Arabella and the Four Knights

CHAPTER 2

A WALK AT NIGHT

His beautiful eyes are scanning her from her head, down to her plumped chest, to her thighs. And she can't read any emotions aside from being a strict student president. He looks so different from the guy she met at the bar. Yet, he was still as charming as the first time she had seen him.

Though she was influenced by alcohol at that time, Arabella still remembers those eyes, those lean muscles, and especially those lips. They even shared a deep kiss back then. But why does he look like he can't remember a thing? Well, obviously, he was too handsome to kiss only one girl.

She could feel her breathing taken away as he strode towards her.

"Your name is?" he asked as his eyes glanced at the pinned name tag on her left chest. "Arabella," he read her name.

She could feel her fingertips tingling as her name came out gorgeously on his soft lips.

"Call me Ara," she handed her hand to him. But to her disappointment, he did not take it.

"Miss Ara, you should know that our school has strict rules. And as a leader of the student government, I am not allowing the way you dress your uniform," he explained.

Slowly, she put down her hand. "I thought you wanted to know me," she mumbled.

"It's Conri," he mentioned his name, but it was too late to shake each other's hands.

"What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"It was inappropriate," he said.

She smirked and stood straight. "I am not surprised that you also look at me that way."

"I am not judging your personality, Miss Ara."

"Well, you are! You look at me like the way others look at me. I am a w***e in your eyes," she mentioned, stressing the word w***e.

"It's not what you're thinking."

"Really? Then why did you kiss me back then without even asking? You thought that I was an easy type of girl."

She was mad. She walked passed him and came to face two guys that mirrored each other. They looked alike in every way; their dark hair, squinty eyes, and even height were the same. The only thing that the other doesn't have is the cross dangling earring on the left ear of the other.

"Hi." They both smiled. Even the voices were the same. It was like they were duplicated.

"Don't be mad. Conri is really that strict, but he was cool," said the one without a hearing.

"He really doesn't look at you the way you are thinking," said the learning guy.

"Really? But I was hurt. Don't I deserve an apology?"

The twins looked at each other. And she just left, shaking her head.

The night is a little bit more chilly than the usual temperature of what she used to be. Of course, the boarding school was surrounded by trees, which makes the place lower in temperature. She was even in their room, and in her long pajamas, which she didn't like. She used to sleep in her cropped top and underwear, which she couldn't do there.

The abrupt changes in her routine and usual way of living were irritating her. Plus, the fact that her weird roommate puts her metallic song in the air is giving her more headaches.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she stood up, releasing a deep sigh. "I'm outta here," she announced.

"It's passed curfew hours." Violet did not even look at her.

"You won't be saying a word," she said. It was not a plea. Rather, a statement, reminding her.

Violet just raised her hands. "I am not minding anyone's business."

That is the only thing that she likes about this weird girl. She was always in her own world. It will be easier for her to do her things.

She walked towards the door when Violet spoke once more.

"Edna is roaming the corridors. Might as well use the terrace if I were you."

"Great idea." She turned around towards their terrace, her hands on the pockets of her black hoodie. What she wore would be perfect camouflage in the night.

Violet really suggested a great idea. By their terrace was a large tree. Its branches could hold her weight and it was an adventure before she finally reached the ground.

The campus yard is already quiet. It was already eleven in the evening and a few rooms still had their lights on. Probably some of the students were still studying.

Putting her hoodie on, she walked as light as feather, making sure that no one could see her walking outside during curfew hours. She went straight to the entrance of the school campus, by the rusty gate that never opened the whole day, except at the time of her arrival.

No one was guarding the gate. Only a heavy lock on the chains wrapped on the gate's grill prohibits students from exiting the school. The two lamps at both ends are also not helping in that dark place.

"Does this schooln't have any budget for upgrading such an old-fashioned lock?" she murmured as she shook the chain, creating a sound that she regretted. She looked back to see if anyone had been alerted.

With that, she immediately climbed up the fence. She had been an expert at escaping at night. At least, that was one of the skills she was proud of. She safely landed outside of the school like a cat who is never afraid of heights.

A cold wind blew towards her, making her body shake.

"Geez! Is it always like this cold in here?" All she could see were trees with a lonely road in between. It was the only road toward Northville Academy. And it was the only road that she knew. Looking at the forest gives her a chill.

"Going somewhere?"

She almost fainted upon hearing a husky voice behind her. She was already caught! And she doesn't have any other option but to turn around.

Her jaw dropped upon meeting those silver eyes of the guy who owned the voice. She could feel her breath being taken away and it was the same feeling that she felt when looking at Conri, the student president.

This guy in front of her could be considered a god because of how perfect his features are. His eyes matched the silver highlights in front of his perfectly messy hair. If she was not mistaken, it was the guy she saw earlier sleeping. She admires how handsome he is.

"Staring at me again?" he asked, taking her back to herself.

She opened her mouth to speak. "I was-- You know that was me earlier?" she asked, but did not answer. Instead, he put both of his hands in his pockets.

"Why are you also here? You knew it was already curfew hours," she threw back his first question.

"I'm a night creature," he answered.

That made her brows curl in confusion. Should it be a person, not a creature? This guy uses weird terms.

"And you choose to walk outside the campus?" she asked. Well, what can she expect? It was her first impression of this guy- someone who didn't follow school regulations and rules. Like her.

"The campus is boring. The forest is even more exciting. Is that why you're also here?"

She blinked a few times. "The forest? No. I am not going into that creepy area. I'm --," she uttered. She wanted to say that she was trying to get out of that prison but she couldn't trust just someone with her plan. "Yeah. I was just taking a walk," she lied.

A grin curved on his lips. It sends her nape goosebumps.

"You want me to walk you? I'll be your tour guide. The forest would be an awesome place for this night," he uttered.

She gulped. The way he grins makes his knees tremble. It looked like he was thinking about something that she couldn't read exactly.

"No. Thank you but I think I am sleepy now," she declined and started to walk back to the closed gate. It took her a minute before she arrived. She was about to climb once more but then paused when a sudden howling of animals was heard from where she came from. Next was a loud scream.

She could feel her heart beating wildly. Her fingertips began to shiver with coldness. She could see every window of the dorm building begin to turn on its lights. She could see some shadows walking briskly toward where she was. She can't return at that time now. She turned around once more just to fall on the ground.

Her knees felt weak. Her whole body was trembling and every hair on her body felt as if it wanted to leave her. Her eyes are big and turning red. She wanted to scream but her lips could not even utter a single word.

"Miss Ara?" said a familiar voice behind. He was from the inside part of the gate, with the other few students. Conri looked at her and then at the body, soaked in blood, lying on the ground just a few meters away from her.

This scene is happening again. And flashes of the past began to flicker in her eyes.

With desperation and tears building in her eyes, she looked up at Conri who didn't have any particular change of emotion.

She opened her lips and tried her best to speak. It was a little voice that came out of her, almost a deaf utter. "Help...me."