I raised a brow in suspicion at him but went against my doubts anyway. I popped my shoulders in the manner of a shrug, "sure, why not?" I reply nonchalantly.
He kept the bike still, not daring to pull any tricks once my bum settled onto the vibrating leather. His eyes trackback to me, a sly smirk crossing his mouth.
"You might want to hang on."
My eyes rotate around their brims, scowling.
"Like hell."
He lifts one shoulder, "your choice."
He clicks his tongue and kicks the gas-filled bike into gear. He rears up the motorcycle, the front wheel still in the air, the lower one screeching up dust and dirt. Even though it was only for a moment, I could sense my back starting to fall, which would pull the rest of my body down.
"Levi!" I hiss out through a yell, my arms both snatching his waist, entangling together.
His body rackets as he hums out a chuckle.
"Fucking little shit..." I mutter.
"Still insulting me, I see," Levi notes.
Even though his face isn't visible, I can feel the smirk plastered on his face.
Followed by that, I utter out a groan, puffing my cheeks and blowing my long bangs in the air. The rest of the journey to our unknown destination was acquired by a comfortable silence, oddly enough.
"We're here." His words of monotone cut through the quiet air that hovers over us.
Not replying to him, I slip off the motorcycle, once he lifted both legs off the leather seat. My eyes scour the view in front of us.
"Where exactly is here?" I ask, drifting my gaze to Levi for an answer.
His eyes switch from what's in front of us to me.
"Just come on." He insists, lamely beckoning a hand for me to trail after him.
He leads me to what starts to be a steep hill. Just when a burn starts to settle in my legs, we've reached the peak of the hill. Seeing the view, amazement struck my heart.
"Wow," I whisper. What stands before us is a view of the entire city of Maria. "It's beautiful," I continue, my voice sounding breathless.
"It sure is," Levi mumbles, his eyes also focused on the view of the city.
I sneak a look at him, my eyes glazed with surprise.
Never in all my life would I ever expect such a way of words like that to come out of Levi. He's usually so -- stoic and serious.
For him to say something like that, someone would have to offer him money just to say something is beautiful. Then what catches me even more by surprise is his stormy blue irises looking over at me.
Followed by that, my breath is captured in my throat.
What the hell is wrong with me? This is so unlike me. Especially towards him.
Muffled by the sleeve of my hoodie, a small constant beep emits from my wrist. The same wrist that is covered by the bracelet that Dad specifically made for me.
Why is it choosing now of all times to go off? Oh, maybe because of the close proximity.
Then an undetectable frown crinkles my face.
Wait, the bracelets only go off to signify to the person wearing them that they've found their soulmate. Oh. Oh no. No, no, no! This can't be happening! I already have Eren, even though apparently he's the wrong one. What's worse is, Levi already got bonded with Petra.
Is she the right one for him? Why am I even pondering that? It's quite obvious he neglects her. But... Levi and I hate each other. We can't be soul mates.
My brain jerks to reality, leading my feet to whip around and walk back towards his motorcycle. My eyes fidget back to him, making sure he's not looking me. Well... he's giving me a look tainted with bewilderment. Oh well, fuck it.
My hand harshly tugs on the opposite sleeve, peeling it up just enough to let the sight of the concealed bracelet seep through. Anxiety swells within my chest, making me panic that Levi's going to peek around me and see a preview of the bracelet concealed under one of my sleeves.
Sure enough, when I give some force into the tug of my bracelet, the bracelet is loose. A shoe crunches some blades of grass, sounding close by.
"Ebony... you alright?" Levi asks, shooting me a look that signifies I weirded him out a bit.
I whirl around a bit too fast for my own liking. I nod, "yeah, just fine. I just think we should head back home. Thanks for the sightseeing, though. That was nice to get away." I assure him, slipping a loose dark strand behind my ear.
"Yeah -- okay... " Levi mutters, wiggling his brows in concern.
I wanted to get home, mainly just to get away from him. I didn't want it to be true, I didn't want to accept the fact that the guy I currently hate is my soulmate. That's just insane and completely ridiculous. So he honored my beseeching, and together, we rode back home. Or -- in this case, school.
Once the two-wheeled vehicle comes to a stop, I lift one leg over the bike followed by the other. Not even bothering to dimly wave, I start to leave Levi and his bike behind me, picking up the speed bit by bit.
"Ebony," he calls, causing me to halt where I stand. Heaving out a quiet, irritated sigh, I whip around.
"What?" I ask curtly.
He raises an uninterested brow, "you sure you're okay?" He asks, and I nod, frustrated to get away from him already.
"I'm fine," I huff, nearly gritting my teeth.
"You don't seem like it." He notes.
"Well, I am," I confirm curtly, now fully strutting away from him in a huffy manner.
