Author's Note:
'Start a new project' is now my new motto. Bloody wonderful.Disclaimer :
Characters, mine. The school 'Rye Christi Academy' was purloined from a friend author that allowed me to use it. I'm aware that I'm contradicting myself. Screw me.W a r n i n g:
Yes, it's PG-13. But with certain vulgarity of word usage and suggested themes, I get the feeling this might be a borderline 'R' so if you feel offended at the wrong use of evaluation, don't get all mighty upset; just press the damn 'back' button.Satyri
The silver Vanquish sped through the neighborhood, leaving dust in its wake as it scoured the streets and came to a screeching halt in front of the gated academy that was Rye Christi. Rye Christi was a prestigious school known for its academics and aristocratic apprentices and, most of all, the current legendary girl in-the-making. Who she was, he had no idea of yet. But, he was determined to find this legendary girl even if he had to search his father's files to look for her. A crazy initiative, yes, but he was never second best to anyone. He wouldn't allow it.
Resting his shades in his mop of brown and gold spikes, tousled in a very charismatic manner, he changed gears and hastily drove through the school grounds and avoided students like a pro racer as he parked in the designated area for senior students. He stepped out in all his uniform-clad glory with his blazer hung over his shoulder and trademark sunglasses in place and walked into the academy with stunning confidence.
"Ray!"
Raythe Windsor turned around and was met by the walking, talking sex symbol known as her older brother who went by the name of Wraith Windsor. Her parents must have been high on something to give the siblings the same godforsaken name. The only things distinguishable about them were the spelling, which was not much of help since the only way to distinguish it was on paper, their gender, and age. They were two years apart: Wraith, eighteen and Raythe, sixteen.
"What?" She drawled out and closed her locker shut after shoving in her schoolbag and books inside.
He leaned against a set of lockers, his arms folded over his chest. "Did you hear about Mrs. Rion and Mr. Crius?"
His sister arched a slender brow in innocent inquiry as she shrugged for her response. Maybe it was a little too innocent.
"Not by a long-shot, I'm afraid." She said and clasped her hands behind her back, a shadow of a smile hovering over rosy lips.
She was the epitome of an angel.
Wraith snorted. Anyone who even bothered to think that she was an angel, it was no doubt she was up to something devious…again.
"If you care to know, someone has been rather intrusive on their private lives and has now spread the rumour of their current affair. Mr. Rion and Mrs. Crius aren't too happy with the fact." He paused and continued, "In fact, the mention of divorce papers between the two couples have circulated."
Raythe said nothing.
"Do you know anything about that?"
She shook her head and smiled slightly. "Not particularly."
"You lying minx. You do know."
She pouted, stomped her feet on the marble floor and snapped her fingers simultaneously, and held her hands out for her brother to see.
"I'm afraid I've been a bad girl." She frowned then grinned. "Care to arrest me?"
"You're willingly sacrificing yourself to be conveyed to the whole staff of Rye Christi?" He mock gasped. "You cease to amaze me, little sister."
"Over my dead body." She suddenly spat. "Besides, it's their own fault. They wouldn't have been caught in such a predicament if they stopped doing the deed in the band room."
His face contorted with shock and disgust – a weird expression by far.
"Do you have any idea what that entails?"
"That the instruments are being used on a daily basis?" She smiled impishly and giggled.
"God, help me. Yes, that's exactly it."
"Ooh," she rubbed her hands in delight, "I guess I have another announcement to make, don't I?"
"Are you purposely trying to ruin their reputations?"
"I can't help it! Mrs. Rion's a wicked witch and Mr. Crion's a teacher without a clue. Personally, Rye Christi would be better without them. I'm doing this school a favour by getting rid of them. You, dear brother, should be thanking me too." She further emphasized her last words by prodding her forefinger into his chest. "Get me?"
"Yes. Just don't do anything too drastic like announcing that to the whole school. Instead of helping Rye Christi, you'll be the cause of major flocking of the students. I can see the newspaper headlines now: 'Students of Rye Christi Academy Scurry Away: Contamination of instruments.'"
"I'll have you know that by doing so, I'll be saving their health."
"Whatever you say."
"So you'll let me?"
"Not a chance in Hell."
"Party pooper."
"Deal."
Raythe skimmed through the first large textbook given to her of the day. It was nothing interesting at all except for the fact her eyes were practically raped just by looking at the detailed image of a human's – both female and male – anatomy. With a sigh, she slammed it shut and made a face, making quite sure her teacher had seen it.
