The next day, Uriel arrived at school with a familiar swagger, a faint, unsettling echo of the previous night's thoughts still lingering. He spotted Megara by her locker, her golden hair a striking contrast against the dull hallway, catching the morning light as she meticulously organized her books. Her pale skin seemed almost luminous, and her long legs gave her an elegant, if somewhat intimidating, presence despite her height.
He sauntered over, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, well, if it isn't the pauper herself," he drawled, leaning against the locker beside hers. "Busy planning the next strategy on how to stink the entire campus , Megara?"
She didn't flinch. Her hands continued their precise work, sliding a textbook into a slot, then adjusting a notebook. She didn't so much as glance in his direction. It was as if he were part of the background noise, as insignificant as the echoing footsteps in the hallway. The air between them crackled with his unacknowledged provocation, yet she offered no word, no sigh, not even a flicker of annoyance. Just complete, absolute silence.
Just as Uriel felt the sting of Megara's indifference, a familiar clamor announced the arrival of his friends. Zack, all restless energy, and Hugo, perpetually cheerful, rounded the corner of the hallway. Hugo's eyes immediately landed on Megara. A wide smile lit up her face as Hugo approached, a stark contrast to the stony silence she'd offered Uriel.
Uriel watched, a knot tightening in his stomach. That genuine, easy smile – it was something she never directed at him, the man who was undeniably her intellectual superior and, secretly, her financial overlord. The sight fueled a sudden, irrational jealousy that curdled into anger. He couldn't stand another second of it. Without a word, he spun on his heel and stomped away, the hallway seeming to shrink around him.
His furious stride quickly led to a collision. He slammed shoulder-first into a student rounding a blind corner. Books clattered to the floor.
"Watch where you're going, you clumsy oaf!" Uriel snarled, not even bothering to look at the startled face.
"I'm sorry it was an accident!" the student muttered her voice low and pleading,already bending to retrieve her scattered belongings.
"An accident you'll regret," Uriel shot back, his voice low and dangerous. He was about to deliver another cutting remark, perhaps even a shove, when a clear, firm voice cut through the tension.
"That's enough, Uriel." Megara commanded her voice laced with pent up annoyance and authority.
He froze. Megara. She had walked over, her expression unreadable but her gaze steady. She wasn't smiling now, but there was an undeniable authority in her stance.
""That's enough! She had already apologised" Megara's voice cut through the tense air. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She swallowed steadily but despite her fear he saw defiance in her eyes and standing before Uriel, all she wanted was to escape the affairs of the rich. "I'm sure you're gracious enough to forgive her."
Uriel's dry chuckle was a stark contrast to his glinting green eyes. "You think I'm gracious enough to forgive her? And what if I am? I don't do things for free, Megara." His voice, a near roar, made her flinch, but she stood her ground, her gaze hardening. "I'll forgive her if she licks my toes and shoes with her tongue. If she can't do this, then no forgiveness."
A collective gasp rippled through the gathering students, followed by murmurs. Laura, tears streaming down her face, pushed her oversized eyeglasses up her nose. "That's enough, pal, let's forget about this," Hugo pleaded, but Uriel shoved him away. "Leave here, you guys. I'll handle this, I promise."
Uriel's smirk was ferocious. "I'd like to see who dares! If you move, there will only be more punishment in line for you, and you know the drills." Proudly, he stuck out his shoe, his evil gaze fixed on Megara, and poured orange juice onto it. "Come here, girl, and lick this up. See? I even added more flavor."
Laura, stunned and fearful, involuntarily moved forward, her hands trembling. Megara bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but just as she began to lower herself, Megara grabbed Laura's hand, shoving her away.
"I'll do it for her!" Megara declared, her voice slicing through the tension. Uriel's smile widened. "I'll do it for her, and you won't bully her."
Uriel clicked his tongue suggestively. "Well, we'll see. It depends on how good your lips look on my shoe." He smiled, hands in his pockets, towering over her before shifting his gaze to Hugo, who was fuming but helpless. "I'm sure your boyfriend over here wouldn't mind."
"He isn't my boyfriend, but my friend, and you should leave him alone and stop bossing him around!" she commanded, temporarily stunning him. "Now, let's get on with it, shall we?"
The crowd's murmurs grew, and hoots echoed. Unbeknownst to them, Megara was recording everything, and Jane had already gone to call Mr. Armani, the principal.
