Hera clenched her fists. She so wanted to punch that gorgeous face. She was going to break Bianca’s pretty nose if she stayed facing her one more second. Hera closed her eyes for a few seconds and took deep breaths to control her anger. Wanting Bianca to vanish from her sight, Hera turned to face Eric. “She was bullying my friends,” she stated, her large green eyes drilling holes into Eric’s blue ones. 

“So you decided to bully mine?” 

Hera’s heart skipped a beat thrice before resuming its normal state as she heard the angry, deep, rich voice ask that question. She slowly whirled around to face the devil, her cruel Heartbreaker.. Hunter walked further into the dining hall, covering the distance between them. Hera eyed her brother, Danny, as he walked in with Evelyn and Michael. 

Hera couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering as they checked Hunter’s appearance. He was wearing a white dress shirt with faded blue jeans. As usual, he looked hot with his untucked shirt and undone cuffs. His white sneakers looked dirty. He brushed his hair back from his eyes, and Hera shifted her eyes off him as he neared. 

All of them were dressed casually, except Evelyn. She was in her school uniform, all prim and proper. It was too early to wear uniforms. Students would usually get ready to school after breakfast. But Evelyn preferred perfection, being the sophisticated princess everyone expected her to be. Other students started to fill the dining hall. 

Finally, they stood facing each other. Hera saw through peripheral view how Bianca smirked smugly at her. 

Biting her lips, Hera finally lifted her eyelids and faced Hunter. “Your friend is the very definition of “bully”, Hunter. Do you think anyone can bully her? She was threatening my friends. Look what she did to Clara,” she said, gesturing him to see her soaked form. Clara cowered in fear while Hunter gave her a quick once-over. 

When he shifted his eyes from Clara to Hera, he looked furious, and Hera took a step back in reflex. 

“What is she doing here? Why are you with her, sharing the same table?” He asked, face turning red with anger. Hera looked at Eric and Evelyn for help. Eric shook his head as if he’s disappointed in her. Evelyn tried to interfere, but Danny held her back. Hera took another step back and shook her head in denial. “No, Hunter, I didn’t speak to her. Your friends poured juice on her, and I just tried to help her,” she said, justifying herself. 

Her voice came out so weak, Hera cringed inwardly for sounding so pathetic. Hunter shot a glare at Clara, and she ran out of the dining hall. Hera sighed as she felt utterly helpless and couldn’t help Clara. 

Hunter had made this rule. No one was allowed to get close to Hera. Not even her own friends. They’re allowed to sit and talk to her only in the class and in her room. Clara was a different case altogether. She and Hera were forbidden to have any sort of contact. 

Hera noticed through her peripheral vision. Celine, Brittany, and Jarred were all watching silently while Andrew and Asher were ready to fight for her. Hera shook her head, warning them to stay out of it. She knew for sure, Hunter and his gang would hurt her friends if they dared to interfere. Hera scoffed when she heard Bianca’s whiny voice because she knew the moment she opened her mouth, the bitch would be spinning a web of lies. 

“I didn’t do it, Ace, it was Sam. I was just trying to get to know Hera’s new friend. You know we do that with all the freshers. Just a little teasing and leg-pulling, that’s all. Hera just needs a chance to fight with me,” Bianca said before grabbing Hera’s arm and forcing her to look into her eyes. “Especially when Clara is involved,” she finished, gritting her teeth. 

Hera wrenched her arm free from her hold and mouthed “fucking bitch” when Bianca smirked at her. Undoubtedly, she intended to add fuel to Hunter’s fiery anger. 

Hunter looked at Adelaide, then at Bianca, lastly at Hera. “She said it. It was just a prank,” he shrugged his shoulders, and Hera resisted the urge to slap him. “And I don’t think your friend here has any problem with that,” he stated very rudely before glancing at Adelaide. “Do you?” He asked. The girl didn’t miss the hidden threat in his tone, though Hunter appeared nonchalant. Adelaide simply shook her head like a robot in response. 

