I got sandwiches, burgers, diet coke, orange juice, small pizza box, doughnuts, some milky popcorn and salted crackers to go.

The accountant will be getting in touch with me sooner or later. Food is part of the tuition fee and there's no limit to it, we eat as we want but I've been overdoing it. I missed breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I end up taking more than I can finish. And I have a feeling that the research might take us some time.

Dropping the boxes on the nearest table, I stretch my arm out and pull the strap of the big totes bag I'm carrying and pack the junk food inside. I come prepared.

I smile and adjust the bag, looking forward, my eyes meet the woman in charge of serving this morning. She's leaning against the counter with her arms folded across her chest. The look on her face says she's curious and also annoyed. I wait for what she has to say because she always has something to say.

When she doesn't say anything, I turn my heel and walk away but I hear her shout, "better not be taking those to class or your room," behind me.

I thought she was going to disappoint by not saying anything.

I wait outside for Alyssa because we said we'd meet in cafeteria and she's late. My phone vibrates in my back pocket, I dip my hand inside to bring it out. I frown when I see a message notification from an unknown number. I unlock my phone and click on the message.

Unknown: The bus is leaving.

The bus? What bus?

I remove my other hand from where it's clutching the straps of my bag and lean against the wall to get comfortable as I type out a response to the number.

Me: Who the fuck is this?

The three little dot appears immediately like the person hasn't exit our chat. The reply comes instantly.

Unknown: you can't even be nice in your messages.

Unknown: it's Damian

Unknown: I just want to remind you that I'm in the boiler room waiting for you and your friend.

This makes me frown and I respond.

Me: where the fuck did you get my number? When did you get a phone? Why do you have a phone?

I don't mean to sound like a bitch but he doesn't need it or he doesn't act like he needs it. He already knows everything he needs to know about everything that's important, so he clearly doesn't need the internet. He doesn't communicate with people, so he doesn't need to call or message anyone. He also knows we can communicate telepathically.

"Hey," the sound of the breathless voice of Alicia makes me raise my head from glaring at my screen. She looks like she ran her with the way she's sucking in air.

"You're ten minutes late," I tell her and lean away from the wall, "come on, Damian's waiting."

We walk away from the cafeteria and head for the boiler room when Alicia asks, "you weren't at breakfast this morning. Where were you?"

I want to give her a reply that goes along the lines of 'its none of your fucking business what I do with all my time,' but I don't because it would be rude to, and she doesn't deserve it.

"I was busy with something," I respond with less hostility.

It's truth I was busy with something or rather someone. The guidance counselor paid me a surprise visit this morning. She woke me up actually, I made a mental note to start locking my room now. Who wakes people up for therapy session? Miranda Mulligan does. Apparently she thought getting to me first thing in the morning would make me talk. We had a not so nice conversation about boundaries. She seemed awfully interested in what was going on in my head and I didn't like it. It made her look guilty of something.

"Why is your bag crunching? Do you have snacks in there?" I hear her ask behind me, pulling me out of my thought.

I nod. "Yeah, I have snacks."

"Oh goodie."

"This way," I tell her before turning left to the direction of the boiler room.

I already see Damian waiting in front of the boiler room, his head is buried in his phone. "Well, this is a surprise and something I never thought I'd ever see. Damian playing games. What's going on?"

He raises his head and meets my eyes, he chuckles and presses the lock button on his phone before sliding it into his pocket. "Good morning, Cami," he greets with a smile and moves his gaze to the lady beside me, "and you must be Alicia Chains."

Alicia blushes and nods her head. "I am and you are?"

"You already know who I am, but I will introduce myself again. Damian." He extends his hand forward, offering her a handshake.

I swear I see her mocha skin turn pink as she reaches to take his hand and shake it. What the hell is going on?

'Since when do you shake hands?' I slip into his mind because I don't want Alicia to know why we're talking about.

'Since now,' he responds without looking away from Alicia.

'I thought you don't like people touching you, you hypocrite!' we might be communicating telepathically but I know he can feel the anger I'm feeling.

He looks at me this time as he answers, 'I don't like it when people touch me without my permission.'

Like he goes around asking for permission before touching me.

"Shall we?" He suggests before I can reply him.

"Sure." I grit out.

'Aren't you Dihipians supposed to be smart because right now you're acting petty just like an insecure asshole human male would.' I glare at him.

He doesn't acknowledge the thought. He opens the portal and steps back to let us through. I step in first and they come in behind me.

I arrive at the room and wait for them to get here. "Oh, my God! Did you just–how did you conjure a stable portal? I've never seen anyone do it before. There's no spell, dark or white that can make a portal stable. How did you do it?" Alicia asks.

I try not to roll my eyes, I remind myself that she doesn't really know anything about me, so I'll give her a break to fangirl over the man that can create a stable portal.

Removing my bag, I drop it on the floor before walking around the room. I still remember this place like it was yesterday I was here snooping around. I walk past the dark objects I saw that day and stop at the display glass that used to house the Elsword, only it's empty today. Sniffling, my gaze moves to the side where the book that contains Earth's worst supernaturals.

My head whips to the side to see Alicia laughing at something Damian said. My heart becomes heavy at the sight. I'm not jealous of Alicia because I know how she is, but the fact that Damian is comfortable to speak freely to her. He looks relaxed and content. I mean, he has never been like this with me or anyone else.

"How can we get this book out?" I ask, letting my voice up a tune so they'll hear me. "And I need everything you have on covens, especially the Gemini coven and their witches."

He looks at me, raising his eyebrow up. "Why?"

"None of your fucking business." I snap my back, which makes Alicia flinches and looks at Damian nervously.

"Maybe I should just open a portal to the headmaster's office and let you explain to him what you're doing here," he replies.

Who is this and where is the other real Damian? It's like this one is being rude and cruel intentionally to hurt me.

I shrug like his words and actions isn't affecting me. "Open it. I dare you. I mean, I'm sure the headmaster would love to hear about how you're keeping secrets from him especially the ones you specifically told me not to tell him about." His smirk fades. "You see, Damian, you aren't the only one that can play this game and don't forget who thrives on being a bitch, we both know I play dirty and I always fucking win. So either you help me like you promised you would without asking anymore asinine questions or send us back to The Vale because I have so much to do and I don't have any time to fucking waste."

We maintain eye contact. It's a battle of strength and endurance. We'll see who will break first. Damian is an asshole without even trying, and him trying to be a jerk is just annoying and fucking pathetic. I'm not sure what he wants to gain by trying to be someone he's not.

He sighs, breaking eye contact. Losing. "Fair enough."

"Good."

He nods and walks away in search of what I asked. When he's out of sight, Alicia rushes to me and wraps her fingers around my arm. "That was intense. Did you something happened between you two? Is something going on between you two?" She asks curiously. She'd be a fool not to pick up on tension between Damian and I.

I look away from the direction he went and face Alicia. "Nothing happened between the both of us. Nothing is going on between us. He's my basic spell teacher and he's jerk. That's all."

She hums and she has this looks in her eyes that tells me she's debating whether to believe me or not. I don't care if she believes me or not, I just need her to drop it.

"Why do you want to read about Gemini witches?"

"Because Caleb is a gemini wizard and we need to know everything there is to know about that coven. That might tells us more about his nature." I tell her.

"How do we do it?"

"We start from the beginning."