Chapter 2

LYRA.

I sat there for a long time, contemplating whether or not to move straight to the next class or obey Cassian's order by heading straight to the locker room. Sweat beads rolled down my face as my mind drifted to my last experience with him and his friends at the school field, where he had ambushed me for coming first in the female relay race while he had come in fourth place. He had blocked me on my way out of the field with his friends, Paul being the leader, and had asked me to silently follow him. I quietly and dutifully followed, walking briskly to meet up his fast pace and he led me to the laboratory block, where he'd asked me to walk around the rough, stony ground on my knees. I hesitated, asking him his reason for punishing me and I was silenced by a staggering slap from Paul, who held me by my shoulders, sweeping me off my feet and bringing me to my knees. I'd crawled around the laboratory block that day, crying my eyes out while Cassie and his friends reclined against the wall, laughing while I grazed my knees, wincing in deep, searing pain.

I shook my head rapidly, trying to dismiss the thoughts from my mind but it did little to stop the panic I felt within me. My legs felt as heavy as led, and my body shivered as cold chills ran down my spine. I glanced at the wall clock and realized that I had less than twenty minutes to the next lecture, and I needed to get some items from my locker before heading for the class. I inhaled sharply, summoning courage to get up from my seat and I headed towards the door.

I kept a straight face as I walked through the hallway, bowing my head and hoping that Cassian nor any of his friends would catch a glimpse of me. I walked with slow, gentle steps, placing one foot gingerly after the other and I finally approached my locker. I pulled the keys out of my bag, unlocked it and picked up the items I needed while tossing my tab and the notes I had into it. I gasped in shock as I closed the door to my locker,  to find Cassian standing and leaning on the locker, staring intently at me.

“Did you actually plan on keeping me waiting, Lyra?” he asked quietly, tilting his head slightly and giving me an expressionless look.

I turned around and there stood Paul, standing behind me with his hands in his pocket, staring at me with a smug.

“Hey, Einstein,” Paul said, sneering at me. “You kept us waiting.”

“I-I only just got here a few minutes ago,” I stuttered, my heart racing in panic. 

“Oh. Okay, very well, then. Follow us,” Paul said, turning around on his heels. 

“I can't,” I replied, my voice low. “I've got a class in less than ten minutes.”

“You can't?” Cassian asked, furrowing his brows in surprise. He turned to Paul who turned back to face us. “Wait, bro. Did she just say she can't? Does she really think we're giving her a suggestion?”

“I'm as shocked as you are,” Paul said, giving a short mirthless laugh. “You really didn't mean that now, did you?”

“I'm serious,” I said, trying to sound firm. “I've got a very important lesson to attend right now.”

“You really don't want to make this worse than it already, do you, Lyra?” Cassian said, his voice low and casual. “Do yourself the favour, and come with us quietly. We don't have much time.”

I hesitated, deliberating whether or not to obey them or insist on the lesson I had to attend. Paul maintained his gaze on me, staring right into my eyes. I looked away quickly, feeling uncomfortable.

“You really don't want to create a scene by letting me push you, Lyra,” Cassian said, standing upright and shooting me a deadly look. “Get a move on. Now.”

I took a step forward, clenching my bag tight in my arms and Paul turned around, leading the way while I followed quietly behind him. We walked silently past other students who huddled in the hallway, and soon we got to an unused office just behind the staircase that led to the top floor. Paul moved on, walking ahead confident strides and I glanced back at Cassian, who gestured to me to keep moving with his head. Paul held the door open, as we walked in, shutting the door tightly behind us. There were about three other students there — friends of Cassian, who enjoyed bullying me and other students who ever crossed their paths in the school. Cassian walked up to me from behind and pushed me gently by the shoulder, and my knees buckled as they hit the tiles with a soft thud.

“You really thought you could keep me waiting and then tell me to my face that you've got something else to do when I had you summoned?” Cassian asked coldly, approaching me and squatting to my eye level.

“I had a class to attend, Cassian. And for real, I don't know what I did that warranted my being here instead of in class,” I blurted out before I could restrain myself.

Cassian said nothing as his face creased in surprise. “Oh, she's grown some wings, I can see. You really want to know what warranted you to be here, right? I'll tell you quite alright,” He said, getting up on his feet. “Paul? You know what to do.”

Paul walked up to me, a baseball hat held firmly in his hands. I yelped in pain as the first strike landed on my back, biting my lips hard as I tried to stifle the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. The second strike landed on my left shoulder and I bent slightly with the effect as more blows landed on my back, and in no time I sobbed loudly as tears cascaded down my cheeks. 

“It's enough,” Cassian said suddenly, holding up a hand in the air. He walked up to me, squatting again to my eye level, close enough that I could feel his breath on my face.

“My message is simple, Lyra. Stop trying to be better than me,” he said as he got up and walked out, his friends following behind him, slamming the door shut.