C H A P T E R 8

T H E L I O N K I N G

Author: Raven Orthodox

Planted.

Planted.

Planted!

One on top of my locker. Another two from the third and fourth floor, where Calixon's might be, with the last one behind my badge. It scintillated a shine after rubbing it with my Huggies wipes, the best one from the UK.

Okay, so it's 6:45 in the morning. And my resolution longed for the destructive impact against Calixon and his filthy-rich minions.

"Fear not, my queen. You have always been a persona for royalty. Ages of historical textbooks made me realize that." Delevingne, the girl who defended me since the cafeteria, chuckled as she fixed my chic dress that screamed femme fatale. "This attire is the trendsetter. you should deliver it with ease and abandon, as does my sisters did from Los Angeles to San Francisco."

"I still need to win that award."

"There's no need to rush for the Olympian Student of the Year."

"True, the so-called Spartans and the Hounds were already sending hate flyers about me. False rumors about pregnancy, weed abuse, and claims that I have a secret Trap House hidden from the naked eye."

"What a bummer, you know we could report them out you know."

"A friend told me that the anti-bullying policy here was crap. Poor teens get abused everywhere, virtual-wise and reality-wise. I have to do something about it. And if it leaves me no choice, I'll have the police involved."

"And I'll always stand with your ground." Delevingne spoke. She reached out to me after the incident and has witnessed the tears drizzling my mascara when I hid from the cats' clutches. Dominica has assured me already, yet, the memory wandered off, and tricked me as I fall into despair once more.

"Fine, I'll plan on achieving it soon enough," I kissed her on the cheek before she spoke her cherry-lipped goodbye. "Don't forget, eight P.M."

"Eight P.M," She agreed, right after she disappeared. Unlike the 'vexatious' Raven Orthodox, Delevingne selects a few words in a conversation and keeps it formal and straightforward.

Walking through halls, I stopped for a moment to take a snapshot after realizing I look like a lady boss in this power outfit. "Snap!"

"Boo!" Said a guy wearing a bright yellow bow tie in black polka dots. A few bookworms were just minding their own business about their Ethics and Music/Arts textbooks, one revealing a glare and a snort at my face. But this yellow guy just ruined my day.

I feel like rolling my eyes, and for goodness' sake, stop me!

I took hold of myself and kept my shoe heels, making clicking noises on the halls, which probably irritated a lot of Lion haters on my path.

I pretended I never heard anything from the constant verbal assaults, and then, with a funny smirk written on my face, I chose a teal-and-orange filter and clicked post on Instagram. "Boom, here it goes."

I had only 12,249 followers, by the way, which isn't much, but I'm not complaining. What I'm complaining about is the notorious fame I had in Lion's Den. I had more haters than fans, yet they still followed me, and I am not sure if I should laugh or cry. Perhaps none.

"Ms. Frostfyre?"

The deep-gilded double door was this close (I mean this close!) to arms' reach.

I'm deadbeat, and my eyes shut in frustration and annoyance. Ugh, I just want to go back to my dorm and enjoy Dominica's margarita cocktail and home picnic set with her girls.

"Yes?" With a swift turn, my eyes laid dazed and stunned. "Professor Montgomery."

He didn't make a sneer at all, by the looks of his stoic appearance. He showed a paper on the hand from his back. "Pretty great answers, Ms. Frostfyre."

That's my quiz paper from Yesterday!

From the sudden surprise, I changed my character to formal and proper. I smoothen my shoulder fabric for invisible dirt. I also made myself look professional with my posture straight and decent-fitted. "So, professor? What brought you here?"

I gestured an arm upon the quiz paper so he may explain. Without expectation, he smiled. "You're pretty good with vectors on the first session."

"Thanks." Even though we went hammer and tongs with each other since the first meet, I beamed a tolerant smile.

"Not only that. I noticed you were perfect in the score. I should say Linear algebra is easy for you, perhaps."

"Yes, professor." I nodded.

"But I don't think you're gonna get that far."

"And why do you mean by that, professor Montgomery?"

Something felt fishy about this little chit-chat. Let's hear more.

"I am saying it may be hard for you to achieve greater things, and I assume you already know it."

To let himself continue, he cleared his throat.

