First Impression

"That girl in front, she's pretty hot, don't you think?" Simon, Aciel's best friend, commented.

He frowned and turned his eyes again to the group of girls. He didn't see the one in front and only noticed the girls who were giggling and glancing at the buses and his car.

"Nope. I don't think so. They are all the same for me." He said in a cold tone.

Simon didn't say anything further and just shook his head. He already knew his best friend's temper, so no one dared to argue with him.

Aciel Vance De Silva, a rebellious young man, was the illegitimate son of the city's most powerful Mafia Clan and a princess from the neighboring country. Although he was an illegitimate child, his father chose him as the successor because Aciel's eldest half-brother was killed three years ago.

In fact, the reason the school became co-ed was because of him, but no one knew about it. His father didn't allow anyone to disclose the real motive behind it.

"I think it's time." Simon said.

Aciel looked outside and saw the principal with two other teachers smiling at them. He sighed and then went out of the car to properly greet them. He was stubborn and a rebel, but he still had respect for other people older than him, especially his teachers.

He fixed himself, then turned around and bowed to greet them. He noticed one of the teachers was looking at his ears and neck. He couldn't blame her since he got ear piercings and tattoos around his neck.

"Welcome, Mr. De Silva! We've been expecting you. My name is Principal Elena Romero, and of course, two of your teachers, Miss Katie York and Miss Alissa Smith." The woman that looked like she was in her late forties greeted them back.

He smiled at them, showing his pearly white teeth. "Nice to meet you. I'm Aciel. I'm the chosen representative of our school, and this is my best friend, Simon West." He answered, introducing himself and Simon.

The principal offered her hand as well as the teachers, so they were obliged to shake their hands.

"Let's go to my office. I want you to meet the student council members. They will be your tour guide for today." Mrs. Romero said.

"Thank you for inviting us. Can we ask two of our friends to join us?" Simon asked.

The principal was hesitant at first. She glanced at the teachers, then at Aciel, who was just staring at her. She gulped, then forced herself to smile before nodding at them.

They were joined by Chris and Leiam, who were both excited to see the school, especially the girls.

Inside the principal's office, Xylia was seated on the couch, and standing behind her were the student council members. She felt nervous but had to remain calm and composed in front of everyone. The boys shouldn't see that the girls in their school are weak. She would not allow the boys to overpower them.

She fixed herself when the door opened and saw the principal come in first, followed by the teachers. Behind them were four boys in their casual clothing. Mrs. Romero gestured that the boys should sit across from them.

Aciel sat down on the other side while the other three boys stood at the back.

"Well, Mr. De Silva, this is Miss Xylia Lovelle Antonov. She's the student council president and the face of our school." The principal started.

Xylia stared at the man called Aciel. She noticed his tattoos and piercings, but what captivated her was his flaming black eyes and jet black hair. He's good-looking and hot, like what she heard from the group of girls earlier. She thought to herself.

On the contrary, Aciel looked at Xylia and quickly disliked her. He couldn't deny that she was pretty and stood out among the girls she was with. She had straight brown hair, eyes like emeralds, and lips red as the blood moon. He knew she wasn't wearing any make-up. She was the prettiest girl she had ever met, but girls like her never affected him.

He knew the Antonov Clan. They were the most influential and the wealthiest clan in Bloomsdale. A woman like Xylia grew up with a golden spoon in her mouth. And that was what he hated the most.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. De Silva, and welcome to our school." Xylia softly said.

Even her voice sounded sexy. Aciel thought inwardly.

"Call me Aciel, and I assume I can call you Xylia?" He said.

Xylia nodded and sweetly smiled at him.

That smile. It wasn't fake. Looking at Xylia's eyes, he could tell it was a genuine reaction. It wasn't like the time they came in earlier. He could sense an awkward feeling and tension from the girls, especially from Xylia.

"I will be delighted if you call me by my first name. Thank you." She paused. "We noticed the buses outside, and I assumed all the students from your school were there. I suggest we ask them to come to the auditorium instead and it's the same with the girls in our school. That way, we could formally introduce ourselves. What do you think, Mrs. Romero?" Xylia suggested.

"O-Oh! That's a great idea, Xylia! Miss York and Miss Smith will make an announcement now. I'll go ahead and instruct the other teachers and staff to prepare the auditorium. In the meantime, I'll leave Mr. De Silva and the rest in your care." The principal said before leaving the office.

Both sides were quiet for a moment. Xylia suddenly had nothing to say. Her mind was blank, and she couldn't think of anything.

"How about introducing us to them?" Chelsea whispered in her ear.

"Oh yeah. I'm sorry."

She wanted to scold herself for forgetting her friends. She looked at Aciel again and was surprised that he was intently staring at her. She couldn't understand why her heart suddenly pounded. She bit her lips and took a deep breath, then smiled.

"May I introduce the members of the student council? This is Chelsea, the vice president. Liliana, the secretary, and Naomi, our treasurer."

The girls smiled as a greeting and waited for the other group to reply. Xylia noticed that Aciel sighed, and based on his expression, he looked bored.

"This is Simon, Chris, and Leiam. My friends." Aciel merely answered.

The boys greeted them in return. Xylia saw Aciel's friends smiling at them, but Aciel wasn't as happy as they were. She couldn't understand why his reaction changed from earlier. His face had a dark expression, and his silver eyes were a mixture of disdain and anger.