Chapter Twenty-Seven: Emotions Running High

"Why do you always push his buttons Azania? Do you have any idea how bad that makes me look?" Kevin scolded when Jackass had disappeared from our line of vision.

"Just because he wears expensive suits and drives expensive cars doesn't make him better than all of us. It just means that he's a Jackass with expensive taste. Like the devil in Prada, or in this case, the Devil in Armani!" I said with a chuckle; however, my boyfriend was not amused.

"Okay fine, I'm sorry okay? I know how much this head boy shit means to you and I will try to keep my mouth shut next time." I declared and sealed the deal with a kiss on his cheek.

"I promise you, you're the most infuriating human being on Mother Earth. "He growled before pulling me in for a kiss.

"What happened to 'it will never happen again'?" I mimicked his voice as I asked, failing miserably.

"He is not here right now, is he?" he japed, and I laughed with him.

"Listen, you gon' be okay here? I need to take my little sister to the dentist. And we all know how cranky Kristie gets on visits to Dr Heavy Machinery." He said with a grimace, I followed suit. His little sister was a ¼ shy of being a terrorist, as adorable as she was.

"Yeah, I was going to stay back and finish my very late assignment anyway. I'll call you when the time for the surprise rolls about. Now I need to face the wrath of DIA." I grumbled.

"DIA?" he asked confused.

"Devil in Armani, Kevin. Don't you listen to me when I speak?" I cried out.

"You speak fast baby; my brain is slow. I love you, yeah? See ya later hot stuff. And behave. Don't make the DIA angrier than he already is."

"No promises." I kissed him again before turning on my heel while Kevin jogged down the stairs.

"Yo Lockhart!" I called out.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck with Dr Heavy Machinery and Osama Bin Laden."

He laughed, "don't let Kristie hear you say that. She'd go all Kung Fu Panda on your pretty ass."

"I don't doubt that for a second." Kevin's booming laughter echoed through the empty halls.

"You're so sexy sometimes." He said, his eyes turning darker as lust flashed across his features.

"Get out of here you little fuck. See you tonight!" I called out and began the long walk to the principal's office, smiling a little when I heard Kevin's soft whistling. The time on my wristwatch read 3:53 and I shuddered as the memory of Gia and Jackass giving me this watch on my birthday flashed before me. I wasn't even thinking when I put it on this morning and I suddenly felt disgusted by the sight of it. Fortunately, I reached his door before I could talk myself into ripping it off my wrist. The office was deserted, and I wondered idly what he was still doing at school after hours on a Friday afternoon. I decided to give his rules the boot and opened the wooden door without knocking, walking in like I owned the place. He was seated behind his desk, going through piles of papers and looked up with his brows furrowed in confusion, which quickly turned to irritation upon seeing the rude way I just waltzed in his office.

"Did Lockhart somehow suck all of your manners out on top of the stairs?" it was hard to miss his irritation, his voice was drenched in it. I did not let it phase me when I spat, "I'm pretty sure that left the building the same time your brother-in-law dragged me out of your house." My true feelings for him were coming back. Feelings of hate, of betrayal and hurt. He painted his shock onto his face, mouth agape, showing me that I caught him off guard. And for once, I had left him speechless.

"What? Cat got your tongue Principal Matthews?" I taunted, squinting my eyes at him.

"You will watch how you speak to me, Miss Wyatt." He had seemed to find his own voice again and was trying to play the principal card on me, but I suddenly had the urge to let him know how I felt about him.

"No, I don't think so." I picked at my nails, nursing the anger that was bubbling within.

"Azania, I-"he started but I cut him off.

"Oh, so we're back to first name basis huh, Anthony? No longer fancy playing the principal card?" I needed him to hear the challenge in my voice, needed him to hear my pain.

"Azania, please-"

"Please what Anthony? What can you possibly want from me that you haven't taken already?" his demeanour had changed, his posture slumping as I watched him. He heard it. The scolder becomes the scolded. Good.

"Could you please just give me a chance to-"I cut him off again,

"To what? To explain? What in the world would make you think I want your damned explanation?" his audacity shocked me.

"Well then what do you want from me?!" he yelled in frustration, slamming his hands against the mahogany wood. This was my undoing; this unleashed the beast that had been hibernating for 18 long years. This was it, I had gone through the grief, the self-pity and the uninvited depression that wanted to overstay its welcome. All I felt in that very moment was pure, unadulterated rage. And all of it was reserved for him.