LILY'S P.O.V
As I entered the chemistry classroom, a hush fell over the room. The other students, who had been chattering and preparing for the class, suddenly went silent and their gazes fixated on me. I could feel their eyes roaming over me from head to toe, taking in my appearance.
My cheeks flushed with a mixture of discomfort and embarrassment as all the attention was focused on me. I quietly made my way to an empty seat, my shoulders slightly hunched forward.
The other students resumed their conversations in hushed whispers, their voices just the right pitch to be heard by me but not by the teacher. A few giggles and murmurs floated through the air, some of the girls rolling their eyes or exchanging amused glances.
The teacher, a stern-looking woman in a lab coat, began calling attendance, going down the list and marking each student present.
"Hmm," the teacher murmured, noticing my name on the roster. "A new student."
She looked up from the roster and cast a critical eye on me, her gaze taking in my unique attire. The teacher raised an eyebrow, her expression one of mild surprise but also scrutiny.
"You must be the new student," the teacher stated, her voice carrying a hint of coolness. "Please stand up and introduce yourself to the class."
My heart skipped a beat as all eyes turned back towards me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood up from my seat, my hands clutching the straps of my backpack nervously.
"Um, hi," I began, my voice slightly shaky. "I'm Lily Smith. Nice to meet you all."
The teacher nodded and gave a small smile, the sternness in her expression softening slightly.
"Hello, Miss Smith," she said. "I'm Professor Simmons, your chemistry teacher. Welcome to Blackthorn Academy."
Professor Simmons was a no-nonsense woman in her late 30s, her dark hair pulled back into a neat bun and her eyes sharp behind her glasses. Her lab coat was spotless and her stance was one of authority.
"Now, Miss Smith," Professor Simmons continued, her voice firm but not unkind. "Since you're the new student, I'll have to ask you to take a seat in the front row. It'll be easier for me to keep an eye on you and ensure you catch up with the curriculum."
Once attendance was taken, Professor Simmons began the class, launching into a lecture about chemical equations and reactions. She moved around the room, writing on the chalkboard and explaining the concepts in detail.
As the lesson went on, I found myself struggling to focus. The whispers and glances from my classmates were distracting, making it hard to concentrate on the material.
I was surprised when I felt a tap on my shoulder, jolting me out of my thoughts. I turned around to find a boy sitting behind me, a slight smirk on his face.
"Hey, new chick," he said, using the familiar but slightly condescending nickname. "Wanna be friends?"
I looked at him, my expression a mix of surprise and uncertainty. I had never seen this boy before, and his smirk didn't seem particularly friendly.
The boy noticed my hesitation and chuckled slightly, his smirk widening.
"What, not used to being talked to by classmates?" he teased, leaning forward in his seat. "Don't worry, I won't bite... much."
I felt a pang of annoyance at his tone, but I tried to keep my voice steady.
"No, I'm just wondering why you suddenly want to be friends," I replied, my eyes narrowing slightly. "We've never spoken before, so this seems a bit random."
The boy shrugged, leaning back in his seat.
"Just thought I'd be nice and welcome the new kid," he said, the smirk never leaving his face. "Besides, you looked a bit lonely sitting here all by yourself."
I bristled at his comment, a mix of annoyance and embarrassment flooding through me. I couldn't believe how casually he was speaking to me, as if we had known each other for ages.
"I wasn't lonely," I retorted, my voice is cool. "I was just focusing on the lesson."
The boy chuckled, his smirk returning.
"Relax, I'm just messing with you," he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "But seriously, what's your name? I hate calling you 'new chick' all the time."
I was a bit back a retort, realizing that engaging in a battle of wits with this boy was pointless. I took a deep breath and composed myself before answering.
"It's Lily," I said, my is voice flat. "And yours is...?"
The boy's smirk widened, apparently satisfied with my response.
"The name's Max," he replied, leaning back even further in his seat. "Max Bennett. Nice to meet ya, Lily."
Max extended his hand towards me, expecting me to shake it. I eyed his hand skeptically for a moment before reluctantly shaking it. I didn't know what to make of this Max Bennett, but I couldn't deny that he had a certain charm.
"Likewise, I guess," I muttered, pulling my hand back and turning my attention back to the front of the classroom.
Max chuckled again, clearly amused by my response.
"Hey, don't be so uptight, Lil," he said, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "Lighten up a bit. We're gonna be classmates, after all. Might as well get used to each other."
Professor Simmons, who had been making her way around the classroom checking on the students' understanding of the lesson, overheard the exchange between Max and I. Her lips tightened as she looked over at Max, who was lounging in his seat with a smirk.
