CHAPTER 74: A FIGHT AT THE CAFETERIA

Yuan’s Vampiric hearing picked up her best friend’s screams gaining closer and closer to the gate of the library , and she quickly sped over and met up with Aaliyah halfway down the run.

They stood a few steps away from the library doors, and Yuan grabbed Aaliyah, shaking her back to reality, "What’s wrong with you? What happened?" Yuan’s eyes were already scanning down her friend’s body, trying to find any form of injuries.

Meanwhile, Aaliyah had calmed down a bit but she was still trying to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed from what just happened, and staring at Yuan now, she didn’t know how she was supposed to explain herself.

’ Hey, I don’t know how to tell you this but that teacher that you asked me to keep away from...Well, I think I’m attracted instead ’ Aaliyah mentally trembled listening to those words in her head.

"Talk to me!" Yuan insisted but instantly noticed that the people around them were also staring. Aaliyah had caught everyone’s attention with her scream, and it’s not like they weren’t staring at her even before then.

"You know what?" Yuan took her friend’s hand and they walked into the library, but not before showing their ID to the librarian standing by the door. Yuan took Aaliyah to a secluded area of the library, and they both sat down between the shelves, far enough away from others.

"Now, what happened? Did anyone try to hurt you?"

"No," Aaliyah replied, "I was just... surprised,"

"About what?" Yuan couldn’t help but wonder what was making her friend’s cheeks so red and puffy.

"You know... About the whole Scholarship stuff, and me being here and everyone staring at me. It’s... finally taking its toll on me," Aaliyah answered, glancing at her friend’s face to see that Yuan wasn’t buying any of it.

"Spit it out!"

"Fine!" Aaliyah succumbed, "Remember the professor you said to keep away from? Turns out...he’s my homeroom teacher!"

Yuan gasped, "What the...! A homeroom teacher? Mr. Hawthorne has never been anyone’s homeroom teacher before...,"

"Well, it looks like a lot of things are changing this session," Aaliyah laughed nervously, "Being in the same room as him is overwhelming. He came up to me later on insisting I should quit the school, that he would take it to the chancellor for me,"

"Do you want to quit this school?"

"No,"

"Then don’t listen to him,"

Silence fell between the girls, and they both started reading. Yuan spent an hour explaining the basics of everything to Aaliyah about what she had been taught and the books that were written in the Greek language so she could at least interpret some for herself. The remaining hours were used on themselves, and soon...it was time to vacate the library.

The bell rang for its closure, and everyone was walking out, including the two girls.

"Hey, so I have something to ask you...," Aaliyah began, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah?"

"Unlike witches who get married the normal way, Vampires find their mates, right?"

Yuan nodded. The thought made her feel somewhat... lonely, and she wondered when she was going to find hers.

"And how does one know when they find their mates?"

"Well, there’s this connection between them. It’s an instant pull that becomes more and more obvious the more they’re together, and only gets sealed when the male, or the female bites the other. In some rare cases, they have to mate to seal the bond. What made you ask this question?"

"Oh, some people were talking about it in class and I overheard the word and became curious. I mean I know about it before, but I just... wanted to learn more," Aaliyah quickly looked away, mentally cursing herself for continuously lying to her only friend.

"Why do you keep lying to me?"

Aaliyah looked back, "What?"

"Your homeroom teacher? Overwhelming? Overhead the word and became curious? Girl... everything has been overwhelming for you since you took that test and came back alive, and I vividly remember Mr. Hawthorne being the one who stood behind you and helped with your injuries then. He didn’t overwhelm you then...he’s overwhelming you now? And now you have this guilty look on your face when you asked that question. I’ve known you for years, Liya, I know when you’re hiding something!"

"Oh God!" Aaliyah groaned, "I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you what’s going on,"

"Say it in Greek, in Roman...I don’t care. Just speak and I’ll understand,"

Aaliyah took in a deep breath and stopped walking. They faced each other, and Aaliyah finally bared the emotions in her eyes to her friend, and Yuan was moved by what she saw there.

Fear. Excitement. Confusion.

"I think Alastair is my mate,"

Yuan blinked for a few seconds, "I must be crazy because I think I heard you just say that...,"

"Alastair, the Dark guy everyone was supposed to keep away from may just be my mate!" Aaliyah repeated more sternly, lowering her voice.

"And how do you... know this?"

"It’s just as you explained. The... growing pull every time we meet. He...kinda mentioned it when we met this afternoon and I panicked and ran away, screaming,"

Yuan was quiet from then on. She had so many comments, but she was just filled with disbelief, trying to understand to the best of her abilities. Even as they got to the cafeteria and got their individual meals for the night and some snacks for later, she couldn’t stop thinking of what Aaliyah had told her.

