Crimson

Chapter 10: Roman

"This is crazy!" You said, pacing around your room.

Simone was calmly holding up different blazers to see which would look best. Her blue eyes peered beneath her dark hair. You stopped pacing.

"Simone, aren't you afraid we'll get caught?" You asked in disbelief.

"Normally- yes," she said. "But I want to see the night class students again, don't you?"

Simone ditched the clothes she was holding and arrived at some sort of decision.

But even you had to admit, despite running into three boys already, you wanted to see the night class students too.

"Just keep the uniform." Simone said, heading for the door. "If we get in trouble, I'm 'escorting you back as prefect', and you're 'a new second year who's lost their way.'

"I am a new student who's lost their way." You exclaimed.

"That's the spirit."

And with that, she disappeared out the door, with you following suit.

Eleanor and Theodore (who insisted you call him Theo), met you just outside the hall. And from there, you walked across the bridge the same way you had with Simone the night before. Only this time, you hoped you wouldn't be coming back alone.

Theo told you about how the 'lair' was underground, near the entrance of the forest. Eleanor explained how it was open just as curfew broke. Unlike you, the rest of the group didn't seem too anxious about Cadere. Eleanor kept pushing his glasses up, but you couldn't tell if it was because he was nervous or just couldn't see in the dark.

Past the plaza, amid a few handfuls of day students making their way back before curfew, was the thick, alluring forest. The trees might as well have reached the stars.

"Follow me around this log." Theodore whispered.

Log? Could he be referring to the enormous tree that had fallen over like a broken firecracker, with dense branches as wide as your waist jutting out at odd angles?

In the dark, it was the only answer.

Eleanor stayed behind you as Theo led the charge and Simone followed swiftly behind. You were surprised to see them disappear for a moment. But you were even more surprised to see that the thick monster of a tree was actually hollow.

"What are you waiting for?" Simone whispered quickly.

You dipped inside the hollow tree, lying unmoving against the forest floor. Who could have guessed the dead exterior held life on the inside?

A shoddy ladder awaited you and you followed the others. Eleanor kept a close eye on you, and you on him.

Let's just say that if Eleanor had trouble seeing before, his glasses would be useless now.

The blackness devoured any light from the moon outside the forest. You weren't incredibly far underground- the walls weren't muddy (as far as you could tell), and neither was the ground.

"I can't see anythi-"

"Sh- do you hear that?" Theodore whispered.

"Listen." Said Eleanor.

With reaffirmation from your new troublesome friends, you listened. At first it sounded like a heartbeat. As if the world you'd soon find underground was really alive after all. But as the noise pulsed, you could hear voices, and- music.

"The party's already begun." Simone said more cheerfully than usual. It was as if she had always been a rule breaker and missed having an excuse to go out and have fun.

"Come on then." Theodore said, and everyone followed him down the dark, ominous passageway. In the darkness, there was no way to know how long it went on for.

You were so focused on the vibrations of music pulsing louder and louder against your footsteps that the last thing you expected was the grip on your shoulders that made you scream.

You whipped around to find someone behind you. Your scream made the others scream twice as loud. But one unfamiliar voice was chuckling gleefully in the darkness.

"Roman, you asshole." Theodore said before shoving the figure.

Without warning, a bright flame illuminated a tall boy's features. You don't know how his lantern lit so suddenly or how he could see what he was doing, but the flames from the lantern did no justice to the vibrant orange of his eyes and hair.

Despite his practical joke, his eyes were calm. His spiky, out of control hair was a different story.

"Relax," he said as if he hadn't been laughing two seconds ago. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yes, you did." You said simply.

Being frightened like that in the darkness of an underground party was not a way to get on your good side.

The boy's gaze intensified and you swear the flames did the same. Under the light of his lantern, his was the only face you could see. And the light did nothing to hide his irrevocable smirk.

"You're new."

"Yes, I am, and you don't have to go around scaring people to death in the middle of the night." You argued.

"You don't have to go around parading in the middle of the night either." He said. His look was sly as a fox. And the ferocity of his orange hair only supported that.

"This is Roman." Theodore said casually. "Don't mind him."

"I'm sorry you were scared but I'm not sorry for scaring you," Roman replied with amusement. "There are some things I just can't resist."

"I'm y/n." You said stoically.

"Eleanor." The boy with the glasses said. With all your attention being commanded by Roman, you had almost forgotten about Eleanor entirely.

"Great, let's head to the entrance," Theo said airily, "and now that we have this lantern, it should be easier."

Simone walked with Theodore, with you between Eleanor and Roman on either side. They were both around the same height- tall. There was something very compelling about the way Roman walked. Even though his expression had changed so quickly to one of disinterest, you almost couldn't take your eyes away.

And it only took two seconds to realize why. His uniform was black. Roman was a night student.

And when everyone stopped, the light of the lantern seeped into the cracks of a very ancient door. You hardly noticed both boys giving their attention to you until Theodore bowed. It reminded you of Bel.

"Ladies and gentleman," Said Theo with mischief in his eyes, "get ready to have a good time."