"Mister Bennett," she called out, her voice firm and commanding. "If you're not going to sit properly and pay attention to my class, you better get your ass out of here."
The entire class went silence upon hearing Professor Simmons' sharp reprimand, and all eyes darted from Max to the teacher and back again. Max, however, didn't seem daunted at all by the teacher's stern glare. He simply chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Alright, alright, no need to get riled up," he said, grinning boyishly. "I'll behave, Professor. Scout's honor."
Professor Simmons rolled her eyes and continued making her way around the room, keeping one eye on Max to make sure he kept his word. The rest of the class exchanged glances, some of the students clearly amused by Max's audacity.
—LUNCH TIME—
I was walking down the hallway towards the cafeteria when suddenly, I was grabbed from behind. I let out a shriek of surprise and instinctively lashed out at my attacker, my hand making contact with something hard and solid.
As I turned around, I saw Max standing there, a shocked but amused expression on his face, rubbing his chin where I had hit him.
"Damn, Lil," Max exclaimed, his hand still on his chin. "You've got quite a swing. You could've given me a warning at least."
"You scared me!" I retorted, my heart still racing from the shock. "What the hell are you doing, sneaking up on me like that?"
Max dug into his backpack and pulled out a neatly folded uniform, wrapped in a plastic wrapper. He handed it to me, his smirk replaced by a more serious expression.
"Here, sir Gabriel ordered me to hand this to you," he said, his voice taking on an uncharacteristic tone of obedience.
My brow furrowed as I took the uniform from Max, puzzled by the sudden change in his attitude and the mention of "sir Gabriel."
"Sir Gabriel?" she repeated, her eyes darting from the uniform to Max. "Who's that?"
"Oh, uh, Sir Gabriel is one of the supervisors here," Max explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets and regaining his usual smirk. "He's pretty strict, but he's the one who assigns students to classes and stuff like that."
"And he asked you to give this to me?" I asked, looking down at the uniform in my hands. "Why?"
Max shrugged, his smirk widening.
"Beats me," he said. "He just told me to hand it to you. Maybe he wants you to start dressing like the rest of us."
I felt a pang of unease at the idea of conforming to the school's dress code. I had always preferred my own style, and the thought of wearing a uniform made me feel constricted. But I also didn't want to defy the supervisors, especially since I knew almost nothing about this place.
I let out a sigh and nodded, stuffing the uniform into my armpit.
Max's smirk softened slightly as he noticed my reluctance. He seemed to sense my discomfort at the thought of wearing a uniform.
"Listen, Lil," he said, his tone a bit kinder than usual. "You might want to go change into that uniform in the bathroom. People are already gawking at you like you're a freak, and you don't want to draw any more attention, do you?"
I grimaced, knowing he was right. I didn't want to stand out any more than I already did, and if wearing a stupid uniform would help me blend in, then maybe I should do it.
"Fine, I'll go change," I muttered, gripping the uniform in my hands. "But I'm not going to like it."
Max chuckled, the smirk returning to his face.
"Hey, don't look so grumpy," he said jokingly. "You might actually look kinda cute in the uniform. Who knows?"
I rolled my eyes, not finding Max's humor particularly amusing. I started walking towards the nearest bathroom, ready to change into the uniform and get it over with.
As I walked away, Max called out after me.
"And make sure to get rid of those bright clothes you're wearing!" he added with a grin. "We can't have you blinding everyone in the hallway with your 'individuality'!"
I flipped him off over my shoulder, disappearing into the girls' bathroom.
Once inside the bathroom, I locked myself in a stall and began changing into the uniform. The material felt stiff and uncomfortable against my skin, and I couldn't help but miss the familiarity of my own clothes.
Once I had finished changing into the uniform, I looked at myself in the mirror. To my surprise, the uniform actually suited me quite nicely. The long sleeves hugged my arms without being tight, and the collar framed my face elegantly. Even the purple and black patch with the B symbol looked surprisingly cool.
As I took in my appearance, I realized the skirt hugged my thighs, showing off my slender, shapely legs. The length of the skirt seemed a bit shorter than I was used to, and I felt a pang of embarrassment.
"Seriously, this skirt is way too short," I muttered to herself, trying to tug the fabric down to cover more of my thighs.
I turned from side to side, inspecting my reflection and feeling a mix of satisfaction and self-consciousness. I had to admit, the uniform looked good on me, but the skimpiness of the skirt made me feel a bit exposed.
As I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Max waiting for her outside. His expression was a mixture of surprise and appreciation.
"Damn, Lil," he said, looking at me up and down. "You clean up nice."
