The Bewitched Knights

ACE

I could hear Jung practically gritting his teeth in aggravation as he paced in his room while I sat at his study table to help him with his assignments.

I twirled the eraser between my fingers as I found myself lost in thought over that new girl named Veronica.

I had no idea what her full name was or what subjects she had chosen, and why she was transferred in the last year, but I didn’t really care.

The incident between her and Elliot kept playing on my mind until the eraser fell from my hand, and I sighed.

“This Elliot! He is never going to reform his ways. I’m telling you, Ace, let’s complain about him to the dean,” he exclaimed with a hoarse voice that made me look back at him.

“I think you should go to the doctor. Your voice is turning hoarse now,” I told him, and he shrugged in response.

“Just a cold, maybe,” he replied.

I hummed in response as I picked up the eraser and returned to my work.

“But that girl. Who exactly is that girl?” he asked as he took a seat next to mine and looked at me, wanting to know more about her.

“I really don’t know, but whatever happened back there, I think she probably got herself in trouble. We should stay away from her if we don’t want any trouble with Elliot,” I said, and he scoffed at me.

“We are already on Elliot’s hit list, Ace. What more can he do to us? Do you know what I think?” he said.

I stopped my work and looked his way. “What?”

“That we should totally team up against Elliot and teach him a lesson,” he remarked.

I scoffed back at him. “Forget it!” I shook my head at his foolish idea.

I agree that half of the population in our school was bullied by Elliot, but none had the audacity or courage to stand up to him.

Last time, a guy named Jeffrey stood up to him and complained to the dean, and he ended up being transferred to another school because of Elliot’s father.

So after that, everyone wanting to remain in the prestigious school concentrated more on their studies rather than focusing on Elliot’s bully.

But on top of that, Elliot was a good student too. He had brains, but the only problem was he had no idea where to use them.

Everyone in our school was either a merit or scholar student who came from across the world to compete.

Only those with knowledge and who could successfully complete the entrance exam could gain a seat in the school. That was Elliot.

His father’s connections had no bearing on his being enrolled in the school. Like everyone, he took the entrance exam and was selected for the school. But his problem was he was a douchebag.

Considering Veronica’s sudden enrollment, I was sure she had also taken the entrance exam to enroll, or it wouldn’t have been possible.

Even transfer students go through the entrance process and everything to gain admission.

“Look, Ace! Not everyone thinks the same way you do. I know you do not like violence, but let me tell you, enduring violence and a bully is also your fault. I am with Veronica.

“I think what she did was right! She showed him his place from the very beginning, and I think she is going to stand her ground till the end, and we should definitely support her.”

Jung breathed out as he walked to his bed and plopped down on it.

I watched him and thought about what he had just said.

“Still, just a year left to go, and it will be gone and forgotten,” I said under my breath, but Jung heard it as he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“It’s very hard, very, very hard to convince you of something,” he said as he got up and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut in rage.

Not a new thing for me. He had minor anger issues, but he was the type of person who could quickly get out of their angry zone and be their usual chirping self.

It was Sunday, and the clock read seven in the evening as I finished up Jung’s work and got up to leave his room.

We lived on the school campus. The school had its own boys’ and girls’ dorm.

The boys’ dorm had five wings, and Jung’s room was in the second wing on the second floor, while I was allocated to the third floor on the fifth wing.

The boys’ dorm was on the right side of the school, while the girls’ dorm was located in a different area on the back side of the school, and they had six wings constructed for them.

But still, they had to cross the main road before our dorm to reach the school, and my fifth wing was near the road. I could sit on my balcony and study or look down at it.

We had different types of rooms in which two to three students could live, but I took the individual room, which was only available in the fifth wing.

That was why I ended up walking back to my wing in the evening.

Seven in the evening, and the dusky night rode down the sky. The birds chirped and flew away to their nests while the bats squeaked as I returned home.

When I was almost to my wing, I saw a shadow near the street light, and I stopped in my tracks to see who it was.

Veronica.

She sat under the street light on the pavement of the road as she scrolled through a mobile phone, completely unaware of what was going on.

Behind her was the first wing where Elliot lived, and like me, he also had a balcony room to himself.

If he saw her down there, then I was sure he would make his way to her to avenge her for the things she did earlier that afternoon.

I clutched my bag and looked up at Elliot’s room. I was sure he was inside studying or dancing or whatever, and then I looked back at Veronica. Why is she sitting there? Alone?

I wanted to tell her that she better walk back to her dorm or her warden or the security guards would approach her because the road was always under surveillance by CCTV camera, and they go out on patrol.

But then it crossed my mind that it was none of my business. Elliot would never do anything to her because even he knew the place was under constant surveillance.

I looked to the right to find security guards sitting at the entry door of the first wing, and they were looking her way. So they were already aware of her presence.

Adjusting my glasses, I decided it would be good if I didn’t bother her and minded my own business.

So, I walked past her, but as I did, she looked up from her phone, and we made eye contact for a second.

She seemed as if she didn’t recognize me because she was the one who broke eye contact and went back to her phone.

I looked straight ahead and walked back to my wing, ready to finish my assignment, which I hadn’t even started.

I knew it would take a whole night to complete the work, but the entire time I walked back to my room, I had no idea why I kept thinking about Veronica sitting there alone in the night.

I found myself going to my balcony to check on her two to three times, and I found her sitting in the same spot, still busy on her phone. The fourth time I returned to check on her, she was gone.

It was eight in the evening, and she was nowhere in sight or near any of the boys’ dorms.

Good for her, I thought as I concentrated on my work.