Chapter 378: The Clash of Felicia and Misty
"I'm doomed." Silas chose to keep pretending to sleep. After all, he was currently in his astral form, floating above his own body.
Wanda carefully observed her surroundings. With her right hand hidden behind her back, she gave a subtle flick, channeling Chaos Magic. The red energy slipped into the mind of Liz, who was sitting next to Silas. Suddenly, for reasons she couldn't explain, Liz felt an overwhelming urge to move.
"Teacher! I'd like to change seats. Let the new student, Wanda, have this one," Liz said as she stood up and began packing her things to move to the back row.
"Thank you!" Wanda said with a smile, taking Liz's spot. Though she wasn't sitting right next to Silas, she was now in the closest possible proximity. Since Silas's brother Peter was in the seat directly next to him, Wanda had targeted Liz instead.
Standing behind Wanda, Misty raised an eyebrow, looking at Wanda with a hint of suspicion. Then, she looked at Peter and winked.
Peter was stunned—he had no idea Misty was coming! Aunt May hadn't mentioned the Barrons' visit to him, as she considered it Silas's private business. Seeing Misty return while Silas was already entangled with Felicia...
Peter gave his "sleeping" brother a look that said 'good luck, you're on your own,' and stood up. "Teacher, I'll give my seat to Misty."
With that, Peter obediently moved to sit next to Ned. After all, they had been deskmates throughout high school. Ned, seeing Peter's frantic movement, understood the situation perfectly.
Misty smiled. At least Peter was sensible. She walked with a confident stride and sat down next to Silas, right under Felicia's bewildered gaze.
"Sleeping?" Misty looked at Silas, wondering if he was faking it.
Felicia was fuming. She didn't know why Peter had yielded his seat, but by her logic, she was the one who should be sitting next to Silas.
"Ahem~ Misty, I'm Felicia Hardy. Would you mind switching seats with me?" Felicia asked, confident that as the newcomer, Misty would comply.
"Oh? You want this seat?" Misty asked with a charming smile.
"Of course. You're new, so you wouldn't know—my relationship with Silas is quite... complicated," Felicia said with a suggestive grin. She had no idea who Misty was; she just assumed she was another transfer student.
"Is that so?" Misty kept her smile, but her nose wrinkled slightly as she sniffed the air. "Is that Hilla Padra: Rose Lover you're wearing, Felicia?"
"Heh~ you know your stuff. But you're slightly off—this is the Golden Rose Lover edition," Felicia boasted. The Golden version was twice as expensive as the standard one.
"Oh~ I see." Misty laughed internally. Finally found you. It was you.
Misty looked Felicia up and down. Felicia was undeniably more "curvaceous." Misty was beautiful, but Felicia had a certain explosive allure that was hard to match.
"So, are you switching, Misty?" Felicia brought the topic back.
Misty's lips curled. "Sorry, Felicia, but I'm not switching. I happen to really like sitting next to this classmate."
"Huh?" Felicia was baffled. You just met him! How do you like him already?! "You must be joking, Misty."
"I am definitely not joking, Classmate Felicia..." Misty emphasized the word "classmate" pointedly.
Felicia frowned. She wasn't stupid; she could tell Misty was targeting her. But they didn't even know each other—why the hostility?
Floating above, Silas decided that no matter what, he was staying up there. Going back down would only make things worse.
"Misty, do you have a problem with me?" Felicia asked directly. She wasn't one for subtlety.
"Do I?" Misty feigned surprise. "I'm not targeting you at all."
"Is that so?" Felicia stared deep into Misty's eyes before turning back and slumping onto her desk. The bloodless war reached a temporary ceasefire.
"Um... sorry, Misty. I'm Gwen Stacy," Gwen interjected, turning around.
Misty nodded. "Hello, Gwen."
"Felicia is my friend. I'm not sure what she did wrong, but please try to be patient with her," Gwen said, trying to play peacemaker. She didn't want the classroom atmosphere to turn toxic.
Peter, sitting next to Ned, was practically vibrating with anxiety. Gwen, stay out of it! This is their war!
"She did something wrong? No, Gwen, you've got it wrong. Felicia hasn't bothered me at all," Misty said, maintaining her perfect smile.
Gwen nodded and turned back to the lesson, figuring she had done her part. Misty glanced at the frustrated Felicia, then reached out and stroked Silas's hair. "Good Silas," she muttered through gritted teeth. "You're really something."
Silas felt a chill run down his spine, even in his soul form. It felt like a blade was hovering over his neck. "The world is a cold place~" he thought, wondering how he would ever explain this to Misty.
After Class
The bell rang. Silas couldn't pretend to sleep anymore, so he returned his soul to his body and sat up, stretching his limbs. His movement immediately drew the eyes of three women: Felicia, Misty, and Wanda.
"Silas!" Wanda was the first to greet him. She hurried over with a smile. "How do I look today?" She was referring to the appearance she had manifested with the scroll.
"Very beautiful," Silas answered honestly, noting her "mountainous" features were a bit smaller than the original version.
"Do you know Silas?" Misty asked, naturally pulling Silas toward her and leaning on his shoulder.
"I..." Wanda looked at Misty in confusion. How was she so intimate with him on her first day? Did they know each other?
"Whether she knows him or not, she's better than someone who acts like they own the place," Felicia snapped, annoyed by Misty's touch.
"Oh? Acting like I own the place?" Misty chuckled disdainfully. She leaned in and rubbed her ear against Silas's. "Silas, tell them—who am I?"
"Uh... everyone, this is Misty Barron. My high school classmate... and my girlfriend."
Silas had no choice but to bite the bullet. Besides, it was the truth.
"Girlfriend?!" Felicia was shocked. She had never heard Silas mention a girlfriend. By this logic, she was the "other woman"—one who had swooped in while the original was away.
"Girlfriend..." Wanda lowered her head. She had assumed he was single.
"That's right. Didn't Silas tell you?" Misty looked like she had already won the game.
"He did! Of course he did!" Felicia stood up abruptly. She was a woman who hated to lose. Her father had taught her to be the best at everything. She wasn't about to hand Silas over to Misty. She had been the one by his side lately. To save Silas's face and avoid making him look bad, she lied and said she knew, earning a grateful look from Silas.
"So he told you~" Misty didn't call her out. She loved Silas, and whatever "mistakes" he had made, she was prepared to handle them. She and Felicia reached a silent, mutual understanding to keep things civil for Silas's sake.
Only Wanda remained devastated, turning back to her seat in silence.
"Wanda..." Silas wanted to stop her, but he was currently pinned between two fires.
"Interested in exchanging contact info, Felicia?" Misty asked, pulling out her phone.
"Why not?" Felicia challenged. She was the Black Cat; she wasn't afraid of a "normal" girl like Misty.
Misty smiled. Interesting. This school year won't be boring at all.
As they sat back down, Misty hugged Silas and planted a kiss on his cheek. Felicia gritted her teeth, but then a thought struck her.
"Misty," Felicia asked, "I hear that boyfriends and girlfriends do 'that' sort of thing. Have you and Silas...?"
"No," Misty replied, confused by the sudden question. They hadn't—mostly because they never had the time, and her father, Hugh, kept a very close watch.
"Oh? Then I'm so sorry, Misty. Because I..."
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