Uriel held her jaw, meeting her grey eyes. "So eager to taste my feet? Let's see what else you can do," he challenged teasingly. "Zack, I want this on camera, and don't miss a single shot."
Zack nodded, his face lit with excitement. "Yes, Uriel, I sure will." He pulled out his phone and began filming.
Uriel sat down on the tile slab beside the pillars separating the Section A locker from Section B. Megara fell to her knees. Despite Hugo's pleas, she was adamant, determined to help. Uriel stared at her pale face and bruised lips as she slowly and deliberately brought the shoe to her lips. Everyone anticipated her next move, but the soft, helpless demeanor her eyes once held was replaced by a new hope and a mischievous glint Uriel couldn't decipher.
Megara's gaze locked with him. With full force, she jerked his leg away, stunning him. As he stood to confront her, she grabbed his arm and pulled him over her shoulder, slamming him to the floor. A terrified gasp rang in the air.
She turned to Zack, who, pretending to be scared, blew her a kiss while still filming. "Now look what we have here—a toast!" she mocked, lowering herself onto him, her two legs crossing his sprawled, aching body. Unbeknownst to her, she was seated in the most awkward position. "That must hurt badly, doesn't it? Now listen carefully, Uriel. I don't care what you do to anyone else, but not to the weak."
Uriel's brows drew together, then smoothly relaxed into a smirk as he lowered his gaze. "Quite the place to sit, Megara. Trying to get me hard, or are you that desperate?"
Megara's eyes shot around, then fixated on their awkward arrangement. She jerked away from him, pulling at her uniform as he straightened. "That was an error! Mind out of the gutter!" She spat, turning and walking swiftly away. Laura shadowed her, disappearing from view.
A wave of whispers and sharp intakes of breath rolled through the students, their eyes exchanging wide, knowing looks.
After Megara had stormed out of the hall, Uriel adjusted his uniform before roaring at the clamouring students who scrambled away frightened. The residual tension in the air was thick enough to chew on, but Uriel seemed oblivious, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
Hugo, however, was far from pleased. He waited until they were in the privacy of their shared classroom before rounding on Uriel. "What was that, Uriel?" he demanded, his voice low and tight. "You didn't have to be so cruel to her."
Uriel scoffed, leaning back in his chair, unaffected. "She deserved it. Who does she think she is?"
"She's a new student, Uriel! And she's only been here three weeks!" Hugo's voice rose with each word. "You can't just bully everyone who crosses you."
The argument quickly escalated, their voices sharp and stinging. Just as Hugo took a step closer, fists clenched, Zack, their perpetual mediator, shoved them apart. "Hey! Hey, cut it out, both of you!" he exclaimed, his voice strained. "Remember why we're here! We rule this school, we don't fight amongst ourselves over some newbie who's been here for all of three weeks!"
Hugo, still fuming, turned his pleading eyes to Uriel. "Please, Uriel, just stop. Stop bullying Megara."
Uriel's smirk widened into a full-blown grin. "No," he said, the word a casual dismissal. "I won't. When she gets angry, it makes me happy."
Meanwhile, Jane, who had breathlessly called Mr. Armani to intervene in what she'd envisioned as a full-blown brawl, was disappointed to find the hallway eerily empty. She mumbled an apology to the principal for wasting his time, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, and then raced towards the classroom. Pushing open the door, she found Megara and Laura chatting happily, an easy laughter bubbling between them.
Jane sighed in relief, her shoulders slumping. Unharmed and still kicking – a miracle, given Uriel's usual targets. She started to make her way towards Megara's seat, a small smile forming on her lips, but the happiness was short-lived. Amaya Boris, Brianna's fiercely loyal best friend, stepped directly into Megara's path.
Amaya's voice, usually a sugary sweet whisper, was now laced with venom. "So, you're the one who got my bestie suspended and forced to sweep the streets? And then you insult Uriel, the school's most handsome? Just like that?"
Megara didn't speak. She just stared at Amaya, her expression blank, as if the girl had something utterly ridiculous plastered across her face.
Amaya, clearly dissatisfied with Megara's silence, pressed on, her voice growing sharper with each insult. She harped on, until, with a sudden, jarring SLAM, Megara's hands crashed down on the desk in front of her. The sound echoed through the classroom, startling Amaya and making the entire class flinch. Megara stood tall, an intimidating presence, her eyes narrowed.
"You're Uriel's unemployed guest speaker?" Megara scoffed, her voice laced with mockery. She then gestured dismissively at Amaya's face. "And that… makeup? Did a clown throw up on you?"
