling the sharpness emanating from the students' stare.

As we strolled into the school, heavy gazes followed us. I liked to believe it was because Nye and Noe were supposedly the popular guys, not the fact that the rumors had spread already. The wide hallways were buzzing with students leaning against their lockers, and amid the crowd, everyone seemed busy with their own business until the twins passed through.

"Do not mind them," Neo smiled reassuringly, hugging me sideways.

"Did you get your timetable?" Nye interrupted, and I nodded as I opened the school's app. Nico had reassured me that the twins and I would have most of our classes together- wouldn't want to know what it took him to achieve that.

"It's only you and Neo for maths," he added. "I'm gonna head for history class."

He skipped away, taking a left turn towards an ancient-looking oak door with a golden handle. It seemed straight out of a medieval castle, quite fitting for history class.

When we reached maths class, to my surprise it was busy.  At my old school, students avoided maths like the plague so it seemed odd to me that people would willingly choose to sit through this hell.

"Does everyone here have math?"

"Almost," he strolled towards a table that was neither too far in the back to be suspicious nor too close to the teacher to grab their attention. It was a strategic place, so it was already taken. I assumed he was heading towards his friend, but the boys simply stood and walked away with his bag to another spot. Neo gestured at me to join him.

"The bad boy of St. Elaine," I mocked him as I sat down.

"They'd die to do a favor for the Ricci's." He rolled his eyes, looking already done with the school year. His head banged on the table in despair and he whined. "I hate this prof; the last semester was the worst with her. She's like the most vile human being."

It seemed funny to me that someone like Neo would be whining about such a trivial matter. Underneath that cold persona, he really was just another teenager who complained about school and awful teachers.

" C'mon bad boy, she can't be that bad-" Then the door banged loudly, and in front of it, stood an old woman in a tight gray blazer and a matching pencil skirt. Her expression was pinched and she seemed too pissed for someone who just came back from a holiday.

"To your seats," her voice screeched in my ears and I winced, already envisioning the kind of teacher she was. She looked around, her face displaying all sorts of emotions at the sight of her old students, making it obvious what she thought of every single one of them. Two only got a smile which seemed to be her quota of the day.

And when her gaze stopped at me, she sighed, and she said: "We have a new student among us. Please come to the board.

Neo huffed a laugh which died down quickly when I elbowed him in the ribs. How did I think that the day would go without this happening? I am supposed to be the Ricci princess who defied death and clung to life! Why do I have to humour this witch's desire to humiliate me?

I tried to smile but I was sure it appeared constipated, but anything was better than my true emotions showing, which would get me in a prison cell if anyone discovered them.

I stood on my feet and walked toward the board without sparing a glance at any student. When I reached the board, the professor handed me a marker and that's when I noticed the equation written in a font larger than life. What a bitch.

I stared at the mix of numbers and symbols for a few seconds then I remembered the shit Mr.  Russel taught me last semester. He was the only decent teacher at my old school, so this equation Miss Witch-with-a-stick-up-her-ass wrote wasn't as hard as it seemed to be.

I reached the conclusion fairly easily and when I looked back at the teacher seeking her approval, and patting my own shoulder, she simply nodded looking torn between prejudice and acceptance. I didn't care either way, I was here to learn and get my exams graded. If a teacher was being rude to me, I wouldn't even need the Riccis to help me drive them crazy. I did it well enough by myself at my last school.

A look of disdain hidden between a sheer layer of interest, her high voice resonated in the quiet room. "Your name?"

"Noemi Ricci," I answered, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. And the gasps were almost a good enough consolation.

•••

Math was uneventful after that, save for the few indiscreet glances of my classmates. As soon as the bell rang, Neo packed his books and bolted out of there like he'd been stung. When I joined him in the hallways, Neo was looking antsy as he leaned against the wall, grinding his molar in anger.

"What's wrong?" I was sincerely worried. I hadn't ever seen Neo this angry, and I'd spent the whole morning with him and I've got no clue as to what got him so worked up. How have I missed that?

"How did she have the audacity to do that to you?"

I was seriously confused. Did he believe that I was still hung on that little incident? "I don't give a shit, and I got it right anyways. I think of it as an opportunity to show off."

Neo's eyes softened and he hugged me so tightly I nearly suffocated. "Easy, teddy bear."

"Still, I am not going to let this slide. You are a Ricci and no one, and I mean no one looks at us with disdain."

"She didn't even know. And it's not like I've been a part of the fam-" I shrugged, unbothered aiming to turn around and go to whatever class I have next.

But his hands grabbed my shoulders and spun me back to face him again. It felt like he was staring right through me, his words aimed directly at my soul and hitting right where they belonged. "Don't you ever dare say that again! You're a Ricci and always have been. That's where you stand, and if anyone tells you otherwise or dares to insinuate you're not as much of a Ricci as we are, they'll have to deal with every single one of us."

I felt my eyes tear up, the sudden surge of emotions almost foreign to me. I've never had anyone get mad on my behalf, and it felt damn good to have someone fight for me when I've already given up. "Don't make me cry, I'm going to ruin my makeup." I sniffed, holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

"No please, wouldn't want you to ruin your pretty mascara."

•••

It's a bit shorter than usual :(