His Perfect Enemy

FACTS AND INFO

The first day of school usually passes by in a breeze, mine wasn’t any different.

After the slight back and forth I had in my first class, I was able to keep my head down in the rest.

It helped that I was a junior and both of them were seniors, which meant our paths didn’t cross again.

Altogether I avoided lunchtime, sticking to the library until I had a class to be in. It afforded me quiet and time to think.

So far the remainder of the day, Brielle and I didn’t see each other. Neither did I run into her friend Samantha and the aloof boyfriend.

The ride back home with my dad’s driver was quiet as I observed and mapped out the route.

This arrangement won’t last forever, I have to learn my way sooner than later.

Immediately he dropped me off at the two-storey building I call home, he zoomed back to work again to go pick dad up.

“I’m home!” I announced, closing the lock behind me. After which I slipped off my shoes by the entrance, dropped my bag beside the console table then stepped further inside.

The faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, an indication that I wasn’t the only one at home.

“Deana?” a voice called from deeper within the house.

Right on cue.

“In here,” I replied, walking toward the living room.

My mum looked up from where she sat, tablet in hand, lounging on one of the chairs as something on the screen played on.

I walked to where she’s sprawled and place a kiss on her cheek, catching a portion of her raven hair in the process.

“How was your first day?” She asked, setting the tablet aside as she watched me.

I resisted the urge to give the automatic answer. Fine. Because it wasn’t, not even close.

“It was interesting,” I said instead, lowering myself onto the armchair opposite her.

Her brows lifted slightly, intrigued by my answer.

“That doesn’t sound reassuring.”

“It’s not supposed to be,” I replied lightly, plastering a smile on my face.

She returned it knowingly, her rosy cheeks full of warmth I’ve come to know and appreciate.

I owe them my life. My adoptive parents and saviours. If they had not taken me in when tragedy struck, I would have been another unnamed body, or a forgotten name, just like the rest.

My fingers tightened around the armrest, a means to ground myself in the moment, and stop my thoughts from spiraling further.

“So,” I said, shifting the mood, “what’s for dinner? Because I’m starving and can devour a whale now.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a whale at the moment,” she replied sarcastically. “But there’s pasta, heated for you in the microwave.”

“Ugh!” I groaned dramatically. “You’re actually the best mother.”

She laughed softly as I plastered another kiss on her cheek again before grabbing my plate, then the bag I left at the entrance.

“I’ll be in my room,” I announced from the stairs.

“Don’t stay up too late. It’s a school night, Deana” She called after me.

“No promises,” I responded and proceeded to my room on the first floor.

Immediately my room door clicked behind me, sealing me into my space. I knotted my honey blonde hair in a messy twist atop my head.

Followed through with a relaxing warm shower which eased the tension of the day.

By the time I stepped out, dressed in something more comfortable, it was already sunset.

Settling in with my comfort movie, Mamma Mia, I began devouring the plate.

But barely ten minutes in, my phone buzzed beside me, a call from an unknown number. I stared at it for a second then answered.

“Hello! Is this Deana?” Brielle’s unsure voice came from the other end, surprising me a bit.

“It’s me, Brielle,” I replied.

“Oh! Thank goodness. I got your number from the admin’s office—don’t ask how.”

A small smile tugged at my lips. “I wasn’t going to.”

“Good,” she rushed. “Because that’s not even important right now. What’s important is, do you have any idea what happened after you left?”

I leaned back against my headboard, preparing to get a lecture and learn.

“I’m guessing you’re about to tell me.”

“Tell you I shall, since no one has told you about how things work around here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I questioned.

“The thing you did in class today with Tobias, you shouldn’t have. And walking with Kross who almost got you run over, what were you thinking?”

I set my plate aside, immersing myself in this conversation.

“I didn’t speak to Tobias, it was the other way around. He spoke to me, provoking me Infact. And I didn’t ‘walk’ with Kross, he kept on following me for reasons I don’t know.”

There was a brief pause on the other end, like she was organizing her thoughts before speaking again.

“Whatever it is, you need to steer clear of both of them. Even Gio has you on her radar now.”

“Who’s Gio?” I ask, clearly lost.

“Georgina, she’s Kross’ girlfriend.”

The air got knocked out of me, I didn’t think he had it in him to be committed to someone. For some reasons it annoyed me, another form of obstruction.

“And she’s very possessive since half of the female population wants him, and he doesn’t even make things easy for her, flirting and cheating with everything that wears a skirt,” Brielle supplied.

“Right! He has a lot going on for him already, trust me, I’m not interested.”

“You better not, I heard he’s part of the Mafia too, Capo’s son or something, that’s why Gio can’t leave him since their families have them engaged to each other.

He’s dangerous, Deana, his family is, and you need to steer clear.”

Brielle sounded worried and I couldn’t blame her, she had firsthand seen how he almost run me over, and probably other profanities he has done before I entered the picture.

“Okay, I will,” I reassured her. “So, what else do I need to know?”

“First,” she began, lowering her voice slightly.

“Eastridge isn’t just a normal school, it looks like one to outsiders, but it’s really not.”

I didn’t interrupt.

“There’s a system,” she continued. “Not official, but everyone within knows it exists.”

“At the top of the food chain,” Brielle said carefully, “you’ve got Tobias Sterling.”

I didn’t react outwardly.

“He doesn’t just lead the student body,” she added.

“He controls it, teachers trust him, students listen to him, and no one really dares challenge him. His family are the top donor of the school and controls mire part of the city than allowed.”

This wasn’t new information, I knew this personally.

“And Kross? Where does he rank with the whole Mafia thing going on for him?”

She exhaled softly.

“Kross Rivas doesn’t follow the system,” she said.

“He disrupts it.” I nodded slowly to myself, remembering what he had mentioned back in the hallway.

“He’s unpredictable,” she continued.

“People gravitate toward him, but not because they feel safe. It’s more like they don’t want to be on the wrong side of him.”

“So one maintains control,” I murmured.

“And the other challenges it,” Brielle finished.

A small silence followed between us, the reliazation settling in.

“And everyone else?” I asked.

“We just try to survive around them,” she admitted honestly. “You either stay invisible, align yourself, or…” she hesitated.

“Or?” I prompted.

“Or you get caught in between which is the worst thing that can happen to anyone.”

“Too late for that.” My lips curved slightly, I guess I’ve found the best spot to be in.