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“I need to move seats. This man is bothering me,” Lyric says, crossing her arms.
“I just asked if I might possibly borrow a pen,” I lie, giving him the most innocent look I can muster.
“Perhaps you need to leave class until you can gather yourself, Miss,” the professor says, staring down the bridge of his nose at Lyric over the rim of his glasses. “I’d suggest you get yourself together and come back to the next class.”
Lyric looks helplessly between me and Archer, but we stare straight ahead. She gathers her books together and has to awkwardly shuffle between students to get to the door, all eyes still on her.
Archer and I give each other a small high-five under the desks. Mission accomplished. Now she knows exactly what wecan do and that we’re not backing down, maybe she’ll be more amenable to our little arrangement.
The rest of class continues without incident and we walk out, only half surprised to find Lyric sitting there, waiting for us outside the classroom.
“Please!” she says, jumping up. “Please listen to me!”
“So you can manipulate us?” I ask, curling my lip into a sneer. Archer seethes next to me, arms crossed. “You manipulated us back then. You’re going to manipulate us now.”
“It’s not like that!” Lyric protests. “Just listen to me! I can explain everything.”
“We’re done with this bullshit,” Archer says through gritted teeth. “We know you never cared about us at all. Stop trying to hide behind that innocent façade!”
“I don’t understand,” Lyric says, voice breaking. “Why can’t you let it go? I was just a kid. What do you want from me?”
Tears fill her blue-green eyes and slip down her cheeks, shoulders shaking as she begins to sob. “I can’t do this,” she says, rubbing her face. “I can’t do this!”
“Can’t do what?” I ask, disgust filling me as I watch her cry. She’s so manipulative. Even now, she’s acting like the victim. “Can’t take the fact that you’re finally facing the consequences of your own actions? Can’t take that you’re finally about to experience comeuppance?”
She hangs her head, arms wrapping around herself. “What do you want?” Her voice is hoarse, and she blinks, brushing the tears away. “What is it you want from me? Do your homework? Buy you beer? Is that all?”
I glance at Archer, letting him take the lead on this. He grabs her by the elbow, steering us outside where we sit her down at a table.
“Not only that,” Archer starts. “We expect you to be at our beck and call twenty-four, seven. Anything we ask, you have to do it.”
“Are you going to make me set myself on fire or something?” Lyric asks, the misery clear in her voice.
“Who knows?” I shrug. Lyric looks up at me, fear in her eyes. “But for now, let’s start with just obeying us.”
“Don’t even think about running to anyone for help, either,” Archer adds, his tone icy. “We have ways of making sure no one will believe you.”
Her shoulders slump slightly, the fight draining out of her. She looks down, her hands trembling. “Why are you doing this?” she whispers.
I step closer, forcing her to meet my gaze. "Because you owe us, Lyric. You owe us for what you did. And until we’re satisfied, you belong to us.”
She shudders, the weight of our words sinking in. “I don’t have a choice, do I?” she says softly.
I shake my head. "No, Songbird. You don’t. So, get used to it."
Archer smirks, enjoying the power we have over her. “And remember, the more obedient you are, the easier this will be for you.”
Lyric takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “And what if I decide not to?” she demands. “What if I don’t obey?”
I exchange a look with Archer, a silent agreement passing between us. I step closer, forcing her to meet my gaze. “If you don’t, we’ll make sure every day here is a nightmare. We’ll make your life hell and there’s nothing you can do to stop us.”
Archer smirks, adding, “Our little stunt in class today? Simply a taste of what we can do. We can get you kicked out, ruin your reputation and make sure you have no one to turn to.”
“I hope you didn’t have big plans,” I tell her, “because you can kiss those goodbye if you decide to act up.”
She takes another deep breath, her resolve breaking. “Fine,” she says in a small voice. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Good girl,” I say, twisting the corners of my lips into a mocking smile. “Archer will be in touch to give you your instructions. Obey everything, exactly as written, or you’ll make things worse for yourself.”
