Noah's pov:
I walked in the café and let my eyes wander around, looking for Ivy. Her friend Gay, Jay, whatever his name was, said that she'd be here. He better not be lying. If he is I swear I'll-
Oh there she is!
She glanced at me and I joyously waved at her. She rolled her eyes at that and chose to ignore me, probably thinking that she'd get rid of me that way.
Well guess again, sweetheart.
I stomped my feet and went up to her, leaning my elbows on the bloody counter that got in our way. She didn't look happy at all to see. In fact, she looked very, very mad.
"YOU! YOU- HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?"
She yelled at me louder than she should have, then she crouched forward, lowering her voice, as she probably realized that we'd be getting an audience if she kept that volume:
"Have you got no shame !?"
Her choice of words was too amusing that I couldn't help the grin on my face. I studied her face closely and watched her normally calm and pleasant demeanor slowly change and her face contorted in annoyance.
Her features remained glazed for a split second, then she frowned. Vertical furrows appeared between her brows. Her cheeks flushed. Her thin, pink lips were pulled inwards, revealing her frustration, and her eyes, her big brown eyes weren't blinking at the moment.
The funny thing is, even when Ivy was upset and pulling this deadly serious glare, she still looked..
Cute?
Woah. I don't even know how did I think of that. The word 'cute' was very unusual to me. I don't think I've understood its meaning. Calling a certain cat cute, or worse, a girl. That just didn't make sense to me.
But now I can totally see it. There's no other word that would define Ivy any better. Cute was the exact term.
I didn't realize I had been staring at her until she started snapping her fingers right in front of my face.
Shit. She must be creeped out.
"Are you going to tell me why did you post that or what?" She asked with a calmer firm tone.
"Because it is true. Duh! I am hot. " I replied, making sure to mark extra emphasis on the last words.
"But why state it on MY PROFILE !?" Her tone rose again and she shot me a deadly glare.
"Notice how you didn't deny that I'm hot." Her eyes widened at my statement and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She was too damn adorable when she got irritated that I could make it my mission to tease her.
"See, you're speechless! Is my charm that irresistible ? Of course it is. I'm the sexiest- "
"NOAAH !"
Her yelling all of a sudden startled me and if I hadn't been leaning on the counter, I would've fell and broken a bone. Forget about the stupid mission! This girl's a tough ass.
"Okay, okay! It was a stupid prank. It won't happen again." I said while holding my hands up in surrender.
"Good. Now leave. I've got to work."
I did as she said. Being near this girl will only increase the risk of me having a sudden heart attack.
Besides, I needed to go home. My parents still haven't seen me or acknowledged my arrival for the matter. When my plane landed this morning. I had gone straight to school.I didn't attend class or anything. Na. I just went there to stroll around and catch up with some old pals. Of course none of the teachers did mind because, my mom's the headmaster.
The Empire High is, clearly, subsidiary to the Empire Group, a large Korean conglomerate businesses run by my father. And I am supposedly the heir.
Right after Ivy left, my father had called me and said that he wanted me to come home and finish my studies here. I'd gotten confused by his request, seeing as he was the one to suggest this study abroad thing at first. But then he clarified the deal. He said that me graduating from 'his' school will reflect positively upon its reputation, and his business as a whole.
I told him I agreed right away then took the flight he had already reserved.
Sure LA was fun and all. Hanging at parties regularly, where the good drinks and hot chicks, who'd appear way too thirsty and would keep hitting on me. Every time I would reject them then they would get upset and whine about how I had hurt their pride. The funny thing though is they didn't have any. Even when I made it clear that I wasn't interested, they still came back.
Now where's the pride in that?
My pals, who were mostly American, never understood my choices. They said that I was one lucky ass but I didn't appreciate what I got, or the numerous offers I was getting. Others summed my behavior in one word.
Pussiness.
And I'm pretty sure that's not even a word.
I drove to our house. The one that held thousand of my childhood memories. Like that time when I was four and went on running naked spilling paint in our garage. Apparently I was trying to mock the kid from 'Home Alone' with the paint cans.
