บท 26: The Best Kardashian
''Miss Ebony White, please come up here for a moment.''
The silence after her words was haunting. She had made sure she was indeed the one they were calling out before slowly rising to her feet to bear the weight of every eyes on her. Ebony didn't know why she was terrified when no one else stood to indicate she was mistaken. There was no other Ebony White apart from her. She quickly walked down the aisle that led to the well-prepared stage wondering what this award could mean and how she even qualified to win something.
Mrs. Evelyn warm smile did nothing to ease her apprehension. She mounts the three small steps and presented herself before her. Her hands behind her as she quietly began to pick on the skin on her left palm.
''Miss Ebony,'' She began with another sweet smile.
''Y…yes?'' It came out weaker than she imagined.
''Normally we planned on just giving nine students awards and gifts based on how well-noticed what they do is to us. But this evening, we made an exception to fulfill his wishes because of who he is representing is to us.''
Her heart began to pick its pace, which was very weird because none of what she said was that terrifying.
''Here,'' she placed a small, white envelope on her ruined palms, making her release a small gasp as well as arousing curious talks and looks from the audience. ''Lord Damon pleaded for us to give you this because he thinks you were the most well-behaved girl in this meeting this evening.''
Their eyes met again, this time from a close distance. She was right, he had been staring. The feel of the envelope on her palms matched the awkwardness on her face.
''Congratulations.'' They all clapped.
She stared at the envelope with a golden seal in its mouth before looking up to give Damon a questioning gaze. Only this time, his eyes were no longer midnight. He rested his hands on the armchair, leaning a bit to rest his face on it, watching her reaction to his gift. He blinked to reveal the real color hiding behind those midnight orbs causing Ebony to fall back in surprise.
She looked away, shook her head and looked at him again to see those eyes were normal. She was a bit disappointed at herself to imagine his eyes glitching to a pair of golden eyes she would never forget.
She just received the weirdest award for the weirdest reason, and now she's starting to see things. She tried her best to smile at him and the rest sitting on the high tables, to mumble a small thank you and disappear back to her seat. Thirty minutes later it was all over, and she was among the first set to rush out of the door staring at her present wondering what could it be.
It could be anything? She thought walking down a hallway while flipping the envelope back and front. It could even be a million dollar check.
She saw everyone rushing to their various hostels and nearby apartments to go prepare for the party of the century happening tonight which she planned on not going. She froze in her tracks when she saw Hale talking to a person on his phone looking seriously distressed.
So, he disappeared just to take a phone call. The look on his face indicated it was a pressing one. She walked up to him without him realizing to know what is wrong.
''Damon,''
Damon?
''I know what I am talking about. I saw you walk into that hall and sat with them. How would I lie about that?''
Hale ruffled his hair sighing in frustration. ''I swear on my demonic life Damon. You. Were. Here. And you are still on campus. How in the hell are you at a party in the abyss right now? You even told me it is a function Rayven wants you to attend in his place, and you didn't want to. Are there two of you?''
Ebony was also looking confused as none of what he is spitting out to whoever is on the phone doesn't make an atom of sense.
''Alright. Send me a picture of your location for me to believe you…'' He turned around and stilled when he came face to face with a worried Ebony.
''Erm...can we talk…later? Bye!'' He quickly ended the call.
Ebony was starting to wonder what the hell was happening.
''Damon…is just right there in the school hall…there is no need to come outside to call him.'' She said, thinking she was stating the obvious to him. His words were confusing and a bit insightful.
Hale laughed nervously, ''Yeah, I know. Silly me.'' He switched off his iPhone and pushed it down his pockets not looking at ease.
''Hale, did something happen? And you know Damon?''
''Yeah, kind of. I mean, who on earth doesn't know Damon a powerful demon lord just like
Rayven.'' He answered like it was no big deal. Ebony stepped closer to him. ''You know Rayven too?''
