The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0519

"Come on," Luca says, that hungry little growl still deep in his voice as he puts a hand around my waist and pulls me flush to his side. "Let's go to dinner. Daphne's coming up tonight, right?"

"Oh yeah!" I say, my face breaking out in a smile - because I've seen less of my friend than I wanted to in this past week and a half. She's been as busy as the rest of us, after all. And then, smiling eagerly, I grab Luca's hand and haul him with me towards the door, grabbing our bookbags on the way.

I burst into a delighted smile the moment I step into our suite, dropping Luca's hand and dashing immediately for Daphne with a smile around at Ben, Rafe, or Jesse, who are also here. "Hi, hi!" I say, laughing as I wrap her up in a big hug even though she's barely had time to stand up from her place on the couch. "It's so good to see you Daph! How have you been!?"

"Um!" she says, laughing and pulling away from me a bit so she can smile into my face. "I've had...more breath, in other moments!" Laughing, I loosen my arms around her and murmur an apology, but she very quickly hugs me back. "It's so good to see you too, Ari. It's been lonely without you!"

My heart sinks to hear that my friend has been lonely but there's not much time to dwell on it as Luca comes over to say hello, obliging me to give her up so he can give Daphne his own hug. I step away, taking a moment to wave to the other three in the room, who all wave back. Jackson, I know, will be here soon - he's meeting with Hank tonight, with whom he's apparently making some exciting progress regarding the Community. I make a mental note to ask him about it tonight in the dream state.

"All right, Shrimp," Luca says the moment he finishes greeting Daphne and lets her go. "Give 'em back."

"What?" Daphne asks, looking between the two of us in confusion.

I grimace a little, and then hold out the little card of needles that I slipped out of her pocket during our hug. "Sorry," I say, giving a shrug. "I was never going to keep them - homework and all."

"Ariel!" she gasps, laughing as she snatches them out of my hand. "How did you do that!?"

"She's getting good, isn't she?" Rafe says, smiling at all of us from his place in his armchair.

Simultaneously, the dumbwaiter bell rings and Jesse pats me on the back in greeting as he moves over to it to grab our dinner. We've arranged for them to come a little later now that I have lessons with Blaze

something which I know makes him a little grumpy, even if he is a good sport about it and hasn't said anything.

"You're getting too good, sneaky cat," Daphne murmurs, giving me a little glare as she tucks the needles back into her pocket. Then, laughing, she sinks back down on the couch next to Ben. "What else are you learning?"

"Oh, you know, all sorts of useful things," I sigh, sitting down on the floor, where Luca settles next to me. I tick my lessons off on my hand. "How to kill people with a big shiny gun, how to kill people with a variety of wild mushrooms, how to kitt people by stealing their prized possessions and leaving them so desolate that they no longer have the will to live. You know," I shrug, "girl stuff."

Daphne laughs and leans against the arm of the couch, beaming at me, as Jesse comes back with the big tray of all of our dinners and places it on the coffee table. Ben springs up, helping him take the lid off and sort out the plates.