Vampire Assassin: Love and Lies

The bell rang, and the classroom instantly erupted into chaos. Damien quickly packed his things, ready to get out of there. The school day had dragged on longer than he'd expected, and he was eager to slip out without causing a scene.

He shuffled through the crowd, trying to keep to the edges of the hallways, but it wasn't long before he spotted her.

Nadia stood by her locker, talking with her friends, as usual. She had that effortlessly cool vibe, the kind of girl who seemed like she just knew she was the center of attention. Her friends—well, they were pretty much the same, all walking around like they were part of some exclusive club. Damien didn't care about any of that. He just needed to get to his next class.

Of course, things didn't work out that way.

As he walked past them, he felt a sudden shift. Nadia's eyes landed on him, and she gave him a look that felt a little too sharp, a little too knowing. For a second, he almost wondered if she had some sort of psychic power.

Then she straightened up, and before he knew it, she was blocking his path, her arms crossed over her chest. Her friends closed in behind her.

"Well, well. If it isn't the new guy," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You've been acting like you're too good for this place, haven't you?"

Damien blinked, confused. He had been expecting male bullies not females. He almost laughed but checked himself.

"Uh, what are you talking about?"

Nadia raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying his confusion. "Don't play dumb. You walk around here like you're the only one who doesn't care about being here."

Damien opened his mouth to respond, but it felt like she wasn't even listening. Her eyes were scanning him up and down like he was some kind of puzzle she couldn't figure out.

"I'm not acting like anything," he said, shrugging. "I'm just trying to get through the day."

One of Nadia's friends, a tall girl with blonde hair, smirked. "Yeah, right. Everyone's noticed it. You barely even talk to anyone."

Damien sighed, already over this. "Okay, and? What's the big deal?"

Nadia's smirk grew. "The big deal is that you think you're too cool for us. You've been giving everyone the cold shoulder, and now you've got us all wondering what your deal is."

Damien glanced at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. He really hadn't been trying to stand out, but it seemed like that was exactly what was happening. "Look, I'm just not here to make friends or start drama," he said, trying to keep his voice even. "I just want to get through school without all the... whatever this is."

But Nadia wasn't done. She stepped closer, her expression hardening. "You think you're too good for us? Too good for me?"

Damien took a step back, sensing the tension rising. He wasn't a fan of drama, but this wasn't exactly a situation he could walk away from easily.

"Look," he said, trying to calm the situation down, "I don't think I'm better than anyone. I'm just trying to get by."

At this point, he was ready to just walk around her and be done with it, but before he could take a step, something weird happened.

A loud thud echoed from behind him. Someone had dropped a massive stack of books, and they were quickly tumbling toward the floor. Students screamed and scattered to avoid getting hit.

Damien's instincts kicked in. Without even thinking about it, he reached out, his hand brushing against the falling books, guiding them just enough to stop them from hitting the ground with a crash. The stack settled in his hands, and he caught the last book with a smooth motion, as if it were nothing.

He stared at the book in his hand for a second smirking inside his head. 'Damn, I'm fast'

He hadn't even tried. But he shrugged it off, trying to play it cool.

"Guess I'm just quick," he said, dropping the book onto a nearby table like it was no big deal.

The hallway was silent for a beat as everyone processed what just happened. A couple of students exchanged looks, clearly impressed.

Nadia's eyes narrowed, and for a second, Damien could've sworn she was about to say something. But she just scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"So, you've got fast reflexes. Big deal," she said, clearly unimpressed.

Damien raised an eyebrow cockily. "Well, it's not like I can control it. It just happens."

Her friends murmured amongst themselves, clearly trying to figure out if they should be more impressed or annoyed. Nadia, though, wasn't backing down. She crossed her arms again and shot Damien a sharp look. "Still doesn't change the fact that you're acting like you're above everyone else."

Damien felt his frustration rise. He didn't need this. "You don't even know me," he said, voice low but firm. "So maybe you should stop assuming things."

Nadia stared at him, her gaze icy, and for a moment, Damien wondered if this was how she handled every situation—like she was trying to get under his skin.

But then, just as quickly as the tension had appeared, it seemed to deflate. Nadia's friends started to move away, and she stepped back with a small, almost mocking smile.

"You're not fooling me, Vesper," she said, her voice just loud enough for him to hear. "But I'll let you have your little mystery. Enjoy it while it lasts."

Damien watched her walk off, her friends trailing behind her, but he didn't take his eyes off her for long. Something about the way she'd said it—like she was disappointed or maybe curious—stuck with him.

He sighed, turning to leave, but then he heard one of the students whispering to another.

"Did you see that? He just caught those books like it was nothing."

Damien didn't look back. He was done with that scene. But part of him knew that it wasn't over. Nadia Frost wasn't the kind of person who let things go that easily.

And whatever she thought of him, it was clear she wasn't about to let him fly under the radar for long.