Red POV
Uncle J's words about maintaining my cover echoed in my mind, but I couldn't help but question their practicality. Was I supposed to just sit there and stare at Xavier, pretending to understand a language that felt as foreign to me as ancient hieroglyphs?
"You're joking, right?" Xavier's expression shifted to one of genuine confusion when I confessed my inability to comprehend fully. Realizing my mistake, I quickly clarified that I came from a place where reading was a struggle, and I hadn't acquired the necessary skills.
"I'm very serious," I asserted, meeting his gaze head-on, determination burning in my eyes.
"Well, it seems like this book is of no use to you anymore," Xavier remarked dismissively, ready to abandon the conversation.
Hell no, I wasn't leaving without at least attempting to find a solution.
"Wait!" I reached out, grabbing the end of his uniform as he turned to leave, causing one of his eyebrows to quirk up in anticipation of my next words.
"You mentioned that this book has a sort of life to it, right?"
"Yeah... It doesn't ex-" he began, but I interrupted him.
"You also said it allowed me to touch it, which suggests it might have a connection with me," I ventured, unsure of where my thoughts were leading me but allowing my instincts to guide the way.
"What are you implying, Green eyes?" Xavier sat back down, allowing me to continue touching his uniform.
"What if I ask the book to translate into a language I'm more familiar with?" I proposed, excitement tingling through my veins.
Without warning, he tapped my head with one of his sharp fingers. "Hey! What was that for?" I protested, rubbing the spot where he had lightly struck me.
"Just checking if you're going crazy or if I'm the crazy one for listening to your wild ideas," he retorted, his tone laced with a hint of amusement.
I sighed, feeling slightly exasperated. "You still don't get it, Fangs."
He let out a resigned sigh of his own. "This..." Xavier pointed towards the open book, "is an ancient tome that predates the establishment of this school. It's been here for centuries, if not longer."
"Has anyone ever tried asking it, though?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.
"No one has touched this book in ages, let alone asked it anything, so I can't say for sure," he replied, a note of intrigue creeping into his voice.
That's great, right? It meant that I could be the first to try. What harm could it do?
I decided to stop bombarding Xavier with questions and focused my attention back on the book. I pondered a more effective way to appeal to its sense of cooperation.
"Um... Mr. Ancient Book, I know I requested you to open, but you see, I can't understand the language written here. Could you please..." My words trailed off as the book abruptly closed, leaving me feeling deceived.
"Um... I think you might have upset it," Xavier observed, his voice laced with concern, leaving me to ponder whether I had just angered an age-old, mystical book.
As anxiety coursed through me, the book suddenly reopened, its pages fluttering as if caught in a gust of wind, and then it stopped again. This time, the words were not in Latin or Greek, but in my mother tongue.
English.
"It seems to have taken an interest in you, Green eyes," Xavier remarked, shock evident in his voice as he stared at the English words inscribed on the pages.
"What can I say? I even attract books," I quipped, a flicker of amusement dancing in my eyes. For the first time, I found myself enjoying Xavier's company.
Maybe he wasn't all that bad after all.
I started reading about the history of werewolves, delving into their origins. Xavier, seemingly comfortable, decided to rest his head on my shoulder, and surprisingly, I didn't mind as long as he didn't wake up and bite my neck.
The history of werewolves unfolded before me, and it didn't require much explanation. It was a story that spoke for itself, and I found it strangely soothing.
"The prolonged history of werewolves dates back to ancient Greek times. When Zeus, the god of thunder, visited Lycaon disguised as a common man, Lycaon immediately recognized him and decided to test his divinity. To prove his suspicions, Lycaon killed a Molossian hostage and served Zeus his entrails. Disgusted and enraged by Lycaon's actions, Zeus turned Lycaon and his followers into wolves, punishing them for their heartless act of killing an innocent man and labeling them as man-eaters.
Decades passed, and a man named Pausanias discovered a way to revert to human form. He revealed that the only way to become human again was to abstain from consuming human flesh for ten years. Some chose to followPausanias' method and successfully transformed back into humans, while others, consumed by their desire for human blood, became even more bestial, fully transforming into wolves.
However, there were those who sought a different solution through witchcraft. They had the ability to shape shift into both man and wolf without the need for a full moon."
