Highschool Bully is My Roomate

Chapter 3: No One Is Coming To Save You

Chapter 3: No One is Coming To Save You

Tori asked, his tone casual, but the sharp blue eyes scanning the crowd betrayed him.

He was worried about Charlene.

"Ignore him. He’s trouble."

Tori said.

His words had no calming effect on Charlene.

Instead, it was the opposite because if Tori's worrying this much about a stranger, what kind of man is Dino Lucas?

Charlene blinked,

Somehow, Tori’s presence made her heart calm, even as Dino’s darkened gaze burned into her back.

"He’s… he’s always like this? Is he always like this? He's not always like this, is he?"

Charlene asked, voice barely above the music.

She was getting more afraid, she wanted to leave but she knew Isobel would try to convince her not to.

Tori smirked faintly.

"Only when someone new catches his attention. And you... well, congratulations. You’ve made the list."

Charlene’s cheeks flamed.

"The list? there's a list?"

"Yeah! There's a whole list but trust me, you don’t want to know otherwise you'd ruin this after-party for yourself"

Tori said with a shrug, but his eyes softened on her.

"Just stick with me, you'll be fine"

She nodded, heart racing.

She heard him say under his breath, even if she pretended not to.

"Something's not right with Luiz tonight"

Dino did not approach Charlene immediately.

He moved like a shadow at the edge of the room, scanning, planning, stalking like a predator on a hunt.

When he finally stepped toward her, it was slow, deliberate, making everybody else seem irrelevant.

"You look beautiful,"

Before she could respond, Tori stepped between them, arms crossed with his jaw tight.

"Luiz, What did we say about rules?"

"Rules?" Dino smiled

"What rules? The very ones we created?"

"You’re scaring her. If you really want her, follow the rules, too."

Dino’s smirk didn’t falter.

"Kill Joy! She already broke the rules,"

He said softly, eyes on Charlene.

"She’s just a few more experiences away from being mine for the next thirty days."

She did not fail to notice his new choice of words.

He'd gone from circumstances to experiences.

This was not good, she had to leave.

"See you around,"

Dino Lucas said finally, stepping back.

His hand lifted, brushing lightly through a strand of her hair before he melted into the crowd.

Charlene’s heart thumped painfully.

She could not explain why his fleeting touch had her stomach twisting and cheeks burning at the same time.

Tori gave her a small, reassuring smile.

"It's game over if you let Luiz get to you. Just,"

He paused

"Stay close, alright?"

Charlene nodded.

Despite his looming presence, she was not reassured this time, Dino scared her.

Her thoughts were a tangle of confusion, fear, and something dangerously close to admiration for both of them.

Because one man wanted to own her and the other, somehow, made her feel safe.

And she didn’t know which one made her heart race faster.

Charlene clutched her drink tightly, standing next to Isobel Bards, her roommate and only friend in this strange new world of Meridian High.

"Relax!"

Isobel said, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"We're here to have fun, It is just a party. Not just any party, your very first party at St. Meridian"

Charlene tried, really, she did.

But every time her eyes drifted across the crowded room, her pulse leapt.

Dino was there.

Always at the edge of the crowd, sharp eyes scanning, like a storm waiting to crash.

"He’s… he’s everywhere,"

Charlene whispered, voice tight.

Isobel laughed lightly.

"That’s Dino Luiz Lucas for you. King of Meridian. Handsome, untouchable, completely terrifying. And don’t act like you haven’t noticed the way he’s looking at you."

Charlene felt her cheeks enflame.

"I don’t know what you mean."

"Don’t play dumb,"

Isobel teased me.

"You slapped him in the hallway, didn’t you? And now… well, let’s just say he’s interested."

Charlene groaned, spinning her hair nervously around her finger.

"I didn’t mean to… I mean, it just happened. He’s intense!"

"Have you ever looked at the guy? Intense doesn’t even begin to cover it"

Isobel said, rolling her eyes.

"Just… be careful."

Charlene tried to breathe, but the air felt heavy, like Dino’s presence was a physical weight pressing down on her.

She felt eyes on her again.

