I Would Kill For You

5. The Past Is...In The Present

Devon Blake was St Felix's notorious womanizer. Despite that, he had a really good reputation in the academy without really doing anything. I knew for sure that he was cheating on the majority of the exams and was found smoking cigarette after cigarette on school grounds. Nevertheless, he was respected and was very influential. Monica and he were well known for their 'killer parties'. He didn't get in trouble, he never got detention, and he was very polite and charismatic. And handsome.

Though I would never admit it, I had had a crush on him since the ninth grade.

He was only Monica's cousin, but everyone could mistake them for siblings. Their eyes were the same hypnotic grey shade, and their hair the same tone of dirty blonde. The fact that Monica was dead seemed so unrealistic, even after three months. I still could picture her vividly laughing in the hallway with Avery, throwing her sun-kissed locks over her shoulders, and the way she always walked like she was on the runaway. I couldn't believe that she was truly gone. I expected her to come back any day and say that it was just a prank.

She and Devon used to be very close. She'd always joke that he was actually her twin brother, and he would always hang out with her after school. Finding her lifeless body in the bathtub had scarred him to the core. It had traumatized him and he had to take time off from school. He had been severely depressed and had to go to a therapist to help him get through it.

And now he was back. He looked great, radiant, healthy. He was tall and looked more mature than he actually was, with his broad shoulders and lean muscular frame. In comparison with Damian, who had a rather slender body, Devon looked like he was training for the Olympics.

The Maths teacher patted him on the shoulder. While Gabrielle and I took our seats, I overheard a part of their discussion:

"...you'll do just fine." our teacher assured him with an amiable smile.

"Thank you, mister Andrews. I really appreciate it." His voice was low, but pleasant to listen to.

He turned his head towards the desk where Ellie and I were seated. He smiled at me and some of the boys from my class immediately whistled with a smirk on their face, including Avery's boyfriend, Paul. He made getting on every single nerve of mine a habit, which is why I tried to avoid him at all costs.

I ignored the boys and smiled at Devon in return. Ellie didn't really like him; she always said he had a bad influence on me (and she was probably right). He had something about him that just screamed fun and that attracted me. His flirtatious habits, however, didn't.

"Rosabel, always a sight for sore eyes."

"Nice seeing you too, Devon." I replied neutrally, but still kept an enchanting smile. I could see from the corner of my eye my best friend's exasperated expression while he and I gazed at each other.

"That's enough, mister Blake." the teacher chimed in with a resolute tone. "You and miss Ingold can catch up in the break time."

"And in the toilet too." Paul, Avery's boyfriend, whispered to his deskmate, loud enough for me and everyone else to hear. Most of my classmates burst out into laughter, and some of the girls giggled.

I flashed Paul a rebuking look, but my voice was saccharinely sweet when I countered:

"Oh, Paul, we'd better not visit your birthplace. That place is reserved for your girlfriend only."

The same amount of laughter filled the classroom. Paul's baby face transformed into a scowl. Devon chuckled, placing his hands in the pockets of his black jacket.

"Grayson, we'll definitely catch up in the toilet. It'll end up with your head in it."

"Very funny, Blake. Very..."