Chapter 58: The locker room altercation
Andria’s POV
The morning bell rang as I arrived at the school entrance. It was time for morning classes as usual. The wounds I got from my encounter with the vampires had healed, and I was fit to resume courses again.
Becca, on the other hand, hasn’t fully healed, but she was much better than the morning after the incident.
Becca had to stay with me at the successor’s place to heal up. The elections were postponed to enable me to campaign due to my days lost to treatment.
Tracy was stopped from campaigning since she was a suspect. The school council was detaining her, and soon the hearings will start.
Investigations were still going on, and I would have to testify to the school council after classes today.
Everyone was staring at me very suspiciously, and I could hear their loud whispers.
Two female students, together with Alexa and Tricia, walked up to me as I was getting my books from my locker in the locker room.
"I heard that you were abducted and beaten to unconsciousness by vampires. How come you are back to school so soon?" one of the girls asked, blocking me from making any further movement to my class.
These she-wolves were Tracy’s soldiers, seeing that they were suddenly following Alexa and Tricia all around school and had been aiding Tracy’s campaign so far.
"It’s quite unfortunate that you two wish that I’ll never wake up again, but here I’m awake and attending classes, so now would you excuse me?" I snapped back at them.
"Hey, hold on, I know that you are having a lot of rivalry going on between you and Tracy, but is it enough to frame her?" the other girl asked, rolling her eyes at me.
I let out a loud laugh. How can these two be so ignorant or pretentious? It’s either that they are unaware and backing up the wrong tree, or are aware of the scheme and just acting out.
They appeared agitated by my laughter. The first one drew closer to me. "What’s so funny about your devices? No matter how hard you try, Tracy will still win this election."
"Ok, so you mean that I had to fake my bruises, Becca’s injuries, which had not healed even up till now, missing classes all for what? So that she can miss the election or what?" I shot at them, I was already very agitated at these two little minion wanna-be.
"I know you, Aria, you are desperate most times when you want something. Take, for instance, you wanted to seduce the Alpha successors, so you decided to move into their dorm." As the words left Alexa’s mouth, there were gasps and jeers.
The female locker room was beginning to get rowdy. How can these people decide to make the first day I return from an incident that nearly cost my life, a show day for them? Always seeking highlights.
Athena became restless and angry, threatening to take over. "Say that one more time, I’ll teach your tongue a lesson. I guess you have forgotten me easily because I have been away for a while," I growled as I advanced towards Alexa.
Alexa drew back as I advanced. I could see the fear in her eyes. Athena was satisfied with that expression, because instantly she calmed down.
"I’ll see that Tracy is vindicated and she campaigns for these elections and wins them," Tricia said.
"Well, that’s not going to happen, at least not when I’m alive," Liara said as she walked into the locker room as if she owned it.
It had been a while since I last saw her. The two female students turned to see the princess. I could tell that they were surprised that the princess had my back.
"Oh, the princess," one of the clueless girls started, "Aria is such a threat to the school, can you believe she would go to the extent of framing her election rival so she can win the election?, That’s peak desperation, and you shouldn’t be backing her up."
"I can see that you are clueless, or stupid enough to think that someone will be desperate enough to miss classes, get hospitalized at dawn just to win an election. What about the pictures taken of her beaten-up form at the dungeon, or you haven’t seen it yet?" Liara asked them in an Icy tone.
This was the first time I was seeing the princess in this state of anger; she was usually nonchalant, and they must have hit a nerve.
"I suggest that you four clear the way now, I have classes to catch up to rather than these small chit chats and banter.
The princess also gave them a look, and that made them disappear.
Liara rushed up to me and embraced me with a warm hug. "How do you feel now?" she asked with a concern-laced voice.
"As you can see, I’m attending classes today, and that’s some huge progress."
"You are lucky to have healed faster. I heard that Becca suffered a less severe injury, yet you healed faster. Is there some trick or sorcery in there?" she teased, slightly hitting my elbow with hers.
But as soon as the words came out of her mouth, my mind raced back to the nightmare I had. I was half-vampire, so my healing rate is usually faster, seeing that it was vampires that attacked us.
The princess sounded smart; therefore, she thinks deeply, and she might as well find out some day about this. Well, let’s hope she doesn’t.
"I couldn’t come to see you during your healing process. I hope you forgive me," she said with pouting lips.
"I know you didn’t come because you were busy doing the job meant for four just to ensure my campaign goes on, you don’t have to worry, I know you care."
Her face lit up as if I offered her a candy.
As we got into the classroom, everyone were in gossip groups as usual and from the look of things and some loud whispers, they were talking about the incident with the vampire, some were saying that I framed it to get the Alpha successor’s attention, so that I could stay over at their house since they pursued me the last time I moved in with them. While some said that Tracy was my election rival, so I wanted to see her lose so bad that I almost committed suicide.
Some sensible students were wise enough to weigh the possibilities of such rumors that had been spread, and I know the originators of such lies.
And if I kept quiet, these lies might just keep festering. I walked to the class stage to clarify them.
"There will be a hearing at the school council after classes today, If you want to clear your doubts or know the real truth instead of digesting rumors, I suggest you come for it, I would be showing you some exhibit in my defense, so that next time you don’t spread news that you are not sure of," I said, before stepping down and heading to my seat.
Liara winked at me from her seat as she unpacked her books. She was certainly impressed with my speech, and if she were closer to me, she might have given me a high-five.
The class grew quiet after my speech, but as soon as Tristan and Aven walked in, they started whispering to each other once again, but this time in admiration.
They always get the positive popularity, while I get the negative popularity. Maybe I was jealous of my mate, a slight smile ambushed my face at the thought of me being envious of them. I have never seen a reason to be jealous of any individual up until now.
"You left the house without letting us know," Tristan said in his usual controlling tone.
"I didn’t know that I had to take permission before I left your house, Daddy," I snapped back at him. I won’t let him use that tone on me.
"It’s common courtesy, Aria, you let us know you are leaving the house, since you stayed over at our place, we are responsible for you," Aven explained, his voice sounding like he was masking the anger that was brewing within him.
"Well, I’m sorry that the same alarm that woke me up didn’t do the same for you two, and I even dared to wake Damon who slept on the couch, and yet he didn’t flinch, I knocked on Aven’s door expecting him to wake up, since he seemed like he is the most aware of you three, but he didn’t budge."
I paused to take breaths. "Oh, Tristan, you were nothing to write home about. You were the second person I tried waking immediately after I left Damon’s room. You were passed out on the living room’s sofa, and my attempt to wake you up failed."
I paused to make sure the words I said had registered. "So tell me, how was I to tell you three before I left your house?" I looked around, noticing Damon wasn’t with them, "Besides, where is Damon?"