The mention of the different methods piqued my interest. Ana had described the appearance of the warrior wolves, emphasizing their immense size. I couldn't help but wonder how Nicholas' wolf form looked like.
"Why don't you ask him?" a voice whispered in my mind.
Huh?
I turned around gently, checking if someone was behind me, or if it was merely my imagination playing tricks.
"Just a few days of silence, and you've already forgotten about me?" the voice continued, tinged with a hint of sadness.
"You're back," I thought, surprised that the presence I had tried to suppress had returned.
"Happy to hear me, Red," the voice responded, addressing me by the nickname it had given me.
I wanted to respond, to engage in conversation, but when the voice called me by my name, I realized I had forgotten the most crucial question.
"What's your name?" I asked, eager to finally know the identity of this enigmatic presence.
"So now you ask," the voice replied, its tone tinged with a hint of sadness.
"Really sorry, but there's been so much going on," I apologized, hoping it understood.
"I know, I see. You remember," the voice acknowledged, and I felt a strange mix of relief and curiosity.
But there was another question that took priority in my mind.
"Reyes," the voice said, answering my unspoken query.
"Huh?" I responded, caught off guard by the unexpected revelation.
"That's my name, silly. Why? Don't you like it?" the voice inquired, sounding slightly concerned about my opinion.
Why would it care whether I liked its name or not?
"No, it's a very rare name. I love it," I reassured the voice, realizing the significance of this newfound connection.
"I love yours too, Red," He replied, and a sense of happiness washed over me. It was strange, connecting with someone through mere thoughts, but in that moment, I couldn't deny the warmth that his presence brought.
>>>>>>>>
" Did you guys kiss?"
" No "
" Did he try to Kiss you atleast,"
" Ana.. for the very last time we just read and he slept off simple." Ana has been questioning my study session with Xavier. I clearly explained he didn't even think about it and she thought I must have drunk.
" Red.. you stayed almost all night with him and your saying you just read" She's sitting on the floor next to my bed using a pen to hit me and it's getting very annoying.
" Yes ... I did and honestly he's actually not a bad guy " That was my final words before falling back to my bed .
The room became silent and I was grateful she gave up trying to persuade me. As I lay on my bed, the weariness of the day weighing heavily upon me, desperately yearning for the solace of sleep. The darkness of the dream world beckoned, wrapping its tendrils around my consciousness, when suddenly, a resounding slam of the door shattered the fragile tranquility.
My eyes snapped open, startled by the abrupt disturbance. I found Avery rushing to my bedside, her face etched with deep concern. Her voice quivered as she accused me of breaking a promise I couldn't quite recall.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice groggy with fatigue as I struggled to shake off the remnants of sleep.
"You said you wouldn't do anything with him!" Avery's words pierced through the haze, jolting me fully awake. Confusion swirled within me as I tried to make sense of her accusation.
"We didn't do anything," I asserted, my voice tinged with exhaustion as I fought to remain alert.
Avery's distress seemed to grow with each passing moment, her words tumbling out in a rush. She revealed that her roommate had overheard conversations, rumors spreading like wildfire about Xavier and me spending an excessive amount of time together in the library, from after school until late at night. The implications hung heavily in the air, casting a shadow of judgment over me.
"That means... people are saying you seduced him, that he... that he..." Avery's voice trailed off, leaving the unspoken words to linger between us like an ominous specter.
In an instant, I shot upright, fueled by a surge of frustration and anger. "We didn't do anything!" I vehemently protested, my voice infused with desperation. I turned to face Avery and Ava, seeking understanding in their eyes.
"Red, of course, I believe you," Avery interjected, her voice filled with unwavering support. "But the whole school... they think you used your charms to manipulate the principal's son and gain admission to this school."
The words struck me like a blow to the chest. Injustice coursed through my veins, threatening to consume me in a tempest of false accusations. I clenched my fists, feeling a fire ignite within me.
"This is absurd!" I exclaimed, my voice laden with a mix of anger and disbelief. "How could they think that? They didn't even see us! Who spread this malicious information?"
As if on cue, Ava's voice broke through the tension, dripping with bitterness. "Who else but Aubrey?" The answer hung in the air, its venomous bitterness resonating within me. Aubrey, the conniving and jealous girl who had made it her mission to make my life miserable since the moment I stepped foot in this school.
That bitch!
Hope you enjoyed this Chapter ❤️