Hera made her bed before scattering her books on it. Homework was an unwelcomed bitch, but she managed to complete it after some whining and cursing. She distanced herself from her friends for the night as they were busy indulging in a conversation with Clara. 

Obviously, Clara wouldn’t appreciate Hera’s participation. 

Hera noticed she looked happy. She was smiling a lot since their dinner. 

Hera bundled up herself in her fluffy warm blanket and closed her eyes. Her mind recollected the day’s events as sleep refused to accompany her tired eyes. 

‘It’s a sign. You’re stuck with me for life, Mrs Hunter.’

Hunter had said it countless times in the past. It never failed to make her heart flutter. Clara’s laughter disturbed Hera’s thoughts, and she peeked above her blanket in her direction. She was really in a good mood.

Now Hera’s sleepless mind went back to the dinner that evening, remembering Noel’s conversation with her. 

When Noel waved his hand at Hera in greeting, which she returned with a smile, he surprised her by joining her group. What surprised her more was her ex-best friend Clara’s behaviour. She smiled and talked to him as if they knew each other from before. As if they were close friends. Even Adelaide appeared to be very familiar with him. 

Hera couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but the closeness between Clara and Noel was hard to ignore. It was like either he was her caring boyfriend on a date or a protective brother visiting her after a long time. He carried her plate, pulled her chair for her and sat next to her. With a warm smile, he pulled the glass of water to place it near her plate.

So, where are your bodyguards? How come you’re not surrounded by those watchdogs tonight?” Noel asked Hera in a playful tone, putting an end to her thoughts. Her friends laughed at his questions, but Hera didn’t like his attitude. The way his tone sounded, bitter and hateful, Hera felt there’s more to know about him. There was something dangerous about him. 

He was totally different from what he appeared on the first day she met him. It was like meeting two separate people. That sweet innocent boy-next-door look was gone. Now she could tell, it was all a facade. She had a strong gut feeling, either he’s hiding something, or he’s planning something dangerous. 

Hera didn’t bother answering his question. She ignored him and tuned out of their conversation. 

Letting out a bored huff, Hera decided to let go of Noel’s thoughts and her heart helpfully guided her mind it’s way back to Hunter. He always had easy access to invade her heart and mind. 

‘Where is he? Why didn’t he come for dinner?’ 

She hadn’t seen him the whole day after their morning encounter. He didn’t even come back to collect his medallion pendant from her. 

‘What is he so busy with?’ 

Sleep finally blessed her tired soul, and her breathing evened out as she drifted into a dreamless slumber. 

Sunlight stinging behind her swollen eyelids drew a disapproving groan out of her. The morning came too early for Hera’s dissatisfaction. 

She showered and got ready in haste as she didn’t want to be late for breakfast. 

Hera stuffed her mouth with food. 

‘Hmm, this is heaven.’ 

She could eat it the whole day because the food was so delicious. Food had always been her priority. It’s the only thing in the world which could successfully distract her mind from Hunter. 

“Ew, look at that, eating like a pig. Some things are never going to change, I guess,” someone said in a disgusted tone, but Hera didn’t need to look up to know who the annoying voice belonged to. It was Bianca. Chairs screeched around her and Hera peeked through her narrowed slits. She saw Samantha and Bianca standing next to her. 

Pursing her lips into a thin line, Hera exhaled in annoyance while they pulled the chairs and settled themselves comfortably. She glanced around once searching for someone particular. She was glad to know he wasn’t around, and the rest of his group was missing too. 

Hera ignored them and went back to her food, but it seemed like the Queen Bee had no intention of leaving her alone. 

“Hmm, it tastes fine. Here, go ahead, you can drink it now,” Bianca said, licking her lips. Hera stopped chewing her food, her spoon froze in the midway, and she swallowed her half-chewed food forcefully while witnessing Bianca’s nuisance. She just dipped her tongue into Clara’s glass of apple juice. Samantha followed her best friend’s deed and did the same with Adelaide’s. 

