My Demon Volume 2

By S.A. Hunter

Quizzes, guards, homework, fights, basketball, switched pills, galas, kisses, assassins, secrets, lies. All part of the Noble Academy experience.

Sarah knew going to Noble Academy would be tough, but she didn’t expect it to be perilous. Still recovering for the attempt on her life, she tries to get back to normal, but at Noble, there is no normal. Between catching up with classes, she has to contend with Damien’s hot/cold mood swings. One moment he’s her best friend; the next, he’s completely ignoring her. He’s the most difficult boyfriend in the world, but he isn’t Sarah’s boyfriend. So why’s she stuck with all of the difficulties?

And it doesn’t help that Noah Nash has entered the mix. If she thought she had trouble with the richest boy in school, that’s nothing compared to the second richest. She knows Damien likes her. She’s not sure if Noah cares about her at all, as in if she were drowning, would he bother to throw her a rope? Actually, she suspects he’d be the one to push her into the water.

So what’s the poorest girl at a rich academy supposed to do with the two richest boys? Sarah’s not sure, but she’s open to suggestions. Well, she wants to punch Noah, but security wouldn’t like that. She’s not sure what to do about Damien. Maybe she’ll fix him pancakes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.A. Hunter
• Release date: Jan 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310431555

S.A. Hunter

S.A. Hunter lives in Virginia and works in a library. She is the author of the YA series Scary Mary as well as other fantasy novels. Visit her online at www.sahunter.net or email her [e-mail]

Book preview

My Demon

Volume 2

A Serial Project

by S.A. Hunter

© 2016 S.A. Hunter

This work gathers the previously published episodes 5-7 of the serial My Demon.

License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people unless permitted by purchase agreement. If you would like to give this book to another person, please download an additional copy for each person.

This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Cover design by S.A. Hunter

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My Demon Volume 3 will be published April 15.

Other works by S.A. Hunter

Unicorn Bait

Dragon Prey

~The Scary Mary Series~

Scary Mary

Stalking Shadows

Broken Spirits

Strange Girl

Thursday, Day 11

I had a nightmare last night. In it, I was in the east hallway, heading for the bathroom. As I passed classrooms, I noticed they were all empty. That had seemed wrong. It the middle of the day. I didn’t know where everyone was. I thought maybe there was an assembly that I hadn’t been invited to because of my poor status. But as I walked down the hall, I heard someone behind me. I looked back and a faceless student was there. At my glance, he quickly hid a large knife behind his back.

I kept walking, not wanting to alert the student that I knew he was after me, but as I went through the halls, I looked into every room, searching for help, but all of the room were empty. Every time I looked back, another student would be there, joining the first, and they’d all quickly hide their knives behind their backs. By the time I reached the storage closet, there was a mob of faceless students behind me, all carrying knives. I banged on the storage closet’s door and begged Red to let me in. He opened the door a crack and asked for the password. I didn’t know it. I told him it was me, but he said he couldn’t let me in without the password. The mob was getting closer. I begged Red again to let me in. He shook his head and closed the door. The mob had surrounded me and began to close in. I sat up in bed with a gasp. I slapped on my lamp and looked around the room. Of course I was home and I was safe. It had been a nightmare, but I couldn’t go back to sleep. When Dad took me to meet Angela that morning, I was jittery and jumpy. I couldn’t shake the dream.

As Angela pushed me to first period, I found myself looking at everyone a little too long, wondering if their gaze held a hint of hate in it or not. That boy’s eyes over there narrowed when he looked at me. Did he wish me ill? My anxiety was making me suspicious of everyone. I knew I needed to cool it, but I also knew I had to stay on guard. How was I supposed to balance the two? Angela was blithely unaware of my paranoia. She was humming a little tune as we went down the hall. I appreciated her help, but with a sinking stomach, a new worry occurred to me. What if I was putting her in danger? What if associating with me made her a target? But if my association with Damien was what made me a target, then Angela should have an even bigger bullseye on her back, and she’d had it for years.

Has anyone ever given you trouble about Damien? I asked as we went toward Prof. Edward’s classroom.

What do you mean?

Has anyone bullied you or done anything mean because you’re his girlfriend?

Oh no, never.

I frowned. While I was happy to hear that she’d never been attacked, why had I been targeted?

