Page 19 of Chaos
Dante with his dark as night hair. His olive skin is flawless, but it shows how much he has been through too. I have seen the scars on his knuckles. He is a fighter, but there is gentleness to him. His smile shines bright like the sun. I still wonder how those sharp canine teeth would feel against my skin. And how he speaks Italian. It's swoon worthy. The night of our date, he spoke to me in Italian, and though I didn’t know what he was saying, I could listen to him speak for hours.
Midas is a lot like Dante. Dark. Dangerous. Ruthless. If I didn’t know any better, you would think they were related. He is arrogant and rude, expects the world to bow to him whenever he demands something, but he is also sweet and caring. He has proven he can be both, even when I doubted everything about him. Every inch of his sinful body is marked with the mayhem he lives in. The muscles he works hard for, the tattoos, the few scars I have seen. He has lived a life at eighteen that most would never be able to have even if they lived to be a hundred years old.
Odin always makes me smile, even when I thought I never would again. He has become my lighthouse in a dark storm. Always guiding me back to the light and happiness. Going above and beyond to be there for me when I needed him. Spoiling me in small ways. Every time I see him, I know that everything will be fine. His soulful blue eyes are always so bright, like looking into the ocean on a clear, sunny day. His smile dazzles me, and his laugh is so infectious.
Zeus is still a mystery, but I want nothing more than to solve it. He has always been quiet from the gossip I have heard, but he opened up to me. I have watched him as much as he has me. I see how broken and lost he looks, but there is still hope in his eyes. Hope he doesn’t know how he feels. Every day with him, I see it grow. He once called me his serenity, but he has become mine too.
I look back at my friend and see the tears in her eyes that trigger mine. Her arms wrapped back around me. We held each other as both our tears flowed freely. At some point, I don’t know which are mine and which are hers as they pool between us. After some time, she pulls away and wipes the remaining tears from her eyes.
“I’m thankful you weren’t here. I would hate for you to get hurt because of me.” I whisper. “So, did anything exciting happen at school today?” I ask, needing things to be lighter than they are.
She gives me a side eye, clearly knowing I am avoiding the more important topic. Like the amazing woman she is, Evie drops it to tell me all about school today.
“Most of the day was boring. The Kings were in an awful mood all day, and everyone avoided them like the plague. A poor freshman accidentally bumped into Midas in the hallway at one point. I thought Midas was going to murder him, or at least break a few bones based on the look on his face. Thankfully, Odin was able to hold him back as the poor kid ran for his life.”
Of course, Midas was ready to kill someone for daring to touch him. That man needs to learn a little humility, and that accidents happen. He can’t blame everyone for everything in life.
“The best part of the day was lunch. Valerie was on the war path, and the Kings let her have it most epically. There is even a video of it circulating the school. Let me pull it up for you.”
Evie digs her phone up and opens a video before passing me her phone. I press play and watch the scene unfold in front of me. Whoever took this video must have been insanely close to the Kings, which means only one thing. One of them took the video. You can very clearly see Midas and Valerie standing, and Zeus sitting in his chair, looking bored as fuck at the whole encounter. So, Odin shot this.
Of course he did.
Valerie is screaming in Midas’s face, but her words are almost indecipherable. Midas, to his credit, looks so calm the entire time. His arms crossed over his broad chest, showing off his perfectly sculpted biceps in the black T-shirt he is wearing.
When Valerie finally stops her tirade, the atmosphere changes. Gone is the blank look from Midas’s face, and something dark and menacing replaces it. A small, deadly chuckle leaves his lips as he stares her down. The fear Valerie feels is palpable even through the phone. She takes a few steps backward before Zeus jumps up and holds her still.
“I think you forget who we are.” Midas starts as he takes a step forward. “We are the Kings of Chaos. And the last thing I will ever slide is some preppy bitch like you talk to me the way you just did.
“Let’s get a few things straight. None of us has been or ever will be yours. You are nothing but a loose pussy we fucked out of boredom. You mean nothing to any of us. You are disposable, and now that your usefulness is no longer needed, you are nothing. Less than nothing. If you were on fire, I wouldn’t piss on you to put it out.”
The sound of Odin’s cackle can be heard while everyone else is dead silent in the room. Tears start to pool in Valerie’s eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. A determined look flares in her eyes as she takes the verbal lashing from Midas, but it doesn’t seem to matter what he says to her. She won’t let this go.
“If I hear you say another bad thing about Serena, you will pay for it. That’s not a threat. It is a promise. Don’t speak to us again. Don’t look at us again. Hell, don’t even think about us again. If you do, I will know, and you will pay. Fuck off Valerie and don’t let me see your bitch ass face again.”
Zeus finally releases her and pushes her away from them. Valerie trips over her heels and falls to the floor. She glares at all three of them one last time. “You will regret this. Don’t forget what I said to you, Midas. I have no problem using that.”
“Try it. I dare you.” Midas’s voice is so full of malice that it makes my body involuntarily shiver.
The video ends with Midas taking his drink and pouring it on Valerie’s head as she screams, and Odin laughing hysterically in the background. I hand the phone back to Evie, who has a massive grin on her face that I can’t help but mirror.
I don’t believe in bullying for any reason, but from the little I know about Valerie, that is the only way to get the message through to her. She doesn’t take no for an answer. The pouring of a drink on her was a little harsh, but I can’t help admitting the satisfaction that it gave me to watch.Thank God for Odin filming this.
I will have to give him a proper thanks when I see him next.
The rest of the evening, Evie stays by my side. She pestered me until I showed her the wound on my arm. She went into mother hen mode, cleaning and rebandaging the wound. I have no idea how she knows how to do this, but I am grateful that she did. It is something I needed to do, but looking at it brings that night rushing back.
The angry music that has been our ambience of the evening finally silences from the kitchen, and Mom pops her head out, surprised to see Evie, but she gives her a warm, inviting smile.
“Thankfully, I made enough food for an army. Do you want to join us for dinner?”
Evie excitedly nods her head, and we head into the kitchen.
Dinner is quiet, mainly on my part. Mom and Evie talk animatedly to each other while I just stay in my silent bubble. Throughout the meal, both sneak glances at me, making sure I am alright. Which I appreciate, but I hate being seen as someone who needs constant supervision. Like I am made of glass and at any second, I will break.
Once dinner is done, Evie says goodbye before giving me another big hug and heading home. I park my butt back on the couch, not wanting to step foot into my room just yet. I know at some point I will need to sleep in there again, but for now that’s not happening.
Mom brings me some dessert that she made and a drink before sitting down next to me. The TV is still on, but we don’t pay attention. We just talk.
