“Would that be a problem?”
I finally settled on one of the options that stuck to my head at Sinclair’s question. Why was he interested in knowing my relationship with Diana?
When I had told Peter and Laura that I would love to take their last name last night, they had been-I don’t know how best to describe it-shocked? That would be the closest word at least.
They had kept asking me if I was sure, and when I had kept nodding my head until I feared my neck was sore, Laura had embraced me.
Dora Akwoods.
Peter had been the first to taste the name on his lips.
Not bad. He had mused, before gently holding me by the shoulder.
‘Welcome to the family, Dora Akwoods.’ He had chanted in happiness.
I had laughed, and had given him a playful jab, when I had seen him battling with his emotions.
I had arrived at the decision of changing my name after the meeting with Adam.
His determination had convinced me that if I kept answering Maya in the community, it would only take this weekend for him to find out who I really was.
So, I had swiftly taken the action.
Peter had left that night to the registry, Laura had taken the trip with him. They had also stopped by the Queen’s place to let her know.
Probably they had worked on my file last night too. I had gone to sleep while waiting for them. I didn’t even know how I had gotten to my bed.
Peter most likely, using magic to draw me off the sofa to the bed. I thought.
Well, this morning, they had claimed that all was set. This document in my hand testified to that. I was yet to go through it.
“Not at all. I am just curious. She is a classmate to my younger sister.”
Oh, right.
“Yes, I am.”
“Why did you think I wanted to know?”
I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn’t answering that.
“Are you in the same year as me?”
There was a silence where he probably considered why I snubbed his last question. “Nope. I’m a year higher.”
A finalist then. “So after high school? What next?” I asked without thinking as we took the right bend in the hallway.
The left one must lead to the cafeteria. I thought, perceiving the smell of baked goods. My stomach grumbled in hunger and thirst, and I cursed mentally when I saw Sinclair’s questioning gaze.
“You didn’t eat this morning?”
“I did, thank you. Now, answer my question.”
Another weird silence.
“There’s no law that specifies I answer all the questions of anyone that I am escorting.” He said this tightly.
A sore topic then. Case of misplaced priorities or parents not supporting his dreams? Well, not my cross to carry.
“You are a bad escort then.” I muttered, choosing to let it go.
He released a sigh of relief I was sure he hadn’t been conscious of at first, until it had gone past his nostrils.
“You are really trouble.”
Is that what he finally settled on?
“My friends told me about the girl that made a joke of the Lycan King triplets, and the Lycian king himself, but I didn’t believe it. Which girl would be that stupid, that audacious? Seeing you now, hearing you talk, I’m beginning to believe it now. Where have you been all this while?”
“Well, Sinclair, if you aren’t going to be answering my question, then don’t bother asking yours, because I will return the same favor.” I huffed, when he just said nothing and kept looking straight ahead.
So, I was already popular here? Nice. Then perhaps, it is good that I had caused commotion in the pack. That way, the students would think twice before accusing me or putting me down. Maybe they wouldn’t even dare it.
This was more than nice. I could finish up with schooling here without a hitch, if Rachel respected herself at least, and then ship myself to one of the colleges in the human realm.
Maybe revenge could come after that.
Right?
I shook my head. A day at a time.
“I know you are not in the best mood to answer my questions, thanks to me, but the mask, what’s it made of? I have never seen anything like it. Why do you wear it?”
I didn’t know what the mask was made of, and I was definitely not going to tell him why I was wearing a mask, so I remained silent. Let him make whatever he wants from it.
I was not sure what he made of it, but the silence that ensued until we turned into another bend was quite welcome.
“Well then, here we are…” Sinclair stopped in front of a door, with the same nature of wood as at the Principal’s office. “I will see you during the recess period. Have a nice morning, Dora.”
I nodded my thank you and dropped a knock immediately on the door, nerves winning over because Sinclair still stood beside me; and I would be damned if I showed him that I was nervous.
But it seemed knocking was the wrong thing to do.
“Just open the door, Dora. I doubt Professor Fekon would hear that knock.” Sinclair commented after a beat.
“And what are you still doing here?” I threw the question over my shoulder, not wanting to show him that his presence only added to the nerves.
“Waiting for confirmation that you actually entered the class. Unless my job is half done.”
I snorted, not returning the beckoning laugh that slithered past his mouth.
So I got to hear him laugh? Not much of a work then. Too bad I didn’t see his teeth, to know if it would balance out his face.
I scoffed at my thoughts. Like seriously?
Yet Sinclair stayed.
He wasn’t going to really move until I moved in? Well damn him, and damn the nerves.
I pushed open the door, and stepped in, my ears picking up on Sinclair’s footsteps, and his chuckle as he turned away from me, and started walking down the hallway, probably heading to his own class.
Damn the brat.