Hale covered his mouth like he'd just realized he said something he wasn't supposed to say. The way she looked at him for an answer made him even more nervous than the fact that someone just walked in on campus disguised as Damon.
''Y…eah. It's a long story. I don't really know Rayven that personally…hell, I haven't seen his face before, but Damon is friends with my family and seems like a nice person to roll with…so…''
''Do you have any idea who Damon was representing back there in the hall?''
''Uh…Rayven. Why?''
Ebony shook her head. ''Nothing. Just too curious to know who has been anonymously supporting our school financially all these years.''
''And are you disappointed?''
''No, just surprised, that's all. Because…I swore I saw Damon look a lot like…'' She paused to hear herself correctly and thought what she was about to say didn't make any sense. The possibility of that happening was just absurd.
''Like who?''
''Uh?'' Her eyes went back to Hale.
''You were in the middle of saying something Ebony.''
''Never mind. I must have been dreaming.'' She crossed her hands on her chest, remembering how those eyes followed her every movement while she walked up the stage. Accessing and inviting. ''Is that how you got yourself a job here when you are not really qualified to be a teacher.''
Hale knew Ebony couldn't be that dumb not to figure that out. He reached out to scratch the back of his head and considered just telling her the truth. She deserves to know.
''Yeah.''
''Why? Why go through so much trouble?''
Hale repeated that action thinking if it was still safe to be truthful. How will she feel if she know he was sent here by Damon just to spy on her and report every single thing he found out about her life to Rayven. She would be more than just heartbroken, especially when she is just starting to like him as a friend and trust him. Ebony pulled his hands from his hair and Hale raised an eyebrow when she wrapped her small ones round his fingers, holding it. He wondered if he should pull away or just…
''Uh…'' He cleared his throat multiple times.
''Yes?''
''I…uh…I…who do you think is the best Kardashian?''
They both blinked at each other. Ebony becoming slightly mad at how he is not taking this serious.
''I am serious, Hale. Tell me why you are here. I want the truth.''
Hale sighed feeling her hands wrap around his tighter, not letting go.
''The truth is Ebony. I was sent here…''
''Mr. Hale? Miss Ebony?''
They both turned around still holding hands and her heart dropped when their eyes settled on Miss Evelyn and two other position holders in their school and Damon staring at them. Most of the students have vacated the hallway to get ready for the after-party, and they were the only ones left.
His dark eyes went to her before reaching Hale's startled look and then settling on their joint hands. He stared at their joint hands longer than usual, trying to make sense of it.
''Ah, miss Evelyn. Pleasure seeing you again.'' Hale smiled while freeing his hands from Ebony. He saw how Ebony looked down at her free hands sadly, and he wondered why?
Miss Evelyn came forward to give Hale a friendly handshake as well as the other two position holders, and then he noticed how she was nervous when their eyes met.
''It is. We've been looking everywhere for you. Because Lord Damon, your friend, wants to see you.'' Miss Evelyn turned to Ebony with a polite smile. ''Please excuse us, dear. We have things to discuss with Lord Damon and Mr. Hale.''
His eyes softened by the look on her face by this mortal's dismissal. She was the only reason he left the comfort of his home to mingle with her kind, and tried to be accommodating. He would rather be stuck with her than with a bunch of greedy mortals and a reckless demonic offspring. She is even more beautiful than his fantasies and the last time he saw her. His eyes refused to see any other thing than her.
''Oh,'' She managed a smile. He wished she would look at him once again, but no, she turned to the demonic offspring and gave him a smile he never received from her. And that smile…he pushed his gloved hands behind him, balling one into a tight fist.
That smile told him something he was so afraid to admit or accept.
''Bye. I will be talking to you later, Mr. Hale.''
Hale returned her smile, nodding. And she left without sparing any of them a second glance. His eyes fell heavily on Hale.
He had been such a fool. His now golden eyes darkened on Hale that everyone failed to notice.
His Ebony is also interested in someone who is not him.
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