I glanced down at myself, feeling a bit self-conscious under Max's intense gaze. The skirt felt even shorter now that someone was openly appraising my appearance.
"Is the skirt too short?" I asked, tugging at the fabric once more. "I feel like everyone's going to notice my legs."
Max chuckled, his eyes still scanning me from head to toe.
"Your legs look fine, Lil," he said with a smirk. "Trust me, no one's gonna be paying attention to that when they're checking out the rest of the package."
As Max and I stood in the hallway, we noticed a tall, handsome man approaching us. His name was Gabriel, the handsome supervisor Max had mentioned earlier.
As he neared, his eyes flickering over me form, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Well, well, well," Gabe said, his voice smooth and confident. "Looks like we've got a new recruit here."
He stopped in front of us, his gaze roaming up and down my uniformed form. I felt a bit flustered under his intense scrutiny.
Max chuckled beside me, enjoying my discomfort.
"Yeah, this is Lily," he said, a hint of mischief in his voice. "New girl's got some spunk, that's for sure."
Gabe chuckled, turning his attention towards Max.
"Ah yes, Mr. Bennett," he said, his gaze sharpening slightly. "I trust you did as I requested and handed her the uniform?"
Max nodded, his smirk returning.
"Sure did, sir. She's all dressed up and looking mighty fine, I might add."
Gabe's eyes flicked back to me, taking in the sight of me in the uniform. He seemed to approve.
As I walked away towards the cafeteria, I couldn't help but feel a mix of self-consciousness and irritation. Max and Gabe's appraising gazes had made me feel like a piece of meat on display.
I shook off the discomfort and focused on finding a quiet spot in the cafeteria to eat my lunch.
All conversation in the cafeteria seemed to hush as I entered, the chatter of the students dying down in an instant. Several pairs of eyes turned to me, taking in my appearance in the uniform and my loose hair framing my face.
I felt a pang of self-consciousness under the intense stares, but I tried to maintain my composure as I made my way to a quiet corner table.
As I sat alone at my table, eating my lunch, I suddenly heard someone calling my name. I looked around, but the cafeteria was filled with other students eating and talking with their friends. It didn't make sense for anyone to know my name already, especially since I was new here.
Curiosity piqued, I strained to listen and figure out who was calling me.
My eyes darted towards the entrance of the cafeteria and noticed a lone figure standing there. The person was partially obscured from view, but something about their silhouette seemed almost familiar to me.
I squinted my eyes, trying to make out the person's features, but they were too far away to discern any defining details.
As I heard my name called out again, I felt a sudden rush of determination. Without thinking, I stood up from my table and started walking towards the entrance, my footsteps quickening as I tried to catch up with the figure.
With each stride, I hoped to gain a better look at the person, but they seemed to always stay just out of reach.
My frustration mounted as I sprinted after the elusive figure, who always seemed to be a few steps ahead, turning down different corridors and darting into shadows.
Finally, the figure slipped into a door that led into an off-limits room. The supervisor's stern warning echoed in my mind, but my curiosity overpowered any sense of caution. Without a second thought, I pushed open the door and stepped inside, into the unknown.
My heart raced as I flicked on the lights in the strange room. The sudden brightness revealed a scene straight out of a science fiction novel. Ancient symbols and texts covered the walls, creating a disconcerting atmosphere.
My eyes widened as I took in the sight, my mind trying to make sense of what she was seeing. What is this place? And why does it have summoning circle... For demons...?
As I continued exploring the room, I came across a table with what appeared to be a ram's horn resting on it. Something about the horn seemed oddly out of place.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I reached out to touch it. As my fingers made contact with the rough surface, I noticed a strange, intricate symbol etched into the base of the horn.
I pulled it back and my eyes widened when a door creaked opened slightly.
My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I pushed open the creaky door and stepped into the next room.
Inside, I was met with a shocking sight—a large corkboard adorned with photos, notes, and other various items. And there, pinned in the center of the board, was a picture of me. What is going on?!
I took a few shaky steps closer to the corkboard, my eyes roving over all the information displayed on it. There were notes and diagrams, along with details about my life. It felt as if someone had been stalking me, meticulously gathering information and obsessively collecting everything about me.
I couldn't fathom who could know so much about me, and why they would go to such lengths to create this creepy, detailed display.
As I heard the door creaking open, mt heart skipped a beat. I quickly hid behind some machinery in the room, peeking out to see who had come in. My heart sank when I saw it was the same supervisor who had warned me about the off-limits room.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath, knowing I'd been caught red-handed.
"What am I going to do? Bullshit!"