Breath whooshed out of her lungs in an audible gasp as she collided into his hard chest. 

Hera’s other hand went up in reflex, using it as a shield to separate her upper body from his. Her heart started beating wildly, hammering in her chest because of their proximity. Her palm was now resting on his chest right where his heart resides. And surprisingly, she felt the rhythm of his heartbeats matching perfectly with hers. His hand still held her wrist captive behind the small of her back. His hold was not hurting her, but it was tight enough to keep her securely locked. 

His warm body against hers felt hot as if the temperature in the hall suddenly went up, and yet, it only made her shiver. His wet shirt and pant were soaking her dress too. She was wearing a white, short-sleeved, fit and flare peplum dress which reached up-to her mid-thigh. Hunter pulled her body flush against his, making her gasp in surprise. 

‘Bloody fucking hell! Why am I feeling this weird shit in my stomach again? He’s oddly making me nervous..’ 

Her earlier fear was gone and now replaced with something else which she couldn’t name yet. 

Hera sucked in a breath when she looked into his eyes. Those gorgeous purple eyes never failed to mesmerize her. She’s so close to him that she could see his dilated pupils, how they’re widening in size. She could see the different shades of purple around those black pupils. It starts with a light shade of pink, then a layer of violet surrounds the pink, and then dark purple dominates violet, finally leading to smudges of midnight blue which circles them like an eclipse. 

The tip of his nose was almost touching hers. Hera didn’t notice how that even happened. He’s above six feet, and she’s so tiny with her five-six height reaching only up to his chest. 

‘Was he slowly inching closer by leaning his face to mine, or am I being delusional?’ 

Droplets of her pineapple juice were intermittently dripping down from his hair to his eyelashes and nose, finally settling on her dress, forming a wet yellow stain. His eyes slid down to her chest, and she followed his gaze only to gasp again. The wet blotch on her white dress made it almost transparent, and her black brassiere was visible for him to see now. 

His other hand went up to push his hair back from his forehead, raking his fingers through them. Then his palm brushed down his face, wiping the droplets of the juice. Hera was helpless in stopping her eyes from following the movement of his hand, and she watched while holding her breath. 

Suddenly, she heard everyone around them chanting. 

KISS … KISS … KISS …

Hera flinched as the silence broke and the trance lifted. Alarmed, she tried to free herself from his hold. But Hunter only strengthened his hold, stopping her from running away from him. His eyes flashed a warning, his signature cocky smirk graced his lips, and he firmly pulled her body against his. His eyes slid to her lips, and Hera looked around in panic. 

“Ace?” Samantha called him, her voice hopeful as well as helpless at the same time. Hunter ignored her as if she didn’t even exist. But Hera heard her loud and clear. 

Just like they say, it’s a Deja Vu moment. 

Recognition of bitter memories dawned on her as Hera recalled their unfortunate past. She couldn’t even look into anyone’s face. She was embarrassed and ashamed, she was sad, and she was scared. 

‘Oh, God! Why? Why me all the time? Not again, please. Why does it always happen to me?’

Hunter leaned forward, and his lips brushed against hers as he whispered just for her to hear. “Don’t you think, Goddess, a kiss is very less of a punishment for what you did?” Before Hera could comprehend what to say in reply, something startled her. Her eyes went wide in horror, mouth agape as she realized what just happened. Andrew ruthlessly pushed him off Hera before punching him in the stomach. 

Hunter stumbled upon his feet and bumped into one of the tables behind him. But he didn’t fall as he managed to steady himself. 

Michael and Danny rushed to their friend, ready to take over the fight. But thankfully Hunter stopped them from hurting Andrew, or so Hera thought. She watched in horror and heard her friend curse at Hunter. “You, fucking dick. She’s telling the truth. That bitch Bianca was,” Andrew couldn’t finish what he was saying. Hunter punched him in the face, bruising his jaw, and he fell on the floor. 

Blood dripped from the fresh-cut in his lip. Hunter kicked him in the stomach hard. When Andrew tried to get up, he slammed his foot on his chest and kept it firmly there, pushing him back, restricting his effort to get up. Hera heard him groan in pain. She stood in stunned silence. It was an understatement to say she was shocked. 

“Dude, back off. He’s right. Your friends were bullying her. And I can see, you’re no different either,” Noel interfered, surprising Hera. He’d been doing that a lot lately, surprising her that is. 

Shaking his head, Hunter groaned in frustration, signalling the new boy not to interfere. Noel ignored the silent warning and pushed Hunter away to help Andrew, only to receive a hard punch in the ribs. 

Asher and Jarred joined the fight, and so did Danny and Michael. It was clear, Hunter and his friends held an upper hand. They were all trained in martial arts, after all. 

“Should’ve done your homework before trying to be a knight and messing with me, kid,” Hunter said, kicking Noel repeatedly in his ribs. Hera was afraid he might have broken his rib cage. 

‘Where are the people in charge when they’re needed?’ 

Finally, Hera bundled up the courage. “Can someone please call Mrs Roseline?” She asked no one in particular. She looked towards the kitchen and found her gaze locked with Eric’s. Though he wasn’t fighting, he was keeping an eye on all the doors so that he could alert his friends from the staff if they walked in. Hera’s eyes accused him of not helping her to stop the fight. He shrugged it off as if it’s nothing. 

Once satisfied with the grunts and groans coming from Noel’s mouth, Hunter went to Danny, who was hitting Andrew in the stomach. Hera saw that her friends were all in so much pain. They looked like they’re going to pass out any minute. Grabbing Andrew by his collar, Hunter whispered so that it wouldn’t reach Hera’s ears. “You, little cunt, you think you can steal my girl from me? The minute, you make a move on her, that’ll be the last day of your life,” he declared. 

Andrew was shocked that Hunter knew about his feelings for Hera. He liked her, since fourth grade. She was the only one who stood up for him when other senior boys were bullying and robbing his lunch every day during fourth grade. But he never got the courage to confess his feelings. He didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship either. 

Hunter was about to punch him in the face when he heard Evelyn’s tensed voice. “Ace, stop it. It’s enough. You’re scaring Hera,” she said, and the warning in her tone made him glance at Hera, who was on the verge of tears. He let go of Andrew’s collar. Eric whistled at the same time, in a warning. Students moved quickly, settling themselves on the table and chairs which were nearest to them, except Hera and Hunter’s friends. 

Hera wanted to reach Andrew and help him, but she stopped herself as Hunter was standing in the way. She couldn’t dare to cross his path. 

A tall woman in her forties walked in gracefully with poise and confidence. Black hair styled in a bob cut, the woman looked quite domineering in her black, loose trouser paired with a grey turtleneck jumper neatly tucked in and matching pumps heels in feet. Her brown skin only served as a bonus to her attractive facial features. All she’d to do was just to stretch her wide, full lips into a smile and she would be the closest thing to one’s caring mother. 

With her pretty face pulled down in a scowl, she was anything but pleased at the moment. When her confident stature could intimidate grown-up men, turning them into scared puppies, how would these high school teenagers stand a chance in front of the matron’s intimidating personality?

One look around her surroundings and Roseline Roger folded her arms across her chest, eyes narrowed into slits, her voice came out in a no-nonsense tone. “What’s going on in here? Why were you fighting? And what’s that stain doing on my floor?” The matron asked, pointing to the spilt sticky juice on the floor. 

No one answered, and Roseline gasped when she noticed Hunter’s soaked form.