D.D. (Devil's Dagger)

01

I skipped my breakfast because I would be ten minutes late if I did not. I sleep late yesterday because of my tour in the academy with Jen. The terms and policies of this academy is also a headache to me that's why I reread it three times in the midnight to make me more familiar.

I don't want to ruin my first day of teaching in this academy which is today. So, I wear clothes which I find comfortable and apply some light pink lipstick. I hate to put make up in my face because I find it uncomfortable. Beside it is just a waste of time for a women like me who doesn't know how to properly put it on.

I breath out heavily which helps me walk with confidence as I opened the door room where I will be teaching a 15 total of students taking course about world literature.

But I feel downed when I did not see even one of them in their seats. Like what the...

I breath out heavily again out of disappointment. In all cases, I hate tardy and unproductive people. Now, I regret not taking my breakfast.

Six minutes passed before eight of my 15 students occupy the vacant seats. I see five girls and three boys. Where the hell are the others?

Seven to go. Seven of them are more than late. I tried to composed myself and decided to start the class without the seven late comers.

"I'm Miss Ivana Manalo, your new world literature teacher.
It's not n-nice..to meet you late today. I hope to see you again tomorrow, five minutes advance before the start of our class. Anyway, I hope we all get along."

I don't know where I got such confidence but I'm more than proud to myself now. My eight students was left with no choice but to agree and say 'yes miss'.
I may sounds direct and a little bit rude to them now but I believe what I did was a nice call for today.

I ended the class with them without knowing each of them. Why?

Because part of the academy's policy is not to know them. Even a single penny of info's or background of all the enrolled students are prohibited to us,  their teachers. A leak of information about them is equivalent of losing our credibility as teachers.

We might be dismissed from our post or in worst case, if we happened to mess with Lucifer's descendants, we might be abruptly killed and unjustly rot on this academy's ground.

Based on my research, all of the enrolled students here came from elite families and most of them are heir and heiress. This creepy but prestigious academy is much more advance from the existing institutions out there.

I shifted in bed for eighteenth time in the last ten minutes.

I can't get over but to think about the guy yesterday in the veranda. Who is he really?

Groaning, I grabbed the glass of water beside my bed. It was exactly 9 in the morning. Sighing, I forced myself to stand up and prepare for my second class. My mind was racing, thinking about what happened in my first class.

With a hopeful heart, I enter the room slightly expecting an incomplete presence of students again. But I was surprised when all the fifteen seats of the room was occupied. Unlike my first class, these students are I think more interested to learn.

I introduced myself to them, then I let them open their textbook for some sort of pre-assessment about world literature. They quietly finished the test and when I was about to dismiss them, a girl suddenly asked me a favor.

"Miss, can I ask some assistance with you in my project?" My eyes widens when I recognized this girl. She's one of the group of people in the veranda. I cleared my throat before I answered her.

"Okay. After my last class today meet me at the library." She just give me a short nod and smile. I go outside the room and walk directly to the cafeteria.

There are only few students who are dining and I presumed that all of them have no class at this hour. I ordered a glass of mango juice and a complete meal with fried chicken, rice, and a mixed of vegetable salad and tidbits. It may looks very ordinary but when I get the first bite of it, it really surpassed my expectation.

The chief of this cafeteria needs only to put some attractive coloring on the meal but its total taste was actually good and palatable. When I finished my food and was about to leave the cafeteria, I get struck to what I've seen on the left corner of the place.

There's a beautiful, large painting hanged on the wall. But what really fascinated me is the scribbled words in italic below the painting.

It's my name. IVANA.

I don't know if it just happened to be written there coincidentally but there's a feeling circling around my head. Like as if I've seen this painting before. As if I was the painted lady there sitting beside a handsome couple whose wearing a royal dress.

Oh cut the crap, Ivana!
You're not a blue blood daughter. You came from the country who doesn't have the royal system. I scolded myself for believing to much that I was the girl in the painting.

God! I think I need to lessen myself from dreaming too much.
You're so ambitious, Ivana! I scolded myself for the last time.

Pain burst in my arms. "What was that for?!" My hand reached the skin of my arms where Jen's fingers pinched me.

"You left me at the veranda yesterday!" She nagged at me as if I need to stay with her on the veranda with those strangers. She actually didn't know them. Despite the fact that she's been teaching here for almost three years.

Well, no teachers are allowed to know the students here. But judging from her expression yesterday to those guys in the group, I know there's someone that her eyes is hitting too.

God! I think we need to come to our senses. A teacher admiring her students? Bad idea. Because I think it may develop to a deeper feelings just like what Jen is doing right now.

"I need to put this on. I have a class with them today after the agenda. I need him to notice me." She's fixing her heavy make up. I don't know if it's good to say to her that she already look like a clown but I choose to leave it to her. She's confident and comfortable wearing it. So why bother asking her to stop putting it on. I silenced myself and just look at her doing her make over.

After Jen's make over, we both went to the director's office. We have a 15 minutes meeting and all teachers are mandated to attend.
We are now sitting on our seats when the door opened and I finally meet the director of this academy.

But my jaw dropped bad when I recognize who the director is. It's him. Is he not a student?

"It's nice to meet you here. I'm the new director of the academy."

Seriously?

God! His damn-gorgeous eyes.