Victim

Chapter 5: Wicked Lady

"Unfortunately," she sounded dejected, "since I can't dig up romances when there are none. I'll spread the word, but it's too bad though, people would worship us when they find out you're going out with the unattainable and gorgeous Ashford."

I didn't miss the 'us' where should be 'you'. But I just chuckled, "Don't they already?"

"Of course, but they'd be more loyal." She's smiling mischievously right about now; roses are beautiful but they aren't without their own thorns. "I'll see you at school."

"Bye."

As soon as she hung up, my iPhone rang again and when I see the caller ID, this time it's Alison Hamilton. I groaned, cursing Chase for being the reason I'm so popular this morning. I can already hear her chattering as I pushed the answer button for the call.

"Friends. We're just friend," I murmured for the umpteenth time. Maybe not even that.

Unlike Alicia who was after the facts, Alison is trying to get me to admit there's something between Chase and I. "But you didn't see the way he looks at you when you weren't looking! Go look it up," she prompted me excitedly. I knew there would come days when I'd detest the fact that my best friend is a hopeless romantic; when she swore that in this life fairytale endings could happen, when she'd act like a fool in love, when she's trying to set me up to feel 'this indescribable feeling'. Today is one of those days.

"He lives right across from my own bedroom, Al," I sighed, already tired from this conversation about our supposed 'love affair', "and I couldn't even handle looking at him for more than five minutes, so tell me: why should I bother to look up his face?"

It was a rhetorical question but she answered anyway.

"So you can see how he looked at you with hearts in his eyes! Chase Ashford carries a torch for you, I know it." Before I can groan out she continued, "Like you still carry a torch for him."

"I'm hanging up," I warned her, "You're being too much."

"Just think about it!" she got in before I finally did.

This is all his fault, I thought as I glare at nothing. I'm going to have to confront him about this. It was barely a day and he's already starting up gossips about me that aren't true; it might seem harmless but words get twisted and people would make up their own part of the story that it wouldn't even be recognizable anymore. That's why I don't really like people in general.

After finishing my morning shower routine, I dressed myself in black loose cropped top with fringed hemline that shows some of my flat stomach and black shorts with black gladiator sandals in case I need to make a run for it.

It's time to confront the demon.

"Be calm, Destiny, don't let him get to you," I said to myself. "Don't show him how much it and he bothered you; it'll only add fuel to the fire." However, the minute I walked into the kitchen to see him casually sitting at the dining table reading a tabloid with 'Ashford and Vanderbilt's Midnight Rendezvous', I lost it. "You!"

"Me?" he echoed, without looking up at me.

"What do you think you're playing at?!"

He still didn't look up from the tabloid and I keep facing that annoying title! So I snatched it up from his grasp to pin him with my deadly glare. "I don't know what you mean," he finally said innocently but the mischievous glint in his greens gave him away.

"You bastard, you know what you did!"

Before I can continue, another voice stopped me, "You're already swearing this morning, I see. I thought I told you to be civil," my father just came from his office and walked towards us. I was still holding the damn tabloid and he did a double take at the title and then he smile, looking smug. "Ahhh, a lover spat? I didn't know you two were dating, it must not have been that long since you both are not very good at hiding it."