“Oh. Well, that’s me. Always doing foolish things.” I shrug, trying to downplay my stupidity.
The woman reaches for a book on the shelf behind her. “I believe you were looking for this.”
She slides the worn leather book across her desk. The tome is so old, the title has faded away.
“What is it?” I grab the offering, opening it in the middle.
“Principal Fallon warned me you might come by. You’re having trouble keeping a certain Idol out of your head, no?” She raises an eyebrow.
My cheeks feel suddenly warm. I drop my eyes to the text in my hands. “Yes.”
“That book might help.”
“Thank you.” I lift my gaze to the librarian once more. “Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“If you knew what I was looking for, why didn’t you just approach me sooner with the book?”
The woman’s lips twist into a grin. “I had to make sure you were worth the knowledge first.”
“So, the whole deal with Morpheus was a setup?”
“Of course not. That boy and his friends are walking booby traps. Anything can set them off. It’s just a matter of waiting for it to happen and see how the other students handle the situation.”
“That kid he was manhandling could’ve been killed.”
The librarian shakes her head. “Not likely. Mr. Malek is frightful, but he’s not a killer. It’s Rufio Kent you have to worry about.” Her eyes narrow and the muscles around her mouth tense. “I mean it, Miss Woods. Stay clear of that boy.”
23
Morpheus
The walk to the principal's office did nothing to diminish the rage running through my veins. I still can't believe that Norm chick had the balls to tell me what to do. The only people who dare to confront me are my friends, and that’s only because they can handle the whiplash. The rest of the student body is very much aware of my reputation.
Daisy has no learning curve, which will only be more painful to her.
The principal's assistant’s eyes sparkle with joy when I enter the office, but her expression quickly wanes into apprehension when she senses the darkness surrounding me.
"Mr. Malek, is something the matter?"
"I'm here to see your boss."
"Why?"
"I misbehaved." I shove my hands in my pockets. I don't want her to see the shadows swirling around them.
"Oh?"
The door to the principal's office opens, and the woman herself fills the frame. "Mr. Malek, come in."
I don't make eye contact with her as I aim for the chair facing her desk. I've been here several times, though never for attacking a student. I can usually control my temper better around school faculty members.
Principal Fallon takes her seat and laces her hands together. "Morpheus, what am I going to do about you?"
I sink in my chair. "How about nothing?"
"You attacked two students today."
I clench my jaw hard before I reply. "Both of them asked for it."
"Right." She leans back on her leather chair. "That's not what I heard. Simon is the fourth tutor you’ve scared away. And all Daisy did was stand up to you."
"She had no business interfering."
Principal Fallon shakes her head. "I can't make you agree with me, but you know the rules. You used your gift against a student. You must be punished."
"Fine. Give me detention. Whatever." I brace my hands on the chair's armrests and push up, ready to bolt.
"Sit back down, Morpheus. I'm not done with you." Her voice is hard, meaning she's done playing nice.
"Mr. Atkins tells me you’re already falling behind in his class. Last year, you came to me asking for help. Do you still want your grades to improve?"
My grip on the armrests tightens. "Yes."
"Then stop choking your damn tutors!"
I wince. "Simon’s a smartass. He thinks he’s better than me."
"He is," Principal Fallon replies, clearly exasperated. "At least in math he is. Obviously, he won't be tutoring you anymore."
"I'm sure you can find me another nerd in no time," I grumble.
"I already have." She smiles smugly.
Damn the woman. I bet it’s someone I hate.
"Great. Who is it?"
"Daisy Woods."
I scoff, incredulous. "You have got to be kidding me. I'm not going to let that Norm teach me anything."
"This is nonnegotiable, Morpheus. I'm tired of giving you chances. You want to get better grades in math? Then Daisy will be your tutor."
"Is that a punishment?"
"If you see it that way." She shrugs. "I see it as an opportunity for you to grow, both academically and personally."