Aaliyah was...human. Well, not completely human since her friend has been displaying some inhumane abilities like her super hearing, and how she can stay underwater for over ten minutes but it still doesn’t explain how...she has a mate...and it just had to be Alastair of all people. Now, that really is something to scream about.

Halfway into Aaliyah’s meal, someone walked up to them.

"Hey, Yuan,"

Aaliyah looked up to see a tall, redheaded Olympian standing there, his eyes never leaving her friend. Yuan looked at him and smiled, "Hey, Lance. How do you do?"

"I’m Good," He replied, "Do you guys mind if I sit here?"

"Sure,"

He took the seat next to her and dropped his serving on the table. Based on his not drinking blood and his aura, Aaliyah knew he was a witch.

"Hi, I’m Lancelot," He Introduced himself to her, stretching out his hand.

Aaliyah first glanced at Yuan curiously, who gave her a small nod. Then, Aaliyah took his hand and returned his smile, "I’m Aaliyah, but I’m sure you’ve already heard about me,"

"Yeah," He nodded, "The One of her Kind, the First legend, the one who came to get herself kille...," He stopped when Yuan sent out an elbow to his stomach, and he grunted.

"Huh?"

"Don’t mind him. He’s only repeating the weekly hits, though he didn’t have to!" Yuan yelled the last part at Lance’s face, "He means no harm, honestly."

"Oh...," Aaliyah nodded at herself. She had yet to read the newspaper, but now she surely will. She wanted to know what the school thought about her, and based on what Lance here just said, it wasn’t anything good. Although ’ The First legend ’ does have a nice ring to it since her name will probably go down in history.

Lance and Yuan were in the same class, and they were busy discussing an assignment they had due in a few days when the sound of breaking glass and crashing cans caught everyone’s attention in the cafeteria.

Everyone looked to see Blake standing there, blood running down the side of his face while another Olympian stood close to him. The other Olympian was a witch, Sebastian, from one of the most powerful witch families in the world, just as Blake was from one of the most powerful vampire clans.

"What happened?" Lance half yelled at both of them, and Yuan rolled her eyes at him. How were they supposed to know?!

"I had a feeling this was going to happen," Yuan said.

"Yeah. Sebastian was the King of the school before Blake arrived, and he’s been getting all of the attention. Seb must be so mad right now,"

Listening to the conversation between Yuan and Lance, Aaliyah added, "But I don’t think Blake is just gonna stand there and take that from him,"

As soon as the words left her tongue, Sebastian was sent flying across the room. All Olympians along his path jumped out of the way while some were caught in the fire. Sebastian slammed into the wall, leaving some cracks.

But he was instantly on his feet and across the room again. He was bleeding from the neck, rage apparent in his dark brown gaze, and both males were attacking each other in a haze of lit fury. Everyone around them scattered out of the way, scared to get hit like the others. Luckily, a professor arrived on time to separate them..

The boys glared death at each other as they were taken away by the professor, bleeding with their clothes torn.

"Seb must have started it," Lance didn’t even wait, "He’s a bully too, so...,"

"He bullies Vampires?" Aaliyah asked.

Yuan and Lance gave her a look, "He mostly bullies Vampires,"

"But I thought Vampires are stronger than witches,"

"They are, unless the witch uses her spells to enhance herself physically then her movements and strength will be on par or even more powerful than the Vampires..."

.

.

Later that night, Aaliyah lay alone on her bed staring at the ceiling. It was almost 12am, and sleep wasn’t willing to be her friend tonight. She could hear others moving in their room, but Yuan’s was silent which meant she was asleep.

But her thoughts were mostly on her interactions with Alastair. If he really was her mate, then...

Wait, what does it mean for her to have her mate? Doesn’t this prove that she... isn’t human? God...it was difficult to process everything at once.

Then, a faint insistent scratching sound sliced through her ears. It was unsettling, like fingernails dragging across glass. Aaliyah’s head snapped off the bed, and she scanned around her room searching for the source of the noise and her gaze fell on the window.

A wave of unease ran down her spine.

"Who’s there?!" She barked, but it only continued.

Slowly, she dropped from her bed and came closer to the window. The curtains were covering it, and she carefully shifted them to one side, hoping it was just a branch or rubbish against the wall. But, it wasnt.

There were words etched into the glass, and the little words read :

’ LEAVE THIS SCHOOL OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT IS SLIPPING OUT OF MY CONTROL ’

What the hell does that mean?!