“Leave her alone, Bianca,” Hera said sternly to which the bitch just laughed. “Drink it before I make you,” Samantha commanded in her mean voice, dragging Hera’s attention from Bianca. She was clutching Adelaide’s cheeks with her fingers, trying to pour the juice into her mouth forcefully. 

Hera admired her courage when Adelaide jerked Samantha’s hand off her mouth. “Don’t think so. Now that you’ve dipped your tongue into it, I’m not drinking that gross thing,” Adelaide said while Clara watched silently. “Drink it. Or do you want me to add my spit into it?” Samantha cooed in mock delight, earning a laugh from her evil best friend. 

Bianca took the glass from her and held it over Adelaide’s head. “Or do you prefer showering in an apple juice instead?” Her tone held a warning, daring the new girl to disobey her order. She was about to pour it on her head when Hera caught her hand. They’re bullying her friends, and she couldn’t just sit and watch. Bianca glared at her. “How dare you, Piggy? Leave my hand this instant or,” Hera cut her off in the middle. “Or what, Bianca?” She snapped, gritting her teeth. 

Clara suddenly gasped, and Hera did too when she looked at her ex-best friend. Drenched in the sticky liquid, Clara stared at her bully in stunned silence. Samantha had poured the juice on Clara’s head and was laughing cruelly at her misery. “Or, this, Hera,” Samantha said, answering Hera’s earlier question before bringing her attention back to Adelaide. “Now drink it, Bitch,” she said, thrusting the glass into her hand. 

Hera snatched the glass from Adelaide and was about to throw the contents on Samantha when a large hand clamped around her wrist, stopping her midway. Hera turned to smack the intruder but stopped when she saw who dared to stop her. 

“What’s wrong with you, Pixie? Have you lost your mind so early in the morning?” Eric scolded Hera making her scowl. He freed the glass from her hand and kept it on the table. “I was having my breakfast peacefully until this bitch friend of yours decided to ruin it for me,” Hera said, fixing her accusing gaze on Bianca. Her face was flushed red with anger, and she looked ready to murder his friends. 

“What did I do, Hera? I was only trying to have some fun. It was just a prank,” Bianca said, playing innocent. But of course, she never had to fake innocence to win her friends’ support. They’d support her anyway, no matter what. 

‘That deceivingly innocent face.’ 

Hera eyed in disgust as Bianca fluttered her lashes and thin lips stretched into a smile slowly turning into a grin revealing her short white teeth. The smile was fake, mocking Hera so rudely. Hera couldn’t tell if Eric saw the innocence or not, but she didn’t miss the witch lurking behind the facade. 

‘No, she’s not a witch. She’s a bloodsucking creature, a cunning one at that.’ 

And that’s what she’d been doing for all these years, sucking Hera’s blood. Well, not literally, just figuratively speaking. 

And she looked ready to suck the blood. Hera could easily envision the image. Ghostwhite skin, rainbow-like carved eyebrows complimenting the twin shining bright blue eyes, high cheekbones and in between rested that perfect long nose. Thin lips parted to reveal sharp white fangs. A pink tongue darted out, swooping over them after swallowing a mouthful of crimson liquid, a trail of thick blood running down the side of her chin. 

Curly blonde hair whipped in the sharp wind, flying all around her face while she grinned maliciously. Her slim body clad in figure-hugging black leather pants and jacket, adding more hotness to her already sexy self. 

The seductive image her illusion formed only irked Hera to the limit, and she screamed inwardly to vent out her frustration. She could imagine herself turning into a green monster in jealousy. 

‘It’s not fair because she was supposed to look ugly. How can the bitch look perfect in that situation?’ 

Like the gorgeous vampires in the novels and movies, Bianca would make a hot bloodsucker. Hera begrudgingly erased the vision and tried to think of something else which would suit her evilness better. 

‘A leech or maybe a hyena?’

An ugly looking tiny hyena, baring its crooked yellow fangs to snatch the rotten piece of meat from the fox’s mouth appeared to be a better scenario. It was satisfactory to watch Bianca as a dirty hyena scaring the fox off. It suited her. 

Hera wished if only Bianca looked that ugly in real.