Fuck. The last thing I want is to spend extra time with the Norm. I don't want to have anything to do with her. And I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about me.
I smirk. "I doubt your precious scholarship student will accept the job."
"Don't worry about that. I'll let you know the tutoring schedule via email."
"Great. I can't wait. Am I free to go now?"
"Uh, no. There's still the matter of your punishment to discuss."
I glance at the ceiling and count to ten. My anger has morphed into frustration. I hate that Principal Fallon has me by the balls. I wish I’d never come to see her last year about my failing grades.
"Well, out with it already,” I tell her. “The suspense is killing me."
"The north side wall has been defaced by deviants. Your job is to clean it up."
"Seriously? You're assigning me manual labor in this heat?"
"Like the heat bothers you. Aren't you always cold?"
I don't have a comeback for that. She's right. It’s the fact that I'm being punished for attacking Daisy that’s rubbing me raw. And Principal Fallon is forcing me to spend time with the girl.
Does she realize how terrible the idea is?
Does she want me to kill the Norm?
"The word on the street is that you got caught red-handed lashing out at Daisy. So, what did Principal Fallon have you do?" Phoenix asks with a chuckle.
"I have to paint the north side wall," I grumble, playing with my food. I've lost my appetite.
"That's it?" Bryce asks, arching his eyebrows.
"Yup."
"A bit of an easy pass." He takes a bite of his burger.
"He shouldn't have been punished at all," Rufio chimes in. "Daisy defied him."
"Whatever. Can we talk about something else?" I push my tray aside.
"Fine," Phoenix says, then turns to Rufio. "I can't wait to see Daisy again. I've got a special surprise for her."
"Bite me, perv," Rufio grumbles.
"What's the matter, grumpy? Are you jealous?"
"Actually, no. Go ahead, humiliate poor Daisy again. Your antics will only drive her straight into my arms. And then it's showtime."
"You guys are ridiculous," Bryce says. "Why don't you just admit you have the hots for the Norm chick instead of hiding behind false pretenses?"
Rufio and Phoenix stare at Bryce as if he’s suddenly sprouted a second head. Honestly, even I'm surprised by his statement.
"I don't have the hots for that flea," Rufio replies defensively.
"Really? So it wasn't you who turned into a pathetic mess at Unearthly Desires when the lights went off and you didn't get to see Daisy naked?" Bryce raises an eyebrow.
Rufio frowns and then opens his mouth, but no sound comes forth. I can't fault Bryce for his logic, which makes me even more suspicious of Daisy's presence at Gifted Academy. She has a strange influence over my friends—and me, if I'm being honest.
"Of course I want to bone the girl. I'm not blind," Phoenix replies. "She's fucking hot. Have you seen her rack? Damn, I'm getting a hard-on just thinking about it."
"You're disgusting," I say.
As if we had summoned her merely by mentioning her name, she walks into the school cafeteria, alone for once. The Fring
e kid assigned to be her guide is nowhere to be seen.
As one, Rufio, Phoenix, and Bryce switch their attention in her direction. The shadows become restless, reacting to my foul mood. They curl around my silver bracelets, trying to break free. Damn it. Why are they being triggered like that? My mother got them for me when my powers increased because my father was terrified of what I could do. It was around that time when we both learned the truth about my birth. He hates me now, and I can't blame him. But I also can't stop trying to change his mind. It's the reason I'm so keen on doing well in school—my father is a renowned professor at Everdale University, a top-five institution in the country.
I honestly don’t know how I’m going to sit next to Daisy and allow her to know I suck in math. And worse, let her teach me. Principal Fallon has no idea how much danger she's putting the girl in.
Phoenix rubs his hands together. "Nice. Maybe I don't need to wait until class to remind Daisy what I can offer."
Bryce levels him with a murderous glare. "Don't you fucking dare."
Very rarely do we see Bryce lose his easygoing demeanor, but right now, he's definitely not up for shenanigans. He's dead serious.
