CHAPTER 77: CREEPY BACKGROUND NOISE

Blake Fang was popular at Olympia - that much was quite obvious. Especially from the way heads began turning to their table, and the attention settled on the four of them seated.

Aaliyah could feel the prickly eyes of everyone’s gaze. She felt it every day, but it had tripled the moment Blake decided to pull up the chair next to her, acting like he was welcomed here or something.

"You don’t mind if I drink here, do you?" That didn’t seem to be a question because he had already dropped a can of blood on the table and was raising the next to his lips, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped down the contents.

"You...," Aaliyah frowned, "What do you want?" She asked.

"I want to be friends,"

Yuan choked on her can of blood, almost spitting out everything going down her throat. Lance seemed to still be frozen.

"What do you want?" Aaliyah asked again, dismissing his reply like she hadn’t heard anything.

This time, he turned to Lancelot and stretched out a hand in greeting, "Hi, I’m Blake Fang, son of the Fang Empire. I’m in the same class as Aaliyah here,"

Lancelot finally blinked and glanced warily between the girls before taking Blake’s outstretched hand. They shook, and withdrew.

"Hi, I’m Blake," He waved at Yuan this time.

"Yuan," She whispered, a little shaky.

"So, what’s up with you guys?"

Aaliyah couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up, lifting her tray along with her, "Come on guys,"

"Where are we going?" Yuan asked, staring up at her wide-eyed.

"We are changing tables, now,"

"You seem grumpy," Blake said, casually taking another sip of her drink.

Her grip on the tray tightened, and she ignored him, "Lance, Yuan, let’s go,"

"B... but...," Lance stammered.

"You can’t handle my presence, Aaliyah?"

And that was it. Aaliyah slammed her tray on the table, and its contents almost spilt over. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she locked onto the arrogant vampire sitting next to her with a lazy smirk on his face.

But once he saw that venomous glare in her eyes, the knowing smirk vanished.

"I’m going to ask you for the last time, Blake, what do you want?!" Even her voice has taken a sharper edge.

"I’m being serious. I wanna join your click," He replied, raising both hands in surrender.

"That’s cute. But unfortunately, we do not have any more room for that. Now, leave!"

"You alone don’t get to decide that when there are four of us now," Blake said, turning to the other two with the question in his eyes, "All those in acceptance of me joining this group, raise your hands,"

He raised his, and Lance’s arm shot up too, a kind of lightning excitement shimmering in his eyes. Yuan’s arm twitched to move, but she kept it glued to her thighs. She wouldn’t betray Aaliyah like that.

"The boys agree," Blake shrugged.

Her eyes narrowed at him, "It doesn’t matter what anyone agrees on," She leaned closer to his face, as though she was trying to see through him, "I know you want something, Blake. You don’t ever get close just like that. If I could throw you into a wall, I would. But I’m not Sebastian,"

"So what were you doing with him Friday evening?"

Once again, Yuan choked on her drink, "You spoke with Sebastian?!" She exclaimed, keeping her voice low.

"I think they were flirting," Blake chipped in, the smirk forming on his face again.

"If flirting here in Olympia means, he tried to get in my way and I talked him off, then yes, you could say we were flirting," She retorted, glaring at him.

"Why am I just hearing this?" Yuan looked worried, "He could be targeting you next. I mean, like, everyone’s targeting you here, but he could be our biggest problem right now. Seb is like the biggest bully I know. He’s even worse than Laura,"

"Don’t worry," Aaliyah shrugged, "I’m not scared of the big, bad witch,"

"You might not be, but I am for you!" Yuan gripped her can tightly, "How did your conversation with him go? Tell me everything..."

"Fine," Aaliyah sighed, and began, "I was walking back to my dorm, and I saw him. He asked me to stop, I didn’t and then he stepped in front of me. We exchanged a few words and I talked him off. That’s all. It’s not that big of a deal,"

"No one exchanges words with Sebastian," Lance stated this time.

"He called me a psychopath," Aaliyah defended.

"Aren’t you?" Blake smirked.

She rolled her eyes.

"This is serious. I should report this to the student council. They can help us talk to Sebastian, maybe try and stop him from whatever... bloody plan he has up his sleeves for you," Yuan was already out of her seat, ready to head straight to the council office.

"That won’t work," Blake pronounced, making her stop. She turned to him.

