Chapter 4 The bold

We were done with Inspirational Class. It was a free period, so Linda and I decided to grab lunch.

The cafeteria was full as usual noise everywhere, laughter echoing, trays clattering, and a few people pretending not to look at who just walked in. The smell of foods filled the air.

We squeezed our way through the crowd and finally spotted an empty table by the window.

"Finally," Linda breathed, collapsing into a chair.

I ordered pasta with egg and yogurt. I was too hungry to even talk.

"Don't tell me you're ordering only your own plate of pasta," Linda shouted as I collected my order from the waitress.

"Is something wrong with your mouth, or should I replace it with Kathryn's?" I teased.

She frowned dramatically. "God forbid!" Then quickly made her own order rice and chicken sauce.

"Lily," Linda said after a while, lowering her voice. "Did you see those guys? The almighty fine ones The Bold?"

I rolled my eyes. "What about them? They're just normal. There's nothing special about those ones."

Her mouth dropped open. "Just normal? Are you blind? You need drugs for your eyes, because something's definitely wrong with your sight."

I laughed. "You're crazy." I couldn't help smiling at the way she emphasized 'just normal'. I laughed harder and reached over to tickle her.

Then, suddenly, the noise in the cafeteria shifted. I looked up and saw three guys walking in tall, calm, confident. They didn't talk much, but everyone could feel their presence.

Linda's jaw dropped. "Speak of the devil. here they come"

They headed straight for the table right in front of us. I tried not to look, but Linda was practically vibrating beside me.

"Oh my God, Lily, they're sitting right there," she whispered like she'd seen ghosts.

"Relax," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "If you faint, I'll just leave you here."

She was still gushing when one of them the one with the clean haircut turned and winked in our direction.

Linda nearly screamed. "Oh my God, did you see that?"

"He probably had something in his eye," I said, pretending not to care.

"That's Zion!" she whispered quickly. "The one beside him is Army, and that one with the dreadlocks..." her voice dropped, "...that's Byrain Davis."

I looked up.

"He definitely looks like a nightmare," I whispered into Linda's ear. She turned to me with that wild look, like she could eat me alive.

"Stop it, Linda, you're scaring me," I teased, and she finally broke into a smile.

He sat quietly, saying nothing, his posture calm and sure. His dreadlocks were neat, his eyes dark and unreadable. He wasn't smiling, just watching like someone who saw more than he said.

Then our eyes met.

It wasn't some dramatic movie moment just a quiet, deep glance that seemed to last longer than it should. My heartbeat skipped. I looked away quickly.

"Not me," I muttered. "I'm not joining the rest of you." #fangirls

Linda laughed, but I could feel my heart beating faster than before.

BYRAIN'S POV

I walked in with Zion and Army into the cafeteria like always. People started whispering, but I ignored them. My eyes had already found the only person I cared to see.

She sat near the window, smiling as she talked with her friend over a plate of food.

Lily.

She didn't know me but I have known her for the past 3years, I'd memorized that face. The way she moved when she spoke, the small laugh that showed her dimple, the way she bit her lip when she was thinking.

Zion was saying something, but I wasn't listening. I kept glancing in her direction, trying not to make it obvious.

Then she looked up. Our eyes met just for a second.

She froze, then looked away quickly like nothing happened.

I smiled faintly, staring down at my tea.

Zion noticed. "Bro, what's funny?"

"Nothing," I said.

But it wasn't nothing. It was her.

The smell of strong perfume hit me before I even heard the voice.

"Byrain!"

I sighed quietly. Kathryn. Of course.

She walked up to our table with her girls trailing behind like shadows.

"You didn't come to the party last weekend," she said, flipping her hair, sounding all dramatic. "It was so boring without you guys!"

Annabel jumped in, loud enough for them to hear, "Seriously! You're supposed to be the life of every event!"

While they were talking, Mirabel was leaning into Zion, laughing at nothing, touching his shoulder like she owned the place. Jessica tried to do the same with Army, but he just shrugged her hand off without even looking at her.

I didn't answer. Zion smirked beside me.

Kathryn laughed, pretending not to notice my silence. "Anyway, I heard you're planning another one the fresher's party. Everyone's already talking about it! Imagine The Bold hosting the biggest party on campus!"

I stirred my tea, saying nothing.

"It's next week, right?" she pressed. "You have to let me help maybe I'll be the hostess."

Zion grinned. "That's if Byrain even wants a hostess."

Kathryn giggled. "Of course he does. He just doesn't like saying things in public."

I finally looked up. "It's next week," I said quietly and a bit louder for Lily and her friend to hear.

She blinked. "What?"

"The party," I repeated. "Next week"

"Oh," she laughed awkwardly. "Right. I knew that."

She kept talking, but her voice faded into the background. My eyes drifted back toward the window.

Lily and her friend were standing to leave. I watched her adjust her bag and walk out, her laughter soft and genuine. I'd grown used to watching her from afar this years, but today felt different. The way she moved, the curve of her body it pulled me in completely.

I could almost imagine my hands running over her, feeling her warmth, the softness of her skin...and how she would softly moan my name. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, growling with hunger I could barely control.

I told Pany(wolf) to calm down, but he wouldn't listen. She's ours, he whispered. Ours and nobody else's.

She didn't look back but I wished she did. Because the moment she walked away, it felt like she was taking a piece of me with her.

LILY POV

As soon as we stepped outside, Linda sighed dramatically.

"Lily, tell me you saw how Mirabel was touching Zion, like she owns him."

"Ahh, someone's jealous! I noticed you kept staring at Zion. Don't tell me that's the love I'm seeing," I teased, and she blushed furiously.

"But Kathryn really loves attention," Linda quickly added, changing the topic.

I laughed. "That girl loves attention more than food."

Linda smirked. "Anyway, did you hear what she said? They're hosting the fresher's party next week."

I nodded. "You're definitely going, right?"

She grinned. "And you're coming with me."

I shook my head. "No way. My mom would kill me if I went to a late-night party."

Linda rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that. Besides... your sweet sister Kathryn is going, so why can't you? You could tell your mom that you and Kathryn are going together. If she says no, I bet your dad will definitely convince her to let you go."

"That's true. Anyway, let's see how it goes, but I'm not promising you anything yet."

We started walking down the hallway. I didn't say it out loud, but my mind wasn't on the party. It was still on Byrain the way he looked at me, the calmness in his eyes.

I didn't want to think about him, but I couldn't stop. He had this strange, quiet aura that pulled me in, even though I didn't understand why.