"What's up with you?" Rufio watches his brother through narrowed eyes. "Since when do you care about the fate of Norms?"
Bryce turns his hard stare on Rufio. "Who says I care about the girl? I don't want to get nauseated, that's all."
Bull-fucking-shit. Bryce is lying, and he's not even trying to hide it.
"Fine. If I can't send little Daisy a nice wet dream, then I’ll just talk to her in person." Phoenix starts to get up, but Rufio grabs him by the wrist.
"Not so fast, Romeo. Let's see how our little clownfish does in a shark-infested ocean."
Rufio looks across the cafeteria. Following his gaze, I see what caught his attention: Drusilla and her followers. Terrific. Just like a shark that smells blood in the water, the snob girl sets her predatorial gaze on Daisy. She stands on her high-heeled sandals and strides toward the Norm with the determination of someone who’s never been told no. To say I dislike her is an understatement. And maybe that's the reason I get up from my chair and veer toward Daisy.
She must sense my approach, her eyes widening and her face becoming paler. She doesn't even notice when Drusilla stops next to her. A fact that pisses off the Idol bitch, if the fury sparking in her eyes is any indication. She grabs Daisy by the arm and whirls her around.
"So you think you can go around ordering Idols about?"
"Let go of me." Daisy tries to break free from Drusilla's hold, but it’s in vain.
Pietro Armani, a moron who thinks he's the hottest thing to ever grace the halls of Gifted Academy, says, "Oh, catfight."
"I think not," Drusilla addresses Daisy, ignoring Pietro’s comment. "Someone needs to remind you of your place."
Drusilla takes the orange juice from Daisy's tray and dumps it all over her head. She could’ve used her compulsion to force Daisy to do so, but she's not stupid like me. The use of Idol gifts against other students is a serious offense. Regular bullying, not so much.
Behind me, I hear Rufio curse loudly. Things are about to get out of hand.
Daisy's eyes are closed, but her expression is one of barely contained rage. My eyes drop to her hand, which she just curled into a fist. A vision hits me in that precise moment of Daisy swinging her arm and punching Drusilla in the face. The image vanishes, but I know it’ll cause Armageddon if I don't stop her.
I grip Daisy's arm just as she’s about to pull it back. "You're coming with me."
24
Daisy
I'm shaking, livid, and want to murder someone. I have every intention of punching Drusilla in her ugly face when Morpheus grabs my wrist and unceremoniously drags me out of the cafeteria.
I should fight him off, but for once I don't let my emotions take control. I still remember what it felt like being the subject of his retaliation. A bout of fear strikes my heart, and I don't think it's Morpheus using his power. Not yet, anyway. He was interrupted at the library. Maybe he wants to finish off what he started.
My self-preservation instincts kick in, and I dig my heels on the floor and offer resistance.
"Let me go, you brute," I say.
Surprisingly, he complies, but he still watches me with that air of superiority Idols are masters of.
"You look ridiculous."
"Really? Thanks for the observation, asshole." I wipe the orange juice off my face with my jacket sleeve. "Why did you drag me out?"
"I wanted to avoid a massacre on school grounds."
I give him a droll stare. "Forgive me if I have a hard time believing your bullshit. You should’ve at least let me get a good hit."
"Drusilla would’ve destroyed you."
"Why do you care? Isn't that what you and your buddies have been trying to do to me since we met?"
It seems my question caught him by surprise. His eyes widen and his mouth gapes. After a moment, he finally answers. "I didn't want to lose my newest tutor."
"What?"
"Haven't you heard? I'm academically deficient and need all the help I can get. You've been assigned to tutor me in math." He shrugs.
I shake my head, which is a bad idea considering orange juice is still dripping from the strands. I need a shower ASAP.
"The guy I was teaching a lesson before you so kindly interrupted was my former tutor. He's obviously fired, and now you have the job."
"Bullshit. I'm not going to teach you anything. You're a mean bully. Find someone else." I glare at him.