【❣】
Like twice before, Levi and I walk into the school separately. For once, he's not even near me. Even though it's been minutes since the realization I've gotten, my stomach is still tossing with nausea. As I frantically scan the school halls for Isabel, my legs tremble slightly, like jelly was slathered on them.
Finally, my eyes caught sight of a shaggy head of red, followed by a small smile sprouting onto my lips.
"Isabel!" I call, stretching my hand into the sky.
Her shaggy red locks jerk around, her green eyes finding me. A grin breaks out onto her face as she happily saunters over.
"Eb!" She chirps. "What's up?" She asks, once being close enough.
My smile immediately fades, "I -- seem to have a problem." I state.
Her smile also vanishes, replaced by a concerned glower.
"What's wrong?" She asks again.
My hand finds her wrist, and I spin on my heels, pulling her a bit harshly along with me.
"Eb, whoa! What's going on?" She demands, stumbling in her steps, trying to keep up with my speeded pace. She chuckles to herself, "whatever it is must be a big problem for her to be dragging me."
I only cast my eyes at her for a moment.
"Can you hush?" I scoff, irritated.
"Sheesh, okay!" She surrenders, managing to hold up one hand in defense.
Once my eyes catch sight of the door that leads to the janitor's closet, my hand wrenches forward, rigging the door open, throwing Isabel inside and shutting myself in after.
Isabel stands to her feet, her hand scratching through her shaggy locks.
"Geez, do you think you could take it easy on the grip? You're stronger than you realize, Eb." Isabel groans, followed by my hand clamping her mouth.
Her eyes widen in protest, and she proclaims muffled screams. I look back over my shoulder, seeing the passing shadows of students pass by, under the slit of the door. Once there's no more for a bit, I retreat my hand, letting Isabel breath out a sigh.
"What's with all the secrecy?!" She yells through a harsh whisper.
"I don't want anyone to know what I'm going through, not even Eren. Even though he already knows just a little bit. That's why I needed to tell you this in a secluded place." I state.
Her eyes are a bit wide, laced with fear, although she nods, urging me to continue.
"So -- what is it?" Isabel prompts.
I part my lips, inhaling air.
"While going for a run, a drone was chasing me on the rooftops. So long story short, I crashed into my dad's lab, discovered a bracelet he specifically made for me, and even had a note to tell me that I shouldn't trust the other one I got."
"Wow, interesting! So did you find who the second bracelet was meant for?" Isabel asks.
I huff out a curt amount of oxygen, dropping my shoulders.
"Yes."
Her eyes widen more, "who is it?!" She exclaims.
"You're never gonna believe it. Well, actually -- you're gonna freak." I prompt.
"Tell me who!" Isabel demands.
I slightly toss my pupils around their sockets, "it's Levi."
A grin immediately breaks out onto her face. "No way!" She squeaks, and I shove a finger against my lips, motioning for her to quiet down. Her body fidgets with excitement.
"I knew it! I knew it! I knew you two were meant to be!" She exclaims, although her tone is quieter.
I roll my eyes, "yes, so great." I retort dryly.
"Does he know?" She asks.
"No, I was so freaked out by the discovery that I made him take me back to school right away."
"Darn it," Isabel scowls, earning a chuckle from me. Both her hands suddenly grip my shoulders, shaking them a bit. "You need to tell him!" She demands. My eyes drift to the side of my head, in an eye-rolling manner.
My own hands shove hers off me, "I can't." I sigh.
"Why not?" She asks, cocking her head to the side.
"Because... we're basically enemies, so it'd be weird for me to just say 'hey, I know we hate each other and all, but we're soulmates.'"
My eyes grow wide with remembrance, followed by my figure quickly spinning around to face her.
Isabel cocks a brow, "what?" She asks.
"I still have the bracelet on," I gape at her.
"Well, shit..." Isabel murmurs, more obvious in her shock. "Let me see!"
My fingers peel up the sleeve, letting the bracelet seep through. "Well shit, there it is. Living proof that you're not making this up."
My hand lands a smack on her arm, causing her to yelp and glare back at me.
"Would I make that shit up, now?" I ask curtly.
Isabel's mouth curls into a smirk, "yeah, probably." That only earns her another smack on her arm.
"Ow!" She clutches her arm, seething her teeth. "I was kidding!"
"Sure you were," I retort dryly, giving her a side-eyed look.
Isabel shuts her eyes, frantically shaking her head. "Okay, never mind all that. Ebony, you've got to tell him sometime. He's your actual, true soulmate! You can't just live in the dark forever! Especially with the wrong soulmate, no offense to Eren."
I reach a hand to rub around my neck, "you've got a point..."
"And I'm saying this not just because I want you and Levi to be together so badly, but because I want you to be truly happy, and I feel like you can find that true happiness with him. Also, he's -- kind of like my big bro."
As Isabel stops talking, she shrugs her shoulders, contorting a cringe like she said something bad.
I cock a brow, "your big bro?" I quote.
