Dead Apple 8 7. Red Haired Ariel

Sebastian, The Little Mermaid

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CHAPTER 7

RED HAIRED ARIEL

All the lights are on, the bright bulbs illuminating every corner of the room, and even the bathroom lights are on. Door and window completely locked and the curtains tightly closed. Alice tossed in her bed, the uneasiness growing. It's already midnight but she cannot sleep eventhough her eyes are too heavy for her to stay awake. She tossed again and decided to sit upright.

The feeling is there-- making her uneasy, it is not the thirst or growling stomach, not the cramps in her stomach, but it was something else. Something dark, like someone is watching her on her sleep.

Shivers run down her spine.

No one's at the room. The locks are double checked before she slid down her bed, and the room is quiet that she was sure that any unnecessary noise will alert her, yet the feeling of being watched is there. Her eyes darted at the closet and thoughts of having someone hiding in the closet frightened her more.

She shook her head silently walking at the direction of the closet. Alice gulped as she grabs the handle then--

Ring!

-- she jumped from her feet when her phone made an incessant ringing. Darting towards the drawer she immediately answered the phone without looking who it was.

"Did I wake you?" Asked from the other line, her eyesbrows knitted together.

"Who is this?"

"Eros."

"Where did you get my number?"

There is a shuffling at the line. "Does it matter?" He asked.

"You're a creep." Even if she cannot see him, she already imagined the smile widening on his beautiful face.

"Only on you."

She sighed, glancing at the closed closet. "Ahmm..." Contemplating whether she is going to come for help or not she takes a deeper breath. "Can I sleep in your room?"

Silence reigned on the other line, checking if the call was ended she looked at her phone.

"Eros?" She called, putting back the phone in her ears.

"Room 300." Eros replied then the call ended.

You can sleep at the floor. You just need company. She chanted.

Grabbing her pink hoodie she slips it on her arms then left the room, locking the door behind her. The corridor is brightly lit, but isolated. Feeling the eyes of the unknown person behind her she ran at the corridor down to the boys' wing. There she found the room 300 above the door then without hesitation she knocked so loudly.

The door opened. "Are you falling hard that you want to be with me right now?" Smirked the room resident.

"I said I want to sleep in your room NOT sleep with you." She exclaimed.

Eros chuckled and let her enter. The room is themed with black and white, it is also bigger than hers and what surprised her the most is the queen sized bed at the middle.

"This is so unfair." She muttered. There is also a single sofa at the foot of the bed and a large tv screen. "This is really unfair."

"What?"

"Why is your room different from us?"

Eros shrugged at her. "Nothing's fair, darling. By the way, why did you decide to sleep here?"

"Would you believe me if I tell you that I feel like someone is watching me?"

She started at the single sofa and laid there, her feet dangling at the other arm of it.

"You want me to check your room?" Eros asked.

"Don't bother." She whispered feeling her eyes  closed.

Eros stared at her for a moment. Her long black hair falling slightly from her face and body crumpled at the small sofa. He walked towards her and swiftly carried her in his arms, Alice did not even flinched-- eyes still close as the mattress creaked beneath her. She was already fast asleep in an instant.

The incessant ringing of the alarm clock reached her ears by 10am the next day. She cringed at the sound and was preparing to jolt upright when something stopped her. There is something heavy on her neck that totters her from moving. She peeked at her side and found Eros' sleeping on his chest, his right arm on Alice's neck.

Alice gaped at him, then three seconds pa.s.sed--

She blinked.

--then a scream erupted from her throat, synchronizing with the alarm.

Eros cringed at the noise. "What the h.e.l.l?!" Rubbing a finger on his ears he angrily looked at the girl beside him, staring daggers at her. "What is your problem?!"

She gaped again. "What are you doing here?!"

"This is my bed. You shouldn't be asking me that." He said nonchalantly, going back to sleep.

"Wait. Let me rephrase, what am I doing here? I remember sleeping at the sofa!"

"I moved you here."

"What?! You took advantage of me while I'm asleep?! I knew it! You are a per--"

He yawned. "Your body will be in pain in the morning if I let you sleep at the sofa, besides I did not do something perverted on you."

"Okay. It's a good thing you did not--"

"--You're flat- chested. No one's going to have an interest in your body."

Alice lips quirked-- downward, upright, she does not know anymore. Grabbing the pillow behind her she started hitting Eros with it.

"You are such a jerk! I am going to kill you!"

