Past - 3
Third Party's POV:
In the employees' parking lot of Westwood Academy, five mischievous boys held their spray bottles filled with colorful paint, stifling their laughter as they gazed at their handiwork on the teacher's car. The vehicle now displayed an array of vibrant colors, turning it into an unconventional work of art.
"Who's over there?" A man's sharp and authoritative voice disrupted the boys' painting session. They halted their movements, holding the multi-colored paint spray bottles in hands.
Their eyes met, and without exchanging words, they understood what they needed to do – run.
The boys swiftly dispersed in different directions, taking the evidence with them.
Meanwhile, in the parking lot, chaos ensued as the angry owner of the vandalized car expressed his frustration. "What the hell!!!" His shouts echoed through the area.
Among the five running figures, Sven Neve Damaris made his way to the secret parking area where his motorbike was hidden. He had to retrieve it and make a quick escape.
As he sprinted across the courtyard, taking a sharp turn, he came face to face with a girl heading in the opposite direction. With no time to react, he braced himself to catch her in his arms, but what happened next was entirely unexpected.
The girl skillfully sidestepped him, avoiding a direct collision, as their shoulders brushed briefly.
"Sorry," she called out without looking back, continuing her hurried escape. Sven halted, stunned by her actions.
He turned to watch her retreating form, a perplexed expression on his face. This was an opposite departure from his usual encounters with girls. In his world, they intentionally bumped into him for a chance to strike up a conversation. Yet, this girl hadn't even spared him a glance.
The sound of approaching footsteps reminded him of his need to escape. Shaking off thoughts of the girl, he hastily left the scene.
After successfully retrieving his motorbike, Sven rode out of the school grounds and onto the main road. His mind was consumed by thoughts of his next mission, involving another teacher.
At a red traffic signal, Sven casually glanced around the area and noticed the same girl from earlier pedaling her bicycle along a nearby cycle path. She stopped at a playground, wore a grey hoodie with mask and started collecting mud. He couldn't help but be curious about her actions.
'Is she playing with mud? What is she, three years old?' His thoughts reflected his surprise.
When she packed her bag and hopped back on her cycle, Sven couldn't help the curiosity out of his head to see what this girl was trying to do.
As the signal turned green, signaling "Go," his gaze remained fixed on her. His curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to discreetly follow her, ignoring the rules of the road. When she stopped again on a pathway, he quietly observed her from afar, fixing potholes with mud.
What?!
Sven's mouth hung open at her actions, his curiosity growing. 'Why didn't she simply report the issue to the local council?'
As he watched her clumsily fill the potholes with a focused and determined look on her cute face, an unintentional smile crept onto his face. The way she wiped away excess dirt and cleaned the area with her hands had an endearing quality to it.
However, when she suddenly pulled her hand back and blew on it, Sven's momentary concern spiked. "Is she stupid? This could hurt her," He muttered, unconsciously clenching his fists. Realizing his instinctive reaction, he forced himself to relax, pressing his lips into a thin line.
His focus returned when she stood up and concealed herself behind a pillar. 'What she's up to now?' He thought and narrowed his eyes, his curiosity piqued, observing as she peeked out from her hiding spot and saw a guy passing by the now-repaired area.
As the whole scene unfolded in front of him, everything clicked into place in Sven's mind, creating a clear picture.
Seriously?!!
An incredulous mocking smirk appeared on his face as he thought, 'Love makes people do crazy things.'
Shaking his head at the girl's apparent naivety, he started his bike and drove away from the scene.
The following day, he was on his way to park his bike when he saw the same girl making her way to the main building, a wide grin plastered on her cute face.
The next morning, on his way to park his bike at the usual spot in school, Sven once again spotted the same girl, crossing the courtyard and heading towards the school's main building. A wide grin plastered on her cute face.
He couldn't help but be amused by her innocent enthusiasm. A sly smirk formed on his lips as he observed the girl's angelic features.
'This year is going to be interesting,' he thought to himself, his plan to tease this intriguing and odd girl already taking shape.