"I apologize for my approach since the first week. You didn't deserve being addressed like that, I cannot forgive the xenophobia. Half of the people in this building want you dead, and the other half wants you out." He patted my shoulder, "I want you to survive this fight, Frostfyre. Not even the teachers can stop these rich ass-hats from clinging their claws on you, so think about your future. Earn it."

I did a second nod with professor Montgomery. I think he sympathized with my sorry situation and saw potential on my skill set. I said my gratitude to him as he left me without another word.

Exiting the academic building, I ordered the Lion-guards, "Make way for your queen. . ."

I needed to get back to class at nine, so I still had a lot of time. Ashley, a gorgeous, Afro-haired mutual friend from Dominica, texted me. "Alexis, you've got to see this!"

Alexis: Oh, you've finished setting it up? Sorry, your girl here was busy running a tricky business, that's all (inserted: laughing emoticon).

Ashley: Uh, excuse me? I'm about to gulp down your liquor. What is this. . . a homemade margarita?

Alexis: How dare you, Ash! Don't you dare. . .

Ashley: I'm doing it, so you better come quick.

Alexis: Ugh!!!

Ashley: (inserted: wink emoticon, wine glass emoticon)

My fiery eyes blazed in determination and ardor, and these sneakers shoes --super-duper glad I'm not wearing heels-- are the perfect speed play to reach the one-hundred-yards- distance dorm building. And I say Domi and her squad, and possibly with Raven, are probably starting the picnic without me, sheesh!

1 hour later

Blowing out an exasperated sigh and a burp, we finished everything on our plates. Ashley didn't drink my drink, so thank God for that. "Who's ready for the next game?"

"Really, Lexi, after all the drinks we took?" Dominica shifted from her seat, being coy with one of her girlfriends by slapping their cheeks on playful abandon.

I took a sip on my Mountain Dew and sliced a tiny cut of Black Forest. "Mm-hmm, tastes good." I licked the chocolate icings on the cake, "- anyway, girls. We have a news today, revel it in, you're gonna love this."

"I think I knew where this is going!" Ashley squealed in excitement.

I opened out a navy blue box carve-designed with expensive pearls. This was from Dominica, as usual, such wealth!

Inside, party invitation cards glistened like shiny Golden Tickets. My hand picked one like picking up the grandest VIP card ever!

I made a mouth-silencer pointy finger to shush them out all out, "Now listen to me, young ladies. Dominica has invited you to her grand and exclusive party at her mansion!"

I made a mouth-silencer pointy finger to shush them out all out, "Now listen to me, young ladies. Dominica has invited you to her grand and exclusive party at her mansion!"

"Right on time, babes." I watched them scurry into me. reaching their invitation cards like kittens on a feed bowl of food. "Ha-ha, this is priceless." I turned towards Domi, who was, in fact, giving me a thumbs up all the while kissing a boy.

I giggled and averted my eyes to go to Austin and tend his litter box and refill his food bowl and water. Austin was still relishing the joy of getting his own throat tickled by one of the girls as I washed myself hands in the bathroom sink.

Pleasure sessions' over. Ashley was drinking too much, unaware that we had learned of her soft-drink addiction problem, that we had to chill her off. High insulin levels go from juices and sodas, a different kind of health issue other than her alcohol addiction counterpart.

"I'm not drunk." Said she, and I had to sigh in difficulty at accompanying her slightly-intoxicated stride to the bathroom.

As I closed the door, Dominica pulled my hands. We hopped on the queen-sized bed. The girls already took the initiative to grab their stuff with respective depart to get to prep for class, although a few of them took glazed donuts and macaroni in the picnic blanket. The only foods untouched were the watermelons, cold lemonade, and granola bars too, which I saved for myself in my pocket.

Domi shooed off the boy she recently kissed and poured herself an iced tea and ate a spoonful of fruit salad. "The cameras? Have you installed them already?"

"Yes, on the third and fourth floor." I also showed her the third one hidden behind my badge.

"Good girl. We're victorious soon enough, now hop on board." The bed rebounded from elasticity as Dominica bounced, creating a jouncing ripple on my bum, sending me almost out from the bed.

