by S. J. Black
“That’s -”
“An exaggeration?”
“A decoration of the truth,” Theo retorted. He straightened his back, leaning closer to Zara. “You know nothing about me.”
“I know enough.”
“Am I interrupting anything important?” A bored voice drawled.
Zara whipped her head around to her side, looking up at a tall figure standing over her.
Headmaster Defoe loomed over the two, glancing indifferently between them, an arrogant, bored expression weighing heavily on his aristocratic face.
“N-no, Headmaster,” Zara stuttered.
God, she stuttered. She never stuttered. If Theo teased her about this, she would poison his bottled water by tomorrow.
“Good, because I don’t have a lot of time and frankly, your romantic escapades are not on my agenda today,” he said boredly. His gaze lifted to Theo. Zara noted the way his lips pursed in disappointment. “We meet again, Mr Hamlish.”
“An honour, Headmaster,” Theo said graciously.
She wanted to barf. He was such a suck-up.
“Inside,” Headmaster Defoe tilted his head to his office, moving in first. Both Zara and Theo gave each other a hard stare before marching inside.
“Sit,” the Headmaster motioned. He took his seat on the grand leather armchair. His office was...grand. No doubt paid for by the tuition fees, Zara thought. Wooden panelling, an expansive library just by the window - this was better than her own house.
Zara shifted nervously whilst Theo took his seat with a confidence that could only mean this was a natural habitat for him.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” The headmaster drawled. He leaned back in his chair, observing.
Zara struggled to hold his stare; there was something she couldn’t pinpoint about it. He made her nervous. But why? What made Defoe so...ominous?
Thankfully, neither the headmaster noticed her and Theo didn’t seem to notice her discomfort either, instead he leaned back confidently.
“Nothing to be overly concerned about,” Theo smiled widely. “Talking in class. Of course, we were talking fervently about what Mr Ainsley was discussing, but I think there was a miscommunication.”
“What was he discussing?”
“I’m sorry?” Theo said in confusion.
“Mr Ainsley, Theo,” Headmaster Defoe exhaled. “What was Mr Ainsley discussing?”
“Oh, that,” Theo chuckled, stretching his arms. “Well, it’s really very fascinating when you think about it. Economics can be a real eye-opening subject and...say, what were your major subjects, headmaster? A young man like you-”
“Mr Hamlish,” Headmaster Defoe interrupted. “Enough of the trivial deflection, please. I asked you a question.”
“Ah…yes, that...” Theo chuckled weakly.
Zara rolled her eyes, clearing her throat. She could throw Theo a bone. Just this once. “Monopolisation of industry and the damage to consumer choice.”
Headmaster Defoe’s razor sharp vision turned to her. He tilted his head in intrigue as he twitched his lips in irritation. She could see he wasn’t expecting her to speak up with a ‘get out of jail card’.
“Is this true, Mr Hamlish?”
Why was he asking Theo? Wasn’t her word enough? She felt her fists clench in concealed anger.
“Yep, what the lady said,” Theo nodded.
“Hm,” he stared at Zara, pondering his words. She tried not to shift awkwardly under his microscopic gaze. “Are you often covering Mr Hamlish’s tracks, Miss Haife?”
“No,” she replied tightly.
“I would beg to differ,” Theo added.
“I’m sure you would,” Zara scoffed.
“Ah, a romantic relationship I see,” Headmaster Defoe noted.
“You can think what you like,” Zara retorted. It was a casual statement, but the jagged edge was lurking beneath. She forgot her audience for a moment and only when she glanced up, did she realise she was addressing the headmaster. Theo’s eyes widened slightly in shock, his mouth agape.
“Excuse me, young lady?” Headmaster Defoe murmured. “Is that an attitude in your tone?”
“No,” Zara said in a high-pitched voice.
“It sounded like it.”
“I can’t control how people interpret my words. Sorry,” she mumbled.
He wasn’t buying it. She could tell, but he let it go, moving his gaze to Theo before resting back on her. He was probably considering whether to throw her out of his office via the door or the window.
