I could feel the stares as soon as we walked in. Some people came up to me to congratulate me on the play and I thanked them with a smile but some others just stared with frowns. What was their problem? Seeing me look at them, Angie bent down towards me:
"Do you want them to stop?"
I shook my head:
"Let them look. I am especially pretty today."
I didn't care why they were staring and soon forgot about them walking to class. Maybe they were staring because of the play or maybe because Alastair finally announced our broken engagement. I knew they would talk anyway and if I could divert their attention from their boring lives then I was happy.
Of course Iris's friends glared at me the second I walked in and they stopped talking, clearly talking about me. They thought I would feel threatened but they looked so pitiful that I smiled. However the second Angie walked in, the girls stopped staring and quickly looked away. This was really irritating. I knew that Astéria was imposing but why couldn't they be scared of me like that too? I immediately turned towards Angie and frowned. Angie had already been looking at me and tilted her head:
"What is it?"
I pinched my lips and just looked away. I didn't do it on purpose but thinking that she did something wrong, Angie followed me to my table with worried eyes. She didn't dare ask anything and just stood there playing with her fingers. Remembering that she was there I tilted my head:
"Angie? What's wrong?"
Hearing me call Astéria by a nickname, Iris's friends immediately went back to whispering and I noticed that Iris was back among them. She looked really pale and seeing her frown, her face looked meaner than usual.
"What?"
Iris's friends shuttered but I walked up to them. I wasn't jealous but I wanted to be imposing too. Angie wasn't going to protect me forever. I wanted to be the one to protect her:
"What is so funny about what I said?"
Angie followed me from up close but I motioned for her to stay behind and she immediately stopped walking.
"If you have a problem tell me directly instead of whispering cowardly."
Iris took a step towards me and wanted to push me but Angie grabbed her arm. I didn't see when she walked up to us and just frowned. I was the one protecting her, not the other way around. I could take a small push, that was nothing for me. Angie's gaze was terrifying and Iris tried pulling her hand away but couldn't move an inch. She started shaking and seeing her face, I touched Angie's arm. The next second Iris was let go and she almost fell backwards being caught by her friends.
"You trained your dog well. It seems she does whatever you tell her to."
I felt my blood boil. Go, Angie! Kill her!
"She is not a dog, watch your words."
Iris really didn't seem well at all. Was she sick? She started sweating profusely and I could see her eyes being clouded by rage.
"Are you defending your girlfriend?"
I frowned. Was Angie supposed to be my girlfriend in this insult?
"I saw you two kissing!
-I don't know if you have hallucinations about me but you should really stop with your weird obsession. I am flattered, Iris, but I am not interested in you in that way. Or in any way for the record."
Iris's friends talked at the same time and I had no idea who to look at.
"During the play. That wasn't in the script was it? And everyone could see that it wasn't a false kiss.
-Oh! That's what you meant. In fact it wasn't in the script and we improvised because it made the whole play better.
-You kissed a girl!
-I did."
They got taken aback by my confidence.
"And? What is the problem here? We were acting and our characters needed to kiss. Have you ever gone to the theater before? Did you know that when people die in the play, they don't die in real life?
-You kissed a girl!
-You already said that. Or is the problem that you have never been kissed before? Don't worry it will come. It won't be amazing at first but it will come.
-How can you be so shameless? Don't you care that you kissed a girl? A wizard at that!"
I saw red:
"Do you have a problem with wizards? If you dare say anything against them I am going to put you through that wall."
Iris lost her composure for a second and her friends placed themselves between us telling me to stop.
"Why are you so protective over her? Is she your girlfriend or what?
-What if she is?"
Iris was flabbergasted and seeing how shocked people were I grabbed Angie's hand:
"Why would that concern you? I date whoever I want."
Iris started stammering:
"What? How could you say that! Don't joke about these things!"
I pulled Angie closer and grabbed her arm with my other hand:
"I am saying this so easily. I would never date anyone else but her. No one else deserves my love."
I felt Angie shaking and looked at her to see if she was okay. What I saw then surprised me. She was completely flushed and I saw her lower lip shake. Her reaction was the same as usual, she was acting all shy but for some reason this looked different from usual. Was it normal for her to react like this to being called my girlfriend? I wouldn't react this way if I didn't have any feelings for the person. I acted in anger but if my friend grabbed my arm like this I wouldn't have blushed. Moreover, Angie was used to me touching her way more than this. Why would she get so flustered over an arm being grabbed? Did she perhaps like me? No, I must have just imagined things. I shook my head and went back to my act:
"Are you saying that you are together?
-Yes. Angie is the most perfect human being I know and I will do everything to make her happy.
-That's disgusting!
-And you haven't seen anything. We will hold hands when we walk, I will stick my tongue down her throat every night and every morning, I will lay on her naked body for hours and we will have the most beautiful wedding ever. You will be invited, don't worry and you will be able to see what real love looks like because you will never see it again."
Iris was so shocked that she couldn't answer. I was fired up and the teacher's arrival was the only thing that pushed me to sit down at my table. Angie on her side didn't stop blushing for the whole day and after class I decided to ask if she was okay. Once my anger calmed down, I felt bad dragging her into this:
"Did I make you uncomfortable? If yes I can go tell the truth to Iris immediately.
-There is no need. I understand why you said that.
-Are you sure?
-Yes."
Angie pinched her lips before adding:
"Should we pretend to be dating now?"
I tilted my head. I haven't thought about the aftermath and I just said what I wanted.
"You don't have to pretend. People should accept you the way you are. I am sorry I just got caught up in the moment and didn't like Iris judging us.
-I don't mind at all."
I thought about it out loud:
"Maybe people would leave us alone if we did pretend to date."
Angie's eyes turned gold suddenly:
"That could be a good solution.
-Are you sure that you are okay with it? People will talk even more about you and they will look at you even more. I really don't care what they say but do you?"
Angie shook her head:
"I only care about you.
-Then we could pretend to be dating. People saw us kissing already anyway. Alastair will maybe finally give up on our relationship."
Not that I needed to pretend to have him give up. I had already done well on my own but I was getting tired of this whole Alastair situation. Angie pinched her lips her cheeks turning red:
"Then... What should we do?
-We just hang out together as usual. Rumors will form either way. I am sure people are already talking after they saw the play."