I've never been to a school before, so I'm clueless about how things work here.
Still, I suppose this is where kids expand their knowledge.
It's also my first time being a bodyguard, so I did some research on how to do the job properly and found three key rules to follow: always stay alert, stay physically strong, and don't speak unless necessary or given permission.
Sounds easy enough.
Honestly, I was hoping to be stationed with Grace—she seems more chill.
But I ended up with Aubrey, and I have a bad feeling about it. I didn't have much time to dwell on it, because the moment we stepped out of the car, Esperanza's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Y'all should go to your classrooms," Esperanza said to Grace, Aubrey, and Jace.
"I'll accompany this muffinhead to the principal's office and get him enrolled," he added. "Jace, Grace will be under your protection."
"Of course, sir."
With a nod, Jace and Grace walked off down the hall.
"As for you, Aubrey," Esperanza continued, "head to your classroom and wait for Hayden to finish his admission. And don't even think about cutting class before it starts."
Aubrey sighed and rolled her eyes before walking off.
"The principal's office is this way, muffinhead. Grab onto my tail."
I grabbed onto his tail like he said and followed behind. We made our way down the corridor, the place buzzing with students — laughter, chatter, footsteps echoing off the walls. After a moment, Esperanza glanced back at me, checking if I still remembered his instructions.
"Can you recall what I told you earlier?" he asked.
"Positive."
Esperanza gave me a side-eye. "You don't have to respond like the military—just act normal. Anyways, enumerate them."
"Okay. First: bitches' safety comes first."
He sighed. "It's unnecessary to call them that."
"I'm only repeating exactly what you told me."
A short laugh slipped out of him. "I knew I made the right decision hiring you. Continue."
"Second: monitor their actions and report to you if something's off."
"Good. And the last?"
"Third: no one should know they're your daughters. I should recognize Grace as Grace Garcia and Aubrey as Aubrey Reyes."
"Perfect!" Esperanza grinned. "Seems like you're quick to follow."
He was still grinning when another thought hit me. "Although you hid their true identities by faking their last names, the fact that you came out of the car with them earlier makes it obvious you're related. I'm pretty sure a bunch of people saw us."
"Nah, that's nothing to worry about," Esperanza replied with a dismissive shrug. "I'm periodically invisible to everyone's eyes. I put them all under my illusion spell, so they can't see me."
"Everyone? Then how come I can see you?"
He shot me a look. "Do you even know how spells work? Of course it's because I didn't put you under my spell, muffinhead!"
I get it. But still—there are hundreds of students around. Casting a high-level spell over all of them at once? That should be impossible… or at least exhausting as hell.
I glanced at him, expecting him to look worn out, but Esperanza strolled like he owned the place—hands in his pockets, not a hint of strain on his face.
I was still trying to wrap my head around how he managed to cast something that strong when he spoke again.
"But even if I did put you under it, I doubt the spell would last long on you," he said, glancing at me with a smirk. "By the way, muffinhead, what's your DH rank?"
"I've never been in a guild, so I don't have one," I replied. "But if I had to guess, maybe B-rank."
Esperanza chuckled. "You're such a bad liar."
"I'm telling the truth."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused but not convinced. The rest of the walk was quiet—only our footsteps echoed through the hallway. After a few turns, we stopped at a door marked Principal's Office. Esperanza knocked once before pushing it open, meeting the man himself.
The principal looked about Esperanza's age. His face was all bone, and his eyebags looked like he hadn't slept in a year.
Principal duties must be rough.
"Oh, what brings you here, Esperanza?" the hollow-eyed principal asked.
Esperanza crossed his arms. "Bit of short notice, but I've got a request."
"Of course! Anything for you. Your contributions have done wonders for this school. I'd be more than happy to return the favor."
Esperanza's lips curved into a smirk. "Got the bitches a new bodyguard."
The principal blinked, forcing a laugh. "You mean your daughters, right?"
"Yeah. I'm enrolling this muffinhead right here." He gave my shoulder a firm tap. "Put him in the same class as Aubrey."
Turns out, Esperanza didn't have any trouble getting me enrolled.
Apparently, he'd donated a ridiculous amount of money to the school, so the principal practically rolled out a red carpet for us. A few signatures and nods later, and just like that—I was officially a student.
Esperanza handled the rest with his usual charm, leaving me with a pat on the shoulder and a smug, "Don't screw this up, muffinhead."
Not long after, a teacher came by to fetch me, leading me down the hall toward my new classroom.
~~~~~~~~~
After getting admitted, the teacher led me to the classroom where I had to introduce myself in front of everyone.
Of course, this wasn't a romance novel, so there's nothing worth telling about my introduction.
