Belle’s POV
I drank a cup of coffee to help with my hangover when I noticed something shiny on the balcony. Reign’s shoes. I almost forgot about them. I opened the door leading to the balcony and took a closer look at the shoes. There are metallic chains hanging over the shoes, that’s what is shining. I grabbed the shoes and tried to smell them. I gagged. The smell of my vomit is definitely still there. Should I wash it again? Why would I? She's a demon. But then again, she was nice to lend me her coat and light up a fire for me that night.
“Well, she still kidnapped me. But I do remember her saving me from that guy at the club. But then she was stalking me. But she definitely took care of me last night. Well, she tried to take me to that guy again...Is she a good person or a bad person? I’m confused.” Arguing with myself is not going to help so I took the shoes inside and washed them again. I even sprayed it with a protective layer for leather.
“How am I even supposed to return this to her? Why would I return this to her?” I threw the shoes in the corner of my room. “Oh my god. I’m so mean she just took care of me when I was drunk and I’m the reason why those shoes stink.” I ran towards them and fixed them in a proper position. I let them lay properly in the corner of my room. “I’ll just return when she tries to kidnap me again. I don’t know if I should actually wait for that day or not.”
It’s the next day and I’m in class. I can’t believe I brought a huge bag just so I could bring the shoes with me just in case she tries to kidnap me here at my university. Why am I even anticipating it?
“Hey, girl,” Selene landed an arm over my shoulder. “What’s inside the bag? Trying to run away?”
“No.”
“Then why? You’re a communication arts student. You don’t need lots of things.” She unzipped my bag.
“Hey!”
“Oh, what are these?” She took the leather shoe and examined it. “Wait, this is interesting. Did you design this yourself?”
I took the shoe from her and returned it to my bag. “It’s not mine. Why would you think I have such talent to design a pair of shoes?”
She raised a brow. “Not yours obviously. I don’t see you as a black leather type of person either. Maybe white or cream.”
I groaned. “Stop.”
“Well, whose shoes are those then?”
“Uhmm…”
Her eyes widened. “You had sex, didn’t you? The other night? Is the person studying here too? They left their shoes at your place? Which one is it?” She looked around looking for the person. Whoever she thinks it is.
“No, she’s not studying here.”
“She?” Selene smirked. “Oh…”
“It’s not that kind of thing! We just happen to stumble upon each other. She saved me from a creepy guy in the club, she took me outside, I hugged her and said thank you then I vomited on her shoes.” I reasoned. Then I realized something. “Oh my god, I hugged her.” I covered my mouth with my hand. “I did that?”
“Nothing happened? Just a hug for being grateful?” Selene looked disappointed at me.
“Erm...”
“Come on, don’t lie. It’s okay. I’ve always known you’re bisexual.”
I shook my head. “Please, I’m not in the mood to joke around.” I wore the backpack on my back and continued to walk toward my room. Oh my god. I just hugged a demon and vomited on her favorite shoes. I covered my face in humiliation. If I ever die, I hope for my soul to never go wherever she lives.
--
It was already the end of the class and I still couldn’t take my mind off of the idea that I hugged her. What was her reaction before I vomited on her shoes? That part still isn’t clear. But I do remember one thing. I felt a heartbeat. Demons and heartbeats don't seem right. But if she’s part human as the angels said then maybe it kinda makes sense?
“Belle!” Selene shouted from the door. “Let’s go. Lunch.” It’s been like this since we started college. We intentionally chose a schedule where our breaks fell at the same time so we could eat lunch together. It’s either I’m the one who waits for her or she waits for me.
I got up from my seat to follow her to the cafeteria.
“Belle, you’re so out of it. I watched you the whole day and you couldn’t even look at the board.”
“Watch me?”
“Yeah, our class ended early so I had to wait longer outside your room. But seriously, girl, you’re so hypnotized by this mysterious woman.”
“Yeah, there’s just a lot in my head right now.”
“Do you want noodles? Warm food? Coffee? Tea?”
I don’t know what Selene is talking about anymore but my eyes were focused straight ahead. Something is pulling me there like a magnet but I couldn’t really make up any of it. It’s like the same thing back at my birthday celebration where I couldn't make up anyone's faces. I stopped walking and let people pass by until the center was clear and there she was; she was wearing a black loose shirt tucked into her pants. There are, of course, chains on her waist, piercings on her ears, and lots of rings on her fingers. Her hair is laid down flat on her back.
“Reign.”
“What?” Selene asked. “Why did we stop walking?”
“Stay here for a moment.”
“Belle?”
I continued walking forward, closing my distance to Reign. Finally, I was face to face with her.
She raised a brow.
“You look mad.”
She sharpened the glare of her eyes towards me. I just realized now that she’s a little taller than me so she’s tilting her head a little lower to get a proper view of me.
“Well, nothing's changed. You always looked mad. Anyway, I brought your shoes.” I placed my backpack against my chest to open it. “I know you're gonna show up sooner or later so I brought them with me.” I was opening my backpack when her cold hands landed on it. “Reign?”
“Someone else is here.”
“What?” I turned around to see everyone completely frozen.
Reign took a step forward and dragged me behind her as if shielding me from something. I see Selene frozen in her place. I think she was following me until she just stopped.
“Angels?” I asked. I looked around. Actually, everyone is frozen in their place. Someone was about to trip but stopped mid-air, a group of students laughing but now they just looked like mannequins with mouths wide open, and students running along the hallway but also stopped in the middle.
“No.”
Someone was clapping at the other end of the hallway and then later on a silhouette appeared in front of us.
“Anthony,” Reign said.
“Who is Anthony? That guy?” He’s got long black hair tied in a clean ponytail. A suit and tie and leather shoes.
“You have your holy water with you?” She asked me.
“Erm...yeah.”
“Remember the sigil you used to burn me with?”
I nodded as I searched my pockets for it. “I still have the copy.” I kept the copy just in case. I am sure that I am not going to use it to Reign anymore but I just know that I have to keep it with me. The event now proves that my guts are right.
“Do it.” Reign walked towards him and stopped in the middle. “What do you want?” She asked the other person. It’s definitely a demon. He has the same aura as Reign but darker. Much much darker. Almost as if his presence is sucking all the strength I have.
I lowered my things to the ground to search for the copy of the sigil and holy water.
“Your radar is good. As expected.” Anthony smirked. “You have the person that I need.”
I paused on what I was doing. Another one?
“First come first serve, Anthony.” Fire started lighting up on Reign’s hands as Anthony pulled a spear-like object from thin air.
“Yeah...but it's a job, you know.” Anthony walked forward.
I continued on with my sigil making. All I need is a pint of blood. I can’t find any sharp object in my bag.
Anthony made a run for it. Reign’s right foot took a step back and with her left leg, she leaned forward. She’s making a defensive stance and expecting Anthony’s blow. Reign then pulled a sword from thin air and blocked Anthony’s attack.
“Who sent you?” Reign asked.
“The same guy who sent you.”
I looked at them. “What?”
“He doesn’t trust you enough. He sent another guy. A full-fledged demon this time.” Anthony got to push Reign backward but Reign was able to regain her balance and attacked Anthony back.
“Are you done with that?” Reign asked.
“Almost,” I answered back. I’m just searching for anything that I could use to slash my palm with.
They continued to fight in the middle of the room until a sharp object flew my way and got stuck on the wall on my side. “Thanks, I need that,” I remember this knife. Reign used it to scare me that night she kidnapped me. I used it to slash my palm a little and let a drop fall on the sigil I made.
I took a glimpse of them and Reign is on the ground defending herself using her sword while Anthony is on top of her using a different weapon and trying to stab Reign with it.
I pressed my palm on the sigil that I made and shouted, “Anthony!” In a second, Anthony burst into flames and pulled himself away from Reign.
“Argh!” Anthony cried in agony and then disappeared.
Reign took a deep sigh of relief. She lowered her sword to her side letting herself lay flat on the floor.
“He’s going to return,” Reign said.
“He’s not dead?” I asked.
“The sigil barely worked on me. A half-human and half-demon. You think it will kill a full-fledged demon?”
“Well, I’m thinking that the reason it didn’t kill you it’s because you are half-human.”
She sat up and looked at me. “Possible theory. But we are not sure until he comes back.” She stood up and went towards me. “You were talking about my shoe?” She lowered herself to my level to face me properly. She doesn’t have any sign that she’s just been in a fight. Her small wounds seemed to have healed properly.
“You just got into a fight and you’re more worried about your shoes?”
The people around us started moving again. Selene is now walking toward us and the sigil I made disappeared but the wound on my hand remained.
Reign cleared her throat. “Shoes?”
“Right. Y-yeah…” I opened my bag and showed it to her. “I washed it again and sprayed it with a protective layer for leathers.”
Reign took the shoes to examine them.
“I didn’t ruin them. I researched how to properly clean those kinds of shoes.”
“You said you sprayed something on it?”
“Protective layer spray that I got from buying a pair of boots last time.”
“Brand?”
“Hush Puppies.”
“These are Derek Flynn. You used cheap leather spray on them?”
“Who...what?”
“So you’re the owner?” Selene asked as she finally reached us.
“She could see you?” I murmured to Reign.
“Yeah, wanna look stupid talking to the air?” Reign smiled sarcastically at me then turned her head towards Selene. “Yeah. I let her wash it. But I didn’t expect her to spray cheap Hush Puppies leather spray on my Derek Flynn shoes.”
Selene’s eyes widened. “Oh my god!” She took the shoes from Reign’s hands and looked at me in disappointment. “You ruined them!”
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