Highschool Bully is My Roomate

Chapter 1: The Rules Nobody Bothered To Write Down Charlene's POV Did you really think you could walk away from me? He said it as if he knew those words had the power to crush me. Dino Lucas. Dino Luiz Lucas. The room is dark and cold but I feel so hot inside, like I'm burning alive, the heat could very well ignite the clothes I have on my back. When Isobel told me Dino's the reason girls transfer out of Meridian High, I didn't think it was this lethal. "To have you here, took a whole lot of planning...and pain" He's at least twice my size, more than six feet of solid muscle that could very well snap me like a twig if he wanted to. He's walking towards me, slowly. Like the universe orbits in his palms and he could control both time and seasons with a flick of his hand. I want to escape. There’s no door behind me. I back up slowly, inching toward the wall, desperate for space. A tiny flash of light glints from his left breast pocket. It distracts him, and for the first time in four long minutes, his dark, endless eyes aren’t locked on me. I take my chance. I duck under his arm and run toward the door. With all the adrenaline I have left, I try to flee. "Not so fast" He grabs me. His right arm wound around my waist and he lifted me with the least amount of effort. He fished the phone out of his breast pocket and tossed it on the hardwood table. "Now I can focus on you" He says, his eyes scanning me as they trail down my shirt, a slow, predatory smile curling at the corners of his lips. I realize: sweat has soaked through my cotton shirt. It’s practically see-through. My hands fly up, desperate to cover myself before his gaze burns holes into my skin. I want to shield my body before his eyes pierce holes in my skin. "No" He snapped, his sharp voice broke through the silence. "Never do that in front of me" He pushed my hands away from my breast and sighed painfully. It becomes clear that he's on a battlefield, wildly fighting his desires to tame me. Crow feet appeared on his forehead and he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. His body trembled with the effort of restraining desire. "Forgive me, Charlene" He whispered "I need plenty more of this if I'm to stay in control when I'm around you" And with that, He leads me to his kitchen, quicker than I ever thought was possible. He swung his right arm against the cabinet, sending dishes and materials crashing down. My heart stops, I know what he's going to do. It scares me to death because I know if he touches me in this state, he's going to break me into a thousand pieces. He lifted me up against the counter and placed me on the cabinet. A scuffle on my shirt and he sends several buttons flying down, I'm nearly bare before him. The thin lace of my bra is the only barrier between our heated bodies. "I just need a whiff" He said He tucks my hair behind my ears and leaned forward, his lips were so close to mine for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. I feel terrible that my body betrays me in moments like this. He stares at my lips for several long seconds, lines it with his thumb and index finger leaving me scared and excited at the same time. But he doesn't kiss me, he hugs me. I feel his warm breath as he nuzzles my neck, breathing in like my scent would make everything right in the universe. His arms encircle my waist, he's caressing me and that's when I painfully realize that Dino Lucas can command every fiber of my being. All these for one broken rule. If this is day one, what will happen in the next thirty days? At Meridian High, there are rules everyone obeyed. Rules nobody bothered to write down Rules are so engraved in people's hearts, they can't tell them apart from their own desires. Rules nobody ever dared to break...until me. AKA Charlene Woodstock. Meridian High is not just any school. It is "The School" The only elite international school in Bangkok is purely dominated by European and American students. Strange things happen here. There is a hierarchy and there are rules that simply must be obeyed. At the top of the food chain is Morgan Meridian. His family built St. Meridian in the 1900s. He's quiet, intense, speaks the least and is most dangerous. The next in line is Dino Luiz Lucas. He's actually the first Meridian King because his family's the greatest investor and without him, Meridian will crumble to pieces. He's cold, calculating and always in control using people like pieces on a chess board. His family owns the biggest automobile company in Asia. Then there's Tori Maxwell. My first love, the third Meridian King. He is quite the charmer, super attractive and masculine with blonde curly hair and eyes so blue you could drown in them. And