I was never expecting some inciting incidents because those things only happen in the delusional fantasy of immature readers.
After all, I look as bland as a background character.
I just said my name, kept it short, and got through it like it was nothing.
The good part? I ended up seated at the back—right next to Aubrey, the protectee.
This close proximity will allow me to defend her from any upcoming attacks, so this seating arrangement works perfectly.
As the class went on, I took the time to observe the protectee and her little circle.
They'd all clustered at the back of the room, their chairs turned around so they could face each other instead of the board. Laughter and whispers bounced between them like this was a café, not a classroom.
Aubrey sat in the middle of it all, feet propped up on her desk like she owned the place. She scrolled through her phone, giggling at whatever was on the screen, occasionally tossing comments to her friends while the teacher discussed in front, pretending not to notice.
I'd done research on classroom etiquette, and if I wasn't mistaken, using a phone during classes is considered bad behaviour.
What got me really curious, though, was why the teacher seems unconcerned about Aubrey's brazen behaviour.
Perhaps it's because the teacher knows that she's Esperanza's daughter? But her friends behave similarly, so it couldn't just be that.
I'd also heard this was a public school… so maybe the teaching quality just isn't great.
By the time class ended, my observation confirmed it—Aubrey fit the "problem child" profile perfectly. No, bitch suits her better. Maybe even whore.
The teacher dismissed us, and Aubrey immediately stormed out. Naturally, I had to follow. We walked across the campus for a while, her heels clicking against the floor as she took a route I didn't recognize. The hallway was quiet, just the echo of our steps.
Then, for the first time of the day, she turned and laid her burning eyes on me.
"Do you know about personal space?!" she snarled.
Like a stereotypical bodyguard, I said calmly, "My shift isn't over until you're home. The parking area's the other way—your sister and Jace are waiting."
"Like hell I'm going home. Tell Dad I'm hanging out with friends."
I knew it. This bitch would be pesky from the get go.
"Negative. Your safety is my obligation and I must-"
"Shut it!" she yelled at me. "Stop acting so enthusiastically about your duty. I know guys like you; all you're after is the hefty salary."
…
She puffed exasperatedly. "Fine. Let's make a deal." Crossing her arms, she continued, "I'll give you a quarter of my monthly allowance if you let me do as I please."
"How much are we talking here?"
"So you're interested…" A grin spread on her lips. "I can guarantee you it's more than what you can earn in a month."
I know I shouldn't fall for this trap. Hence, I absolutely won't.
"It's a deal then." I accepted her proposal in a heartbeat.
When it comes to money, my moral compass tends to, uhm… malfunction.
"But I'll still monitor you after school hours," I said.
"No problem. Just keep your distance and don't talk to me—your voice ruins my mood."
When I first met Aubrey, I actually thought she liked me—she begged Esperanza to assign me as her bodyguard, after all. But after that day, she barely spoke to me. Turns out, she just wanted someone inexperienced enough to manipulate. And, well… she saw me as an easy target.
"I'll talk to Esperanza, see if he'll let you do your thing. Stay put while I call him."
"I've got places to be, so make it quick."
I fished my phone from my pocket, and dialed Esperanza's number. He picked up almost instantly.
"The bitch refuses to go home," I said, straight to the point.
"I should've known better. Just drag the bitch by force if she doesn't cooperate," Esperanza replied, sounding annoyed.
"She wants to hang out with her friends. I say we let her—I'll keep an eye on her until she gets home. She'll be safe under my watch."
"What?... Did she bribe you or something? What shenanigans is that bitch up to?"
"She doesn't. I think this'll be the right way to handle her." I muted my phone for a moment, noticing the faint crease forming on Aubrey's forehead. "You may go ahead," I said to her as the heel of her Mary Janes tapped impatiently against the floor.
Without a word, Aubrey went down the hallway with long strides.
I unmuted and got back on the line. "The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make it seem like she's not in jail."
Esperanza chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me, muffinhead. Containing that bitch would be a pain—I'll leave her to you."
"I'll bring her home by ten," I said.
"Good. Don't let her get wasted," he added.
"Copy."
I hung up and started tracing Aubrey's path.
But as I slid my phone back into my pocket, my gut twisted.
Something felt off—heavy, dark.
A presence.
I know this feeling.
A demon.
I quickened my pace, realizing I'd already lost sight of the protectee. Damn it.
Turning the corner, I bumped into the principal stepping out of the infirmary.
"Oh, Hayden. I submitted your enrollment form to the registrar—you're officially admitted."
"Yeah. Thanks."
Every second could be the difference between life and death.
I must get to the protectee in time.
I brushed past Conor and sprinted toward where Aubrey had gone.