"Hey, you're still coming to my house tonight right?" Olivia asks as we walk out of the school entrance — and no, we weren't walking together. She just cornered me by my locker and followed me out.
I look at her from the corner of my eye, "yeah... what makes you think I wouldn't?"
She shrugs, "nothing, I just wasn't sure because of your cheek. Did the school nurse really not have anything to stop it?"
"She gave me an ice pack." I tell her simply. It isn't anything serious, really. Not like I broke a bone. Is this how other teenagers usually react to people getting minor bruises? Pathetic.
Olivia's eyebrows furrow down, "just that? I thought you had an allergic reaction."
Oh right.
"I did..." I drawl on with my lie, "but it caused an average swelling. An ice pack sort of helped."
"Hmm, strange but okay. Well, see you in three hours." She says and walks off to wherever her car is parked.
As I walk home, I try not to think about Agent Falcon and why he suddenly showed up. Is there something going on that I don't know about? Does it have anything to do with a student or the school itself? Is the matter big?
I think the main thing that has me confused is why Falcon is here of all places. The chances that two agents would be place in the same area—for separate reasons still—is as rare as finding a four-leaf clover in the IIO. We simply don't do it in order to be as discrete as possible.
There's just something really wrong about this. I shake my head to get rid of the thoughts and decide that it's not my problem. If there is a problem, clearly he's here to fix it... but it would be fun to—nope.
"Let's not go there." I tell myself as I take the corner to my house, "remember you have your own mission to deal with." I remind myself and somehow saying that changes the way I feel. I hold my head high, feeling much better, but I'm forced to a stop with what I see up ahead.
Parked in my driveway is Falcon's black motorcycle and not far from it is it's owner, waiting near the front door with his phone out and a duffel bag over his shoulder.
Just when I thought I could escape him, he shows up at my house with a bag. What the hell is going on?
I tighten my hands around the straps of my bag and cross the rest of the distance to the front yard to find the answer.
"Hello there, are you lost or something? And what is with that?" I ask when I reach the front door, eyeing his bag. I pull my key from my schoolbag and unlock the front door as I wait for his response. I mean is he seriously that obsessed with me?
"I'm moving in." He says and I freeze.
Are my ears playing with me or did he just say he was moving in?
"What?" I ask, pretending I wasn't just shocked a moment ago. It's probably nothing at all. I must have just heard it wrong... even though I know my hearing is sharp.
I wait for him to answer.
"I said I'm moving in matey!" Falcon drops his bag and throws his arms over my shoulders and jumps on me, practically forcing me to carry his elephant weight and strangling me at the same time. I grab the door handle just to keep us from falling although I'm sure it just might break as well.
I look around, hoping no one is nearby to see me carrying someone almost twice my size and sigh with relief when no one is around.
"Get off of me, you idiot!" I cry, struggling to keep the both of us supported. He chuckles and stands up on his own two feet, letting go of me.
"Whatever you say roomie."
Roomie.
I shut my eyes and heave through my nostrils. This cannot be happening. He did not just call me that.
I hear Falcon pick his bag up from the ground and walk towards the door. He passes me but before he can go through the door, I grab his bag and jerk him back. He isn't by any means little, so he only stops and turns around.
"What is it?"
"Where do you think you're going?" I ask, seriously.
He looks at me baffled before replying in a duh tone, "into the house?"
I roll my eyes, "yes, but what makes you think you can go into my house? I don't remember inviting you inside."
For a few seconds Falcon just looks at me confused and then he realizes what I mean and for some reason he bursts out laughing. "Are you seriously asking me that? That's actually funny. Didn't your divine lioness tell you."
Tell you? What?
"Tell me what?" I ask him, feeling lost and annoyed.
He grins his devious grin, "I was told that I'd be staying with an agent who lives nearby. Wonder who that may be, little chicken?" He pinches my nose and shakes it. I swat his hand away.
"Then no, she didn't." I frown.
"Sad." He gives me a mocked frown and pulls away, walking into the house. "Okay, so where is my room? Where are the spare towels? I need to shower. Got any food? What about Netflix? You do have Netflix right?"
I don't know if he can tell that I'm staring at the back of his head, drilling imaginary holes into it to see what is wrong with him and why he's asking so many questions.
When I don't answer, he looks over his shoulder and smirks, "what's wrong? Still speechless by my sexiness? You can say it, I won't judge you."
I huff at his cockiness and walk in after him, locking the door behind me. "Don't touch anything or go anywhere, I need to call Kate."
"Sure. Whatever you say." He says and does the complete opposite by walking right into the living room.
I make a phone call, "sorry, the number you have dialed does not exis—"
"I'm calling to enquire about my delivery. My order number is 1070532 Pheonix. The Director."
Falcon chuckles and I can tell he's shaking his head in the living room. Idiot.
I turn away and wait for my call to be verified and accepted. After a few long seconds, I get my reply.
"Pheonix."
"Director Harlot."
"What can I do for you?" She asks in a tone and I immediately get the idea that she's busy.
"Agent Falcon." I reply, getting straight to the point.
"Ah yes, I had a feeling you were going to ask about that. He's on a task at the moment and I need him to stay with you for a while."
I hold in a groan, "how long is a while?"
"As long as he needs to complete his job. He'll be out before you can say fiddlesticks."
"Fiddlesticks."
"Stop being childish. He's a charm, you could learn quite a few things from him."
"I doubt that. My brain cells die the more I look at him." I mutter under my breath.
The Director clicks her tongue, "be nice. This is part of what stationary agents have to do all the time. They house other agents. Now if there is nothing more, goodbye."
