Wild Boys

Chapter Seven

All bets were off. For that tyrant to forbid her of something she's been doing for years, and loved doing it? Iris won't allow that. That same day, she pretended to be out walking along the school grounds, enjoying the sun. In truth, her eyes were studying the walls of the academy but to her dismay, it was too high and too perfect—there's not a single misalignment that she could use to her advantage. The school was expensive for a reason.

She checked at the outer part of the grounds, where generous amount of trees stood. She could climb and reach the wall, maybe jump down to another tree on the other side, but still a problem persisted: the gatekeeper. How would she go back to the academy without letting him see her and alerting the tyrant of her direct disobedience?

It was as if she's a prisoner with the way she's trying to find an escape route. She didn't like it much. She cursed at Ares in her mind again, remembering his stoic face, delivering his 'order' without a moment's hesitation—

You're not running in that trail again, not when you're alone.

Not when you're alone.

There might be hope for her yet.

The dorm's gym was unsurprisingly packed on a Saturday morning. Dom's playlist blasted out of the speakers, drowning out most of the grunts and loud exhales from the boys. No one paid any mind to each other. In this room, everyone's too busy with themselves.

Iris' eyes sweeped across the room, searching for a certain mop of messy hair that Lowell always sported. Instead she met a pair of pale, gray eyes that belonged to Axel.

He took off his headphones and stalked towards her. Now Iris remembered why he had seemed familiar—he was the guy leaving out of Ares' room at that first day, asking her if she was lost. She guessed he's long since found his answer to that.

With the music so loud, he had to resort to shouting. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Come on, in to the black mat!"

Calling her to a match? Was this because of the incident at the dining room? She shook her head at him, "I'm busy."

Turning to go, she was stopped short when his hand clamped down on her arm. Had he exerted more pressure, he would have gotten more than a heated glare. She shook his hand off. "Don't touch me again."

"Then why don't we have a go at it so we can continue on with both our lives already?"

"Or better yet, why don't you hold onto that petty grudge until the competition? Until then, I'd take better care not to hurt your ego again."

The heat from Axel's eyes disappeared as if doused with water. Now it was glittering with amusement. "What makes you think you'll be facing me?"

"I don't think. I know I will."

He didn't speak for a moment. "You're pretty confident to be thinking that far ahead."

Iris pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Are you threatened by me?"

Now there was a smile. "More like intrigued."

"A pointless emotion. I'm here for the same reason you have."

"Which is?"

"To win the boon, what else?"

"Nah, I'm here to make everlasting friendships with these amazing people." He gauged her reaction and was only mildly disappointed. "Besides, you're not like the rest of us. You're cooking up a storm, and you don't even know it."

"What do you mean?"

"Curious little thing, aren't ya?" The same smile appeared. It looked predatory. "You'll know about it soon enough."