Sarah, what are you thinking about?

It’s nothing. I was just trying to figure out why I got so unlucky.

Some might think you’re very lucky.

I barked a laugh. Oh yeah, getting stabbed makes me super lucky.

Well, while that is certainly not a good thing, you do have nice parents, get to go to a good school, be yourself, and have wonderful friends. Not everyone can claim that. While everyone here can, of course, claim the second, many couldn’t claim the others.

From Angela’s list of my blessings, I wondered which one she couldn’t claim because it was clear she didn’t count herself as lucky as me. Maybe it was more than one thing she couldn’t claim. I couldn’t ask her for details though in the middle of the busy hallway. When we arrived at the classroom, I immediately looked for Damien, and he was there, sitting at his desk with his feet propped up.

As Angela wheeled me around him, I said, Show off.

What? he asked, looking up from his phone.

I lightly pushed at his feet on the desk. My back twinges just looking at you. Put your feet down.

He rolled his eyes and didn’t budge.

I’ll come get you for second period? Angela asked.

I gave Damien a brief look, but he was willfully ignoring us. I nodded to Angela. Yeah, thanks.

She smiled and with a wave, left the room.

Dean Crowe said not to push, but I wanted to know more about what had happened to my assailant and Damien seemed to know everything.

I heard about Volkov.

He shrugged. He didn’t even bother looking up from his phone. I waited for him to say something, but his attention never wavered from his phone. He appeared to be playing a Textris-type game.

I sighed in annoyance. I’d forgotten who I was dealing with. Just because Damien knew something didn’t mean he would tell me anything. And he was still insisting we couldn’t be friends. All while still sitting beside me. I huffed. Fine then, if he was so determined to have as little to do with me as possible, then I’d oblige him. I took out my notebook and focused exclusively on Prof. Edward when he came in and began class.

When the bell rang, Angela slipped into the room with a shy smile to us. Damien still sat with his feet propped up. He hadn’t shifted an inch throughout class. I should’ve probably done more to get him to put his feet down, but that would go counter to ignoring him. Angela came around to pull out my wheelchair from under the desk, but Damien’s hand shot out and grabbed an armrest.

Get someone else to take her everywhere. You’re not her servant.

What? Angela said. That was my thought as well.

He took his feet off the desk and stood up. He took hold of Angela’s elbow. Leave her. Let’s go.

But Damien, who else will take her? Angela protested.

Let her figure it out. She’s a big girl.

My jaw dropped. What was he doing?

Why are you trying to stop her? I asked him.

He turned to me, a sneer already creeping onto his face. I hadn’t seen him like this since the first day of school. She’s my girlfriend, not your personal assistant. Stop using her.

I couldn’t believe he was saying that. I opened my mouth to protest, but he’d pulled Angela away and out the door before I could think of what to say. I looked at the students who were coming in for second period. Prof. Edward had disappeared. I couldn’t call on him to help me. I pulled out my phone. First I dialed Dad, but I went straight to voice mail. He must be in the middle of something. I had only five phone numbers in my phone: Dad, Angela, home, Damien, and Noah. I dialed the fifth.

Sarah? Are you all right?

I winced when I heard Noah’s voice. Of course something had to be terribly wrong for me to call him. Tears began to fill my throat. Can you come get me from Prof. Edward’s classroom and take me to Prof. Engler’s? I asked. I hated how dependent I was on everyone. I felt so weak and useless.

Uh, yeah, sure. Be there in a minute.

I hung up the phone too upset to say thanks.

I kept my head down so as not to meet anyone’s eyes. I was having trouble holding it together and seeing anyone’s pity right now would just set me off. I didn’t want to be this way. I didn’t like having to rely on anyone and right now, I relied on everyone for everything. I couldn’t even get to my next class by myself. That’s what I should’ve asked Dean Crowe for: A motorized wheelchair.

True to his word, Noah came into the room a minute later. Several students called out greetings to him. He smiled and returned their hellos. He came over to me and crouched down. Hey, ready to go? he asked.

I mutely nodded, not raising my head to meet his eyes.

He took me from the room. No one said anything further to him as we left. It was apparent now what he was doing. The invalid had called him for help. He was on a mission of mercy. The bell for second period rang while we were in the halls. I was making Noah tardy.

