Crushing on Royalty (The Cuttings #1) [To Be Reconstructed]

1 | Give Me Heaven, Give Me Hell

"Is anyone missing?" Everyone's head swiveled back and forth, their bodies slightly twisting to the side, looking for anyone amidst the large bedroom of Vivian's mansion.

Viv and I lived in San Ricardo, California. A place where the beach was bliss and the air was pure -- and people thirsting, crawling on the hot desert sand, birds pooping everywhere...

Okay, so that was technically coming from my imagination, but San Ricardo would have been like my thoughts if the city had gone careless, you know. I'd always had lengthy imaginations. Couldn't help it.

"Wazzuuup, Mic?" the guys hollered, grinning widely as they saw the last guest of the party enter the room with an urban manner and careless abandon.

"Hi, Michaeeeel...," the girls cooed, sitting in more revealing positions, fixing their hair and batting their lashes.

They made me sick. Ridiculous.

Viv saw my disgusted expression, elbowing me. "He is hot, you know," she whispered, chuckling. "I certainly wouldn't mind having him as my boyfriend."

I really didn't think the last sentence was meant for me to hear, but I didn't care.

Standing in the doorway, looking impeccably bored, was Michael Cutting, class heartthrob. Ugh. Him again...

He had jet-black hair that was cropped, with the front looking like it was done by the BedHead Tigi company itself that guys tried hard to do with their own hair -- it was really the kind of 'do that a rogue or playboy achieves without any effort whatsoever. He had eyes like hot, liquid silver; a long, straight, patrician nose, with a strong jaw and nice, kissable lips.

You could say he was gorgeous. In fact, every girl called him that secretly behind his back or, if they were brazen enough, they'd say that right to his handsome face.

He was the guy every boy wanted to be; the guy every girl wanted to date.

The guy I thought was a total jerk.

Oh, you might be wondering why I hated him, right? After that little prologue I did as an introduction, I ended it with a little cliff-hanger. Rude, yes, but it was all within good reason. Most if all because I was still trying to recover from it.

Viv and Michael's best friend (also the jerk's cousin), Frederick Kneap, set me and Michael up on a blind date last year, remember?

I was all shy and stuff when our traitorous friends made plans for us to meet up on a pier. It was kind of nice at first. You know, the wind blowing our hair, our gazes locked, and he was about to kiss me for the first time...

Until I'd accidentally sneezed on Michael's face. He had begun telling me his face smelled weird and it was wet with snot -- and that was where I'd felt so offended that I just had to step on his foot. Hard. He had given a little yelp in agony, making me satisfied with what I'd done.

When I'd turned on my heel and walked away, he'd said, "Oh no, you don't!" then ran toward me with lightning speed, clutching my arm.

He apologized but it was really said through clenched teeth, which wasn't very sincere at all. I slapped his chest when he'd said I should've said sorry too, but my pride was never going to allow me to do just that. Besides, it wasn't my fault that I sneezed!

...And that was the most romantic date I'd ever experienced in my entire life.

Considering Michael being my first date, it was the only thing that came to my mind.

Man, what happened if I went on a second date with him? I bet it probably would  have been as disastrous as the first one. Ten times worse!