Or that time my neighbor -who was also my best friend- and I built this tree house in our front yard. It hung pretty high up there, about 16 feet or so. Then my dad had this crazy idea to climb up and inspect it. The whole house came tumbling down with dad inside. Thank God he didn't get hurt.
Yeah. You could say I've had an interesting childhood.
A few minutes later I'm pulling out outside my parents' residence. I jumped out of the car and made my way to the building, passing the iron bars of the big metallic gate and through the yard garden that looked as beautiful as ever. Rows of evergreens and a scattering of shrubs and trees were lined up all along the lawn.
I stood facing the central door that lead to the living room where I knew mom and dad would be sitting. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and let myself in.
As soon as she saw me, my mother's eyes lit up and she came rushing by my side, embracing me in a tight-almost suffocating- kind of hug. She must have missed me a lot. After all, it had been a while since she's seen me. Last time I came home was six months ago.
I hugged her back and stayed in her arms as long as possible, realizing I had missed her just as much.
My mother and I had always shared this beautiful bond; close and affectionate. In fact, she was the nearest thing to a friend that I have had, and surely the most honest one. She knew exactly how to intervene and react to every situation. Even during my rebellion phase, she was more comprehensive than I could have asked for.
We pulled away from the hug then I darted my eyes to the brown leather-covered sofa. As expected, my father was sitting there, his sight focused on the flat TV screen across from him, rather than on his son, only child may I add, who just got back from abroad. Very typical.
Noticing my glare, he looked at me, forced a brief smile before greeting me in his usual cold indifferent manner, giving me about two seconds of his time before returning his eyes back on the oh-so-interesting screen.
For a second, I had hoped that he might have changed, that maybe he's had the chance to do some thinking while I had been away for the past year.. but like I said this hope only lasted a few seconds before reality hit.
You see, my father and I were never that close. Truthfully, we barely talk. He had always been busy with work and me with..well, with my life. Occasionally he would ask me about school. And that was it.
We used to have a great relationship once but as I grew older, the connection just faded. At first, it did bother me, a lot, but then I realized this is how things were going to be, so I stopped caring and brought myself to get used to that.
And I guess that the fact that my mom and I were close has been a great help.
With that I went up to my bedroom where I spent the day, or what was left of it ..
The room hasn't changed much, maybe it's gotten a little smaller or maybe I was just used to the wide rooms in my beach house at LA. Well technically it's my father's but does it really matter?
That said, my bedroom was still pretty decent and sufficient for its owner: Moi.
REALLY NOAH.
It was a bright spacious room with plank wooden flooring, pale white walls and three large all-glass windows overlooking the garden. And a balcony that provides a great outlook on the outside, too. To the right side of of the bedroom, next to the door, my favorites: a set of television and PS4, the newest Xbox and my favorite above all, the Wii U, all containing the latest and greatest video games of all time. Trust me, I am not a gamer or anything. Yes, I do enjoy playing these video games but I am not one of those obsessed dudes with excessive game addiction who deprive themselves of sleep, food, and a social life until they become lonely, sad and depressed.
No thanks.
On the left side of the room there was this immense wooden wardrobe containing my clothes, a medium commode for my school tools and other stuff. And a bit further, right at the corner, sat another one of my favorite things in the room, a tall oak bookshelf that kind of looked like it was built into the wall filled with lots of books and some small ornaments.
The point is my bedroom being a very nice and comfortable place and it's sort of my private area.
I laid on my king size bed for a while, wanting to take a breath and just take a break from everything. But as soon as I closed my eyes, a billion thoughts went flying through my mind.
And of course she had to be the center of them.
I don't get it though. I seriously don't. Why do I keep thinking of her? Like the shock of seeing her HERE in MY school wasn't enough. Sure she had told me that she was from Korea (which is pretty obvious by the way) but I hadn't bothered to ask about the city where she lives or which high school does she go to.
So her sight at the Empire High definitely took me by surprise. Though I hadn't stopped thinking about her since the moment she left the house. The feeling of emptiness that washed through me after her departure was sorely unbearable. But seeing her this morning definitely brought me great joy, one I hadn't felt in months.