"The Council are powerless over this. Do you know how many Olympians have reported him in the past? Yeah, I checked. Too many. But he doesn’t give up. Once he has you in his sights, he’s not gonna back up till he draws enough blood,"

"Oh my God," Yuan breathed, slipping back into her seat, "What do we do, then?"

"That’s why I’m here," Blake told them, "That is why I wanted the become friends," His neck turned, and his eyes fell on Aaliyah, "So that I can protect her whenever Sebastian shows up,"

Aaliyah groaned, "I can protect myself,"

"I’m sure you can," Blake commented sarcastically.

"Why the hell do you care, anyway? Why do you wanna protect me? What’s the catch, Blake?" Lines etched on her forehead as she watched him suspiciously.

"The catch is becoming friends,"

"That would never, ever happen,"

"Why?!" He demanded.

"Why?!" She almost yelled in question, disbelief and anger blasting through her features, "Are you really asking me that?"

"Yeah!" He fired back, matching her energy.

"You took the Golden Medallion away from me. I had it, not you. You took advantage of my moment of weakness and you were declared the winner. Plus, you have a very, very prideful, arrogant sister. Must run in the genes,"

"It’s not my fault you were impaled with broken glass and lost focus. All I know is I didn’t break any rules, and I’m the winner of the phantom games, fair and square. And what issue do you have with Laura?"

"Yeah, yeah," Aaliyah picked up a fork and stabbed the piece of meat on her tray angrily, "It’s my fault I lost focus, right?"

"Anyone would have taken the medallion from you if given the chance. That was what we were all trying to do in the first place,"

"Yeah, and you turned out to be the lucky thief, bravo!"

His eyes held hers for a moment, and then he rolled them, "What does Laura have to do with this?"

"She picks on my friend, and that is not ok!" Aaliyah snapped.

"I’ll talk to her about that," Blake assured.

"Yeah, like that ever works,"

"You’re mad at me, I get it," Blake’s voice was softer now, "But I’m still sticking with you guys so I can keep Sebastian off your back,"

"I can protect myself!" Aaliyah clipped.

"Sebastian isn’t like the other witches you may have encountered. His spells aren’t simple like many other witches around. Don’t think you can protect yourself just because you survived the games and made it this far...,"

Aaliyah sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep her nerves calm, "How about this, then? I would rather die in Sebastian’s hands, than let you do anything for me,"

This was where Yuan interrupted them, "No, no, no!" Yuan turned to Blake with a nervous smile, "She doesn’t mean that. She’ll take all the help she can get,"

"No!" Aaliyah’s jaw tightened, "I don’t need anyone’s help,"

"Yes, she does," Yuan answered, still looking at Blake, "And I’m delighted to have you in this group," She raised a hand in the air, "You can sit with us anytime you like!"

Blake nodded with a prideful gaze, feeling all mighty and wanted.

Aaliyah could not believe her ears.

Lane leaned forward, amused.

.

.

.

"I can’t believe you!" Aaliyah complained bitterly as they walked to their next class. They were currently climbing up the stairs, heading to the fifth floor, "You’re supposed to be on my side,"

"I was, until I heard that Sebastian is after you," Yuan replied, her voice soft, "Look, I know you don’t like Blake, but you’re gonna have to put them with him till this Sebastian issue is behind us,"

"I don’t need Blake’s help! I am capable of handling myself,"

"This wouldn’t all have happened if I hadn’t dragged out that Friday evening. And I wish I were strong enough to protect you, but I’m not. You aren’t, either. Sebastian is dangerous. And even if you claim you can protect yourself, it’s not bad to have Blake with you for extra protection!"

"She’s right," Lance piped in.

"Listen to your friend, Aaliyah," Blake added.

"Why are you walking with us?!" Aaliyah snapped at him.

"We are all having the same class right now, remember?"

Aaliyah rolled her eyes, "Whatev...,"

Her voice drifted away as she began to hear a strange noise. She paused in her steps, "What’s that?" Tracing the noise, it was coming from above.

"The Sixth floor," Lance replied, "The forbidden floor,"

"It’s the creepy background noise, just ignore and don’t go near the doors," Yuan said, brushing it off.

Creepy background noise? Was that what they were hearing? Because Aaliyah was hearing something different. She was hearing... humming, like wind moaning through stone.

Funny thing was, the more she concentrated, the more the humming became clearer.

Now, she could hear a strange singing. Lullabies, in fact.

"You can’t hear that?" Aaliyah turned to the rest of them, a mixture of panic and fascination in her eyes.

"Hear what?!" Yuan inquired, "The noise?"