Alexis jumped off of me as we both got up, standing distant from one another to overcorrect the image they had just witnessed. “W-What are you all doing here?” Alexis asked in shock, all three walking up to her while I just kept my mouth shut. “We came to check up on Atticus, and see for ourselves that he was alright.” Her mother explained, her expensive dress and jewelry denoting her wealth. “Now explain to us who this boy is.” Her father demanded, his stern expression turned only more vicious as he looked at me. I glanced at Alexis, silently asking her if I should explain myself.
Alexis shot me a glance that gave that message loud and clear, I only cleared my throat while she explained. “This is Rakki. We are… We have just started dating.” She grabbed my arm, and pulled me closer to her, having me stand by her side. “Oh dear…” Her mother muttered, glancing at her husband and Pierre. ‘Wait, Pierre? I remember him, he had a crush on her in the show I think. Don’t tell me-’ “Kid, walk away. This is family business.” Suddenly Mr. Rhodes ordered me to leave, removing me from my thoughts.
I tilted my head in disbelief. “Excuse me?” I asked, trying to remain as cordial as possible for Alexis. He glared at me with nothing but scorn as he spoke. “Too brainless to understand basic speech? Beat it, Slifer!” Zorc growled in the depths of my soul, altering my speech. “I shall not. The only problem with my head is trying to reduce my intelligence enough to fathom the drivel that spews from your lips. Perhaps removing your head so firmly planted inside your own- Cough!” I was struck in my side by Alexis, stopping the rest of Zorc’s and my own words from continuing on.
His eyes widened in shock of my poisoned tongue, Mrs.Rhodes gasping as well, until Mr.Rhodes squinted his eyes as he leaned over me. “Listen here boy, you are nothing but a mistake of my daughter’s lapse in judgement. Dueling is everything in this world, those that can’t, shouldn’t try going over their pay grade.” I leaned a bit closer, my eyes glaring back at him with equal disdain, his attitude pissing me off. “So how did you get this far?” His face reddened up as his rage bubbled, the feeling was mutual. “You precocious little sh-” “Dad!” Alexis yelled, cutting him off.
Alexis yanked me back, gripping my wrist tight to not lose me again, making sure to keep me in line. “Stop picking a fight with Rakki! It’s not your business who I’m dating!” Her dad raised a brow at Alexis, his wife cooling him down with soothing words and gestures herself. “It in fact is. It is my job to remove those that are not fit for you, and grant you the best that I can.” He glanced at Pierre, his saddening frown still downcasted by seeing our relationship. “That was the reason why I placed you and Atticus in school here, and that is the reason I brought a childhood friend of yours here today.” I glanced away, not bearing to see this with my own eyes. ‘Oh please… Don’t do it, please don’t say it.’
“Pierre is a good man with a good foundation of his family. As well as one of the best Duelists your age. He has all the best qualities in a husband.” I groaned while now covering my eyes with my hand. ‘Don’t say it! Please for the love of fuck don’t say it!’ “He is a candidate for your future husband Alexis.” ‘Fuck! Fuck this stupid trope!’ I cursed in my mind while Alexis shook her head in disbelief. “What? No. I don’t like Pierre! I’ve never liked Pierre!” I cringed for Pierre’s pain, his eyes turning more and more hollow as his love continued to be stomped on.
“It’s not to force you into marrying him, it doesn’t have to be him, but I cannot approve of this foulmouthed failure!” I felt another bit of pain at Pierre, now being comforted by Mrs.Rhodes, but was pulled away by Alexis as she told off her dad. “I don’t need your approval! I can make my own decisions!” Just as we made it past them, I paused, stopping Alexis with me. She looked at me, and instantly frowned seeing my grin, knowing what I was thinking. “Do you trust me?” I asked, Alexis’ eyes shaking while her mind whirled.
Finally she nodded, giving me an exhausted smile, knowing that my actions were inevitable. “I got an idea!” I yelled, turning around at her father. “Because she doesn’t need your approval, and doesn’t need either of our decisions to say who she dates, this will just be for me. You see, Midterms are this week, and I was planning on making Obelisk anyway, so here’s what I was thinking.” I pointed at myself as I spoke, before pausing and pointing at him with my ultimatum. “If I can make it to Obelisk, then you can shut the fuck up.” Zorc helped me create the most shit eating grin of my life to scratch at his fury.
