Chapitre 5: 5
The change of subject is radical when my friend continues vigorously on her paradisiacal vacation while we swallow a sandwich in the cafeteria. I take this opportunity to send a message to my parents, reassuring them about my behavior which they know is exemplary. I get an emoji from my mom, which pretty much sums up her thoughts. They are not fooled but are too busy to call me immediately, which suits me quite well.
It's only after the meal that my mood deteriorates when I notice my favorite teacher in the distance. Gwen follows my gaze and grimaces, not commenting. She already knows that what I'm going to have to do will bring out my bad temper. So she wishes me good luck and lets me find Dimitri. Might as well end it as soon as possible.
By a happy coincidence, it is at the end of a corridor that I come across the fallen angel. Leaning against a wall, facing an empty classroom, he is waiting for his next lesson, which I have in common with him. O joy! But I learned the lesson. This class, I'll come early to take the seat furthest away from that jerk.
Waiting for the time when I can run away from him, I walk towards him, clearing my throat. He raises his head and his gaze meets mine before a few strands obstruct his view. I take this opportunity to look away and quickly get out what I have to say.
- Well, the old dino who serves as our teacher asked me to show you around. Since you don't like it any more than me, I suggest keeping it short: our next lesson starts shortly so I'll pay you a quick visit and disappear very quickly from your sight for all of us to enjoy. Afterward, if the old woman comes back to ask you questions, try to be convincing, so as not to get me into trouble.
- Non.
His cold, dry tone slaps me with a slap that I hadn't anticipated at all.
- Not what?
A long sigh raises his chest and I now know that I hate this guy.
- I don't need your help to find my way. I don't need your help at all, anyway, he spits in my face, looking down at me.
Despite the wickedness in his voice, a smile appears on my face, catching him off guard. My stress drops suddenly and I clap my hands.
- It's perfect!
- Perfect?
His face goes from annoyance to surprise and one of his eyebrows is raised. This simple gesture highlights the sex appeal that emanates from her body and contracts my lower abdomen. Unless the contraction is simply due to the digestion of the bad sandwich I swallowed earlier.
- Yes, if I followed everything correctly, you don't appreciate me more than that, and it's the same for me! So I think we're a win-win in this case. I don't talk to you, you don't talk to me and everyone is happy!
I begin a beautiful exit but an arm is placed across my path and blocks my way. I cast an annoyed glance at its owner, who returns my gaze without flinching.
- What the other jerk said, is it true?
I thought I could expect anything but this. However, I don't show it, step back and find myself face-to-face with him again.
- No, don't worry, I'm not interested in your little person.
- I'm not talking about that, he replies angrily, I'm talking about what he said about Stevan.
At the mention of my best friend, I jump violently and observe my interlocutor from a new angle.
- So you know him.
- I know him, yes, but that doesn't answer my question.
The mustard suddenly goes to my nose and I lose patience.
- Listen, all you have to do is ask your friend all the questions you want. Me, I'm not interested in talking to you, ok?
On these last words, I shift and find myself in the middle of the aisle, a good meter from him. His body is tense, and his eyes blaze with anger but he says nothing. He just stares at me with his incendiary gaze, which completes my nerves. My heart races and I truly experience fear for the first time.
So, I prefer not to tempt fate and go, without waiting for an answer from the boy in front of me. Something tells me that his answer will not necessarily please me. It's only when I'm no longer visible to the big bad wolf that I put my hand to my chest and realize that my heartbeat is pounding harder than after a sprint. And he doesn't calm down until the day is over and I'm safe in my house.
I put the keys on the chest of drawers in the hallway, mumbling insults over and over again about the new guy. As if I were entering a church, I perform the usual gestures, namely kissing the photos hanging on the wall with my fingertips. Now that I am grown up, my parents spend more and more time abroad and do not fail to send me very positive news. The latest: find me a roommate. Although I'm not against company, the thought of my parents not coming back for a while is heartbreaking.
But, that, they will not know. They have always taken good care of me and I don't want to deprive my father of his wonderful wife, just as I can't deprive my mother of her wonderful husband. I also know that if I had insisted more, they would have taken me away. But that would have been to do away with the beautiful friendship I share with Gwen and the boys. And that's something I don't want to give up.
Speaking of the wolf… I receive a text message from Vadim, inviting me to join them in our "quarters". Good humor comes back to me. I throw my bag in a corner, grab a book, a bottle of water, and a cloth bag and go join them. We are lucky, the weather is still relatively good for the season.
I jog across the road in front of my house and into the woods surrounding our small town. I hurry and after five minutes, enter a small clearing well hidden by the trees. In the middle, between the tall grass, appear, my friends, all busy with their activities. Sevastian and Markel are playing cards, Vadim is reading and Stevan is sleeping.
I stay motionless for a moment, on the edge, and watch them exchange a few banalities, laughing. Yes, I would a thousand times rather stay here than follow my parents.
The two players raise their heads when I finally decide to join them and give me a big smile. I shake Sevastian's brown hair as I pass, then sit down next to my best friend, still asleep. Vadim seems immersed in his reading, and knowing his passion for books, I refrain from interrupting him.
I watch out of the corner of my eye the game between Sevastian and Markel, very close but spiced up with acerbic remarks, then turn to Stevan. Still with her eyelids closed, her face is more peaceful than ever, which makes me think. Why does he often look gloomy and tortured?
I will probably never know. The only time I dared to ask the question, he replied that he didn't have an easy family. This would explain his silence when I question him about his parents.
I let out a long sigh and then observe the others for a moment. Loving boys isn't easy because it's like hitting a wall more than once. I could find easier friendships but you have to believe that I have a sadistic side.
The sun suddenly lets a ray of light appear in the clearing and illuminates Stevan's face. I smile as I watch the colors of the sun reflect my friend's beauty. His chestnut hair, which falls below his ears, glides with the wind over his tanned skin and I can't help but put a strand behind his ear, a gesture that has the gift of waking him up.
- Hi! Slept well?
I try to dazzle him with a Colgate smile but he's not fooled and lets out a low groan before putting his arm over his eyes.
- Not enough… A stranger woke me up…
- Not possible !? I exclaimed, opening wide innocent eyes, who can it be to bother the great, the powerful, the valiant S…?
I don't have time to finish my sentence, Stevan throws a handful of weed in my face, which makes me let out a ridiculous squeal of surprise. He takes a new one and tries to stuff it into my mouth, without listening to my screams, between laughter and fear. Finally, he releases his grip and I take the opportunity to pull away, spitting. He watches me, hilarious, remove the green tufts from my hair and my mouth.
- Thanks Stev… I growled without being able to suppress a smile.
- You're a welcome, beautiful stranger.
I can only blame myself. I just didn't have to wake him up and make fun of him. And frankly, he's nice. He could have dragged me to the river and thrown me in, as he has done so many times, much to my chagrin. But in his defense, I tend to make fun of him a little too often.
- Was it back to school? He asks me, still smiling.
- Yeah, I mumbled pouting, I would have preferred to be accepted somewhere else.
- Troubles?
His tone suddenly becomes tenser and I snicker at his change in attitude.
- Relax Super Nanny, I have nothing! I just had to defend my dignity tooth and nail against a few idiots.
- They have a name, these idiots?
I roll my eyes and lie down on my back, to escape his gaze. This is their annoying side, particularly developed in Stevan: his fierce desire to protect me.6
- Don't want to talk about it.
- All right but…
- Steve…
Our eyes lock when he turns to me and I already know I've won before he even opens his mouth.
- Ok. What are you talking about?
- Well… There's a new one.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone