The ORION Project | ✔

chapter 14

Another update, so soon, enjoy it. I am obviously the queen of dragging things out - 14 chapters in and almost fifty thousand words and we haven't even scratched the surface, I promise, things will get interesting in the next couple of chapters. Fingers crossed.

"You are a shitty bodyguard." Grace snapped, Firepemi rolled his eyes in answer, twisting the Rubik's Cube in his hands. Grace wanted to snatch it out of his hands and toss it into the puddle of rain water. She hastened her steps, ducking her head and stepping into the half full lecture hall - fortunately, the lecturer was absent or else she'd spend the class outside, pleading with him to grant her entry. It was all Firepemi's fault, he walked too slowly and sometimes his eyes would wander to a conversation or bright banner on campus, she was more like the bodyguard he was supposed to be.

Grace regretted that she had accepted Amina's offer of a bodyguard, she should have just let Kendrick tail her instead - he had offered and she had rejected his offer because he had a class of his own to attend - and maybe she wouldn't be in this situation. As her eyes scanned the lecture hall, searching for a unoccupied back seat, Firepemi tapped her shoulder, she turned to him, impatient to hear what he wanted to say, but he was toying with the Rubik's Cube in his hands.

With a huff, she snatched it from his palm and was in the motion of crushing it under her muddy shoes when she caught the warning glare he sent her, she had never thought of Firepemi as a dangerous person but the glare he sent her made her hesitate and remember why he was one of Joshua Phillip's friends.

"Give that back." He snapped, she let him have it, waiting for his outburst, instead, he took in a deep breath and the anger was gone. "I was diagnosed with ADD when I was seven, trust me, this toy is the only thing helping me from spacing out completely."

Grace felt bad at once, not because he had ADD but because she had been mean to him because of it.

"You should have said so, then I wouldn't have asked for your bodyguard services." She said sharply.

Firepemi glanced at her with a slight smile.

"That is where you are wrong, Gracey, I make an excellent bodyguard, I've got the hot body." He ticked off each finger, tucking the Rubik's Cube under his armpit. "I give off mysterious vibes - that girl over there seems to think so by the glances she's throwing my way." He pointed at one of Grace's course mates, a girl who was quick to give a smirk when she noticed Firepemi's gaze on her. Firepemi returned it, winking unnecessarily.

"And most of all, I notice the shit you don't." He said, puffing his chest in the way that reminded Grace of a child who had done all his chores and expected a pat on the back.

"Like what?" Grace crossed her arms, not ready to let him off the hook so soon.

"You have the hots for Kendrick." Fire made a disgusted face and laughed loud, a sound punctuated with snorts when Grace flinched back.

"I do not." She rebuked, she swiped at his arm.

"You want to feel those skinny biceps, maybe tie him down and do all wicked things to him." Fire said, flicking her nose. "You girls think your feelings are so well hidden, he would probably see it if he weren't so blind." He said it like it was a bad thing, frowning at the end.

"I don't like Kendrick." Grace snapped, it was a shout that drew the attention of half of the class, she stomped her foot and pushed Fire, he didn't budge, standing still like a rock. "Get out, guy, before you embarrass me any further."

"You did all the work yourself, little cous -" Firepemi paused as if he had let a secret spill unintentionally. "I'll be outside."

The class was still watching them, most likely wondering how Grace knew the famous captain or more certainly wondering what a loser like her was doing with someone like him. It made Grace's chest tighten in anxiety and she could hear the words in the air, or maybe it was her delusion.