He scoffed at me, a vile grin painted over his hateful gaze. “Alright… You go and try to make it to Obelisk. Goodluck. Just know that when you fail you’ll open up my daughter’s eyes to your shortcomings yourself.” We both stared each other down for a few seconds before Alexis pulled me back, not wanting me to say anything else. After we left down the stairs, I immediately sighed after cooling off with an apology. “I’m sorry, but… I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.”
Alexis sighed as well, shaking her head. “I can’t believe that he was like that either. Dad was always a businessman, but he never said anything like that before. I need to see Atticus.” She held my arm tighter while leading the way to the nurses office. Heading inside, we made it to the bed in the back, Atticus eating some Jello while on his PDA. He glanced up, and smiled at seeing us both. “Baby sis! Rakki! Good to see you! Did you meet mom and dad yet? Guess who’s with them! Wait… What’s up?” His happy attitude fell on deaf ears once he saw Alexis’ serious gaze.
“Did dad mention to you why he brought Pierre here?” Atticus shook his head, completely confused over the situation, glancing at me for answers. He read my face, and sighed. “Oh… I guess he heard.” “Heard what?” Alexis asked, Atticus setting down his jello, no longer hungry. “The rumors of you dating Rakki. I tried keeping them under wraps, believe me, but…” He trailed off unhappy for the first time I had seen him. “You knew that coming here was for me to-” Alexis stopped speaking in denial.
Atticus shrugged at her while turning away. “Not entirely. It was the same reason dad chose this school for me, so I had to assume he had the same idea for you as well. The plan was for us to be close to those that could be stars in the future, so no matter who we got close to, they would be good enough for a future spouse.” “Is that why you always played around!?” Alexis yelled, Atticus nodded meekly. “I didn’t want dad to think I was getting close enough for marriage, so I got close to a bunch of girls at once to avoid anything like ‘that’.” He said, motioning his eyes to Alexis’ situation.
“I guess he’s really desperate to get you apart from Rakki if he managed to rope in Pierre so fast. No offense Rakki, but you have plenty of other bad rumors surrounding you.” I sighed at the highschool gossip, remembering there was plenty going around a long time ago, how I was bad luck, or cursed. I snatched a piece of gum, and chewed it aggressively while talking. “I don’t care what rumors say. All that matters is getting Obelisk to make him eat his words.” Atticus chuckled at me, and nodded. “Good, I’m sure that dad will think of you differently if you pull off the impossible!”
Alexis jumped off of me as we both got up, standing distant from one another to overcorrect the image they had just witnessed. “W-What are you all doing here?” Alexis asked in shock, all three walking up to her while I just kept my mouth shut. “We came to check up on Atticus, and see for ourselves that he was alright.” Her mother explained, her expensive dress and jewelry denoting her wealth. “Now explain to us who this boy is.” Her father demanded, his stern expression turned only more vicious as he looked at me. I glanced at Alexis, silently asking her if I should explain myself.
Alexis shot me a glance that gave that message loud and clear, I only cleared my throat while she explained. “This is Rakki. We are… We have just started dating.” She grabbed my arm, and pulled me closer to her, having me stand by her side. “Oh dear…” Her mother muttered, glancing at her husband and Pierre. ‘Wait, Pierre? I remember him, he had a crush on her in the show I think. Don’t tell me-’ “Kid, walk away. This is family business.” Suddenly Mr. Rhodes ordered me to leave, removing me from my thoughts.
I tilted my head in disbelief. “Excuse me?” I asked, trying to remain as cordial as possible for Alexis. He glared at me with nothing but scorn as he spoke. “Too brainless to understand basic speech? Beat it, Slifer!” Zorc growled in the depths of my soul, altering my speech. “I shall not. The only problem with my head is trying to reduce my intelligence enough to fathom the drivel that spews from your lips. Perhaps removing your head so firmly planted inside your own- Cough!” I was struck in my side by Alexis, stopping the rest of Zorc’s and my own words from continuing on.
His eyes widened in shock of my poisoned tongue, Mrs.Rhodes gasping as well, until Mr.Rhodes squinted his eyes as he leaned over me. “Listen here boy, you are nothing but a mistake of my daughter’s lapse in judgement. Dueling is everything in this world, those that can’t, shouldn’t try going over their pay grade.” I leaned a bit closer, my eyes glaring back at him with equal disdain, his attitude pissing me off. “So how did you get this far?” His face reddened up as his rage bubbled, the feeling was mutual. “You precocious little sh-” “Dad!” Alexis yelled, cutting him off.