He chuckled while shielding his face with his hands, when the fuming girl got tired of hitting her she hastily ran at the door to leave.

"What are you doing?" He asked when Alice closed the door again.

"The students are already here." She fidgeted. "If I go out they will see me."

Eros c.o.c.ked his head. "So you are asking for help after calling me a jerk?"

"You deserve it." Alice pursed.

"Then I am not going to help."

"What?! But... Alright! I don't even need your help!"

She took a deep breath and opened the door without waiting for his reply. She even heard him calling her but Alice already started sprinting at the corridor, her head down. The boys' who saw her stopped from their tracks and tried to peek at the curtain of hair that's obscuring her face.

She ran as fast as she can then entered the open door of her room. Alice b.u.mp into her roommate and they both fell at the floor.

"Alice? Where have you been?" Chloe asked after regaining from shock.

"I was..." She pants. "I was out for a jogging."

"Jogging? It's already 10 in the morning."

"Lost track of time."

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Alice decided to join the swimming club. After thinking back what happened at the auditorium she does not want to clash with the Ravenlan's queen bee again. They will never get along and being there will only makes things worst.

Waiting at the small room at the first floor of gymnasium building, a skinny red haired girl entered with a paper on her arm. She smiled at Alice then motioned her to come.

"My name is Ariel, the swimming club's captain, and this is Freya." She introduced the other members who are wearing their swimsuit. "Jetsam, Sebastian, and the one wearing the gla.s.ses is Anastasia."

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Alice Ludenburg." She smiled at them and shook hands.

"Before you can join the club, we want to know your swimming level." Ariel told her. "Please change into your swimsuit and let us see how good you are in the water."

She swam at the long pool with perfect posture and absolute speed, the other club members cheering at her. After the little test, she was welcomed by the club and was asked to fill up the form. Ariel chatted with her all the time while she talks to them to get to know each other.

The next day during their practice they welcomed another new club member named Eric. He has this gangly figure and uneven cropped hair, despite his appearance Eric is a shy guy who can't even talk straight without stuttering, and Alice is suspicious of him. Every day on their practice he was always sitting beside her or following her around. There are times that when she was finished changing she would found him outside the changing room, then when she asked what he has been doing there he would only say that he forgot something.

"New club member?" Chloe asked as they made their way at the canteen.

Alice nods. "His name is Eric. I think he's one of our cla.s.smates. He always sits behind us."

"Oh! The shy boy! Yes, I remember him." Exclaimed the cheerleader. "What's wrong with him?"

"He always follows me around during practice. That guy is more annoying than Eros."

"Maybe he is one of your fan. You got a number of them that's why Isabella's blood boiling. She thinks your stealing her fan club."

She regarder her with a look. Her eyebrow raising half a centimeter.

"I don't care about her fan club."

"But she does." They entered the canteen. "By the way, you've been avoiding Eros. Did you two fight?"

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "We are not even close to start with."

She has been avoiding him since Sunday. She has not forgiven him for being a jerk, and the guy is doing the same too. Ignoring her like she does not exist whenever their paths cross, and it is making her angrier. Alice doesn't even understand what she is feeling right now. The feeling is alien to her.

After their cla.s.s, they part ways at the gym. Chloe headed at the second floor while she waited at the first floor for her club members to come, when the phone on her bag started ringing. She rummaged through her things to find the phone and looked at the unknown number.

Alice cancelled the call, yet it rang again, giving her no choice but to answer the unknown caller.

Someone chuckled on the other line. "Hi, Alice." He said in such a low husky voice.

"Who is this?"

Her heart hammered from her chest, realizing who might be the caller is.

"You already know who am I right?" He asked with a hint of smile. "I have two questions for you, Alice."

She gritted her teeth. "Who are you?"

"Nuh. I am the one who's going to ask the questions."

She roamed her eyes around the isolated pool area. No one's around except her and the indistinct yelling came from the second floor of the building.

Another chuckling reached her ears. "First, did you see my b.l.o.o.d.y grin when you opened the letter?"

"What do you want? Why don't you just show yourself? Who are you? You're a coward, you know."

"I'm sure you already know who I am, Alice, and you'll know my reasons when we get there. Be patient." Said the unknown caller. "Next question: Since you are a great swimmer, can you swim with bind hand and feet?"

There were footsteps from behind her and before she could turn around something hard hit the back of her head-- black mist obscuring her vision.

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