C H A P T E R 9

T A S T E M Y V E N O M

Author: Raven Orthodox

"H-hello, mom?" I called her after we texted for a very long time.

"Yes, darling?"

"Hand over the phone to Cal, mom. I've got to talk to him. Now."

For a few seconds, there was hustle, and little brother Garrett was already crying, saying he just missed talking to me again. Oh, Garett.

"I'm sorry, Alexa. I'm sure he doesn't want to talk to you on the phone right now."

"But. . . but why?"

"Because your boyfriend said so!"

"For the last time, and in the name of Zeus, that Greek god isn't my boyfriend. I texted you that fact three times already, duh."

"And I don't believe it. This man, I mean this piece of hunk, seriously?" Mom uttered her juicy words on hushed tones, so neither of the two people could hear her say it. "You can't tell me you're rejecting a fresh-in-the-oven Greek god boyfriend you're secretly hiding from me. I know you had a thing for muscled jocks, Alexi. But seriously? Since when did you become so quiet about your love life? When things get a little bit hotter?"

"That boy bullied me, mom. I didn't even invited him over there."

"Liar. What are these expensive chocolate gifts and handwritten love letters?"

Ew, a few letters and confectioneries from a spiteful enemy? No way!

"Fine, fine, fine. Tell Garrett I miss him, and I'm coming right at home."

"Would you bring Austin?" Garrett's charming call made my heart a retarded flutter. Oh, how I missed his chubby-squishy, flustered cheeks.

My throat cleared as I soon heightened my voice with command."No, Garrett, I cannot. It would be too much of a pointless venture for Austin. He might get tired from the ride back and forth, or maybe he'll catch nasal congestion or something."

"But please, I miss him so much, and I can take care of him now. I am a big boy, stop believing mom for one sec."

"You promise to take care of him? You're still eleven, baby boy."

"And you're still seventeen. Bleugh!" Garrett snarled.

"Okay, fine. You may take Austin with you, but make sure you feed him right. Got it, officer?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Garrett's thick, deep, lackluster voice unified with a cheerful roar.

I immediately turned away from my phone so they wouldn't hear the loudness of my laughter.

When I cooled down a bit, we continue talking a little bit longer as my feet dragged itself to the dormitory building to get Austin. Garret laughed in hysteria 'till Cal's forte voice demanded I must get there in no time. "Get your ass in here, Lexi. I'm tired of waiting."

Who the the hell does he think he is?

"Garrett? You still there?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Tell Cal that he's not my boss and get him to shut up."

"She said you better stop shouting, stranger, you are no boss of hers. Now beat it!"

"That's my boy!" My high-pitched outcry called for a triumph.

Calixon laughed in the background, and said, "Hurry up, babe. I still have practice for football. You don't want me losing track being the MVP of my team, don't you? Tell her to hurry up, Garrett."

"Yep, sister. Hurry up." Garrett chuckled in response and confessed about the very thing a spoiled young boy shouldn't have done, "-your cookie jar was empty because of me, by the way, ah ha-ha."

"Garrett, don't you dare..."

"I'm sorry, sister, I was just hungry!"

"Ugh, fine. You already munched all my honey biscuits and jelly jam." I said in a perfect-sister authoritarian tone as I retied my shoelaces on the dorm building's front porch stairs using one hand. Thanks, YouTube how-to.

"Hey, Lexi, I told them about your secret." Cal's annoying bark is strong enough to be overheard.

"What secret?"

"I told them about you, choosing to switch to the lions and about how we're about to plan for our next second date, you know, since last week."

My thumb pressed the decline button after hearing that embarrassing line coming from the biggest jerk who was confident enough to step inside our home and call me babe and discuss about some stupid date whatsoever.

"What in the nine circles of hell did he spawn from?" I break out a sigh instead of disclosing up a random rage in front of the nearby shopkeepers and school cleaners.

Moving forward, I put the phone back where it belonged and hastened my speed to the dormitory elevetor.

I cannot believe how manipulative he was to think that he could track the address I lived and pretended as my cliched fake boyfriend. I couldn't really understand why he's doing all of this, but I know one thing that it all comes down to something bad. I've got to prepare about what's to come and listen carefully as to what he says. If he could manipulate my mother and Garrett that we're together, then I've got to find a strategic solution to outplay him. I could use my spy camera recorder, if that helps.