**************
Elysia's POV:
My lips parted in surprise as I stared at him, uncertain of how to react.
Perhaps it's just a coincidence; he might be crossing from here, and I inadvertently got in his way?
With that thought in mind, I sidestepped quickly, attempting to walk past him unnoticed. Yet, in the very next moment, he blocked my path once again.
"Don't you think we need to talk?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow, a small smirk dancing on his lips.
Huh?!
Talk about what? I don't even know him; what could we possibly have to discuss?
"Come on, don't tell me you don't remember," he added, observing my perplexed expression.
Did he mistake me for someone else?
"I believe you've got the wrong person," I responded hastily, taking a step back and turning around, intending to leave. But before I could, he spoke again. "You bumped into me yesterday."
My eyes widened at his words. He was the guy I accidentally collided with?
Could it be that he's holding a grudge against me for that incident? I'm sure I apologized before leaving. Is he that petty to not let it go?
"I also know that you saw me yesterday," he said, confusing me further.
What on earth is he talking about?
I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to grasp his point when I heard the sound of him dismounting his bike and his footsteps approaching. Within seconds, he was standing right in front of me.
I had to crane my head to look up at him; he stood there with his towering 6'3" height, making me feel like a dwarf at my 5'6".
"Saw what?" I asked, utterly bewildered at this point.
"Come on, I know you saw me messing with the teacher's car yesterday," he remarked casually, shrugging his shoulders.
He tampered with what?!
"Now that you've already seen me, you've got to keep your mouth shut," he cautioned, making a zipping motion across his lips.
I instinctively raised both my hands defensively. "I really didn't see anything. I was in a rush to leave yesterday. I didn't even know it was you who I bumped into, so how could I have seen you before that?" I explained earnestly.
'Let's just get out of here without any trouble,' I reminded myself.
I couldn't afford to give this troublemaker an opportunity to target me. It's only my second day, and I have three years ahead of me.
Sven raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing me suspiciously. I gulped silently but maintained eye contact, fearing he might think I'm lying.
My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he bent slightly, bringing his face to my level, just inches away from mine.
"What's your name? What year are you in?" He inquired.
Huh?!!
"Name and year?" He repeated when I didn't respond right away.
"E-Elysia Lawson, Year 11," I responded truthfully, realizing there was no point in concealing it since he was in the same class. He nodded in acknowledgment.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it," he conceded. I almost sighed in relief, but then he continued, "But even if you didn't see me yesterday, you know now that I was the one messing with the teacher's car. So..." He trailed off, smirking.
"So?" I inquired, holding my breath.
His evil smirk deepened, thoroughly enjoying my confusion. Instead of answering, he straightened up and stepped back. His smirk transformed into a sly grin as he tapped his index and middle fingers against his eyes before extending them outward toward me, as if saying, 'I'll be watching you.' Then he walked back to his bike and drove off, leaving me standing there, perplexed.
"Does that mean I'm in trouble?" I mumbled to myself, not fully grasping the kind of trouble I had gotten myself into, or, should I say, had been forced into?
"Elysia!" I turned around at the sound of my name, my senses sharpening as I registered someone approaching. Aubrey, her face radiating excitement, marched toward me and, without hesitation, linked her arm with mine.
"Hi," she chirped, her eyes sparkling with an extra dose of happiness.
"Oh, hey, Aubrey," I greeted, although her arm around mine made me uneasy. I didn't like people touching me without consent; it always left me on edge. But I couldn't bring myself to tell Aubrey, not when she was so genuinely happy.
"Let's head to class," she said, pulling me along.
"Uh, okay!" I smiled, though my discomfort remained as we walked together.
When we reached our classroom, there were a few students here and there. We sat down in our seats, and I secretly sighed in relief, seeing that Sven wasn't here yet. But my relief was really short-lived because after a few minutes of us settling down, he marched into the classroom and looked around as if searching for something or someone.
Panicking, I quickly reached for a book on my desk and buried my face in its pages, creating a protective barrier. After a few minutes of this bookish charade, I cautiously peeked out. The spot where Sven had been standing was vacant.
