She dragged me out of the room, practically buzzing with excitement. "There's someone I want you to meet," she said as we ran down the stairs, past the hallway that separated the female dorm from the male one.
Krin trailed behind us, finally stopping where we did, completely out of breath. "Okay," he sighed, hands on his knees, "tell me this is important."
"Look!" She pointed.
Standing across the hallway was a very handsome guy with silky black hair. His loose curls bounced around his oval-shaped face, giving him an effortlessly cute look.
He glanced up and our eyes met.
For a brief second, the hallway seemed to freeze. It felt like it was just the two of us. Golden sparkles shimmered around him, like something straight out of a fairy-tale intro.
Then he smiled.
At me?
He started walking toward us, and panic hit instantly.
"He saw me," I whispered, grabbing Jaca's hand. "He saw me. Why is he coming this way?"
Jaca smirked. "Don't you know who that is, Peige?"
I stared at her, like the answer was written on her face. She laughed, rolling her eyes.
"Are you kidding me? That's Dian, your all-time crush," she giggled. "How could you forget his face?"
Dian?
Wow. He had changed a lot. No wonder I didn't recognize him.
"What?!" Krin snapped. "Don't tell me we ran all the way down here just to see… him?"
Dian stopped right in front of us. Up close, he was taller than I remembered. His curls framed his face perfectly, and his blue eyes shimmered when he smiled.
"Hey Peige" he said, waving nervously at me. He's voice, those deep angelic voice I'd always admire were still the same "nice seeing you again"
My brain short-circuited, as always, "Yes... no... wait, yes," I blurted. "I mean... hi."
Jaca coughed beside me, clearly holding in laughter. Krin just crossed his arms, unimpressed.
"I wasn't sure it was you at first," Dian continued. "You look… different. In a good way."
Heat rushed to my face. I nodded too quickly. "You too. I mean, you don't look bad. Not that you ever did. I mean..."
I stopped. Closed my eyes. Why am I like this?
Dian laughed, a quiet, warm sound that made me smile. But before he could say anything, a girl appeared from behind him, slipping her hands into his.
She was average in height, fair-complexioned, with fiery red eyes and long, Goldilocks curls that bounced as she moved.
Seeing them together made my stomach twitch. Maybe she's his sister, I told myself. I clung to the thought until she squealed
"There you are!" Her voice was high and excited, like a mouse that had just found an entire plate of cheese. "Let's go, babe."
Babe?
What the f**k
"Erm… who's Goldie?" Jaca asked, looking just as stunned as I felt.
"Oh," Dian said casually, "this is Tasha, my girlfriend."
Girlfriend.
He waved, already turning away with her. "See you later."
I stood frozen as they disappeared down the hall.
"I did not see that coming," Jaca muttered, turning to me.
I didn't answer. My black eyes stayed locked on Dian and Tasha as they headed toward the cafeteria.
"You okay, Peige?" Krin asked, clearly sensing something was wrong.
Still, I said nothing until Jaca rested a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey," she said gently, then brightened. "Since we're already down here, we might as well grab some milkshakes. What do you say?"
I sighed. "Yeah… I could really use a milkshake."
We sat at an empty table after ordering. Krin and I sat opposite each other while Jaca drifted off to catch up with some high school friends.
Dian's table was only two away. I tried not to stare but failed.
They laughed together, talked. She leaned in close then she wiped whipped cream off his face like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I sucked loudly on my straw, frustration bubbling inside me.
That guy belongs to me, he's my trophy boy. My all-time crush. Didn't he know I'd liked him my whole life?
Their laughter echoed, and jealousy twisted hard in my chest. I squeezed my bottle tighter and tighter, I swear I could just snap the life off those ruby red eyes.
"Careful," a voice said calmly. "She's a demon."
I snapped back to reality. Milkshake had spilled everywhere. Krin was tapping my arm like he'd been trying to get my attention for ages.
A guy sat beside him, casually holding a plate of meatloaf. He looked… strange, white hair slicked back, grey eyes that matched his hair, sharp jawline almost too perfect. He wore an oversized black hoodie, expensive blue jeans, and spotless Nike canvas shoes that were so hard to miss and the way he sat, comfortable like we were his buddies.
