The Bully's Hated Mate
The Bully’s Hated Mate – Chapter 13

CASSIA’S POV:

Immediately we sat down, the speed at which we unclasped hands made myla growl.But, it gave me this sweet sense of freedom.

My hand kept cramping up with all the holding and tugging and touching.

Ariadne kept turning around to look at us. I was tempted to look at Lucius but I didn’t care.

Everyone had someone in this class, and while Lucius and I were supposed to pretend for a really long time, he decided to cut the bullshit here, and abadoned me while he went to sit with Ariadne.

At this point, I hated being here even more. Ariadne wouldn’t stop looking at me, throwing side glances and laughing at Lucius’ inaudible jokes.

And everytime she laughed, she made sure to give me a sneer and a side glance. Myla wasn’t happy but I didn’t care.

The class trailed on, everybody forgetting who I suddenly was. I was happy for the break in act, but I somehow began to miss Lucius’ company. However obnoxious it was.

He kept sitting with Ariadne through out the remainder of the class.

Most of the people weren’t even paying attention. Most were whispering. Some were laughing and majority just seemed lost.

It was through those whispers I heard that the low class of Royal Shadow high were throwing a school party during lunch time.

I have never been more lonesome than I was right now. They were throwing a party and I wasn’t invited. That sucks.

I hated being here.

Even though everything about the royal side of Royal Shadow high was different from the low class side, I still wished I could leave.

At least to see how the party was going and maybe, to see Marcus.

At least.

But how was I going to leave? It wasn’t as if I could just walk out of the class as if I owned it.

The next thing I saw shocked me.

Ariadne first stood up, walking straight out of the class, not sparing the teacher a glance as she sashayed out. And then, a few minutes later, Lucius walked out.

I knew exactly where they were going and what they were going to do, and Myla started to growl incessantly.

I hushed her because I had just seen my window of opportunity, and I would be damned if I wasn’t about to grab it.

I waited a few more minutes, at least a good ten minutes towards lunch time, and just as those two had casually strolled out of the classroom, so did I.

Nobody stopped me. Nobody even batted an eyelid as I walked and gently closed the door behind me.

It felt like I had been holding my breath from the minute I stood up till the moment I heard the soft click of the closed door.

I could finally breathe and immediately, I navigated my way towards the other side of the school.

The other side where I would see Marcus. I missed him so much, it hurt like a thousand stings.

I passed Lucius on my way there but he paid me no mind, as did I.

I finally got to the other side and while everything about the royal side of Royal Shadow High was completely different, I still loved this side.

I started to see my old classmates and everyone kept giving me this off vibe.

I tried greeting some, but they just smiled lightly and walked away.

Even the ones that had hailed me previously did the same thing. The coldness was getting really high around here.

I needed to see Marcus, and I needed to see him now.

I started to walk towards the cafeteria, hoping that I would at least see him there since they were supposed to have a party by this time.

The cafeteria was filled with so many students, even more than I recalled ever knowing.

People swayed their bodies to the music and some danced and most just gawked and watched others as they danced, and sipped what looked like punch.

I sighted Marcus at the far end, sipping punch and gawking at everyone who was on the stage.

I knew that he wasn’t expecting me. Well, I hoped he loved the surprise.

“Hey!” I shouted immediately I got close to hearing range.

He raised his head up, looking for where the sound may have come from but he couldn’t see me.

So, I sandwiched bodies and somehow, made a way out of the sea that danced before me, and finally, he saw me coming.

I expected some sort of happiness to wash across his face as I approached but instead, he just dropped his punch on an idle table and began walking away.

I frowned.

Where the hell was he walking off to?

I followed him and somehow, we found ourselves just close to the entrance with lesser noise.

“Hey…” I said again, going in for a fist bump but coming out empty.

“Ok. What’s up Marcus?” I asked, feeling weirded out by his lack of warmth.

“Where have you been, Cassia?” He said straightforwardly, cutting the air.

I was surprised at how harsh he sounded.

“I’ve been around. Why are you being so…?” I trailed, indicating what ever this was.

He raised an eyebrow at me, mentally asking what it was but I was too short for words to look for one.

“I heard the announcement today.” He said again, sipping punch from another cup.

I didn’t know what to say, I let him finish.

“So, you have a mate now, huh?” He asked.

Basically he just said that he heard the announcement, why on Earth would he still ask me this?

“Yeah. I do now. But he’s a prick, no doubt!” I rolled my eyes, trying to sound more alive than he was right now.

“Lucius?” He asked, taking interest. It seemed to have worked.

“He’s the worst and one of these days, I’d like to take him to another planet and leave him there. He’s the biggest a*****e to ever exist, I f*****g swear.”

He smiled at that. I was glad a bit of warmth was creeping back into him.