Relieved, I closed the book and settled into my seat, scanning the room to ensure he was nowhere nearby.
When I didn't see him anywhere, I sighed in relief and casually glanced around. My gaze fell on the window seat, freezing me in place.
Sven sat there, staring back at me with an evil grin, waving his hand at me and winking before making the same "I'll be watching you" gesture.
What's wrong with this guy?
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat impossible to ignore and immediately averted my gaze. Is he really going to do what he said earlier?
I looked over at Aubrey, but she was busy taking her books out, completely unaware of her surroundings.
Should I ask for her advice?
Maybe she can help me, since she has been studying here for a while. But what if Sven causes trouble for her as well?
Soon, the bell chimed, and all the students took their seats as Mrs. Clarke entered our class. As the class continued, I felt a pair of eyes burning a hole on the side of my head the whole time, and I knew who it was even without looking.
When the first class ended, I noticed that the girl behind me, Esme, was absent. Aubrey mentioned her name earlier. Why would she miss school on just the second day?
Then, an unexpected entrance disrupted my thoughts. Mr. Mitchell walked in, accompanied by Principal Harrison Turner, both of them wearing solemn expressions.
"Good morning, students! I'm sure you must be wondering why I'm here. Actually, there's an important announcement I have to make. Yesterday, someone tampered with Mr. Robert's car, which was parked in the school parking lot." My eyes darted to Sven, who feigned surprise. Whispers rippled through the classroom, but Principal Turner continued.
"This is the third time this has happened, and the school authorities are trying to find the culprit. I want to ask if any of you saw anything suspicious yesterday or anything that could help the school catch the culprit." His gaze swept across the class, assessing each one of us.
Cold beads of sweat formed on my forehead, and my palms grew clammy. I couldn't bear to meet anyone's eyes, overwhelmed by guilt.
Principal Turner left, issuing a warning that anyone withholding information would also face consequences.
For the rest of the day, I avoided teachers, my guilt gnawing at me even though I was innocent. Sven, on the other hand, continued with his creepy gestures during class, hidden from others' view. It irked me every time our eyes met.
By the end of the school day, I was so frustrated that I couldn't focus on my studies. Aubrey noticed my distress and appeared concerned, but I didn't know what to say.
When it was time to leave, I decided to confront the jerk. He was standing with his friends on the first floor, and I took a deep breath and walked towards him. Just a few meters away from their group, my steps came to a halt, and my recently built confidence flew out of the window. I was about to retreat and flee from there when he spotted me, his smirk growing wider as he raised an eyebrow, clearly curious about what I had to say.
Now my pride wasn't allowing me to back off when he had already seen me. Summoning every ounce of courage, I inhaled deeply and positioned myself squarely in front of him.
"Tell the principal that you tampered with the teacher's car. If you didn't, I won't cover for you because it's wrong," I said hurriedly, relieved that I didn't stutter even though anxiety coursed through me.
He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, making me involuntarily step back. His friends stared with wide eyes. "So, you're going to tell on me?" He asked in a low voice, his gaze intense.
"Y-yes! Don't... don't think I'm afraid of you," I raised my head defiantly, attempting to show off my fake confidence.
"I'll give you a day to confess," I declared firmly. "Tomorrow, I will report it myself." Without pausing for his response, I turned on my heels and began to walk away, resolute in my decision.
I descended the stairs, my heart pounding when I heard Sven's voice from behind, just low enough for me to hear. "I think I also saw someone yesterday, filling potholes for a guy."
As his words registered in my head, a gasp escaped my lips, and I lost my balance, missing the step, falling from the stairs which had only three steps left.
I crashed onto the floor on all fours, my limbs splayed out, unintentionally resembling a startled frog. Internally, I cursed my clumsiness as well as that idiot behind me, but I froze in shock instantly, when I heard a magnetic voice above me.
"Are you alright?" Ares' voice reached my ears, making me wish the ground would open and swallow me whole.
'Let's just play dead,' a voice inside me suggested when I heard Sven's snickers echoing from the stairs.
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