Alexis yanked me back, gripping my wrist tight to not lose me again, making sure to keep me in line. “Stop picking a fight with Rakki! It’s not your business who I’m dating!” Her dad raised a brow at Alexis, his wife cooling him down with soothing words and gestures herself. “It in fact is. It is my job to remove those that are not fit for you, and grant you the best that I can.” He glanced at Pierre, his saddening frown still downcasted by seeing our relationship. “That was the reason why I placed you and Atticus in school here, and that is the reason I brought a childhood friend of yours here today.” I glanced away, not bearing to see this with my own eyes. ‘Oh please… Don’t do it, please don’t say it.’
“Pierre is a good man with a good foundation of his family. As well as one of the best Duelists your age. He has all the best qualities in a husband.” I groaned while now covering my eyes with my hand. ‘Don’t say it! Please for the love of fuck don’t say it!’ “He is a candidate for your future husband Alexis.” ‘Fuck! Fuck this stupid trope!’ I cursed in my mind while Alexis shook her head in disbelief. “What? No. I don’t like Pierre! I’ve never liked Pierre!” I cringed for Pierre’s pain, his eyes turning more and more hollow as his love continued to be stomped on.
“It’s not to force you into marrying him, it doesn’t have to be him, but I cannot approve of this foulmouthed failure!” I felt another bit of pain at Pierre, now being comforted by Mrs.Rhodes, but was pulled away by Alexis as she told off her dad. “I don’t need your approval! I can make my own decisions!” Just as we made it past them, I paused, stopping Alexis with me. She looked at me, and instantly frowned seeing my grin, knowing what I was thinking. “Do you trust me?” I asked, Alexis’ eyes shaking while her mind whirled.
Finally she nodded, giving me an exhausted smile, knowing that my actions were inevitable. “I got an idea!” I yelled, turning around at her father. “Because she doesn’t need your approval, and doesn’t need either of our decisions to say who she dates, this will just be for me. You see, Midterms are this week, and I was planning on making Obelisk anyway, so here’s what I was thinking.” I pointed at myself as I spoke, before pausing and pointing at him with my ultimatum. “If I can make it to Obelisk, then you can shut the fuck up.” Zorc helped me create the most shit eating grin of my life to scratch at his fury.
He scoffed at me, a vile grin painted over his hateful gaze. “Alright… You go and try to make it to Obelisk. Goodluck. Just know that when you fail you’ll open up my daughter’s eyes to your shortcomings yourself.” We both stared each other down for a few seconds before Alexis pulled me back, not wanting me to say anything else. After we left down the stairs, I immediately sighed after cooling off with an apology. “I’m sorry, but… I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.”
Alexis sighed as well, shaking her head. “I can’t believe that he was like that either. Dad was always a businessman, but he never said anything like that before. I need to see Atticus.” She held my arm tighter while leading the way to the nurses office. Heading inside, we made it to the bed in the back, Atticus eating some Jello while on his PDA. He glanced up, and smiled at seeing us both. “Baby sis! Rakki! Good to see you! Did you meet mom and dad yet? Guess who’s with them! Wait… What’s up?” His happy attitude fell on deaf ears once he saw Alexis’ serious gaze.
“Did dad mention to you why he brought Pierre here?” Atticus shook his head, completely confused over the situation, glancing at me for answers. He read my face, and sighed. “Oh… I guess he heard.” “Heard what?” Alexis asked, Atticus setting down his jello, no longer hungry. “The rumors of you dating Rakki. I tried keeping them under wraps, believe me, but…” He trailed off unhappy for the first time I had seen him. “You knew that coming here was for me to-” Alexis stopped speaking in denial.
Atticus shrugged at her while turning away. “Not entirely. It was the same reason dad chose this school for me, so I had to assume he had the same idea for you as well. The plan was for us to be close to those that could be stars in the future, so no matter who we got close to, they would be good enough for a future spouse.” “Is that why you always played around!?” Alexis yelled, Atticus nodded meekly. “I didn’t want dad to think I was getting close enough for marriage, so I got close to a bunch of girls at once to avoid anything like ‘that’.” He said, motioning his eyes to Alexis’ situation.
“I guess he’s really desperate to get you apart from Rakki if he managed to rope in Pierre so fast. No offense Rakki, but you have plenty of other bad rumors surrounding you.” I sighed at the highschool gossip, remembering there was plenty going around a long time ago, how I was bad luck, or cursed. I snatched a piece of gum, and chewed it aggressively while talking. “I don’t care what rumors say. All that matters is getting Obelisk to make him eat his words.” Atticus chuckled at me, and nodded. “Good, I’m sure that dad will think of you differently if you pull off the impossible!”