"Not interested in the human body, I presume Ms. Windsor?"
She shook her head vigorously. "Are you kidding me? My virgin eyes are no longer virgin anymore."
"Are you sure that's the only thing not virgin?" A voice piped in from behind her.
Raythe looked over her shoulder and saw the culprit of the remark and glared icy daggers. If looks could kill, her archenemy would have been oozing with blood right about now.
"Can it, Vanessa. Who are you to talk anyway?"
A bit of 'ooh's' and 'aah's' were rewarded for the implication of her rejoinder but nothing came further as the teacher, Mr. Mizzo, stopped all discussion.
"Raythe, no talk-backs. Vanessa, don't provoke your classmates. Now, will everyone please turn to page seven so we can begin our les-
The sound of a door opening and closing gathered the attention of the students, eyes peering at the lean, athletic physique standing near the doorframe. Mr. Mizzo peered at the youth through his spectacles and nodded his head.
"Vance Khamerin?"
"The one and only." He grinned, his canines glittering.
"Please, have a seat."
Coincidentally, and not that it much mattered at the moment, he situated himself beside Raythe as it was currently unoccupied. She stared at him, deadpanned. Maybe he was new on the campus; after all, she hadn't seen him around. But also the fact he actually had the gall to sit next to her as if they were on the same level! She snubbed off the fact that she was probably acting like an arrogant brat but it was true. In Rye Christi, there was a certain unspoken rule about legendary students.
None of the students placed themselves on the same status line as that of the legend.
It was considered disrespectful and disgraceful.
Noticing the shocked look on her face and misinterpreting it, he said, "What, intimidated by my presence?"
She glared ferociously. 'This guy isn't serious, is he?' "Exactly what is there to be intimidated about?"
"All of me. I am the Vance Khamerin, am I not?"
"Were you actually born with that ego or did it somehow develop over time?" She retorted snidely and huffed. "You're new to the school and already you're making yourself comfortable with me! Of all the nerve!"
"Making myself 'comfortable' with you is an overstatement, Miss…"
"Miss None-of-your-business so lay off."
"Hostile, are we?"
"Are you even familiar with the rules around here?"
"If I am, they're probably not the ones you're thinking." He replied with a smirk, carefully eyeing this petite girl - a possible senior?
"Well, you better clue yourself in, buddy."
Raythe snatched her pen and sulked and tried to listen to Mr. Mizzo, warily aware of a hot gaze on her. Not used to the attention, she shot up her hand and waved it around, hoping her teacher would see. He did in a minute's time and removed his glasses to give her a look of skepticism. It was not just the students who knew about Raythe Windsor; most of the teachers were quite aware too.
"Yes, Ms. Windsor?"
"Can I use the bathroom?"
"…yes." He said cautiously and watched the girl bolt from her chair and out the door.
Vance smirked.
"Are you aware of what you just did?"
Vance turned around to confront the feminine voice and was greeted by no other but Vanessa Cleighbourn. Automatically, his eyes roamed of its free will and engulfed the beauty that was Vanessa, a popular girl in not only the school but in the whole town; her father was the third-richest man. Her black hair was pulled back into a fashionable butterfly clip, several strands framing her face in curls. She was well built from the base of her neck down to her feet. The school finally did something good with their having uniforms as a dress code, he noted.
"No, enlighten me."
Vanessa sighed. Maybe he was just a new student. Even she knew the rules of the Rye Christi game. Still, his name had a striking familiar ring to it.
"That was Raythe Windsor."
"And…?"
Impossible.
"No one actually dares to sit next to a legend, you know. Well, a person can but being too haughty around her in particular makes her think that that person is challenging her. Understand?"
He grinned. 'Interesting.' He raised his hand.
"Yes, Vance?"
"I need to go see Mr. Khamerin."
All attention was suddenly on him now. Mr. Khamerin was the principal of the school and notorious for the fact that his now deceased wife was the founder of Rye Christi Academy. Furthermore, he was the only one in the whole town that carried the last name. They heard he had a son but having to imagine the old coot with a child was hard to believe.
So Vance Khamerin was Mr. Khamerin's son.
Time to suck up to daddy's favorite little tyke, everyone silently mused.
"Sure. And if you happen to find Raythe, please tell her to come back. She's been out far too long to have just gone to the bathroom." 'I'm afraid she's up to something again.'
"No problem."