“Get out, both of you, before I change my mind and call your parents,” he mumbled.
“Much obliged, Headmaster!” Theo bowed quickly before moving to the exit.
Zara couldn’t believe such an annoying person existed, but Theo Hamlish seemed to defy the odds.
She got up, moving towards the exit as she pushed open the door with Theo following close behind. Once they reached the hallway, she gave Theo a pointed state, laced with annoyance.
Theo grinned, winking. “Piece of cake.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Chapter Three
To Zara’s relief, it was lunchtime and she could put this morning to rest with a big, fat slice of apple pie. It was the Monday special. And her alternative to screaming into a pillow.
She lined up, waiting patiently as the queue moved along. Heidi walked up to where she stood, breaking into the line, much to the irritation of the students at the back.
“Hey!” A younger student exclaimed.
“Life’s a bitch,” Heidi called out sweetly, turning to Zara.
“Pushing in before the younger kids; isn’t that a bit childish, Heidi?” Zara drawled.
“Yeah, well, I’m fucking starving and there’s no way I’m sitting on my arse, waiting for dessert. It’s cherry pie today, isn’t it?”
“Apple.”
“Yum,” Heidi popped.
“Why are you talking to me like we’re friends?”
“Because…” Heidi trailed, pouting slightly. She lifted her blue eyes to Zara’s, smiling cheekily. “You’re closest in line to dessert.”
“Nice,” Zara said sarcastically.
“Anyway, how’s your first term back?”
“Oh, we’re doing that now, are we?”
Heidi frowned, pouting. “Doing what?”
“Asking how our day went, how the weather is - it’s okay Heidi, just admit you want to be my friend.”
“You wish,” she snorted. “Verity was annoying me today, and I fancied a change of scenery. Instead of coming for me and my friendship choices, what about you? Hm? Why aren’t you hanging with Annie? I thought you guys were close. At least it seemed that way during Michaelmas term.”
Zara’s gaze shifted towards the main table near the window.
There was Annie, sat with James and Theo, laughing over something one of them had said, practically oblivious to the world around them.
She seemed happy. Annie was a good friend in the beginning of the year and she still was, but ever since she started dating James, Zara found it difficult to communicate with her. Annie hadn’t changed or anything...yet why did Zara struggle to talk to her like before? It felt as though she was out of touch.
“You seem awfully concerned about my personal life. Are you sure you’re not a gossip columnist?” Zara said lightly, helping herself to a slice of pie.
Heidi reached forward, grabbing an apricot pastry. “You’re avoiding the subject.”
“Am I?”
“Zara.”
“Heidi.”
“Fine, ignore me.”
“I suppose I will.”
Heidi gave Zara a pointed stare, adorably wrinkling her nose. Zara rolled her eyes, sighing reluctantly. “Fine, fine, if you must know, we haven’t really had the time to catch up.”
“I’ll say.”
“It’s a bit difficult, with her new relationship and everything,” Zara took a bite of a pastry, moving to the Newton table. Hei
di joined her, sitting opposite, where she had a full view of the Baron's table.
Heidi had a thought brewing in her mind. Zara could read her so well already.
“Spit it out,” Zara threw a bit of pastry at her, prompting her to slap away the dust.
“Weird. It’s weird,” Heidi chewed mindlessly, her eyes still on the group. “A few months ago, they treated Annie like she was an insignificant worm. But now? She’s officially adopted as part of the crew. Very weird.”
“Hey, that’s my friend you’re talking about there,” Zara grumbled. “I resent the insignificant worm metaphor.”
“Deal with it, you know I’m right.”
“Look, I may be new, but even I can see that the Barons are nothing but black holes. They suck you in and you completely forget who you are. I will not hold that against her,” Zara twirled her spoon in the puddle of custard and pie. “You would do the same.”
“No,” Heidi said immediately. A serious expression layered with a certain vehemence took over her pointed features. “I wouldn’t.”
“Okay, Heidi,” Zara scoffed, tucking into a mouthful of pie.
“I’m serious!”
“Yah, ‘course you are.”