“So, I guess you’re off the market now.” He said almost in disappointment, looking down at our shoes.

“Never out of the market for my best friend.” I said, playfully bumping him with my elbow and trying to cheer him up.

He didn’t return the enthusiasm. Instead, he sipped his punch again, letting it stay in his mouth longer before looking up at me.

I noticed his eyes were different. His expression had changed once again.

“Do you remember when you went missing for a day?” He asked out of the blue, catching me unaware.

I wracked my brain for such an event and catching on, I chuckled nervously.

“You know, when you gave Delica and her piss for brains boyfriend a good chase?” He said, making quite the effort to remind me of the event.

An event I solely regretted because Lucius would never have met me, and I wouldn’t have spent a whole day in an underground dungeon.

Lucius would have never spoken to me, and I would have never guessed how annoying he was.

“Yeahhh, I remember that.”

He laughed a bit.

“We made an awesome team with the way we really showed them. And the way I made sure I showed that her boyfriend who was boss. Got some really serious wounds there and your mum didn’t know. Doesn’t know till date. Speaking of your mum, she moved too?” He concluded.

By now the punch was well downed and gone from it’s small red plastic cup.

I nodded. “Yeah, she was moved. As was I.” I said.

He nodded again, keeping silent and having this thick aura surrounding him in different ways.

I couldn’t help but believe he had more to say.

“I heard the future Luna has to stay in the castle from now on. You do everything with him now, right?” He asked.

I was getting uncomfortable answering these questions and Myla was bored out of her mind.

She wanted to play, and she wanted to seek Lucius out and have his hands touch her in mesmerizing ways.

I was not having it, especially now that I suddenly remembered something.

“Hey, speaking of my mum, do you recall that night when I came back after missing?” I asked suddenly, aware of how his body changed a bit.

“Yeah. What about it?” He inquired.

“You wanted to tell me something. What was it?” I asked, genuinely interested at what he had to say.

It was like the air suddenly went colder, still even.

“I guess what I wanted to say doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” He muttered, his tone going harsh.

What the hell did he mean by that?

I frowned.

Deeply.

“Whatever you had to say then matters to me, I’d still like to hear it, Marcus.” My voice grew a bit stiffer at the end.

He chuckled a bit before looking at me

“Can’t you see? I don’t have to say anything, Cassia. You’re supposed to know what I wanted to say. Damn, what I needed to say that night. You don’t need to hear me say it. I fought for you. I helped you out with notes, lunch, anything and everything. I was there, you know that.”

It suddenly got too hot in here. Marcus’ mood had switched from sweet to spicy in an instant.

I tried to breathe and decipher what the hell he was actually driving at. He was talking about alot of things, and it wasn’t making any sense to me.

“But that’s what friends do, Marcus. We’re friends — no, we’re best friends and we help each other, don’t we? We’ve known each other for a really long time. I don’t see what it is you’re actually driving at. You fought for me and helped me. All of which I’m grateful for and all the more why we’re not just friends, we’re best friends.” I said, trying to pacify whatever it was — this was.

I have known Marcus for years, and this was the first time we have ever had something close to an almost heated conversation on something so basic.

We were friends! friends helped each other. Friends bought friends lunch, friends defend friends and friends escort friends home and have dinner with their mums.

This was purely and basic friendship.

I searched his eyes to see if I wasn’t right but all I kept seeing were more sentences ready to spill out of his mouth.

Something told me my words didn’t pacify him in the least.

“I should have really told you, Cassia. Maybe if I did, I won’t be standing here having to explain everything to you.” He said.

Annoyance started to rise up my throat but I didn’t want to scare him off by flaring up at him.

I wanted to hear what it was he had to say without being so cryptic.

“Well, we’re here now, aren’t we? How about you let me know what it is you wanted to say and we can put that behind us like we should have done way earlier than this?” I said, touching his arm and trying to lighten the mood.

He sighed, and looked at me again, taking a deep breath.

“I don’t think it matters anymore. But well, I just wanted you to know that —”

The music stopped abruptly, as heads whipped and people began to murmur without trying to be quiet.

Myla was esctatic and howling.

The scent of vanilla and sweet chocolate filled my nostrils. His husky scent made my stomach flutter and dive into sugary goodness.

I didn’t need to hear him before I knew he was here and very close.

“Oh, no. Carry on! Don’t stop because of me.” Lucius spoke graciously like a true Prince.

The music continued, though every place he passed through had people bowing to him. I could literally smell the smirk he had on his face.

He adored the praises.

His egoistic self loved the way these people worshipped him like a god.

“Cassia. Stop whatsoever you think you’re doing. You’re coming with me right now, and what the f**k are you even doing here?”

That was the next thing I heard behind me before Marcus snarled audibly at Lucius.