Sorry— I began but stopped short when he turned me right and pushed me out into the courtyard. Where are we going? My next class is English.

We’re late anyway, might as well make it worth it, he said.

What? Noah, I want to go to class.

And sit by Damien?

My mouth twisted.

Let’s talk for a little bit.

Talk about what?

What else? Damien.

We were on one of the cross paths across the courtyard. Stone benches lined it. He pushed me up beside one and took a seat. I’d felt helpless before and it had brought me almost to tears. Now I was irritated. Noah had no right to basically kidnap me.

There’s nothing to say about Damien. He doesn’t want anything to do with me.

Noah didn’t appear to be paying attention to me. He was bent over, staring at his clasped hands. Do you know Damien had to repeat a grade?

I hadn’t known this and didn’t know if I should believe him.

It was the seventh grade. He was expelled from the Victor Academy for Boys.

Was that when he attacked another boy?

His name was Bobby Novak.

Why are you telling me this?

Just listen. Bobby was a friend of mine. And so was Damien.

I blinked. It didn’t seem possible. Damien hated him with a passion. And I didn’t trust Noah, but my instincts were telling me that he was being sincere. I didn’t interrupt him again.

Damien and I were best friends back then. We’d met the previous year. He’d started midway because he’d gotten kicked out of his previous school for fighting. They paired him with me because I was the top student. They thought I’d be a good influence. Amazingly, their plan worked. Damien and I actually got along. We became best friends. Inseparable. We sat together in every class. We did everything together. Damien was still wild, but I tempered him a little. He didn’t get into as many fights, and he didn’t argue with the teachers. Everyone was pleased.

Noah’s story mirrored mine completely.

What happened? I asked.

Has he kissed you yet?

The question smacked me in the face like a bucket of cold water. The implications were clear. If Noah and Damien’s relationship mirrored mine then…

"I was twelve years old. I’d just started really considering girls. When it happened, I freaked. I was disgusted. It felt like Damien had betrayed me. I’d let the hand holding slide. It wasn’t something boys usually did, but it wasn’t that weird. Kissing, though, was not something two friends did. I immediately began distancing myself. I stopped sitting with him. I didn’t talk to him. I cut all ties with him. This made Damien angry. He didn’t understand. He swore he didn’t like me like that. He said he liked girls, but I didn’t believe him. I started hanging with Bobby Novak. Bobby had been a friend for years. Not my best friend, but someone I was always happy to hang out with. We’d gone to each other’s birthday parties. We’d traded cards and liked the same cartoons. We weren’t joined at the hip like Damien and I had been, but we were buddies.

Damien was hurt, confused, and jealous. One day he found Bobby and took a rock to his head.

My chest was tight. My heart ached. I could imagine Damien clearly. What he’d done was terrible, but I couldn’t hate him for it. I didn’t forgive him either, but I couldn’t straight out condemn him.

Bobby went to the hospital and Damien was expelled. I didn’t see Damien again until the first day here. I kept tabs on him though. I heard about what happened at the other schools. Like everyone else, I wondered about the fire at Hill Preparatory Academy.

He was out of the country when it happened, I said.

Noah gave me a wry look. Even if Damien was away, he still could’ve done it. I dropped my eyes.

Again, why are you telling me this?

Because you need to be careful. Damien will hold onto you tighter and tighter. If you leave him, he’ll fall apart. I think he might hurt himself this time if that happens.

Your advice is a few days too late. Damien has decided to distance himself from me. He refuses to push me from class-to-class, and he’s forbidden Angela from helping me. That’s why I had to call you.

But he still sits by you, Noah countered.

He has transferred out of one of my classes. And he refuses to talk to me.

My phone buzzed.

Noah smirked. Bet you a hundred dollars it’s him.

I looked at my phone. You owe me a hundred dollars. It’s Angela. She wants to know where I am.

Noah snorted. Same difference. How does she know you’re not in class?

He had a point, but I wasn’t sure.

Noah had his phone out and tapped a text into it.

There. That’ll get a response.

What did you do? I asked.

"I sent Damien a text. It was: She’s with me. Bet you he knows exactly what I mean."

I wish you hadn’t done that.

Noah just smiled.

He didn’t receive