Woaah. That's just too much, Noah. Way too much.
Seriously though, where do these thoughts com from? Could I possibly be developing a crush for her? Most likely yeah. I mean why not, she's got the package for sure; smart, pretty, and fun to be around.
Fuck. I have to quit thinking this much or I'm going to have to bare the headache that's going to follow. Luckily I happen to know just how to shut off my brain, well at least temporarily.
Sleep.
***** ***** *******
Ivy's pov:
Beeep Beeeeep..
My eyes shot open at the loud eardrum busting beeps.
Beeep Beeeep..
Unbelievable.
With a loud frustrated groan, I forcefully slam the alarm shut before pulling the blanket further over my body and enjoying its warmth. It is barely the second day of school and I'm considering skipping class already. So much for a good student huh!
Once I have come to the conclusion that I must get my butt up if I wanted to make it on time, and most importantly, keep my perfect attendance record, I roll out of bed and head to the bathroom. I strip off my clothes before standing under the shower and allowing cool water to run through my hair and down my body.
After the cleaning process is done, I step out of the shower and dry my body and hair off. Next, I dress quickly in the ugliest outfit to ever exist, aka my school uniform. Then, I run a wooden comb through my tangled mass of long brown hair before pulling it up into a ponytail that hung down a little beneath my shoulders. I put on my navy sports blazer on top seeing as it was a chilly spring morning, and decide to complete the look with a pair of vintage, worn down sneakers. I grab my backpack and throw one last glance at my reflection in the full-length mirror while briefly adjusting my attire.
A few minutes later, after having ate breakfast (very quickly), I was standing outside, next to the stop sign on the corner of the block and waiting for the bus.
There are no clouds in the sky. It is a clear sunny morning. It's cold as I had expected but the pale morning sun soon began to warm my shivering body.
I glance down at my watch impatiently, a loud groan escaping my lips. If the bus doesn't hurry up and get here, I am going to be late. And that CAN NOT happen.
My head snaps up when a car horn goes off. The vehicle deliberately reduces its speed then pulls off next to the bus stop.
I instantly recognize the red sports car that belonged to a certain cocky jerk.
"Need a ride gorgeous?" Noah says from behind the wheel, wearing that irritating smirk of his.
"Do I want to ride with the douche bag that practically ruined my social life? No thanks, I'd rather not." I replied in the most sassy tone I could pull.
Yup. Only you Ivy would admit to being sassy.
"You mean ruined your non existent social life?" He snorts.
That son of a bitch!
"Come on V, just get in!" He spoke again.
Oh so we're calling each other by letters now.
"I said no thanks, walking's fine by me."
"I guess I'll see you in detention then!" He shouts then reaches to his car keys to take off.
"Detention!? Wait what-" I question in surprise.
"Well you're obviously going to be late and I wasn't planning to attend class anyways. So yeah.. works great for me!" He says cheerfully.
I throw a brief glance at the clock sign hung above the bus station. My eyes pop out instantly. He was right and I hated it.
"You know, the offer is still on."
I guess I'll have to give up my pride this time for the sake of keeping my school record clean.
***** ***** *****
I make my way to the school building as I try not stare at the parade of fancy chauffeured cars parking in and the rich ass students' figures coming out of them, looking like freaking magazine superstars and talking about huge sums of money like it's nothing.
I guess that's the hardest part about going to the Empire Group's High; it's feeling like I don't fit or belong here, at all.
I mean I'm not half as rich as any of the students and I for sure don't look as good as they do.
However it is somehow good though, I get to stay out of sights and definitely away from the bullies. Besides, this isn't the kind of place where you'd like to draw attention for yourself. So if being poor and unpopular is going to keep me out of trouble then so be it.
As I'm about to enter the building, I hear a car door slam followed by a massive shriek.
What the hell?
I turned around and I could see what this was about, and why every student's eyes had popped out. Of a luxurious ride, comes out a tall stunning brunette. Long curls styled perfectly. Smoky, well defined eyes matching her bronzed tan. Her make up couldn't have been done any better. Adding to that, a strapless red dress designed perfectly and probably costing just as much as that ride if not more.
