Fierce Red

Dark boy

“Did you come to watch me play?” Lucian’s voice came from behind, making Almora jump slightly in her seat.

“Oh God,” she muttered under her breath, placing a hand over her chest. “Do you want to kill me? You nearly gave me a heart attack. And for your information, I didn’t come here to watch you play.”

Lucian smirked, clearly amused. “You don’t even know how funny you look right now,” he said, leaning slightly against the rail. “And don’t worry, I’m not ready to kill you… yet.”

He stretched out that last word deliberately, and Almora turned to him with wide eyes. “Yet? What do you mean yet, huh?” she snapped. “You know what, I told you to stay away from me. So please, just leave me alone.”

Lucian ignored her request completely. “If you’re not here to watch me,” he said, raising an eyebrow, “then what exactly are you doing here?”

Almora blinked, internally scolding herself. How rude. “I’m here because Stacy dragged me here to ogle some hot guys playing basketball,” she said bluntly, her voice laced with sarcasm. “And just so we’re clear, you’re not one of them.”

Lucian laughed. “I never said I was,” he replied, clearly unbothered. “Where are your friends then?”

“They’ll be back soon,” she said, glancing at her phone, just as it chimed with a new message. She opened it to find a text from Stacy:

“It's taking a bit longer, we won’t be able to come back."

Almora let out an audible grumble as she stood up from her seat. She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to walk away.

“You’re leaving without saying goodbye?” Lucian asked with a tilt of his head.

Almora turned her head just slightly and raised a brow. “Give me one good reason why I should.”

Before Lucian could answer, another voice intruded.

“Well, well, are you trying to catch a new fish, Dark boy?” sneered Sean, stepping forward with a mocking grin. His eyes flickered over to Almora with clear disdain. “Stay away from him, Red. He’s nothing but danger.”

Almora’s jaw clenched. “You don’t get to tell me who I can or cannot talk to,” she said firmly, eyes locked with his. “I make my own choices, and I’ll live my life how I want. So kindly keep your outdated opinions to yourself.”

She turned sharply and walked away without waiting for a response.

Lucian’s smile faded as he faced Sean. “Stay away from her, Sean. And stop calling me ‘Dark boy’ if you don’t want real trouble.” His voice was cold, his jaw tight with restrained fury.

Sean’s expression darkened as Lucian walked off, leaving behind tension so thick it could be sliced with a blade.

Back in her room, Almora collapsed onto her bed with a long sigh, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. The room was quiet, Stacy wasn’t back yet, and her thoughts buzzed like static.

Her phone buzzed again. She picked it up lazily and answered with little energy, “Hello?”

“Almora, why didn’t you call me yesterday?” her mother’s voice shot out with concern and mild irritation.

Almora rubbed her forehead. “Ma, bataaya to main tumhen khud phon karunga,” she replied in Hindi, reminding her that she had already promised to call.

“No excuses! You didn’t even tell me how your first day went.”

“Maaa…” she sighed.

Her father’s voice suddenly replaced her mother’s on the line. “I hope that boy from the Harris family hasn’t been bothering you.”

“No, he hasn’t,” Almora replied firmly.

“Remember what I told you,” her father said, his voice hardening. “Stay away from him. That family is nothing but trouble.”

From the background, Mrs. Rencia’s voice rose in protest. “Oh, stop it. Keep your silly rivalries away from our daughter and let her live her life!”

Realizing an argument was brewing, Almora quickly said goodbye and ended the call, not wanting to be caught in the middle of another parental battle.

Almora Nazia Rencia—half Spanish, half Indian could speak both languages fluently. Sometimes, the fusion of cultures felt like a strength. Other times, like now, it only complicated things.

She turned on her side to sleep but paused when she noticed something odd. A new room had appeared right between her and Stacy’s side of the room. She smiled faintly. “We’ve got a new roommate,” she murmured.

“We’ve got a new roommate!” Stacy shouted as she burst into the room, confirming Almora’s thought.

“That was quick. I thought the transfer would take a while,” Almora said as she sat up.

“We thought so too,” Amy chimed in as she walked in behind Stacy, plopping her bag onto her new bed. “But I guess I’m lucky.”

“Welcome to our humble abode,” Stacy said, giving a dramatic princess-style bow.

The room filled with light laughter as Amy and Stacy got on their phones while Almora tried to relax. Just as her eyelids began to flutter shut, her phone buzzed again. She picked it up, frowning at the unfamiliar number.

“Hello?” she answered, half-asleep.

“It’s your knight in shining armor,” said a voice with teasing confidence.

Almora blinked, her sleep quickly vanishing. “My knight in…” she paused, her eyes narrowing. “Wait. It’s you, isn’t it?.... How did you get my number? I don't remember giving it to you?”

He chuckled. “You don’t need to know how I got your number. All that matters is I have it now.”

“Unbelievable,” Almora muttered. “Look, don’t call me again.” She ended the call abruptly.

“Who was that?” Stacy asked curiously, Amy also peeking over her phone.

“It’s nothing,” Almora said quickly, brushing it off. Her phone chimed again this time a text message.

“Hope you’ve saved my number” he winked.

Almora stared at it, resisting the urge to throw her phone across the room. “This boy will be the death of me,” she muttered, switching off her screen and burying her face into the pillow.

After a while, her breathing slowed, and she finally drifted off to sleep.