Hera couldn’t hide her shock as her jaw dropped in disbelief. She was trying to protect them, after all. It seemed like both Clara and Adelaide preferred to ditch her at the wrong time. 

‘Oh, what great friends I’ve got!’ 

“What happened, Ade? Is he too hot for you to go against him?” Hera asked. The sarcasm in her tone was too obvious. “Why do you have to be such a slut all the time, Ade?” She spat, and her friend looked away in shame. Hunter sneered arrogantly. He knew his face value, didn’t he?

“Why don’t you stay out of it, Goddess?” Hunter’s sharp voice cut through the silence. 

‘Of course, he’ll take Bianca’s side.’ 

Hera knew, his logic and sense would fly out of the window when it comes to his best friend. It always did. 

“Why don’t you keep your sluts away from me instead, Hunter?” Hera asked, looking him in the eyes. Her anger took over her senses, and she didn’t care anymore. She adamantly stood in her place when he took a step forward. His fist clenched, and his eyes grew larger in anger. “Mind your tongue, Hera,” he warned. Without thinking, Hera grabbed her glass of pineapple juice and poured it on him. She was too lost in her fury to think about the consequences. 

Everybody went quiet. It was pin-drop silence kind of quiet. It was never this quiet, not even in the exam hall. It was too late for Hera to realize what she’d done. 

Covering her mouth with her palms, Hera gasped in shock. 

‘Oh, my God, what the fuck did I just do?’ 

Yes, she poured her juice on him. No, scratch that and realign the statement. She threw the contents of her glass which was, of course, her favourite pineapple juice again, on Hunter. 

Now he stood glaring at her in the middle of the lunchroom soaked in pineapple juice. His once perfectly pressed crisp milky white shirt now stained with the light yellow of the sweet liquid. The droplets were running down further into his faded blue jean pant soaking it as well. 

‘Oh, my favourite pineapple juice.’ 

Hera wanted to whine, but thankfully, remembering the current dangerous situation, she resisted. She did her best not to cower in fright. 

Attempting to sport a smug look, Hera tilted her head, lips twitching in an uneven smile. “It’s just a prank, Hunter. Hope you don’t mind,” she said, fixing him with a hard stare. She wanted him to know how it felt when Bianca used that phrase to justify her evil deeds. Even he said the same thing a while ago, right? 

Her smile faded when Hunter shot a lopsided grin at her. It vanished within the blink of an eye and his jaw clenched hard, a cold stare aimed at Hera. She gulped. Her feigned bravery evaporated into thin air. 

“My my, what mistake you committed there, Goddess! Unforgivable,” Hunter said, gritting his teeth. Hera ignored his danger laced tone as she eyed the exit, measuring her chance of escape. She felt relief washed over her when she crossed the table and took charge towards the door. 

But people, guess what? Her luck sucked because it was never on her side. 

She only took four steps ahead when his fingers wrapped around her right wrist, depriving her any pleasure of escape. 

Finally, it dawned on Hera, what she’d gotten herself into. Unshed tears started to sting her eyes. She bit the side of her lower lip. It’s an understatement to say she’s nervous. She’s scared to death, afraid for her dear life. She looked at her friends, and they all had identical expression pasted on their faces, shocked and worried for her. Yet no one had been daring enough to stop him or save her. Now she would be punished and humiliated in front of the whole school. 

Well, what did she expect? It’s her stupidity to even think of crossing his path, let alone throw juice on his face in front of the school. Who even dare mess up with the Satan himself? 

‘Of course, Hera Hunter does.’

Hera bit her lip, staring at him with wide, scared eyes. He’s not going to forgive her for this insult. After all, he’s the school’s President, and she’d insulted him in front of the whole school. Everybody saw what she did, and he would never let this slide without punishing her. 

He pulled her wrist with enough force for her to crash into his chest.