CURSED BUT FOUND

Chapter 7 ~ Zero Notification

{Violet POV}

Elsa’s grip on my arm was tight enough to hamper the flow of blood in that area, but here I was unbothered. Unshaken because I had other things to worry about.

Actually, I had one thing to worry about.

Liam Cornaro.

He was still strolling towards my bearing with his entourage of models and Demigods. He was laughing at something one of his guys had said and it made appear devilishly handsome, and it made my heart pound the more.

He seemed unaffected by the wave of stares and gapes pouring on him. He was used to this.

I would shrink if it was me.

Which would never happen.

Stop dreaming, Elsa!

He was just a few paces away and I suddenly advised myself. This was a bad idea.

A really bad one.

But then Elsa would never believe me. I would be the only bearer of my story. My 20 minutes of fame. The best 20 minutes ever.

Liam concluded his laugh with his guys and his eyes splayed around as he looked onwards.

I cringed.

But maybe I’m just overthinking it.

I stepped forward and I waved at him.

Yep, I threw myself out there.

He noticed my waving and inched his gaze to me and our eyes locked. His blue ones pouring into my grey ones. So much blueness in just two globes.

My heart started beating backwards. He was now walking towards me…

And then he walked right past.

I was puzzled in my stance. My hands were still raised, my smile was still stretched and everyone had seen me. I felt like a mannequin. A stupid one.

How do I come back from this?

I slowly withdrew into the crowd but it was too late.

“Look who’s been using her weekend to dream.” A voice laughed and I cursed the moment at once.

Ashley had seen me, and not only that, she had found me at the worst timing ever.

Not to her anyway. This was great timing for her.

The crowd that had gathered on Liam’s behalf was slowly dispersing now but Ashley was walking straight toward us.

Oh, no!

Elsa’s grip on my arm tightened the more, making me realize she was still holding me. She immediately tugged me and soon we were trudging down the stairs to the ground floor

She saved me again.

When we stopped at a corner and when we were alone, she shot me a mixture of a glare and irritation. “You didn’t talk to him.”

“That’s.. that’s.” I looked away in my disappointment and pain. How could he just ignore me that way?

“That’s because he didn’t stop.”

“Exactly! Why didn’t he? You waved at him. He saw you. Why didn’t he stop?” Elsa asked, looking offended.

I didn’t say anything to her. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know the answer by myself. Maybe he had ignored me because he didn’t remember who I was. I mean, he meets a lot of people every minute, and remembering a plain Jane’s face would be quite the task.

Or maybe I had exaggerated our familiarity. Maybe to him, I was… I was a dare material!

Realization hit me.

This was the period of the School’s Dare games for the Seniors.

Dare Line: “Take a boring Geek to your room and kiss her.”

And I happen to meet every criterion of that Dare line.

There was an Impish Dare Game the school’s Seniors habitually played towards the end of every semester. According to what I was told— since I just joined Wolfville a few weeks ago and have never experienced a Dare Game, the Seniors playing the game would create challenging feats that another player would have to do.

That is, they must only dare someone to do the things they themsel have done, and it must involve mischievous and saucy things.

Saucy things like…

Gosh, I was stupid!

No wonder Liam hadn’t reacted to the kiss. No wonder he had been chill about everything. I had helped him create a feat. A really good one!

Not every senior could kiss any girl in the School’s hallway and then take her to his room and see her half-naked the same day!

Only one guy had that grace and he hadn’t even been trying. I had basically created the hottest feat of the Dare Games by myself.

Curse my ignorance!

“You know, Vii.” Elsa started to say after my prolonged silence and I turned to look at her. “I’m your best friend, and best friends don’t lie to each other.”

Of course, she thinks I’m lying. There was no evidence and the one I could have created was used as a means to insult me instead.

“You’re right, Elsa. I’m sorry I lied.” I might as well end the whole f*cking thing now. “I had thrown myself at Liam and kissed him— I don’t know what came over me. But he had been a gentleman and led me away to secretly warn me. I don’t know what came over me.” I said dryly, but I faked it well.

Talk about authenticating a ruinous rumor about yourself.

Elsa stared at me with disbelief— the disbelief was because I had done something this desperate. She didn’t expect this from me and I knew it hurt her. But this disbelief was nothing compared to the disbelief of I and Liam’s romantic narrative.

She shrugged her disbelief off. To her, this outcome was easier to comprehend than the actual reality which she called a lie.

“Thank you for being honest with me.” She smiled with resolve and I smiled back.

“So, I met this really cute guy in the Cafeteria yesterday and he’s a Pro shifter.” She suddenly mouthed with excitement and just like that, the whole Liam and Violet’s natter was dead to her. Guess there was no need to tell her about the part of me being featured in the Impish Dare Games.

The bell rang.

“Let's go to your room. I’ll tell you everything there.” Elsa said as we started strolling towards the Dorm rooms.

“Okay.” I managed to reply to her as I was distracted by my thoughts. Thoughts about Liam.

I still couldn’t believe that what had happened had happened. He completely ignored me, like I was non-existent.

Guess I was too boring for his notice.

I trailed quietly behind Elsa while she took out her phone and began punching notifications and letters. I stared at my phone.

ZERO NOTIFICATIONS.

Don’t worry, it isn’t a new occurrence. I was used to not mattering to anyone. My father and brother, my only family, didn’t give a s**t about me.

I was odd.

I didn’t have my wolf and to them, I was a disgrace. And they wouldn’t want to contact a disgrace.

Nobody would.

Except my mum. But she was in the hospital, fighting Scutlock and struggling for her life so I couldn’t feel her love anytime I went up.

Nevertheless, this Semester was about to come to an end so I could go over to the Hospital and stay with her before death claimed her.

The Hospital would be a peaceful contrast to this school, where there were no judging stares, no tension, no gods in human form… no Liam Cornaro.