Chapter 3
778 Words
3: Aidan’s POV
The rest of the morning was a blur of high-ceilinged classrooms and students who avoided me like a plague.
Not that I could blame them. I did kind of expect it.
Didn’t make it any less shitty having people snicker and point at me at every turn.
A part of me began to regret why I even applied here. What exactly did I think they would do? Roll out the red carpet?
My third-period class was Advanced Literature. I walked in and headed straight for the back corner.
At least, this way, I could find a seat where I could blend into the shadows.
"b***h, you do realize you’re allowed to sit anywhere you like don’t you? What are you doing all the way back here?"
I looked at the person in the seat next to mine.
He had purple-dyed hair styled into a perfect, shimmering pompadour and was currently busy filing a nail with a gold-plated emery board.
“I guess I don’t want anyone looking at me” I replied softly and turned away.
"Hmm hmm. You’re too cute to be hiding though,” he dropped the nail file, “you’re the scholarship kid right?”
“Yeah, I guess”
“I’m Poppy," he said, "And before you ask, yes, I am the only person in this entire academy with an actual personality. These other sluts might as well be human robots”
“They don’t like me much”
“So? Bitches will be bitches. What’s your name?”
"I’m Aidan," I said, cautiously setting my bag down.
"Cute name. Anyway, I already knew who you were darling," Poppy said, excitedly looking at me.
His eyes were bright, sharp, and rimmed with a subtle bit of eyeliner.
“You did?”
"b***h, yes. Your Ethan-Slayer. The Scholarship Boy with the Big Mouth. The group chats have been buzzing since you got here."
"Great," I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Just what I wanted."
"Don't be like that! Publicity is power, even if it’s the bad kind," Poppy said, leaning in close.
“Is there anyone else I should avoid? Asides, Ethan that is. Wouldn’t want to have an extra target on my back”
"Well, you’re not wrong to ask. I’m nice so I’ll give you the run down. This shark tank of a school has a bunch of top kids.”
“We’ve got the princes and the princesses. But you don’t have to worry about those chicks”
“Okay. Tell me about the princes”
“Wellll, You’ve got Ethan Crawford on one side. He’s the grandson of the old dragon”
“Old dragon?”
“The headmistress, baby. Keep up will ya”
“Oh yeah. Sorry. Go on”
“And on the other end, you’ve got Damian Vea on the other."
"Damian? The guy I met in the hall?"
“You? Met Damian Vae. b***h, stop lying”
“No, I swear, I’m not. He seemed nice enough”
"The guy you met in the hall is a teen idol in training, Aidan," Poppy said, smiling a little. "He’s a pop star. He has three million followers and a record deal that’s probably worth more than this building. He’s the other 'Prince' of the school.”
“Sooo, I’m guessing Ethan is the muscle, Damian is the face?”
“Ding ding ding”
"And what about Weston?" I asked, the name feeling like a bruise on my tongue.
I know I shouldn’t have asked and even now it hurt to think of him but I had to know.
Poppy’s expression turned sour for a split second.
"Weston? Oh, that moron is just a climber. He’s trying so hard to fit into Ethan’s circle that he’d sell his own mother for a seat at their lunch table. You know him?”
"We used to be... something," I whispered.
"Oh, honey. You dated that?" Poppy asked.
“I guess”
Poppy patted my hand like a friend trying to offer comfort.
"Don’t ever go back there. Anyway, you should stick with me. I like underdogs, and I especially like people who make Ethan Crawford look stupid. We’re going to be best friends, I can already tell."
“Ummm…..yeah, thanks I guess”
The teacher walked in then, and Poppy went back to his nails.
As the lesson started, I looked out the window.
Damian was sitting in a courtyard below, surrounded by fans, but he was looking up toward the classrooms.
For a second, I could have sworn our eyes met.
He waved a bit and then went back to signing an autograph.
- Writer
