Bab 72: Pressure
"Let me help you," said Gia, approaching the vending machine. She tapped it several times with her fist in different places. Seconds later, the coke went down, and Luke was able to drink his soda without breaking school property.
"Thanks. How did you fix it?" asked Luke, opening his coke and taking a sip.
"You're welcome. It's not the first time, I've used this machine. I already got the hang of it when it jams," said Gia with a smile.
"Oh, you must teach me that trick," said Luke, interested. It won't be the last time he uses this faulty machine. Knowing it will come in handy. He doesn't want to use his telekinetic powers for something so mundane.
"It's a secret technique. Sorry, I can't go spreading it around," said Gia with a mysterious smile.
"What a cheapskate," Luke said with a slightly amused smile.
"I can offer you some coke for the knowledge. What do you say?" asked Luke, holding out his arm for Gia to take the coke.
'An indirect kiss!' thought Gia, looking at the coke, especially the place where Luke had been drinking from.
"Deal!" said Gia without a second thought and taking the coke from Luke. She then began to drink it at a slow pace.
'She should be thirsty,' thought Luke.
After drinking the coke, Gia began to explain to Luke the strokes needed to unlock the vending machine. Also, the necessary force that needed to be used.
"Thanks for the method. Here," Luke said, passing his towel to Gia. He had noticed the girl's head was soaked.
"For me?" asked Gia, taking the towel and looking at it as if it was the cure for cancer.
"Yes, to dry you off. Then you give it back to me. Bye," said Luke, walking towards his bedroom. If the girl recognized him, she should recognize him in the cafeteria to give him back his towel.
"Wait!" exclaimed Gia, and Luke stopped and looked at her.
"Can you... pass me your number? So, later we can arrange a place and return your towel," said Gia, looking at the floor nervously.
"Yeah, sure... What's your name?" asked Luke.
"Gia."
A few minutes later, they both had their numbers already dialed. Gia returned to her bedroom in disbelief.
'I got Luke Poe's number! And his towel! And an indirect kiss!' thought Gia with a smile as she walked back to her dorm. She inwardly thanked Riley for soaking her and not letting her into the party.
...
"I'm hungry. What are you guys ordering today?" asked Xavier, walking towards the cafeteria with Luke and Ajax.
"The usual," Ajax replied. His mood had improved, although since the death of Sabrina (the fake Sabrina), his personality had changed, and he was now more emo.
"I won't be eating with you today," Luke said without elaborating.
"Oh... You have a date?" asked Xavier with a slight smile.
"Not a date. Just a girl I met a few days ago," Luke said with a grimace.
He had agreed to have lunch with Gia today, and she would return his towel while he was at it. He was surprised at himself for how nice he had been to the unknown girl, but what was done was done.
"Okay, have a nice lunch. We'll be with Bianca and her friends," Xavier said without probing further.
When he had his lunch ready on his tray, Luke started looking for Gia. He quickly found her and saw how she raised her hand to call him, so he started walking towards her.
Accompanying Gia was an Asian girl with long black hair. Luke chatted with Gia these days and knew it was her friend named Erika.
"Oh god. You were telling the truth," said Erika, watching as Luke approached their table.
"Of course," said Gia with an offended air. Her friend didn't believe her that she had run into Luke, especially since she had gotten his number and towel.
"Hi, Luke! How was your first class?" asked Gia with enthusiasm and a big smile.
"Hi... It was good, if a bit boring. Professor Meyer talks slow," Luke replied.
"Yeah, his classes always got boring to me. Plus, he doesn't let a single fly," said Gia with a chuckle, and Luke nodded.
"That's true. How was your class?" asked Luke.
"Good. We had fencing lessons with Professor Vlad. Oh yeah, you don't know what happened!" said Gia, starting to tell everything with details and great enthusiasm. Luke listened attentively, as he ate his breakfast and contributed some comments.
Erika watched the conversation between Luke and Gia, not believing what she was witnessing. According to the rumors, Luke's personality was not the best in the world. Yet here, he was listening intently to her talkative and enthusiastic friend with a not at all displeased expression.
Erika wasn't the only one watching Luke and Gia. Gia's classmates were watching with surprise that their classmate was having lunch with Luke Poe.
Riley, who had scorned and humiliated Gia a few days ago, could not believe that she was now happily talking to Luke Poe. A student who is much more popular than her.
"Where are you going Kat?" asked Riley, seeing her friend standing up, she noticed that just like her, she was looking towards Luke's table.
"I'll be right back," said Kat without giving a specific answer.
"Hi, Luke," greeted Kat with a charming smile.
Gia stopped her incessant chatter and looked at Kat with surprise. She knew this girl, as she was close friends with Riley. What bothered her most was that there was a picture circulating Nevermore. A picture of Kat next to Luke.
"What do you want?" asked Luke with little patience. He was enjoying his chat with Gia and had been interrupted. Besides, that this girl, posted a picture with him without his consent. He let her sleep in his room, and that's how he paid her.