Sure enough, Dino was moving slowly toward the center of the party, his gaze locking on her every time she shifted.

Tori appeared at her side, as if reading her mind.

"Stick with me," He said softly.

"Ignore him. Do not let him corner you, ever!"

Charlene nodded, relief flooding through her.

His protective presence made the chaos around her feel manageable, almost safe.

Almost.

She and Isobel weaved through the crowd, laughing at each other’s clumsy attempts to dance, but Charlene’s laughter felt forced, uneven.

"Hey,"

Dino’s voice cut across the music suddenly, smooth, low, and impossible to ignore.

He was closer now, inches away from the edge of the group.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Charlene froze, cheeks burning, stomach twisting.

"I… I’m fine,"

she said quickly, forcing a smile.

"You don’t look fine,"

he said, leaning just slightly closer, the scent of his cologne brushing her senses.

"You look… distracted."

Tori stepped closer immediately, subtle but firm.

"Let her breathe, Luiz."

Dino’s dark eyes flicked to Tori, lips curling.

"There’s nothing to let her do except what I allow."

Charlene’s stomach flipped.

Her pulse raced.

Fear.

Confusion.

And something she didn’t want to admit.

Tori’s jaw tightened, but his voice stayed calm.

"You’re scaring her. If you want her, follow the rules, even you have rules."

Dino’s smirk widened.

"She’s already broken the rules," he said softly, almost amused.

"She’s just a few more minutes away from being mine. Tonight’s going to be…enlightening."

Charlene’s heart thumped painfully in her chest. She felt trapped in a current she couldn’t fight yet didn’t want to escape from entirely.

Meanwhile, Dino’s plan from two nights ago quietly began to move into place.

Someone in the party, someone loyal to him, was keeping an eye on Charlene’s every movement.

The drink that might slip into her hand, the picture that might be captured, all carefully orchestrated.

Charlene Woodstock had no idea.

All she knew was that her pulse raced for two reasons: the thrilling, dangerous closeness of Dino and the calm, steady reassurance of Tori.

Two men.

Two extremes.

And somehow she didn’t know which was worse.

Charlene tried to shake off the growing tension. The music pulsed through the room, lights flashing across her dizzy mind.

Isobel was talking about something funny, but Charlene couldn’t focus.

All she could feel was Dino’s presence in her periphery watching, waiting and calculating.

Her stomach churned, her thoughts spinning.

She needed something.

Anything to steady herself.

Without thinking, she slipped away from Isobel and the crowd, weaving through the party until she reached the bar.

The bartender raised an eyebrow as she approached, but she only shook her head nervously.

“I’ll… um… s*x on the Beach,”

she said, her voice barely audible over the music.

She barely waited as the bartender slid the drink toward her.

She grabbed it, her hands trembling.

Without another thought, she downed the contents in one desperate gulp.

The world tilted.

Colors blurred.

The music warped into a distant thrum.

Her knees gave way.

Darkness rushed in, swallowing everything.

When she came to, her ears caught the faint voices whispering around her, muffled, urgent, distant.

She tried to move, tried to sit up, but her body felt heavy, unresponsive.

She was half-dressed but somewhat decent.

Panic prickled at the edges of her mind.

And then she saw him.

Dino.

He was sitting beside her, his brown eyes sharp, unreadable, yet filled with that dark amusement that made her chest tighten.

His hand rested lightly on the counter near her, the only tether she had to reality.

"You, you’re awake,"

He said, voice low, smooth. "Good."

Charlene’s throat went dry.

"What, what happened?"

she croaked.

He leaned closer, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"You just became mine for the next thirty days."

The words hit her like ice and fire at the same time.

Charlene’s heart pounded.

Fear, confusion and some heavy intoxication.

She tried to move, tried to speak but Dino’s gaze held her in place, every inch of his presence dominating the room.

"You'll learn, however slow because no one is coming to save you"

He said softly, almost tenderly,

"How it feels to be mine. I'm actually a pretty great teacher"

She swallowed hard, her thoughts spinning, and realized something terrifying.

There are consequences to breaking the Meridian rules, and they are serious.

This was only the beginning.