A ripple of laughter spread through the classroom, quickly escalating into full-blown guffaws. Amaya's face flushed a deep crimson, her confidence utterly obliterated. Humiliated, she whirled around and stormed back to her seat, muttering, "It's not over. You'll pay for this, Megara."
Jane's chest swelled with pride for her friend. She clapped Megara on the back, a silent promise of a celebratory lunch. When the bell finally shrieked for the midday break, they practically flew out of the classroom, a shared mission to snag the best table in the cafeteria. They joined the already snaking queue, their excited chatter about the world's longest bridge — a topic that seemed to particularly irritate the girls behind them, who clearly bristled at being in the vicinity of "nerds" — filling the air.
Finally, trays laden with food, they turned to leave the line. But as Jane stepped forward, a sudden, deliberate obstruction appeared. Amaya, who had been standing directly behind them, had subtly extended her leg. Jane tripped, a startled yelp escaping her lips, and her tray tilted precariously. In a slow-motion horror, her entire lunch cascaded downwards, landing squarely on Uriel's pristine white Hermes t-shirt, staining it with a splattering mess of… mashed potato and hot spicy lasagne.
Uriel's face clouded with unspoken fury. Jane, rooted to the ground, stood with her mouth agape, while Megara, equally stunned, remained silent. The crowd of students watched, gasping and snickering. Laura, as scared as a wet raccoon, wept openly, knowing that while Megara had narrowly escaped Uriel before, this time she wouldn't be so lucky.
The suffocating silence was broken by Amaya, the ever-present busybody, emerging from the crowd. Her accomplice, Tanya, who had always disliked Megara since Brianna's suspension, followed, their heels clicking on the marbled tile and drawing everyone's attention. Amaya strode up to Megara, shoving her aside. "Get out of the way, pauper! How dare you and your friends spill garbage on the school's handsome man!" she shrieked, pushing Jane too, before hurrying to Uriel's soiled shirt. "Uriel, don't mind them. They're just a bunch of nobodies trying to provoke you."
Tears streamed down Jane's face. "I'm sorry, Uriel, I didn't mean for this to happen. Please, just let us go. If not for me, then let Megara and Laura go." She reached for his hand, but Amaya shoved her to the ground. "Don't touch him with your filthy hands!" she barked furiously. "Tanya, give this ugly bitch three slaps for me."
Tanya smirked sarcastically and advanced toward Jane, but Megara slid in front of her, adopting a defensive stance with her fists clenched. "If you move one bit anywhere near my friends, then prepare to meet your maker!" Uriel laughed loudly, drawing Megara's attention. "What are you laughing at?!"
"How dare you be so bold as to talk to our prince charming like that?!" Tanya barked, palming her aching backside. "You're so dead for this! Boys, get rid of these low-lives!"
As the boys approached, preparing to attack, Uriel's voice cut through the unfolding chaos. "Get the f*ck out of here before I finish you off!" he barked, and the boys scrambled for their lives. But he wasn't done yet. He aggressively gripped Amaya's jaw, ruining her makeup. "Did I ask you to carry out their punishment for me? Or have you lost your freaking mind?!"
Tanya, terrified, quickly knelt. Amaya clawed at his tight grip. "I'm sorry, Uriel, I thought you were... um," she stuttered, but he shoved her aside, her head hitting the ground as Tanya helped her up.
Uriel's predatory gaze swept over them. "How dare you address me by my name? Since you have a death wish, I might as well give you my blessings!" he growled, signaling Pedro over. "I want these two to clean the school from top to bottom and take out the trash for the rest of the semester."
"Yes, boss, consider it done," Pedro said, signaling his colleagues to drag the girls out. "Take them out now."
Tanya ran, holding his feet. "You can't do this to me, Uriel! I'm a member of the Z3 and Zack's girlfriend! If you do this, how will this not be considered betrayal?" she pleaded, but he pushed her aside.
He bent down to her level, grabbing her jaw. "You speak to me about being a Z3 member? Even if I had a bad memory, you're not a Z3 member, and to top it all, you're nothing but Zack's bed toy and the school slut." He whispered, shoving her backward. "I might be this merciful, but don't dare show your face before me again, else don't blame me for being rude."
Tanya screamed curses at Megara as she was shamefully dragged out of the cafeteria. Jane and Laura were thankful that the queen bees were now reduced to lowly bugs, but they knew that the major threat was yet to come.