“Shut up!”
“Serious as Theo’s report card.”
Heidi snorted. Zara winked cheekily, eating her dessert. However, she felt her skin tingle. Almost as though she was being watched.
That was strang-
“Twice in one day. My, my, you’re just like a tumor,” a snarky voice drawled behind her.
Zara looked up to see Heidi glance behind her, her eyes widening slightly. Zara exhaled heavily, closing her eyes briefly.
Twice in one day.
God, where was her good luck?
Jasper came into her peripheral vision, taking a seat right next to her. She could see his smug, haughty expression grinning widely between her and Heidi. Heidi was left speechless; her signature tongue-in-cheek humour went completely out of the window.
Her childhood bully was right opposite her.
“Oh, apricot pastry, my favourite,” Jasper smirked, grabbing Heidi’s plate. He took a languish bite, savouring the helpless look in Heidi’s eyes.
Zara remained still. She felt her hand clench on the spoon. She had yet to face him.
Jasper pushed the plate away from him suddenly, watching it smash to the floor beside Heidi. The rest of the hallway turned to the commotion, their widened eyes expecting Jasper’s next move.
“I’ve lost my appetite,” he grimaced. “It’s probably seeing your face, Heidi.”
What the fuck did he just say?
Zara’s blood boiled, her gaze flashing up to Heidi’s embarrassed expression. Heidi was a deer in headlights; something Zara did not enjoy seeing at all.
“You’re both awfully quiet,” Jasper frowned mockingly. He rested his head on his hand, watching Zara intently. “Please, continue.”
“Continue what?” Heidi breathed.
“Your conversation, freckles, are you that obtuse?” Jasper said rudely.
Heidi grit her teeth. She was being humiliated.
And Zara couldn’t stand it.
“As I was saying -”
“Nobody gives a shit what comes out of your mouth, dickhead. Are you done yapping?” Zara retorted, turning to face him fully. She relished the rare few seconds of humiliation and brewing shock beneath the harsh features of his face. A layer of coldness descended over his grey eyes, piercing Zara with every inch of his might.
“Excuse me, bitch?” He straightened his back, leaning closer to where she sat.
Zara tried not externally cringe, holding in the discomfort that he caused.
Jasper didn’t let go of her stare. Zara swore that she could see a vein bulging in the middle of his head. Maybe she was imagining it.
“Are you deaf?”
“No,” Zara shrugged nonchalantly.
He chuckled emptily before leaning to whisper in Zara’s ear, his breath tickling her cheek. She recoiled at his proximity.
“I’m going to enjoy picking you apart,” Jasper murmured darkly.
“Not if I push you first, dickface.”
It was now or never.
With a quick precision, Zara grabbed her dessert bowl in her left hand, smashing the contents to Jasper’s face. Hard.
A series of gasps echoed around the hall. Nobody said a word.
Jasper Rashford had been pied in the face.
There were some things that just didn’t happen.
This was one of them.
Heidi’s eyes were like saucers, bulging out of her sockets as she stared at the Baron and the remains of the apple pie covering his face. His perfectly styled hair was decorated with a sludge of yellowish custard.
The scene was laughable.
“Um, Zara…” Heidi mumbled. She slowly got up, itching to make a quick getaway. But Zara wasn’t going anywhere.
People like Jasper expected her to run and hide; she would not give him the satisfaction.
Jasper stood up, ready to rage. He resembled a raging bull, ready to strike. Wiping the custard off his face, he prowled to where Zara was sitting, grabbing her blazer and pushing her up.
“You’re going to pay for this,” Jasper growled.
Zara pursed her lips, glancing at his ruined uniform. “Do you want to send me the dry cleaning bill? I’m sure I’ll have a few pennies left in my piggy bank.”
He tugged her closer until they were inches apart. Zara cringed at the closeness; did he get off on making her uncomfortable...like this?
“You think this is funny,” Jasper questioned tightly.
Zara bit her lip, forcing the laughter down. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said no.”
“You’re done around here.”
“Really? That’s a shame,” Zara scoffed.
