章 10: A Troubled Kid

Electra's Pov

I sat on the rooftop of the school building, leaning back in my chair with a cigarette dangling between my fingers.

I was supposed to be in class right now, but because I couldn't focus, I ended up leaving while the teacher was yapping away.

My mind was elsewhere, and to be precise, I was still focused on the strange girl who had run into me in the dining hall two days ago. I inhaled deeply, feeling the smoke curl down into my lungs before exhaling slowly.

Still no word on her.

With an impatient flick, I tapped the ash from my cigarette before throwing a glance toward Irina. She sat nearby, her long legs stretched out in front of her while the cigarette in her hand burned slowly.

She looked calm, almost serene, but that only irritated me further. How could she be so relaxed when they still didn't have the information I was waiting for?

"Where the hell are they?" I asked, my voice laced with annoyance. "What's taking them so long?"

Irina glanced at me, raising an eyebrow as she tapped her cigarette into the ashtray beside her. "He patient, Electra," she said in her usual cool tone. "I'm sure Roxana and the others are on their way. Maybe they had to double check or something."

I groaned, letting my head fall back against the chair. "Double check what exactly? She's just some random girl who bumped into me, so how hard can it be to find out her name?"

My fingers tightened around the cigarette, and I let out a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself. I hated waiting and hated the idea that I didn't know something, especially something that had been occupying my thoughts like this.

There was something about the way she looked at me that continued to bother me, and I still couldn't get the image of her wide eyes and stuttering apology out of my head.

It should have been insignificant since it was an accident, but something about her had stuck with me, and I hated that I didn't know why.

I noticed that Irina was staring at me again, and her eyes were intense in a way that made me frown. I shot her a glance, not liking the weird look she was giving me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I snapped.

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she took another long drag from her cigarette, blowing the smoke out slowly before letting out a chuckle. It wasn't a mocking laugh, but it still annoyed me, and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"If you have something to say, just say it," I said, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

Irina let out another chuckle, and it was that knowing, irritating chuckle she used when she had something on her mind.

"So," she began, taking another drag from her cigarette before turning her head to look at me, "why are you so interested in the redhead, Electra? I hope it's not what I'm thinking."

I raised an eyebrow, amusement playing on my lips. "Oh? And what exactly are you thinking, Irina?"

She stubbed out the remainder of her cigarette and flicked it into the ashtray before leaning back against the edge of the rooftop wall, and her gaze became scrutinizing. "I really hope you're not planning to make that girl your next victim, Electra. You remember how your last one ended up. Barely alive, if I recall correctly."

At her words, I let out a loud, unrestrained laugh, and she watched me, her expression unfazed but cautious.

The idea of her thinking I gave a damn about that "victim" was hilarious to me. The truth was simple: I didn't care. I didn't care about the last girl or the damage I had done.

If anything, the girl's fate was a testament to what happens when you aren't strong enough to survive in my world, and it wasn't as if I didn't warn her beforehand. She just chose to be gullible, and that wasn't my fault.

I turned back to Irina, my laughter dying down as my face shifted into something colder. "I thought I made it clear that talking about that stupid bitch is forbidden," I said, wondering why she suddenly had so much audacity. "It's not my fault she was weak, and it's not my fault she was stupid enough to think she could survive without me. So don't bring her up in front of me again, unless you want to end up just like her."

Irina sighed, her eyes shifting away for a moment as if calculating her next words carefully since she knew I wasn't bluffing. "I understand, Electra," she said finally, her tone calm. "And I apologize for bringing it up. I'm just concerned."

"Don't be," I snapped. I took a long drag from my cigarette, letting the smoke fill my lungs before exhaling slowly. "Just mind your own business."

Irina nodded, backing off the subject with a slight bow of her head. I knew she wasn't really afraid of me, not in the way the others were, even though she liked to sometimes pretend like she was, but she respected me, and that was enough for me.

She and I had known each other longer than the rest of the girls, and she was the only one I could somewhat tolerate, but even she had limits when it came to questioning me.

She remained quiet beside me, and I could feel her watching me with that same cautious gaze she always used when I was on edge. I ignored it, tapping the ash from my cigarette on the ground before taking another drag.

Finally, the door to the rooftop opened, and Roxana, Penelope, and Deena stepped out. The moment I saw them, I shot them a dirty look, my eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"Why the hell did it take you so long?" I snapped.

Roxana raised her hands slightly in a gesture of peace. "We had some trouble finding her information since no one knew anything about her, Electra. I had to sneak into the principal's office and go through the files for the new students. That's how we finally found her."

At that, I felt my irritation lessen, just a little, and the fact that they had to go digging to find anything about the girl only piqued my interest further.

"So, you found her?" I asked as I flicked the last of my cigarettes away and leaned forward slightly. "What do you have for me?"

Deena stepped forward. "Her name is Seraphina Hook, and just as you may have suspected, she's a bit of a troubled kid."

The smile on my face faltered slightly, replaced with a frown. Troubled? That was far too vague for my liking. I wanted specifics, not guesses. "Troubled how?" I asked.

Roxana, sensing that I was impatient, stepped in, handing me her tablet. "Take a look for yourself. According to the reports I found, the girl has an anxiety disorder. Severe, from the looks of it. She doesn't do well in public spaces, which would explain why she ran off like a mad woman the other day."

I took the tablet from her, my fingers gliding across the screen as I skimmed through the information. There it was, all laid out in detail.

Anxiety disorder, social anxiety, difficulty in public situations. The words practically jumped off the screen, and as I read them, I felt something stir inside me.

I let out a dark and almost creepy chuckle. Roxana, Penelope, and Deena stood quietly, waiting for my reaction, while Irina remained still, her eyes focused on me but not saying a word.

"Well, well," I said, setting the tablet down on the table beside me, a satisfied smile spreading across my lips. "Looks like this poor girl needs a friend."

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