Morpheus narrows his gaze, and a darkness seems to envelop his entire frame. Shit. I’ve awakened the beast. Again. When will I learn?
I look over the Idol's shoulder when I catch sight of Toby running down the hallway toward me. He slows down as he comes near.
Morpheus turns and looks Toby up and down. "What's the matter with you? Why are you running like you’ve just seen a ghost?" he asks.
Toby stares at him warily before he glances at me. "Why are you drenched?"
I wave my hand dismissively. "I'll tell you later. What happened?" I have to agree with Morpheus. Toby looks positively frightened.
"I was on my way to meet you when another Fringe girl passed out right in front of me."
Morpheus's shoulders become tenser. "Was it Silver-voltage?"
Toby nods. "Yeah, I think so. Her nose was bleeding, and by the time the nurse arrived, she was already convulsing." He pauses and runs a nervous hand through his hair. "She didn't make it."
"What? She died?" I ask.
"Right in front of me. It was horrible."
Morpheus rubs his face and looks out in the distance. "Alicia Stones also didn't make it."
I remember then that Morpheus never brought Alicia to the nurse, and then I get mad all over again. "Maybe she would’ve survived if she’d received prompt medical attention."
Morpheus looks at me with a furrowed brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You never took her to the nurse."
"No, I didn't. I took her to her sister, who rushed her to the hospital right away."
My anger deflates in an instant. "Why didn't you take her to the nurse?"
Morpheus's expression turns into a scowl, and then his attention moves to a point behind my shoulder. "It doesn't matter. Your fan club is here. I'll see you tomorrow at the library at seven. Don't be late."
What?
Morpheus leaves before I can argue against his statement. But I sense the presence of someone behind me. I whirl on the spot and find Rufio, Phoenix, and Bryce approaching.
Fuck no. I don't want to deal with them right now. I've had enough of assholes for one day.
I march in the opposite direction, very much aware that I'm still covered in orange juice. If I head to my dorm room to change, I'll be late for PE. I don't want to receive another visit from the principal, so I really don't have an option. To the gym I go.
I can't say loud enough how much
fun it is to walk under the afternoon sun of Saturn's Bay covered in sticky juice. Flies and bees follow me like a horde of hungry goblins trying to score their next meal. I have to run in the end to escape the pesky insects.
There are some classes in progress in the building, but mercifully the locker room is empty at the moment. Inside my locker, I find a clean PE uniform. No extra pair of underwear, though. I forgot to bring one. Oh well, it's better to go commando than wear orange juice–drenched clothes.
A quick glimpse of the clock on the wall tells me I have fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed before the locker room is invaded by a group of sweaty girls. Plenty of time for me to finish and get out of here.
The shower area has little stalls with doors that give us the semi-illusion of privacy. I say semi because for one, the doors and the walls between stalls only come up to my chest. Two, the doors are made out of glass—granted, it’s milky glass, but you can still see the silhouette of the person inside the stall.
I'm definitely going to avoid showering here at all costs.
The water jet is potent, though. Despite the heat outside, I still set the temperature on high, and soon my little area becomes enshrouded by fog. I never had access to hot water before, so I'm still getting used to the luxury. My muscles thank me; I didn't realize how tense I was until they begin to relax under the warm stream.
I'm halfway done rinsing my hair when the booming voices of several girls invade my peaceful cocoon. I let out a gasp and jerk backward, which sends my shampoo bottle tumbling down.
"Shit," I say.
Before the contents spill out, I drop into a crouch and retrieve the bottle. When I rise from my lowered position, I find several girls staring at me. No, not staring. Glaring.
"What?" I ask.
One of them opens her mouth, but a blaring alarm sounds at the same moment.
"Is that a fire alarm?" she asks.
"I don't smell any smoke," a second girl replies.
I turn off the shower and reach for my towel, which I folded over the stall door.
"It doesn't matter. We need to get out of here," I say when none of them make any motion to move.
Wicked Gods: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 1) Page 13