Male Reader x Remi

Part 6

I'm not very good at math, but I'm looking forward to having class with Remi. Blyke and Isen are great and all but, they could be a bit much sometimes. Then again, maybe that was just Isen. Remi wasn't like them. She was funny, but mature. Decisive, but patient. Bossy, but cute.

Er, no, that last part doesn't sound right. "Is something wrong?" Remi asks. I've been staring at her face this entire time.

"Uh no, nothing." I can feel my face heating up. Stupid stupid stupid, didn't you just get here? Don't you have enough problems? Now is not the time for this! Out of the corner of my eye, I see a pink hue on her cheeks.

"Remi" a voice bellows from behind us. I turn around to see a tall blonde with piercing blue eyes. Yeah, I don't have a chance with her.

"Arlo." Remi turns around, again with that serious expression of hers. "What is it?"

"Rumors have been going around the school." Already? "That there is a student stronger than Seraphina, and that he is a friend of yours. Is this true?"

Remi and Alro have a staredown for a good minute. Me, I couldn't read much of anything from either of their expressions. \

But it seems like Arlo could. "Him?" he's quick. "You. I don't recognize you as one of Remi's friends." How do you know all of them? "Are you the new student people are talking about?"

"Y/N you don't have to.."

"Yes, I am. And the rumours are true."

Something in Arlo changed just now. I can't be certain of what it was, if he's impressed, in disbelief, or scared. But he's treating me differently now, I can tell. "I see." His eyes start glowing.

"W-Wait, what are you doing?" powering up? But I didn't do anything!

"If you really are to be Wellston's next king, then you need to claim the throne." His fully amped up now, but he's not activating his ability yet. Slowly he walks towards me, his dress shoes reverberating through the halls. Great, my first day back, and I'm already in a fight. And with someone who clearly has a strong ability! Is it defensive? No, but then why would he be getting close to me? But if it was offensive he'd be giving me less time to react. Or, maybe he's just trying to mess with my head, and if so he's doing a really good job at it! Oh man, I am not ready for a fight!

"Stop!" Remi yells, leaving Arlo stunned. "Arlo. Stop. We, have math class."

"What?" Arlo's eyes go back to normal as he gives Remi a confused look.

"Math class! So, this can wait until later."

Arlo scoffs, crossing his arms. "If that's what you want, Pinkie." he walks past us.

"Whatever, Asslo." Remi retorts at the blonde as he passes by. Then, without speaking, she starts walking again.

"Hey, wait for me!" Match lass was boring as math classes can only ever be. Only difference this time was that every now and again I would hear murmurs about me between my classmates, and when I turned to look at them they turned away from me. In one of the few moments of peace I could find I asked Remi. "Hey, who was that guy in the hallway?"

"Oh. That was Arlo. He's the school's King." Great. "But don't worry, we're friends."

"Really?" I can't say the death glares they were giving each other in the hallway gave me the impression of friendship.

"Yeah. My brother used to be King, so, he took Arlo under his wing." The idea of that mountain of a man ever being subservient to someone is astounding to me, but I didn't press further. That's just how high tiers are I guess. A world of their own, so different from how we think of ourselves and each other. "We", I say as though I aren't one.

Maybe that's just how she was, I thought as I stared at her on the way to lunch. Brother being King, those must be big shoes to fill. And that Arlo asshole doesn't seem like the kinda guy to fill them. "What about Seraphina?" I ask. "Isn't she stronger than Arlo?"

"She is... and she is our Ace. Technically." Remi looks down as she walks. "But, she doesn't really want the title. So She's not much of a leader."

"I see." Strange. I've seen my fair share of lazy aces, but they tend to be the ordering-people-around kind of Lazy, not the not-caring kind.

Isen and Blyke already have a table for us when we get to the Cafeteria. We grab our shlock (actually some pretty nice looking food) and grab seats next to our friends.

"So, I heard you two got in a spat with Arlo?" Says Isen not a moment after we sit down.

"How do you..?" I struggle.

"News goes around fast in this school! Especially if you work for the school newspaper." Isen takes a big sip of his drink.

"What does he want anyway?" Blyke asks, treating the situation with the gravitas it actually has.

"Probably to protect his place on the hierarchy," Remi answers. "Arlo wants to see what he's up against."

"Well, he doesn't have to worry. I don't even think I want to be King."

"Why not?" Blyke and Isen ask at the same time, though in two very different tones.

"Well. I just got here." would be the simplest answer. And while it seemed to satisfy Blyke and Isen, Remi not so much.

"Were you king at your last school?" don't.

"No."

"Why not?" Because

"I didn't deserve it." Shit.

Remi gives me one of hear trademark stares. Simultaneously judging me and pitying me. Oh, my and my big mouth, I made things awkward. I barely even notice that her hand is now on my knee. "Don't say that, Y/N"

Blyke and Isen seem to be tired of this tension themselves, as they both get up with excuses. "Well, I should drop into the paper, don't want to get fired."

"Yeah, and I got to, uhm, go with him."

Delicately grabbing their bags as though they were made of glass and shuffling away, Isen couldn't help but turn around and shout "have fun you two!" I swear I'm going to kill that guy.

"I'm sorry." I say to Remi. "It's just that..."

"...you've done stuff you're not proud of. I get it. We all have." Remi turns away from me to stare at her food instead.

Normally someone would be drilling me right now, but instead she's intriguing me. Should I..? No, no you just met this girl. You couldn't, I mean, it wouldn't be right. She wouldn't be comfortable with that. But then... could I just walk away when I could tell she was hurting? She didn't leave me when I was having a panic attack outside of English.

"Hey... uhm..." the pink haired girl picks her head up, either like she was faking her sadness, or is now faking a smile. "If you ever want to, uh, y'know, get coffee or something, talk about this stuff, uh, I'd be cool with that."

Whichever it was, I can tell the smile is real now. "I think I'd like that."