A/N: 18.07.21

Hey loves~! Here's a new update. Please don't forget to leave a vote on this chapter and the last one. It would mean a lot ⚘

Q/A: Do you bite your ice cream or do you lick it?

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"Axis!" It was Vadim. He stopped at the threshold and blinked in surprise, his gaze darting from me to Adam. As soon as he said my name, the one that Adam didn't recognize, his face darkened. Adam released me and took a step back, running a hand through his hair. The tension in his entire body is so intense it was nearly palpable.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else," I said, putting on an obnoxious smirk just to throw him off a little more. "I told you, my name is Axis."

Despite my confident allure, I was seconds from having a panic attack. Adam wasn't the only one who's changed over the years. I grew taller, stronger, and a hell lot cockier. He licked his lips and I tried hard not to stare at them. He ran his big hand through his chestnut hair. His jaw was set but a slither of a smile pulled on the corner of his lips. He leaned forward, his hot breath sending chills down my spine. 

"Welcome to Serpenti High, Axis. You've just made your first enemy."

I stiffened. He turned on his heel and walked past Vadim who quickly stepped aside even though there was more than enough space for Adam to walk through. Once he was gone, Vadim broke the silence.

"You okay?" Vadim asked, snapping me out of my trance.

It took me a second to find my voice. 

"That guy back there," I said weakly. "What's his name?"

"Adam. Adam Hale."

I felt a punch in the gut. 

"I thought you said heroes didn't exist in this place. Why the hell did Adam save the guy from Nylon?" 

"I wouldn't call him a hero. Sometimes he helps them, sometimes he doesn't. It depends on his mood."

Adam Hale is a gorgeous, moody teen. Noted.

"What's his ranking?"

"One."

My jaw hit the floor. 

"He's the strongest?" 

Vadim nodded. 

"Best if you don't pick a fight with him. He's a good fighter. Will break your teeth and bones and much worse. Though, he just said you two were now enemies, so I don't know how much longer you have to live."

I broke into a nervous fit of laughter, hoping that there wasn't a double meaning. That deadly, gorgeous beast was Adam? My Adam?  The little kid who stuck to me like glue was now the most feared student in Serpenti High?

"Are you acquaintances with him? He looked like he wanted to eat you. Like wolf and sheep, or in my country, Poutin and bear."

"I've never seen him in my life."

He stared at me, opened his mouth, but changed his mind. 

"You won't tell anyone about what just happened, right?"

"Lips sealed," he promised. "The cafeteria is going to close soon. We should hurry." 

I nodded and followed him back to the cafeteria, squeezing my hands tightly. 

No, don't worry too much Axis, there's no way he's going to find out who you are.  Don't overthink things. There's no way Adam is going to find out who you are. You have no past, you've changed your name, and you look completely different. There's no way he'll know. 

Unlike him, I didn't have a scar on my eyebrow or any distinguishing features that could confirm my identity. The only thing I had left of our past was the ring around my neck, but that was safely hidden under my shirt. Besides. I didn't have the same name as I once did. The person he knew back when we were kids was Eric. If he noticed any similarities or had his suspicions, I could simply say it was a coincidence. I wasn't planning on getting close with him again. Yet, some part of me was secretly glad that he remembered me.

When we arrived at the cafeteria, my eyes searched the cafeteria with a panicked heart.

"Looking for your boyfriend?" Vadim asked, grabbing a muffin from someone else's tray. 

"He's not my boyfriend," I grumbled.  

Vadim smirked and a blaze of heat warmed my neck and cheeks. 

"He's not here," Vadim informed me. "Adam is popular among men and women. Your majesty is probably getting a royal," he finished his sentence with the universal gesture of getting a hand job. I felt a pang of jealousy.

"Great, you even know sign language," I grumbled. He barked into laughter. 

"I am bilingual," he winked. I rolled my eyes. The smile on his face faltered and he lowered his voice.

"You sure you're okay?"

I was about to answer but realized it was a rhetorical question. The look he gave me told me that I needed to stop being a wimp and suck it up if I wanted to survive here. I remembered his advice from earlier and put on an iron mask.  I managed some sort of a smile.

"Never been better. So, what's for breakfast?"

***

"So, you're the new guy?" 

I looked up and saw a pretty girl with a high ponytail sitting on my desk. Her hair was as red as her lips, and her earthy eyes looked at me with curiosity. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing the tattoos on her arm. She chewed her bubble gum, blew a bubble, and used her tongue to slip it back into her mouth. How her lipstick remained perfectly intact was a mystery to me.  

"Nice to meet you," I said. She barked into laughter, rubbing the tip of her nose. 

"You really are new here," she smirked. "You shouldn't go around saying that kind of stuff unless you want to be the next victim."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm Ruby," she said, extending her hand. I shook it, surprised by her tight grip.

"Axis," I replied. 

"What got you in this dump?" 

It seemed as if I needed to be intimidating if I wanted to survive here.

"I broke a law or two," I said. 

"No dark backstory to tell?" she mused, blowing another bubble. 

"I'm afraid not," I said, but the grin on my face hinted otherwise. She studied my face, then smiled. 

"If you get a decent ranking, something tells me that you and I are going to be good friends," Ruby chuckled. 

My heart dropped when she mentioned the Ranking System. I was so busy thinking about Adam that I had completely forgotten about the messed-up social system that would define whether I'd be an outcast or not. Ruby must have read the worried expression on my face.  

"Relax, Axis, if you don't get a good ranking,  I'll protect you from the big bad wolves, but you might need to do a thing or do for me," she paused. "Or with me."

She laughed at her joke and I stiffened. Those who were rankless ended up being servants to those with power. It kept them safe at the very least, but it was a humiliating position to be in, and the thought of being looked down and sneered at didn't interest me. I'd rather get bullied than be under someone.

"I'm afraid Axis is off-limits," Vadim said, pulling out the chair beside mine and sitting down. He sprawled out his slim legs, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

"Off-limits?" She asked. 

"Adam already claimed this one as his."

Her brows shot up and heat flushed my cheeks.

"He didn't claim me as his!" I blurted, only drawing more attention to me. I let out a loud sigh, running a hand through my hair. Before I could defend my case, someone walked into the room, and that someone was Adam.

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