Reaching to my dorm, Austin hopped on my stomach as I unlocked the door, licking the hem of my uniform. I rolled my eyes at him. "Okay, boy, that's enough."

The leash was then locked and bolted on Austin's navy blue collar. "Arf, arf." I mimicked his dainty yaps after donning up my sapphire bracelets and blue choker. "I'm a literal dog now, Austin; our colors fit together."

After taking a cab from Arkskye University to Candylane street number four, Austin's tail waggled in joy after smelling the familiar smell of freshly cooked bacon and lavender oil diffused through the windows. Garrett was jumping up and down, screaming when I've finally arrived with our husky.

A few minutes later, Garrett was hugging Austin and shaking his collar a little bit too much. "Young man, that's enough. You're spoiling our poor Austin."

"Sorry, sister."

"How are you, darling?" My mom's soft, concerned tone made me narrow my eyes on her.

"I'm fine, mom." I said with a tight lip.

I'm not going to argue with her that this stuck-up, rich, a-hole of a bully wasn't my boyfriend. She's not gonna believe me either way. So I'm gonna deal with this the hard way. I'm gonna talk him out to see what's up with his fiend-devilish schemes. And I had to think quick for a successive comeback to ultimately oust this guy from our house.

Speaking of our house, he knew already that I'm living in a trailer park. If he's spreading details about my home, it's going to be the end of me. Well, not really. I meant that my fake reputation would crumble and I'd be deemed as a liar. But stuffs like this crap happens, and I can't escape the fact that secrets always reveal itself sooner or later and no matter what.

"Are you sure?" Mom asked one more time.

"Of course, I really am."

"Okay. So both of you love birds will do the talking, alright? I'd best be on my way and leave both of you to it." Mom, said. "Come on, Garrett, let's leave them to it. Good luck, dear." I could see her wink as she left at my direction coming from my peripheral view, yet I never letmy glare get sidetracked from this jerk.

With the stoic, unemotional facade I'm masking on my face, Cal's curious expression hinted the point that he knew I was keeping my emotions intact and not letting a single drop of frustration or anger drop. Because in all honesty with my mother, I won't let her witness that this so-called man hunk, whether boyfriend or a bully, have the ounce to frustrate or make me mad in confusion and submissive surrender. She'll be disappointed at my crybaby attitude of letting any man weaken me.

As you could see, and hear, these razor-sharp nails struck an edgy, tap rhythm. The frightening clicker sound, with my keen-visioned cat eyes, was enough to get any guy break charge and run off to the front door. But his stance remained firm, sitting in his chair like an absolute tyrant.

Hands crossed with his feet carefree on the edge of the table; Cal randomly threw a cheque like a king throwing spoiled food and low-class gold to poor peasants. The cheque looked like a thousand dollars or more. That's much enough to persuade me, but I urged myself to repress the desire to grab it.

"For the underprivileged Frostfyre fam, and their miss Little Bo Peep who doesn't have enough money to pay for her university tuition and how much more to her dormitory fee. Take that money, and come to daddy. . ." He joked. The insult was way too transparent than the joke itself.

"I don't need money from your cheque, just answer my question as to what the hell are you doing here? Are you happy now? After what you just did? Huh, dork?"

He chuffed in annoyance, ignoring my question"You don't need the check? Alright, sp it's straight-up cash for you, then." He threw out four wads of a thousand bucks on the table.

I looked at the seductive rolled-up cash and then back at his strong-jawed face with that wild ruffled brown locks. "I know you want it."

"Who doesn't?" I rolled my eyes, half-agreeing, seeming not too offended.

"It ain't a trap, loser. Take it, it's yours." That bright-bluish, seemingly-sexy wink suggested that this was all a game Calixon enjoyed playing. Relishing in his satire masculinity, I think it's his thing that he loved winning and owning people either through physical threat or money bargain. That's maybe because he wanted to bully them again and get away with it by being a sheep and calling him king like the Lion that he is.

Not until he stomped on the wrong cobra who had the deadliest fangs.