Kat was surprised by the cold way Luke responded to her. No guy ever talked to her like that. Besides, she thought she had something more intimate with Luke.
"I've been texting you for days, and you haven't responded. The picture thing was a mistake... I sent it to a friend, and somehow it started getting passed around to more and more people," Kat said more sheepishly.
"Mm. I didn't respond to you because I'm busy," Luke said vaguely. He didn't want to tell her in front of everyone that he wasn't interested in her anymore.
"Gia and Erika, hi," said Riley, appearing behind Kat. Besides her Archie and a few other guys showed up.
"Hi..." said Erika and Gia shyly.
"It's nice to meet you, Luke. I read your two novels. Those are fabulous," said Riley with a smile.
"Mm..." nodded Luke dryly without feeling praised. The last thing he needed was compliments from random people.
Riley held her tray and along with her companions was about to sit at Luke, Gia, and Erika's table. Since there were only three of them there was room for several more people.
"What are you doing?" asked Luke, losing what little patience he had. The last thing he wanted was to share lunch with people he didn't know, enough that he had to put up with Gia's friend, who kept staring at him while he ate.
"Can't we sit here? We're Gia and Erika's classmates," Riley said.
Gia cursed in her mind what a scoundrel Riley was, but she didn't dare to say anything against her.
Luke, although he didn't know about the problems between Gia and these classmates, could tell from Gia's shy attitude, so he doubted that she would get along with these people.
"You are her companions, but not mine. Go back to your table," Luke replied dismissively waving them away before he lost any more patience.
The dining room fell silent. Everyone was watching the scene going on at Luke's table. Xavier and Ajax from their table were shaking their heads. Wednesday, who was eating breakfast alone in the corner, watched with little interest. If it had been her, she would have swept the floor with those flies by now.
"Have respect for your seniors, boy!" exclaimed Archie angrily. He wouldn't tolerate such a disrespectful brat.
'Respect...?' thought Luke with a frown. A vein stood out on his forehead.
He was eating quietly, and these people came to bother and wanted to sit down without even asking.
Luke extended his hand towards Archie, curling his fingers slightly in a gripping gesture. Suddenly Archie felt as if an invisible hand was strangling him. His eyes widened in panic, bringing his hands to his neck trying to free himself, but no one was strangling him in sight.
Kat, Riley, and the others in their group felt an overwhelming pressure that almost brought them to their knees.
'Should I kill this shit?' wondered Luke. Archie gritted his teeth hard. For every second that passed the force clenching him increased, and he had less airs and graces.
As for Kat, Riley, and the others, he just used his telekinesis to generate pressure as if gravity had increased.
'This personality is correct to that of the rumors...' thought Erika, looking at Luke with some fear. Although she enjoyed watching Riley suffer. She annoyed them for a long time now, she had it coming.
In a moment, the pressure was gone. Kat and the others were able to stand and move normally again. Archie was on his knees breathing heavily.
"Beat it before I change my mind," Luke said coldly, looking at Archie.
He had enough of putting up with bullies at his normie school, now he could use his powers to put them in their place. Although to an observer he looked like the bully.
Archie was helped to his feet by his friends, and they began to walk as fast as they could away from Luke. They all remembered that the person in front of them had murdered an outcast last year. So, they had no more battle spirit.
"See you later, Gia, Erika..." said Riley under her breath glaring hatefully at the two girls. She wouldn't let this go. They wouldn't have Luke's help at all times.
Both girls put on an ugly expression. They would never be able to defeat Riley, let alone if he had the support of her friends.
"Oh, that's a threat?" asked Luke, raising an eyebrow. The pressure around Riley suddenly increased. Within seconds, she was on her knees struggling to keep from being crushed to the floor.
"If I ever found out you tried anything against Gia or her friend, I won't let it go," said Luke, increasing the pressure.
He'd had enough of breaking up with Enid because of the Spellmans. At least he would defend Gia from these idiots. Why was he doing this when he had only known her for a few days? Because he could and he wanted to. Sweeping the floor with them wasn't hard for him, and he had taken an interest in Gia. At least he would help her with her bullies.
'Is he defending me...?' thought Gia with flushed cheeks.
"What's going on here!" asked a professor rushing towards Luke's table.
Luke deactivated the pressure on Riley, allowing her to breathe normally.
"If you have a problem with her, just tell me, okay?" said Luke, looking at Gia pointedly.
"Yes..." replied Gia, blushing, looking at Luke shyly.
"See you later," said Luke, standing up. He had already lost his appetite and didn't feel like explaining to the professor what had happened. In a few seconds, he disappeared from the cafeteria.
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Here is the other chapter, it took longer than expected xd
As for why Luke would meet Gia knowing they could use her against him like they did Enid, Luke cares little for Gia. I mean Luke is no saint, Enid is a special case for him as she was his first love. As for the other girls he wouldn't risk his life for them.
You can read 15 chapters in advance on my patreon.
Link: https://www.p@treon.com/Nathe07
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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