Chapter 7

7

NIKO

The weekend has flown by quickly, another Monday arriving before I’m ready for it. I love attending Creelin U, I really do, but I can't wait to be done with school completely. Most of my classes are pretty easy, and some are downright boring. Like the class I'm sitting in right now: economics. It's only the third week of school, and I'm already over it. The professor ends the class, and I head out of the lecture hall like a hellhound is chasing me.

I make my way out of the building and step over to the side waiting for Mateo to come out. We have plans to head over to the cafeteria and grab lunch. I lean against the pillar, closing my eyes. I hear a snicker and giggles, and when I open my eyes there's two human girls standing in front of me staring. They don't say anything, just laugh and walk away.

My fists clench at my sides and I close my eyes again. This used to be my safe place. Used to be . Not anymore. It’s a few weeks into the semester, you would think the novelty of being around monsters would have dissipated from some of these humans, but nope. I'm still getting the stares and whispers, and I hate it.

"Hey, man," I jerk when a hand lands on my shoulder. Turning around, I glare until I realize it's Mateo standing in front of me. "You okay?" he asks, looking concerned. He steps closer to me, and I deflate.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Come on, let's go sit down on the bench over there and talk." He leads us over to the bench where we sit side by side. "What's going on?"

"I said I was fine."

"Niko, I'm your best friend, I know you better than anyone else. I know when something is bothering you. Talk to me. Please?"

"It's only week three of the semester, and I've already been stared and whispered about so many times. The amount of snickers and giggles I hear before the prying eyes is astronomical. It's fucking ridiculous, Mateo. I hate this." I drop my head to my chest, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"I’m sorry, man. And I get it. The stares and whispers have to be tough, but not all humans are like that. There are some pretty amazing ones out there, you just need to give them a chance."

"I'm trying."

"No, you're not. You've hated them since the second you heard they were being accepted to Creelin U. You judged them all. How many walk by you and don’t stare or whisper?"

I think back to the past week and every time I walked past any humans. Yes, there have been some that were staring, but there were also some who said hi, gave me a high five, or nodded at me.

"Okay, maybe not all of them are bad. I suppose. But it still fucking sucks."

"And I'm not trying to negate your feelings, but I don't want it to ruin your whole year. It's only week three; we still have so much more to get through.”

"Fine, I'll try not to let them get to me too much." Easier said than done, but I really don’t want to spend my last two years at Creelin U in a state of hatred.

"You could start with being nicer to King."

"Why?"

"He hasn't really done anything wrong to you. Besides the fact he's a human that plays baseball."

"Pfft. He's done a lot more than that."

"Like what?" He crosses his arms over his chest and stares me down.

"Well, um..." I think hard, trying to find something to say since I know he won't let this go. I can’t tell Mateo that the only reason I’m being mean to King is because I’m attracted to him and I don’t know how to handle those feelings. I’ve never been captivated by a human before. Are things the same as being attracted to another monster? "He's so damn messy, and you know how much I hate clutter."

Mateo barks out a laugh shaking his head. "For someone who was the untidy one last year, it's hilarious that you're so dead set on labeling him as being the messy one now."

"What the hell? I wasn't messy."

"You were the messiest of us. Your vipers molted all over the bathroom. But suuure, you're not messy. What else has King done, then?"

"Other things," I mutter, hating that I’m scared to tell him the truth.

"Well, you should still try to be nice to him."

"Yeah, sure," I tell him, darting my eyes away from him. “Maybe.”

After eating lunch with Mateo, I decide to grab a sandwich from one of the shops and take it to Dad. I know that once school starts and practice gets going, he easily forgets to eat.

I head toward the Athletics Center, going straight to his office. I walk through the locker room, noting it's empty. I round the corner, making my way to his office and slumping when I see the lights are off and the door is shut. Which only means he's still out on the field.

I head back through the locker room and go out to the baseball field. I've been here so many times to visit my dad, but I usually don't come to the field, only his office. Walking up the stairs, I come out at the top of the field, seeing tons of players in various positions. My eyes drift over them, looking for no one in particular.

Liar.

I know exactly who I'm looking for.

I'm about to assume he's not there when a movement behind home plate catches my eye. He rips the mask off his face, his hand coming out in front of him to catch the ball. He bends down and swipes his hand to tag out the person that was sliding into the base. He throws his fist into the air, yelling out loud. The pitcher runs down from the mound and hugs him, then slaps him on the back.

My eyes track down to the tight pants he's wearing, showcasing his ass perfectly. Fucking hell, how can someone who annoys me be so damn attractive? I really hate how much he turns me on.

As if sensing my presence, he spins in place until he locks eyes on me. He offers me a small wave and I smile back, giving him a quick head nod.

My dad stands out by the dugout, and I walk toward him. When he sees me, he smiles, and I shake the sandwich at him. "I figured you could use something to eat. When do you get a break?" I ask, leaning over the fence.

"About five minutes. Wait for me?"

"Sure. I'm not due at the library for another hour."

I watch his team practice some more, another player stepping up to bat. This one I know as Will, a Vampire. He's been on the team for three years, so he's one of the few players I know well. I watch as he hits the ball, rounding to second base. There's another player that bats next, but shortly after Dad blows the whistle and ends practice.

Each of the players file off the field one by one, King coming up last. He stops short at the dugout, glancing up at me. Neither of us says a word before he heads down, leaving me alone with the coaches on the field. I wish I could explain the reaction I have to King, but it doesn’t make sense even to me. He captivates me at the same time I want to push him away.

"You ready?" My dad asks.

"Let's go."

After sitting down in his office, I laugh as my dad inhales his food as though he hasn't eaten in days. "Thank you. This is a wonderful surprise."

"I had some time to kill before my shift. Didn't want to go back to the dorm, so I thought I would stop by and see how you're doing."

"I'm good, Nikolai."

"Even with all the worries about the team and them not doing good this season?"

That's my biggest worry right now. Ever since my dad told me how important it is for the team to win, I've been concerned about him. I don't want him to work too hard, and I know he's stressing himself out working with the team and making sure they’re conditioning to get ready for the season. My dad is a hell of a coach, and he'll do whatever it takes to make sure his team is ready.

"I’m okay, Nikolai. It's nothing I can't handle. I'm going to train them like it's any other year. Plus, you're helping me with King. He and our new pitcher are our secret weapons this year, so I know we'll be fine."

"That's good, Dad. That's good."

"How is his tutoring coming along, by the way?"

"It's been fine. He's been paying attention. Hopefully enough to pass his classes." I snicker when Coby hisses, and Dad's eyes widen.

"I take it Coby isn't a fan of King." He laughs, gesturing to Coby who's still hissing.

"Nah, it's okay though."

"And how are you doing, Nikolai?"

"I'm fine. This year has started out rougher than others, but I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" His eyes bore into mine, and I can see the worry that's brimming there. I didn't come here to add more to my dad's plate. He doesn't need to deal with my problems on top of his own. And that's exactly what they are. My problems.

"I'm fine. I think it's because I'm ready to be done with school. That's all."

"I'm always here if you need me." He stands up, crossing the office to me. I stand tall and wrap my arms around him.

"Thanks, Dad."