I thought long for a moment and decided if it's a good time to call my mother and invite her and Garrett on the table and humiliate the hell out of him.

"So you do want to play this game?"

"What game?"

"The cat-and-mouse game. You wanted it, so you feel entitled to continue crashing up my life again."

"And then you think that by acting up as my fake boyfriend and offering up expensive chocolates on a box, a rose bouquet, and a bunch of coiled cash, you think it's going to fix everything up and bully me back again. I'm not your bully, Cal!"

He shrugged, "you could have just accepted what I offered, because either way, I'm about to do whatever it takes to overthrow a bad girl like you. And yep, I don't care if you faked your rich life and lived in a trailer truck, which you do, no offense."

My head was down, my dull-blank eyes staring at the ring on one of my fingers, a tight knot of suppressed emotions made it hard to say something, but still. . . "I'm not ashamed of living in a trailer park."

"Then why didn't you mention it? Why try so hard on building up a fake status."

"I hide things, okay? I only show what people want to see. Does that mean I don't value what I have with my family? Uhm, no, you freaking piece of turd."

"Still not a good reason to me. You chose not to show it because you want to feel what the high life feels like, you chose not to show it so you could flex all that fake crap with that gigantic self-confidence you wear on yourself and be like one of us, am I right? You shocked me, Alexis." He chuckled.

A burning question!

My eyes darted at him, the inner Frostfyre in me reached maximum cold, so void of any other expression. "All you rich, dumb idiots, except for people like Domi, have no idea what it feels like to live the way we lived, and the way others lower than us have lived."

"No, Alexi, I-"

"I'm not even done here, you fool. Shut up." An icy index finger of mine silenced Cal's lips. "Alright, so here it goes: I wear branded clothing some other day of the week and buy some more when I get the chance. I don't know, maybe society respects brands. I would have stopped wearing it if I could reverse that social construct, but I couldn't. And believe it or not, the masses choose looks over personality, so let's not kid ourselves."

"If you were just a short, ugly, jerk, coming with that personality of yours, I bet ninety-percent of the school's population wouldn't have even noticed you. Because if you were, you'd get right down to the bullied department and have two-to-zero chances of getting a date or getting laid. Zero. . ."

"Ouch, that hurts a lot," Cal frowned, seeming offended, but not really. "-but please, do continue."

"I prioritize family and self-love. I am selfish. My step-sister is, too. Just for that fact, we took care of ourselves and never give a damn about other people except for family and close friends. Everything felt so superficial and practical now to the point that you got to earn that respect instead of just expecting it from the good Samaritans to hand it to you. I see it as true, or at least I thought so because my step-dad always told me to 'never stop presenting a powerful look and firm background' or else you'll be handed to the wolves and feel constant abuse.

"And it doesn't even matter if it's fake just as long as it channels both awe, respect, and status from everyone. Because if I would choose to look campy, I'd be a bully target. But here we are, in an upside-down situation, because people like you enter the conversation and destroy that 'gigantic confidence' I've worn, just as you said."

He simply nodded, looking into my eyes and analyzing the main points and ideas of what I just said. "Cool perspective."

"After all I've said? Cool perspective? Do you even listen to a word I said?"

"Nope, sounds bland to me."

"What are your thoughts, then? Tell me!"

"Arrogant pricks like us don't click, you see? D'you know what I mean? We're like negative magnets, Lexi. That must be why I even cared to visit you and say sorry through offering gifts and letters and gold. Ha-ha-ha, we're kind of like magnets that just wouldn't vibe with each other in a room. And that must be why I love to hate you."

"I confessed to you all my thoughts, the inner working of my head, and most of my secrets."

"Yes, you just did," he said, faking a yawn to seem bored.

I think maybe he needs a little excitement and a hint of uncertainty if he gets bored that easy. I must have a plan B if this doesn't get to where I want this to go.

"So you will stop this. All of these stupid pranks, play pretends, and of course, the bullying part, Cal. I hated that, and you squeezed my feelings to its last drop while making me the joke of the day at the cafe."

"I deserve punishment from the failed HIV post. I take full responsibility for it, I exclude everyone from it, even my Raven, even though she had that idea in the first place. But I think what you did was just not cool, okay? Do you agree to stop doing this ever again? I will not do it again, either. And I'll also beg for forgiveness to Diana if ever she agrees to settling everything."

