**Avery**
When I walked into Miss Alman's class, Conner was waiting on me with a smile. Once I took my seat, he leaned over and whispered, "I guessed that you liked lilies."
I giggled, but I put my hand over my mouth to stifle it, because I didn't want to draw attention to either myself or Conner. "You did fine. They are one of my favorites. Thank you."
As his hand briefly touched mine, I looked at him. "Even if you never tell me what all happened Friday night, I know exactly who all are to blame. If my brothers choose to do nothing, I will. I, like Mr. Darcy, have been too prideful to see what has been in front of me for years. You are a special girl, even if you want to kill me in our play."
My cheeks reddened in embarrassment and I chewed on my lip. He laughed, "I read your whole outline. I severely underestimated your creativity."
"Wait until you see Clint in my apron baking us cookies."
We laughed as we pretended to rehearse. Conner leaned down. "So you are using our classes to get revenge. Very, very sneaky, but oh, so fucking brilliant!"
I shrugged. "We all need to graduate and fate made us partners. I would be an idiot if I didn't use that to my advantage."
He nodded and we joked around as we worked on our script. The bell signaling the end of class, which came too soon. I waved goodbye to Conner before making my way to Mrs. Moore's class. Today, we were supposed to plan a mock date. I am looking forward to it. However, I wasn't looking forward to what I saw outside of the classroom. Lenore had Clint pressed against the wall and was kissing him. How can he let her do that after she tried to kill me?
Rage bubbled inside of me. As I passed them, I said, "Clint, be sure to remind her that she owes you a spirit shirt." I left them with their jaws on the floor in my wake.
Clint takes his seat at our station. "Avery, why did you say that? Now she knows you remember."
I shrug because I really don't know why I said it. I guess I was pushed too far and instead of breaking, I am springing back to get my revenge. "I just want to be left alone. Since they won't, I will find a way to make them."
**Clint**
Avery is becoming reckless. She needs to trust us to handle this, but I know how ridiculous that sounds after how badly we have treated her for the past five years. My brothers and I helped cause this and now we need to fix it. I can not believe that I am thinking this, but in the two years my parents have been gone, we have let pussy cloud our minds and hinder our judgment. We have become your stereotypical playboy princes. Since one of us is the future king, and will be representing our tribe at annual meetings among other tribes, we need to start acting like it.
"Avery, just wait until after the Grand Ceremony. After that, my brothers and I will be recognized as kings, until one of us finds our mate. Then he will be king, and based on tradition, it is usually the eldest that does. Cassius will be king, and he will punish them."
She sighs as she hangs her head, "It is not nearly enough. It won't be an eye for an eye, because he has known them longer and they are dragons. I am just your pathetic human assistant."
"Avery, you were there for us when our parents died. Lenore and the other girls just fucked us so that we could forget."
She glares at me. I ran my hand over my face not knowing how to respond because that obviously was not what I should have said to her. Luckily, I was saved by Mrs. Moore, as she asked us to show her what our date would look like. I hadn't written a thing, but Avery did. Mrs. Moore smiled at the simple start of the date which was a walk in the park followed by a trip to the cafe for tea. There was no mention of an elaborate dinner or shopping, just quality time and conversation.
Was this what a first date was supposed to be like? Mine were always dinner, and possibly a movie or shopping, before we would find a place to fuck or she would give me a blowjob. "I have tried to tell you that how you treat girls isn't how a mate is to be treated," Carter bluntly says, in my mind. Yes, he has a point, but I don't want a mate. Carter huffs, "If you were human, then you would have a choice. You are a dragon, and we dragons are guided by fate. One day, we will find her, and when we do, I will not let you hesitate."
I look over at Avery, who is engrossed in planning a date that will never be. But I could take her on a friendly date to go to that cafe. Friends sit and drink tea together and chat, don't they? I honestly don't know, because I have never had a female friend, or a friend who wasn't one of my brothers. In the dragon world, very few seek to truly know you, because they only seek to increase their status. Avery has never cared about that. Instead, she focuses on her duties and helping to provide for her adoptive parents.
"Avery, I want to take you somewhere after school. Will you come?"
She raises her head up with shock, and a tad bit of distrust in her eyes. "Where?"
"You love tea. I thought that I could take you to a cafe in the human world. That is, if you will let me."
"Why?" I expected her to ask that, but it did hurt me a little. My brothers and I are serious about trying to have a fresh start with her.
I sigh, "It is not a date, and I don't expect anything to happen. I merely liked the idea, and thought that we could go as friends."
Her expression softened, as she looked into my eyes, "As friends?"
I smiled and nodded, "Yes, as friends." It felt amazing to say that. Avery will be my first female friend. I wonder if I will be her first male friend.