"Dominica, wait up!" A burst of laughter came through me as I caught hold of myself to make a firm grasp on the bed, and then, "bounce!"

After the picnic feast, I've been using a bigger bag, which Dominica told me to use since she has so much Jimmy Choo bags and shoes on her king-sized closet.

The parabolic physics homework was already passed to Professor Keaton, the Project Star Frog anatomy biology project was also submitted, and another History quiz was caused, and I made an almost perfect score. But I should have gotten a perfect one, damn it.

It's okay, Lexi. Try to breathe out slowly and chill out. Don't let that perfectionist complex lower yourself down, okay?

I still had to find a partner in my Allan-Poe-inspired poetry, I should also write a sample for a persuasive prompt about Adolf Hitler's Reign, and then write a harder essay, which I'd have to make a rational answer about 'what are the advantages the US education offers to international students?'

"Hey, do you have a minute. Do you know why the man in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' murdered the old guy?"

"Yeah, 'cause he's so annoyed with those killer eyes of his. I know my grounds, I know how the story goes, and those dumb eyes looked like freaking vulture, by the way. It looks disgusting and way eviler than Sauron's." The boy chuckled and high-fived one of his friends. "Nice to meet you again, by the way. The name's Rudolph Hearth."

What the hell? Wait a minute. His friend looked like the friend of the guy who splashed me the coke and got high-fived the same back at the lunch bar, the lunch bar where I was humiliated in the eyes of lions.

"Sorry, you seem familiar. Have we met before?"

"Yeah, I splashed you drink, remember?" He cried in laughter, as all the others reimagining the funny scenario where I could only reminisce it as a total nightmare.

"I see." I nodded.

"Why'd you ask? You got offended, dunce?" He asked.

We weren't in a lecture hall since the English Language and Literature is on a bigger, square-sized, traditional classroom, so I put my earrings on my small locker on the locker wall and thought of a reply to Rudolph, "Well, I am not really offended." I brought up a smile as I turned and stalked over him and his busy-with-the-ladies friends since Professor Karnataka wasn't here. "Perhaps, I was amused. I was insulted, yes, but not offended." I lied. "But. . . would you rather have me as your poetry partner?"

I wanted him to be my partner and make up a plan to character-assassinate his grades this semester. We shouldn't let these idiots always get their own ways after destroying someone else's self-esteem.

Rudolph Hearth scratched his gray highlights and thought for a moment.

He even whispered to his friend, the one who's smooching with a sexy blonde. "So, what do you think, Greg?"

The guy just nodded since he was still busy with those lips. And in the name of Rudolph Hearth's brownish hair with ash-gray highlights along with his stupidity at brainstorming and thought processing, his face broke into a smile. "Yes. Yes, I agree, let's team up, yeah!"

When my favorite professor entered the class, he was making a poll whether we'd agree to a Shakespearean play, which did not go well since the majority did not feel like it. Sad, professor.

Behind my back was a girl with impressive crystal-woven pigtails crying. Her mates were cooing her down, and I just couldn't help but say a reassuring 'it's okay, babe.'

Looking at the professor, I saw his hands were shaking tired from writing a paragraph and explained tidbits of conditionals and sentence patterns. It was a bit difficult to understand his explanation but I took notes either way.

All of a sudden, sounds of prolonged groans and annoyance can be heard from the back.

A girl shouted a disrespectful 'boring' outcry. "Boo! This lecture sucks." She then lowered her voice. "Why is this even mandatory?"

"You illiterate bitch, shut up!" I shouted back, the sharp strength of my voice sent chill and a nasty burn at her all at the same time.

When I looked back, my heart dropped dead, realizing that they cheered for an outcast like me for once. But what really made my heart drop-dead six-feet deep was realizing the girl I verbally attacked was the same blonde which Doplh's friend kissed.

To my surprise, she just stared blank at her desk and accepted my mistakes. Her mouths uttered. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for shouting too." I called at her. "I hope we're all good, no hard feelings."

I turned my head back to the seat and started jotting down some notes.

After class, I waited for everyone to go out. The friends of the girl with the pigtails were leaving as they said their goodbyes and kisses; I got up to her desk and fish out the granola bars I kept from my pocket and left in on her desk. "Whatever it is that you're feeling right now, always know that there are people who would listen to you, okay?"

