His Little Freak

chapter xi

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Jace pushed his plate forward, offering his food too, however Lucifer shook his head no at him. Lucifer leaned down towards Alina's ears, whispering, "Thank you," and reached his right arm out towards Alina when Elaine suddenly grabbed his wrist. 

Elaine's unexpected move in grabbing Lucifer's wrist created an awkward and tense atmosphere at the table. Alina shifted a little in her seat, uncomfortable. Lucifer, his face a mixture of surprise and irritation, tried to gently pull his wrist from Elaine's grip. "Elaine, what the fuck are you doing?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

Elaine, however, seemed determined to assert her presence and maintain control of the situation. She tightened her grip slightly, her eyes locked onto Lucifer's. "Lucifer, just try it please," she smiled, dragging the 's.'

Jace, who had been observing the exchange, decided to intervene. He cleared his throat and addressed Elaine, "Elaine, maybe you should let go. You're making shit uncomfortable," he chuckled, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. Elaine hesitated for a moment, torn between asserting herself and avoiding further conflict. Finally, she released Lucifer's wrist, albeit reluctantly. She glanced around the table, her expression a mix of annoyance and bitterness directed towards Alina.

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After their uncomfortable breakfast at the diner, the group prepared to split off and head to school. Elaine, seemingly dismissive of Alina's presence, pleaded with the boys to take a ride in Lucifer's car, claiming it would be fun.

"Come on, guys, please," Elaine pouted, her tone slightly insistent.

Jace made a disgusted face at her, "Stop doing that, you look like a deformed duck." Lucifer snickered much to Elaine's dismay. Lucifer, wanting to avoid any further awkward situations, firmly declined her request. He looked at Elaine and said, "No, Elaine. You can go the way you came, bye." Jace, who had been quietly observing the interactions, nodded in agreement with Lucifer's decision.

"I'll meet you in class, yeah?" Jace said as he walked towards his own car, getting into it once he heard a Lucifer shout a quick "Yeah."

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Elaina and Jace arrived to school earlier than Lucifer and Alina, and Jace made no hesitation to part ways from her as soon as he saw a group of his friends huddled around a table. Elaina sought out her group of popular girls, eager to alleviate her own feelings of insecurity after the embarrassing breakfast. 

The group of girls stood around her, laughing and giggling as Elaine started telling them about how desperate Alina was in the diner, saying that she looked like she was going to cry if Lucifer declined to share her food with him. 

"That's so pathetic!" One of Elaine's friends, Bianca sneered. "I feel so bad for Lucifer."

"I know right!" Elaine eagerly burst in response, "I would've dropped that leech like years ago."

The group continued to whisper and exchange speculative glances, casting judgment on Alina without truly knowing her. Alina, unaware of the malicious rumours being spread about her, arrived at school a few minutes later. She thanked Lucifer for the ride, hugging him before she leapt off early for her first class. 

Lucifer, immediately irritated at the presence of school, joined Jace and his friends huddled around the table. Jace greeted him, handing him a piece of paper. It the school hockey tournament sign-up sheet, and Lucifer decided to seize the opportunity and signed up for the tournament. Both boys had enjoyed the sport in previous years and saw it as a chance to bond even more.

However, as the tournament sign-ups were taking place, Elaine's hurtful rumors about Alina continued to spread like wildfire throughout the school. The unkind gossip and speculation began to affect Alina's reputation, as many people were clouded with the idea that Lucifer was only friends with Alina to not hurt her feelings.

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As Alina sat quietly in her literature class, she couldn't help but notice the curious glances and hushed giggles of her classmates and she looked down, feeling self-conscious and confused by their behavior. 

Unable to make sense of the situation, Alina kept her focus on her desk, hoping that the start of the literature class would provide a welcome distraction from the uncomfortable atmosphere. Eventually, the teacher walked in, hushing everyone and explaining the course for the first semester. 

Alina began scribbling notes into her planner, eager to begin her wider reading when suddenly the door flew open and the sound of cackles echoed into the room. Elaine and a group of her friends strutted towards the back of the classroom, smiling to the teacher as he rolled his eyes, lecturing them about manners and how this type of conduct would not be tolerated in a workplace.

The group of girls took their seats as the back of the classroom, engaging in a conversation of unrelated topics when the topic of Alina was brought up again. At the unexpected hearing of her name, Alina tensed up in her chair, becoming extra focused. 

"Oh my God, I know! I'm so happy that Lucifer finally said it," Elaine whispered, purposefully loud enough so Alina could hear it. "He was like to me, 'She's so clingy, it's so embarrassing being with her," Elaine lied, her friends giggling in sync like a clan of hyenas. "He messaged me last night too! He was like, 'I'm gonna drop her after next week, I can't stand her anymore.'"

Alina, visibly shaken, blocked out the other words that were soon coming out of Elaine's mouth. She buried her head into her elbow, chewing on her bottom lip, trying her best not to let tears pour out. She was torn. Her heart hurt again.

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When class ended, Alina took her time to pack her equipment into her bag, waiting until the class was empty to finally leave. Slowly, she made her way to the library when her eyes locked with a certain pair of hazel eyes.