I sigh, knowing there is no point in trying to convince her, especially when she's being really nice right now. "Okay, bye." I say and end the call. I put my phone down and enter the living room only to find that Falcon is gone.
"Where the hell did he go?" I ask myself and go through the house searching for him until I get to the main bathroom and hear the shower running. I knock on the door loudly, "hey! I thought I told you not to go anywhere! Do you ever listen to instructions?"
"Can't hear you, what did you say?" Falcon asks over the sound of the shower and I groan.
Great. Now my peace is officially disturbed.
At night the both of us sit in the dinning room, a dinner that I had no choice but to prepare, upon returning from my tutoring session with Olivia, because of someone's constant nagging, rests on the table as we eat silently. All that is heard is the sound of our food being munched on and swallowed. A satisfying asmr. I would be a great mukbanger...
"So, how is school?" Falcon awkwardly speaks up through the silence that I had actually found favorable.
I look up at him to find a look on his face that means he's expecting a reply. I don't know whether I should be sarcastic or not. He did hit me in the face with a stapler for god's sake! Still, I can't help but ask, "what are you doing here, really?"
His blue eyes glance at me and the ends of his lips perk up, "you never beat around the bush, do you? It's good to see you haven't changed."
I narrow my eyes at him, "what makes you think I would allow anything to change me? So why are you here?"
"I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"It's a secret."
"What kind of secret?"
"A secret one." He grins slyly and I send him a glare.
Of course.
He's always been the difficult type. Smart, smug, sly and annoying at it too. Is this the charm Kate was referring to? How is this considered charming?
I choose not to reply to him and look back down at my food, shoving an asparagus into my mouth and he chuckles across me.
I finish before him and stand up with my plate and utensils in hand. Before I leave, I stop and turn to him. It hurts my brain to think I'll be seeing more of him.
Rules. We need rules.
I nod to myself and voice out what needs to be said. "Just a reminder: please don't talk to me at school. Don't look at me. Don't breathe next to me there either. Stay with your new..." I pause to think of the right term, "...friends and please leave me alone."
He looks at me curiously like I'm a new brand recently up on the shelves and tilts his head to the side, "you take this more seriously than you should." He comments.
"Of course I do. Which is why I hope you understand what I'm getting at here."
Falcon scoffs, "no one can be perfect little chicken, you need to loosen up."
"I'm a Pheonix, perfection is in the name."
Okay my egotistical side is waking up. Go back to sleep my precious.
"No. I am made of perfection. I even got myself into the... what do people call them again? Ah! The Royals is it? Heard they're at the top of the food chain."
I huff, "top of the food chain my ass. It's ridiculous. Besides, you'll be dropped by the end of the week."
He smirks, "oh really? You wanna bet?"
"Bet then." I say, yet not finding the subject significant enough to think about further and make my way for the kitchen to leave my stuff, finally take a shower and call it a night.
The next morning Falcon sends me a smug look as we walk out of the front door.
"See you at school little chicken." He says and walks over to his motorcycle.
I roll my eyes as he gets on and backs away from the driveway. He speeds off, leaving me watching as he takes the corner and disappears.
"What a fool." I mutter as I begin my walk.
At Victor High, I try my best not to bump into anyone as I weave through the crowd to get to my locker. Once I arrive at 103, I enter my locker pin and exchange the books in my bag for the ones in my locker. From the corner of my eye, I catch the crowd parting as the Royals enter and with them, Falcon — who goes by the name Luke.
"Luke" is the current talk of the school, heck — it's most likely that he's the talk the entire town as annoying as it is.
It's not everyday a "mere mortal" is invited to hang with the Royals so it's really no surprise. However, in the defense of a few clearly blind girls in my home room, Luke isn't a mortal considering his "greek godly" looks and bad boy motorcycle. Obviously he isn't as hot as Declan Hyder, who is the iron-fist of Victor High, but he's apparently much more good looking than most of the Pride which earns him his "rightful" place in the Royals. It all sounds corny to me to be honest with you.
I personally think Luke's a lost cause, but hey, who cares about what Blair thinks, right?
Rather than staying trained on Luke, my eyes, for some reason, travel to Declan, who looks as unconcerned of the world as ever. Does he even know how to care? He's wearing a plain dark blue shirt and black jeans, his hair is as messy as ever and he still isn't wearing a school bag.
Well kids, let this be a reminder to all of you, unless you want to look like a kid from military school who willing sleeps in a dumpster, bring a bag to school...
I have hold in my laugh at the idea.
A billionaire's son sleeping in a dumpster? You are hilarious Blair.
Suddenly, I am reminded of the fact that his locker is right next to mine and chances are, he's heading right for his locker and I start to panic. I slam my locker shut, startling the girls beside me, who were in a trance watching the Royals, and make a run for my first lesson.
The school day goes by quickly and at lunch I find Luke sitting along side the Royals in the cafeteria. Luckily, he abides by my instructions not to pay any attention to me whatsoever. More girls fawn over him, which I think is absolutely ridiculous and they all need to get their eyes checked. Then at the end of school, he leaves with the Royals.
The next day is the same and so is the following week. Luke becomes part of the elite squad, spending time with them, going out after school and on the weekends, even to parties with them. I guess something I should have never questioned was his ability to fit into any social group. I admit he has some kind of charm. So yes, this means I lose the bet.
Everything goes by smoothly—and he still hasn't mentioned anything about his mission by the way—until one afternoon, the day before the stupid senior biology excursion to Bentwood Park, Luke does the unthinkable.
He brings the Royals home...