Within a few minutes, I left with respect after noticing that her constant cries didn't need anyone's company at the moment. Catching up with my phone, Raven had sent me a surprising random message, agitating a stir of confusion and discomfort on my behalf.

"Alexi, I've got news!" Raven screamed the moment I pressed a call.

"Slow down."

"So I moved to the sorority house and leader assigned us on our bedroom, and I tell you it's so claustrophobic. I said to myself 'oh my God, this room is so small I could hardly live in it'."

"Well, it's time to wake up, little bird; it's a sorority house, not your dream bedroom. You get what you get.You don't get to choose the size of your room. Now beat it, and just be grateful that you get a room to live in-"

"Shut it, sister. I never realized I was claustrophobic until now. And guess what, hon, I already repacked and quit this stupid sorority."

"And let me guess, you screamed at the lady in the stall."

"Wrong, I yelled at everyone who dared to stop me, even the Delta leader Charisse."

"That is so. . . pretty much like you."

"Got to go now bitch. I'll move back to Eagles. Again."

She ended the call, which was a surprise since I always end it myself like almost all of the time we made a phone call. Ha!

I sat on a bench where the sidewalks are less crowded with heterosexual couples, and more on the rainbow spectrum community.The loud Arts and Entertainment booths doesn't bother as does the cute mini cafes, or the dazzling cheerleaders practicing both their lifts and vocals for next week's football competition.

When I breathed out a sigh from all the commotion surrounding me, I tapped on my messages. Mom made a text just a few minutes ago:

Mom: Alexi, there was a mail delivery on my doorstep. And there's your whiplash Himeros hunk sitting in my table sipping a drink and waiting for you.

Alexis Frostfyre: My what?

Mom: Your guy. He said his name was Reaver Calixon. His name sounds. . . different.

Alexis Frostfyre: Oh okay, tell him I said, 'crush your own balls and get the hell out.'

Mom: He said his feelings was hurt.

Alexis Frostfyre: Wait, mom, did you just say the god of sex has entered our home?

Alexis Frostfyre: with a beer?

Alexis Frostfyre: How does he even get there?

Mom: Tea, honey, tea. I made one for him, he said likes it, and you too. Mwah!

Mom: Of course he knew. He's your guy for Jesus Lord's sake.

Alexis Frostfyre: Whatever. What were you doing this morning, anyway?

Mom: I was only watching The Lion King II with your little brother. Until a guy named Cal came for you, and watched it too. So go to Candylane street number four, Alexis. Your brother misses you already.

Mom: Also I have no idea how this man got here too, but I bet you told him the address. By the way he dressed, he seems so out of place in our trailer truck home.

Mom: Anyways, you forgot your 450 bucks, from the paycheck of your last summer job.

Alexis Frostfyre: I miss my little bro too.

Alexis Frostfyre: Well, I'll be damned, I'm forgetful. But you can have it, Dominica has already signed me up for a cozy part-time job.

Mom: She's pretty gentle. Pretty and gentle. And filthy rich too, let's not forget that. Hahahahahah.

Alexis Frostfyre: True, and even if she isn't, Dominica's still that one best friend you really can't live life without.

Alexis Frostfyre: Yes, but I missed Raven, though.

Alexis Frostfyre: And honey, you should get here now. This man is not the kind of man I thought you wanted.

Alexis Frostfyre: Mom? Excuse me? What are you talking about?

Mom: This guy is a jerk, and you know it.

Alexis Frostfyre: Why is he still there? I thought you already put him to leave.

Mom: That's what I am saying, Alexis. Grrr!

Alexis Frostfyre: Mom, get him out of the house, please.

Mom: Honey, he won't.

Alexis Frostfyre: Why the hell not?

Mom: He said he was waiting for you, Alexi. At least he knows how to introduce himself to me instead of you introducing him to me.

Alexis Frostfyre: Mom, what the hell!

Mom: What can I say? I can't boot out and expel your boyfriend, Alexis. He's right here waiting for you.

Alexis Frostfyre: Mom, listen to me. HE. IS. NOT. MY. BLOODY. BOYFRIEND!