Raythe Windsor pouted like never before as she sunk down on the bench behind the school where there was an overlook of an ocean after a mile-wild playing field and a football field and a basketball field…Okay, so there really wasn't an overlook of the ocean unless you carried yourself three or four miles over. Still, it didn't look so far to her as endless thoughts ran through her mind of wanting to push the arrogant jerk down the cliff. She looked down and scuffed the pebbles that lay present at her shoe-clad feet. Then, she pulled her knees to her chest and grumbled to herself, replaying earlier events that, as she thought of him, made her angrier and seething crimson. Vance Khamerin, idiot and brainless dolt of the school. The nerve of him!
The sun relentlessly shone down on her, the blistering morning of spring quite obvious in the air. She quickly pushed her hair up in a ponytail and removed her jacket, leaving her in only a white button-down blouse, a pleated skirt, knee-high white socks and the loafers. Only the removal of her jacket did no wonders in cooling her off. If anything, it made her more irritated. She was about to stand when something cold hit her lap, releasing a soft shriek and finally picking it up in her hands.
It was a soda can.
She looked up.
So, the cute and petite girl he had unknowingly made rivals with was the same legendary girl who practically 'owned' the school just with her growing reputation. She was also easy to aggravate; the very image of her irate state was a turn on. If she was that aggressive and could get that insulted to keep her title, then it would make for a very interesting challenge indeed.
Now, if only he could find her so he could settle things in a nice, calm manner. Rough and edgy wasn't a bad way to go but, he figured she wasn't the type to involve herself in such situations.
He walked into the teacher's lounge and, noting happily, no teacher was seen. He sauntered over to the refrigerator, removed two soft drinks, and went off on his way to find Raythe Windsor, which wasn't too hard. Outside was a very reasonable place to run off to when it was such a nice day.
He couldn't say he was creeping up on her, just quietly admiring a view while he approached her. Besides that, she was busy in her own matters trying to remove a layer of clothing to help cool her down. Now he was certain that bringing sodas (as a peace offering, so to speak) was a definite way to go.
Finally within a foot radius of her, he dropped the soda can into her lap and watched her squirm and softly squeal in surprise. She finally removed the can from her lap and looked up.
"What are you doing, following me?" She asked irritably as she set the can aside.
"No, I'm trying to make amends if you allow a fellow peer like me to do so." He popped open the can and took a long swig, carefully relishing the refreshing taste of cool liquid running down his throat.
She snorted.
"I had no idea you were the legend."
"Congratulations, pretty boy, you now know. What do you want, a prize?" Her voice was laced with bitter sarcasm.
Well, if she didn't beat around the bush he needn't either.
"Actually, I'm aiming for the title."
She turned her head and looked at him angrily. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. I want the title."
"I'm not handing it over. I've been 'the legend' since my freshman year and I'm not about to give it up to somebody who just moved here from another school." She spat angrily. "If you want the title, you're going to have to fight me for it."
"And how would I go in doing that?"
She went silent and refused to look at him as she drank from her own.
He sat in thought for a minute. This was actually a clean way to go. He wanted a challenge and she was not, in any way, being challenging. What happened to wanting to keep the title? Her silence was enough to answer him but she could have kept it up longer. That, and if she wouldn't tell him how, he would have to make up the game.
"I have an idea."
"I told you, I'm not giving up my title! Are you deaf or something?"
"No, no, just determined."
"Well, if you're so determined Mr. Khamerin, what is this 'idea' of yours?"
"Nothing, really. Just a simple game of 'Truth or Dare.'"
"'Truth or Dare?'" She questioned with incredulity. "Are you serious? That's a game for kids in puberty for crying out loud."
"I wasn't finished." He said sternly. "It's 'Truth or Dare' without the truth factor. We're going for legendary, right? Then it's only logical that actions will see who gains this name."
"And if I complied to this, what are the rules?"
It wasn't that Raythe was considering giving up her name as the mastermind but this sounded intriguing. It was already giving her an adrenaline rush. If she could somehow boost up her reputation…oh, the damage that could wreak!
"No rules. The dares are limitless. I dare you to do something and if you fulfill it, then you dare me to do something. The first to back off on a dare loses the title and, in reference to me, I gain a title." He explained.
"That doesn't explain what the dares are limited to."
"None, really. No boundaries."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Raythe grinned. She was never one to back down a challenge and now that someone wanted to, it made her blood rush with excitement. I mean, this was all fun and games right?
"You're on!"