"Yeah -- please Eb, you need to tell him. At least when the time is right. I know you're uneasy about this, but if you don't, you'll lose your chance at love. Forever. I know you've had worthless boyfriends, now exes before, but this would be true love. Don't you want that?" Isabel adds.
I lift a shoulder, "I guess."
She throws out a hand to the door, gesturing to the world outside. "Then go tell him!" She urges, already pushing me towards the door to the outside world. "Whoa! Isabel!" I grunt, pushing my body against her to prevent her from pushing me further.
"What's the hold up now?" She groans.
"I can't just tell him. He has a soulmate too, you know. Petra?" I state, giving her another side-eyed look.
Isabel crosses her arms, scowling. "Ugh, Petra's a good for nothing, spoiled bitch who is only an obstacle in your destiny."
A groan erupts from my throat as I shield my face into my hands, shaking my head. I compose myself, pulling my hands down and away from my face.
"Isabel... you're something else." I smirk, swifting past her and out into the school hallway.
She shrugs, "well, at least you're doing what I suggested." She points out.
My face makes side-eyes at her again, "don't push it."
【❣】
The two of us stumbled out into the hallway after squeezing in the tight space of the doorway. In the time of coincidences, Petra happened to be walking by.
I almost knocked her over, but my better side got the best of me and I managed to halt my slipping tracks. "Petra!" I sputter out, sensing that my eyes are wide, but I quickly erase them back to my normal stoic expression.
"Konichiwa Petra-san," Isabel greets, bowing her upper half towards the ginger-haired female, making me want to roll my eyes or gag at her audacity to be kind to the carrot-headed bitch.
Petra plasters a sickly sweet grin on her face, scrunching up her eyes in delight. "Konichiwa Isabel-chan, and Ebony-san." She greets, nodding to both of us individually.
"Petra! How -- nice to see you." I manage to state.
Petra nods, "to you as well, Ebony-san."
She folds her hands behind her back, "so, have you found your soulmate yet?" She asks.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. It's my guy best friend, Eren."
"Oh, how sweet." Petra grants, once more smiling too sweetly.
A cold chill shudders down my spine when the thought of the hidden bracelet pops into my mind. I still have it on.
"Speaking of soulmates, the other day when Levi ran off, you went after him. Why is that?" She inquires, making another chill tingle in my back from dread. She cocks her head to the side in interest, trying to come off as nothing more than simply interested, intending no harm.
I part my lips, only to choke on my words. My eyes shoot to Isabel and she just shrugs slightly, so that Petra won't notice that I'm seeking help from her. Clearing air in my throat, I look back to Isabel.
"It was because I wanted to see where he went off to." Her smile turns a bit more genuine, stating that she feels a bit relieved.
"Oh, okay! So, did you find out where?" She chirps.
As if on cue, Levi swifts pass the two of us, casting only me a glance. He just had to catch her words. Typical. He never stops just to glance at me. He shoots me a glance then retreated his face to the front, as he kept on walking. "Ebony-san, I asked you a question," Petra states, almost curtly.
My face jerks back to her, "oh, right! My bad. And no, no I didn't." I lie.
I hid the truth because I didn't trust her, and since Levi is apparently my soulmate. If I told her the truth, she might go psychotic and also never leave Levi alone. Ever.
Hence why I lied to her, because I also didn't want Levi to hold a grudge.
Her enthusiasm dims, "oh -- that's a shame. Oh well then." Once more, she scrunches up her eyes in delight, trying to seem pleasant. The lids to my eyes lift slightly when she shifts closer towards me, only being three inches away.
"Even if you didn't discover his location, please refrain from following him ever again. You have your soulmate, there's no need to chase after someone else's. I prefer you to stay away from him; seeing that both of you are the most rebellious in Japan, yet neither of you has criminal records, you two could cause so much damage to this society. After all, it is utopian. So, you stick to your soulmate, and I'll stick to mine, and we won't have a problem."
Towards the end of her warning, her voice tunes to a chirp.
I narrow my eyes at her, anger starting to take refuge in me.
"Are you threatening me?" I ask, my tone bare of emotion.
She chuckles, "only if you don't do as you're told. You are to know your place because the city is in the palms of my hands. I'd be careful if I were you."
My lips curl back, revealing clenched teeth as my fists tighten against themselves. I jab a sharp finger, impaling her chest.
"No. I'd be careful if I were you. You may be the richest girl in Japan, and daughter of the CEO of the bracelet invention, but do I give a shit? Fuck no. You can take your meaningless threats and insecurity issues, and keep them the fuck away from me. You may be the only girl in this entire school to not fear me, but do you know why everyone else does? Because they know not. To mess. With me." I growl.
Petra's eyes are wide with shock, then she regains her posture, baring her teeth back.
"That threat still stands. If I catch you even talking to Levi, you're going to regret it."
With her final threat, she spins around, huffing away, as if she still has some ego to uphold.
What a bitch.