I offered him an agreement settlement that would 'settle' this crappy power play once and for all. And as an ultimatum, we'll call it a truce; he and I will part our ways and will never again hurt each other.

"Deal?"

His thick brown brows furrowed even further, contemplating. And then he disclosed into a sweet guy with cute dimples along with that perfect-set-of-teeth smile. Good, he's finally coming into terms.

"Nope."

The absolute excitement of my raised shoulders blades faltered into despair. I sensed a tinge of hopelessness compressing in my stomach. No, this is far from butterflies.

Is he thinking what I'm thinking? Is he not going to stop? Does he want to let this psychologically-insane game never stop? Until the very day comes that I cannot help myself but walk to my grave and bury myself in defeat?

"What do you mean, 'nope'?"

"Nope, I am not." He smiled even more, What an actor, dear Lord. He looked so genuine when he wants to be. "And you know what that means."

Although the blood in my veins fumed in boiling rage to a hundred degree Celsius, I remained my cool-toned exterior impression against his immorally-deranged demeanor. "I see. I know now, I understand. You loved destroying what's weaker than you, is that right?."

"Sounds about right, kiddo." he gave me a wink, a charming one at that.

"But," I stared at him, face blank, "-what if that person you thought was weaker than you is not what you thought she is."

"Boo-hoo-hoo, Lexi. That made me scared, I'm sure. What have you got, babe, a stabbing knife in your pocket?"

"Let me ask you a question, do you even have anything against me?"

"Yep. Yeah, I do."

"What then?"

"Tsk-tsk, I'm not telling you that, babe."

"Then, I don't believe you, and I'm not afraid of you, so see you later then. Buh-bye." I stood up from the chair and about to take my bag.

"Wait, wait, wait. Okay." Gesturing me to sit back, I obeyed and a mischievous smile formed on my face. "I'll tell your mom about what you did."

"Haha, about what, honey?" I urged him. "-spill the details, for Christ's sake. Tell me the specifics."

"Maybe everything, you'll never know." His eyes twinkled with so many hidden agendas running at the back of his mind" Okay, babe. Let's start with the headliners. I'll admit that you destroyed my sister's rep by posting that HIV story."

"Go on, tell her. It's fine by me, baby." I smirked, which confused the heck out of his adorable face.

"Wait, are you sure?"

"Oh I am sure. Spread every word of it, that doesn't worry me."

He sat there staring at me, deadpanned, as I slipped away and left the room, closing the door.

"Alexis, what have you talked about?" Mom spoke in shock, I knew what she was doing; she was listening to every word we made. "I was eavesdropping, okay. And I'm sorry if that has crossed your boundary. But I did it not in a creepy way, because I've heard mean shart about me. And, also, about your sister. So what's going on? Your mother has got to know."

"And now you will finally know." I said.

I pressed the play button on my recorder hidden on my badge, and here goes one of Calixon Reaver Dayne's offensive slurs come into play. "For the underprivileged Frostfyre fam, and their miss Little Bo Peep who doesn't have enough money to pay for her university tuition and how much more to her dormitory fee. Take that money, and come to daddy."

After hearing that last two words, mom went from Dorothy Gale to the Wicked Witch of the West. She stormed inside the room as I quickened my pace, running to the front door while calling a cab as quickly as I could.

When my cab finally dropped by, someone shouted. "Lexi! Alexis, get over here!"

When I didn't look back, I heard him run towards me. "What have you done back there? Did you-"

"Rich people aren't rich because they throw around money like neanderthals on the ice age, but thanks for this, though." I showed him the rolled-up wad of cash I grabbed back inside the trailer truck, and thanked him for it.

"What the hell? What have you told your mom about me? She called me a trespasser and ditched my words like she suddenly stopped believing me. What did you do?"

The cab driver opened the door. "Tsk-tsk. I'm not telling you that, babe." Closing the door, I gave him the middle finger before sliding up the window frame.

"What the hell?"

That infuriated pout and confused thick-lashed eyes looked so cute on him, but my cab had already revved the engine, and I've got a dress to wear and a party to go to, so let's go back to Arkskye University, baby. Here we go!