“You could benefit from shutting that mouth of yours.”
“Well, you could really benefit from a personal boundary workshop.”
Jasper seethed, glaring at her smart mouth. His stare burned into her skin, analysing her features carefully as his gaze lowered to her the curve of her lips.
This was not good. Smart, witty words she could work with; a vicious vocabulary was her ultimate arsenal, but this quiet, dangerous staring contest was unsettling. She couldn’t predict what would happen next.
Suddenly, he released her from his grip, causing her to stumble backwards. She fixed her blazer, an unsure expression taking over.
He turned to face the hall, a resolute, determined Jasper returned. His face split into a twisted grin, twinkling with mirth.
“Attention, underlings,” he called out. His voice hardened with an icy edge, ready to pour a bucket of vengeance that had Zara’s name on it. The crowd of puzzled, fearful students looked on in wonder as they awaited Jasper Rashford’s venom. The Baron table was awfully quiet; James seemed pissed, glaring at Jasper, almost as though he was furious at his solo Baron activities without their prior consent. Annie looked uncomfortable, glancing between James and Jasper, almost as though she was itching to intervene.
Theo’s expression was the most puzzling, Zara thought. He was gazing at her with this brooding, stormy gaze. His gaze didn’t leave her once.
“Some of you may be under the illusion that the Barons have gone on hiatus. This simply won’t do,” he clicked his tongue, chuckling viciously as he pushed the plate of a nearby student’s lunch to the floor. They jumped, trembling, but said nothing. They didn’t dare to.
“This is unacceptable,” his stare burned into Zara’s, full of mirth and acidity.
“Oh, fuck off,” Zara said dismissively, moving to stand. She could feel the judgemental weight of his stare. “Save your dramatics for your Theatre class.”
“Anyone who is seen talking to Zara Haife will be personally targeted by the Barons for the rest of their sorry lives. Don’t be mistaken; we may graduate in over a year, but we’ll make sure you suffer. That’s a promise,” he
smiled derisively.
No.
He was isolating her.
No. No. No.
Zara tentatively glanced at the tables, observing as the mixture of emotions cruising passed their expressions. Most of them had already made their minds up. She could see it.
They were afraid.
Her gaze fell on Annie. Her heart was torn, Zara could tell, but it wasn’t enough; she would not stand up for her.
She didn’t know what she was expecting, but her heart sank at that fact.
Maybe Heidi was right.
“Does anyone object?” Jasper bellowed.
Heidi glared at Jasper, her venom and disgust sent straight to the Baron.
The silence was deafening.
“Splendid,” he said smoothly, moving to lean forward, bending near Zara’s ear. His warm breath tickled her ear, sending a wild wave of furious goosebumps. Her body and her mind were at war; one declared vengeance while the other trembled at Jasper’s proximity. “Welcome to your nightmare, Haife.”
∞∞∞
He stayed true to his word. Everyone aside from Heidi ignored Zara. It was fucking mind-blowing. It was like she was...invisible.
In her classes, hardly anyone acknowledged Zara’s presence; instead they fixed their stares to a point near her head or somewhere in the distance, erasing her presence.
Even when Mr Ainsley had called Zara’s name for a question, hardly anyone tilted their head towards Zara. Not one person dared to speak to her. The Baron’s threat was holding strong.
She didn’t know if it was any consolation that the only people who broke the Baron rule were Heidi and another Baron himself - Theo.
Some consolation prize.
As they sat in their Economics class listening to Mr Ainsley, Zara felt her entire body tense in humiliation, anger and frustration, recalling the events that led to this moment.
She couldn’t concentrate on a word that Mr Ainsley was prattling on about; not when she had become the social pariah in less than 72 hours.
“Zara -”
“Careful, don’t think you have the permission to talk to me,” Zara murmured, her eyes on Mr Ainsley. She couldn’t afford another embarrassing public spectacle.
Theo sighed, rubbing his face. There were shadowy circles under his eyes, his hair ruffled in a way that hinted at severe sleep deprivation. He looked rough.
