Temptation [A Young Writer's Prize Submission]

An Unpleasant Sight

Chapter Thirty Three

Towards the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favour.

Proverbs 3:34

I woke up late, finding myself lying on the floor of the study. My body ached – reminded of the still-sore areas from Will’s attack. Once I’d straightened myself out, I headed back to my room.

Procrastinating against the inevitable, I showered for a long time, until the water supply ran cold. Then, after brushing my hair until not a single knot remained, I spent ages browsing for something in my wardrobe, although I’d already chosen what I would wear for the day.

My light blue jeans tucked into my grey boots, and I wore a long grey jumper, with sleeves that mostly hid my hands. I spent ages fastening my hair into a high ponytail, and then put makeup on for the first time since living with the Isaacs.

Unwilling to leave the room, though I was already late, I checked my phone for missed calls. There were five from Cain, at various points in the night. He would be so pissed at me – if he even remembered.

Nobody was at breakfast when I finally went down, but I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry. I simply grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and left.

My English class had already started – scratch that – it was probably halfway through by now. I chose not to make the walk, instead sitting down in the study to read Paradise Lost. The words, which usually made sense to me, now seemed to fly over my head, until I could find no rhyme or reason at all.

When the time would have come for lunch break, I decided to make my way over to the school. It was a long walk – far easier to take the bus that came by every morning rather than walk along the side of the road into the town. It took me a good hour and a half – time I relished, as I could be alone with my thoughts. I didn’t get much of that solitude now that Tasha and Vanessa were constantly around me.

Unsurprisingly, most of my thoughts – pathetic as I was – revolved around the events of last night with Lucien. I hated that my scrambled brain should be so focussed on that; not the portion of the night where I’d spoken to Cain. I hated that Lucien seemed to know better than I did that Cain wasn’t the right guy for me. I hated that I felt something for both of them – underdeveloped as my feelings for Lucien might be. He was nurturing those emotions; the way that he stared at me, the way he touched me.

Right, I’d had enough of my own pathetic, simpering thoughts. I considered calling Debra as a distraction, to see how Thomas was getting on. That was probably a conversation that would take up more time than even this long walk would allow. I even considered calling Cain, but that decision was made before I’d even really thought it through. Instead, I took my headphones out of my bag and played music, loud enough to pop my eardrums, in order to drown out my thoughts.

When I finally arrived, the campus was beginning to swell with students arriving for the afternoon lessons. I was practically unnoticed along the corridors quickly filling with students. I sidled into History, two minutes later than Tasha, who immediately began an inquisition.

“Where the hell have you been?” she demanded, grabbing my wrist, as though I was going to run away from her.

“I woke up late,” I said evasively, managing to wrest my arm away, just as the teacher came in. Tasha ignored him, merely changing her voice to an unconvincing stage whisper.

“Lucien was looking for you,” she hissed: “Any ideas why?”

I shrugged, trying to paste a perplexed expression on my face. I don’t think she was convinced.