Just as the girl/woman stepped aside from the car, I was able to identify her.
Rachel Something.
Yes I still haven't caught her last name. What I did know, however, is that she was Noah's fiancé. And there was something unusual about that that I still ought to figure.
"Where is he?" Rachel questions her chauffeur, who responds immediately:
"I'm sure he'll be here in a minute, Miss. Have some patience."
"Really now !? You're asking me to be patient after having sat on that plane for the last seven hours! "
I didn't catch the rest of the discussion. All I could think was how does someone look like a goddamn VS model when they just got out of a seven hour flight?
Another mystery of life.
The skin showing of Rachel's dress though was no mystery. The red thing accentuated her not so discrete curves, revealing a more perky breast, some fine hips and a butt that couldn't have been more remarkable.
I'm not judging but this girl definitely does not belong in a school.
Or any institution.
Or anywhere,
out,
in the daylight.
Rachel walks to the school and as soon as she reaches the entrance, a crowd has already gathered and filled the front of the school.
Out of the crowd I notice three people coming out; Noah, followed by Jayson and of course, wherever goes Jay goes his dear sticking gum.
Sorry, I meant dear Brooke.
Noah walks up till where Rachel is standing. He stops, throws a look at her in a strange manner and not in a fiancé kind of way, and doesn't say a word.
"I'd hoped you'd come pick me up at the airport this time since it will be my last time making this trip." Rachel scowls at him.
"Well you got your hopes a little bit high, didn't you? And what do you mean this is your last trip? Are you dying or something?" Noah asks very carelessly.
My God. No conversation has ever been colder between two fiancés.
"Very funny but no, I am very healthy and alive," says the VS looking like model, before adding: "But you see, I've decided to return in Korea and settle here for good. It is my home country after all."
The whispers of the crowd were louder after that preventing from hearing the rest of the discussion. I could see however Noah's furious face in response to what his fiancé said. The dude obviously not being too pleased that she's moved from the US as well. It actually makes me wonder if she only moved here because he has done the same not long ago and she couldn't bare being away from him.
Among the whispers I hear one that says that Lucifer has once again stepped foot in this 'school of Satans'.
Well that's one way to put it.
It is strange though seeing as it's coming from Dylan; the king of bullies, and the person who's responsible of each and every bad thing that happens in the school.
So if the biggest Satan of the 'school of Satans' thinks that of Rachel, I sure as hell don't know what to expect.
As I was caught in my thoughts I missed the part when Noah and his fiancé had gotten in the car and left. Honestly, I'm kind of disappointed that Noah didn't even say hello or anything, although he did see me among the crowd. But why am I complaining? His fiancé had just arrived for God's sake! Not that he did treat her as one anyway but.. ughhh, why the hell am I even getting my nose into this?
I should seriously stop being so damn noisy. It only gives me headaches, thinking about people's lives, try to analyze their every movement to find clues and solve mysteries they probably don't even have.
And it's not like I get rewarded anyway.
"Ivy!"
"Would you stop daydreaming for once!" Jayson had approached me while I was deep, very deep in my thoughts.
"You know I can't help it!" I snap at him.
I notice Brooke by his side.
What a surprise!
"So what did you think about Rachel?" Jay asks me.
"Whor-"
"BROOKE!" Jay and I shout before she can finish.
"Why do you hate her still? I thought you didn't care about him anymore!"
Jay adresses Brooke.
Him? Him who?
"And you're right! I don't give a damn about him! Her, I'll always hate. Not because of their relationship or anything but because of who she is as a person. You haven't seen the way she acts with everyone and trust me, once you do, you'd stop defending her like you are now!" Brooke responds in a tone that's clearly dripping with jealousy.
"Hold on! You guys can someone explain because I'm definitely missing something here!" I say, confused as hell.
"Oh yeah sorry V, I take it you didn't know that-" Jay says before being rudely interrupted by his girlfriend.
"Noah's my ex. Yes. We dated not long ago." She says very casually like it wasn't anything important.
"WHAT THE HELL !?"
The words left my mouth before my brain had fully registered the information.