4 - Ewh!
1420 Words
Benjamin’s POV
I couldn’t take my eyes off her—Cinta Clara, the effortlessly graceful girl with mixed Aussie-Indonesian blood. She moved like a dream, trained in ballet like me, but now venturing into more contemporary expressions. Meanwhile, Joy was off in her own world again, headphones on, fiddling with her iPad. Not that I cared. I mean, how could she possibly compete with Cinta’s elegance?
Cinta was clearly a perfectionist. Sure, some of her moves still needed polishing, but the way she kept pushing herself? Kinda admirable.
When we wrapped up, I handed her a bottle of vitamin water.
“For me?”
I nodded. “The girl over there is still busy with her iPad and music, so I figured you might need this more.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Ben! You’re really thoughtful.”
Talking to Cinta stirred something fluttery in my stomach. Was this what people meant by butterflies? Weird. Kinda ticklish. But nice.
Then, out of nowhere, Joy cut in like a glitch in the scene. “I’m done. See you later.” She spoke only to Cinta, completely ignoring my presence. Like I was invisible or something.
“See you later, Park,” she said as she turned briefly toward me.
Wait—did she just read my thoughts? The hairs on my neck stood up.
⸻
Joy’s POV
After years of listening to music in the safety of my room, I was kind of enjoying this solo moment—music in my ears, following the cafeteria crowd, pretending I belonged.
Everything was fine until some i***t stuck his foot out.
I almost stumbled. Almost. But my balance? Unmatched. I bent forward, caught myself on the tip of my toes, and straightened like nothing had happened.
I heard their thoughts and whispers—some impressed, some annoyed, others just… mean. I hated it. Slipping my headphones back on, I tried to block it all out—until someone yanked them off. Hard.
They hit the floor. Broken. A gift from Leonard—and Alanna.
Anger surged, raw and fast. I lunged, ready to strike, but Justin’s twin beat me to it—dumping a full drink over my head. My hair, my clothes—soaked.
I could feel the monster in me waking up. Breath uneven, vision dimming, hands twitching. I was about to lose control—
Then someone grabbed my hand. Warm. Firm.
Benjamin.
He stood beside me, Cinta too.
“You think this is okay? Seriously?” His voice cut through the tension.
“What’s your problem?” Justin barked.
Cinta didn’t hold back. “You’re disgusting, Joanna.”
They glared, but didn’t move. Benjamin snapped a photo of the mess. “You’re going to pay for this.”
Justin and Joanna looked pissed but scared. Good. One step closer to detention and tanked grades.
“If you care at all about your future here, try acting like decent seniors,” Cinta snapped, then followed me and Benjamin out.
His hand still held mine. Warm, steady. He was broad-shouldered, lean, all muscle memory and rigid routines. Like a machine with a hint of warmth. He pretended not to care, but Benjamin Park was far from cold.
“I’m starving,” he muttered, letting go of my hand with a casual shrug.
“Me too,” Cinta chimed in.
“Let’s go,” I said.
“You’re not going to drag us out to hunt for food, are you?” Benjamin squinted suspiciously.
“If fresh meat’s what you want, I could arrange that,” I smirked.
His face went pale. “No, thanks!”
Cinta laughed and linked her arm with mine. Her energy always reminded me of Alanna.
“So, what are we eating?”
I didn’t need to eat, technically. But if I had to, I wasn’t wasting it on flavorless junk. I drove us to a pizza place owned by a senior vampire—don’t worry, he’s way tamer than my family. Claims he’s over the whole “bloodlust” thing.
Cinta practically drooled when she saw the guy at the counter—Gabriel. Thirty-five and still turning heads.
“Wait—how do you know someone that hot? Who is he?” Cinta asked as we waited for our order. Benjamin just sat at the table, looking bored.
“Just a friend.”
Cinta couldn’t stop staring. Gabriel was used to it. Half the girls in the restaurant were doing the same.
I stared out the window. It had been a decade since I’d really seen the world. Everything looked… different now. Everyone I once knew might be gone. And I was still here—stuck in a life I couldn’t escape. Dying felt scarier than living.
For us, death wasn’t peaceful. We burned. Literally. Fire to the bones. That’s the price of eternity. I’d seen it happen once, and the memory still haunts me.
“Voila!” Gabriel’s voice broke my thoughts.
“Since you’re friends with my favorite girl, I threw in some free pasta.”
“Don’t mess with me,” I muttered.
“Just spreading love,” he said, making Cinta swoon and Benjamin roll his eyes.
“He’s ancient, okay? It’s not like I’m into him,” I blurted at Benjamin.
“Not my business. Enjoy your meal,” he replied with a shrug.
Cinta talked through dinner like it was her job. Benjamin listened with stars in his eyes. Toward her. Not me. Me? He looked at like I was an unsolved crime—equal parts irritation and… maybe a flicker of concern buried deep.
After two slices, I stood. “I’ll cover the bill and head out early.”
I looked at Benjamin. “Use your time wisely, Park. Tomorrow, your chance is over.”
Cinta blinked, confused. I didn’t bother explaining.
-
Joy’s POV
Humans these days really had no boundaries. Seriously—who thought it was a good idea to put male and female students in the same dorm room? Ridiculous. I didn’t have to be afraid of Benjamin Park, but I couldn’t say the same for every other guy out there. Though, to be fair, walking down the corridor earlier, all I picked up from the humans was stress about assignments, deadlines, and future ambitions. That’s just how they were—obsession and ambition wrapped up in skin.
The room had been calm enough before he arrived. Then the door opened, and Benjamin’s thoughts crashed into me like thunder. Too loud. Too messy. I couldn’t ignore them. My eyes followed him as he dropped into the chair at his desk. He spun around to face me, sitting with my iPad balanced on my lap.
“What are you planning to do with this? Check your phone.”
I got up, curiosity tugging, and looked at his screen. Videos. Photos. Evidence of those idiotic senior twins from earlier.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? They deserve punishment!”
“They do. But I don’t care.”
His brows furrowed, deep and sharp. “They humiliated you in front of everyone!”
I closed my book with a sigh. Reading was impossible with him blaring like this. “I can protect myself. Don’t add their nonsense to your already loud brain. You’re too noisy.”
His voice tightened. “What did you mean earlier—when you said tomorrow is my last chance? Last chance for what?”
I regretted saying that. I didn’t want to interfere. “Forget it.”
Benjamin shot to his feet and stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Don’t brush it off. What did you mean?”
“If you like someone, face it. Say it. Don’t keep running like a coward.”
His eyes widened. Shock flickered, then denial. “Don’t make things up. I don’t waste time on something that trivial.”
“You call it trivial, but that’s why you always regret your choices. You never realize what matters until it’s too late.”
His jaw clenched. “Don’t speak like you know everything. You’re not a fortune-teller.”
I exhaled, heavy. “It was just an opinion. No need to be angry.” Sharing a room with him already made my chest feel tight. Arguing on our very first night? Unbearable.
“Know-it-all,” he muttered before shoving past me, shoulder brushing mine with unnecessary force. He stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door.
Typical. And yet—I couldn’t shake the thought: my guesses were never wrong.
- Writer