"A-a demon?" I sputtered.
He smirked, casually taking the cup from my hand and drinking what was left of my milkshake.
"I was gonna drink that," I muttered, sulking like a child.
"Wow. Cool," Krin said dryly. "This is a trick to get a table, isn't it?"
The guy raised both hands halfway, like a criminal caught in the act. "Okay, you got me. The café's packed today. Thought you guys wouldn't mind." He winked. "I'm Vic, by the way."
"Vic?" I asked, tilting my head. "As in Victor? Or Vincent?"
"Nope," he said simply. "Just Vic."
"O…kay," I replied. "I'm Peige. And this is Krin."
"Hey, guys nice to meet ya." He waved casually, shoving meatloaf into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in days.
I sighed. Total nut job.
"So what do you mean by 'she's a demon'?" Krin asked, staring at Vic suspiciously.
"Is she really that awful?" I added, glancing at Tasha. There was nothing obviously wrong with her, those ruby-red eyes, smooth cheeks. Or maybe that was exactly what was wrong.
Vic looked up at us and scoffed, like we were completely insane. "Are you kidding me? I mean an actual demon. She escaped Hell a few years ago." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Trust me, you don't want to get on her bad side."
I gasped. "And you know this… why?"
He leaned back against the plastic chair, sipping my milkshake like it belonged to him. "I mean… isn't it obvious?"
Krin and I shot him a what-the-hell look. He sighed.
"I'm a demon too," he said plainly. "I can tell." Then, almost casually, he added, "Oh and by the way, I know he's reincarnated."
I froze. Krin and I glanced at each other, stunned.
"How did you..." Krin started, but Vic was already standing.
"Alright, strangers," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'll leave you two to it. Nice knowing ya." He waved and walked toward the exit.
Who was that guy?
"Did that just happen?" Krin asked, still in disbelief.
"Yeah," I replied slowly. "And if he just told me that… then he knows who I am. Or rather... what I am."
Krin swallowed. "So there are others out there. If what he said is true and not some sick joke then demons actually exist."
I already knew that, dad had told me. Proven it.
Still… I'd tried so hard not to believe that I am one of them.
A sharp tap on the table snapped me back to reality. Jaca stood there, snapping her fingers and wearing a teasing, lovey-dovey smile.
"Oh my God," she gasped. "Was that Vic?"
I wasn't even surprised. "You know Vic?"
"Yeah! Straight-A third-year student. Some people say he's the cutest nerd on campus."
I rolled my eyes. "Some people… or you?"
She giggled. "You must be exhausted from all this Dian drama. Come on, let's rest. Classes start tomorrow."
She dragged me out of the cafeteria.
That night, I lay on my bed in my cozy deep-blue pajamas, staring at the ceiling. Images of Dian's perfect face floated in my mind, those blue eyes, those curls, until they blurred and faded, replaced by Goldie.
Why? Why her?
My phone rang. I assumed it was Krin, probably calling to complain about how uncomfortable the male dorm would be. We'd already talked it through since he was in a guy's body, he had to stay there.
I let it ring twice before reaching for it.
Unknown caller.
I glanced at Jaca. She was fast asleep, that's unlike her to stay in the room, she usually spend the night at some guys place.
"Hello?" I answered, trying to sound calm. "Who's this?"
"Hey, sweetheart," the voice said smoothly. "It's Vic."
My heart skipped.
Vic? How did he get my number?
"Hey Vic, how did you get my number?" I asked, sitting upright.
He chuckled. "Is that really your first question? You should be happy I got it."
"Ha-ha," I muttered. "I'm just surprised."
"Your friend gave it to me. Thought I'd say hi."
I shot Jaca a glare. "That was… thoughtful of her."
"So," Vic said, "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Goodnight."
We hung up. I plugged my phone in to charge. A few minutes later, a text came in from Krin. He said he was spending the night at a hotel. He couldn't handle sharing a room with guys. Guess he still wasn't used to the body.
I stared at the ceiling again, how was any of this even possible?