the last king of the Meridian, the deposed king who abdicated for love, Jeremy Paul. He fell in love and stepped off the hierarchy without consequences. I've only been here seven days, How did I manage to earn myself the worst kind of attention? "Put your trust in me Charlene Woodstock" Dino's voice broke through my thoughts, along with his sharp thug of my waist. "One night, I will have you exactly where I want you, screaming how I want" He stared at me, his gaze sharp and he frowned. "Nope, this won't do" He gently released his grip on my waist and brushed my hair to the side. "I'll send a dress and team to get you ready, we're going to an auction tonight" And just like that, he's gone leaving me hot, heavy and breathless. Few minutes later, My brain tries to rewind the events that landed me in his arms. It all started in the hallway. I had only just settled into St. Meridian. My roommate, now former roommate Isobel Bards, was filling me in on the pros and cons of St. Meridian. I clearly did not pay attention but now I can remember every single rule she stated like I've been warned since birth. Rule Number One: You can't leave once you're in Rule Number Two: Never ever slap a King This shouldn't be part of the rules because it seems the easiest to obey but this is the rule I broke. Rule Number Three: Watch your mouth, there's a mata hari This means, there's a spy. The Meridian Kings have spies watching us regular students, could be male or female, one or five. Rule Number Four: Never harbour a ruffied fugitive Rule Number Five: Once you get ruffied by a Meridian King, you live in KM Dormitory for the next 30 days. Yup! Here's my situation. I got ruffied and now I'm trapped with Dino Lucas for the next 30 days. Seems foreign? Not really, there is no living, breathing girl on St. Meridian that has not once been in this exact same situation. This is where it all started. Last week, Monday 8th April 2022, My cuckoo clock is set to go off any minute now. I've been awake since two in the morning, shifting back and forth and swinging both arms and legs like she was attacking the bed. Counting the star-shaped designs on her ceiling while forming a mental checklist of all the things I have to do today. I plan a lot, my mind never stops, it's one of the cons of having abusive parents — you're always on fight or flight mode. Today will be one of the most remarkable days for me in my entire 19 years of life. "Cuckoo!" The alarm finally chimed, About damn time, I pull up the blinds and read the sticky notes from my old vision board. "Meet Isobel, enroll, go to Jensen bank, get a library card, settle in the dormitory....." So much to do, so little time. "Charlene!" I heard my mother's voice call from downstairs. She seemed tired these past few days, gathering together all the wedding presents that she received was certainly not a walk in the park. There was a time all I wanted was for mom and dad to be together but after all the scars, the abduction, the restraining order and lawsuits. Jail is simply too good for him. I tuck the blue cover against the headboard. This is the last morning with the usual lineup, after today, this bedroom will no longer be my home, Meridian High will be. "Charlene" Mother calls again "I'm up" I yell back "Is Derek here?" That's mom's new husband by the way, he's as British as they come. The noise of carton boxes opening and closing downstairs makes it known that mom is in a hurry for me to catch up with Derek's schedule and I sincerely hope I don't forget something important. I hear the sharp ring of the doorbell and Derek's footsteps as mom ushered him into the house. The ride to St. Meridian was long so I slept for most of it and only woke up to Derek hollering "We're Here" My mom bids me goodbye as Isobel leads upstairs to our dorm room. As I unpack, I still see Derek's car pulling out of the driveway and my mom blowing me kisses out the window. The day went by and fast, I didn't even realize it was sunset. By Tuesday, routine set in. Library ID obtained. Books borrowed. Dorm unpacked. Life moves too fast. Until I saw her. A girl with blonde hair flying across her tear-streaked face, sprinting down the boys’ hallway. I clutched my books and stepped aside. The footsteps chasing her grew louder. As she ran, she would look back in fear and double her pace. As much as I wanted to, I knew better than anyone to not involve myself in instances like this so I clutched my history books to my chest and made my way out of the hallway. The footsteps that followed her drew nearer and I knew I needed to make a run for it too but I came crashing to a solid mass of flesh. It took all 3 minutes to fully grasp the situation. I feel his eyes before I see him.