Russo's p.o.v
Later that night, I called Shay to ask her about the date.
"It was...okay." She said.
"Just okay?" She went to eat, then to the movies then a walk in the park. She seemed like she was having a great time. I know, I was.
"I mean..I had a great time with him. We laughed we talked, but not in one moment did I think I'm falling for him."
"Hm.." I wrapped a blanket around myself and placed her on speaker to eat while talking to her. "Are you planning on quitting?"
"No. I will see this through."
"Shay you don't have to force yourself." I said.
Deep down, it was the only thing I ever worried about her.
She was great with everything else. She liked who she was, she was great at her job, everyone who ever worked with her loved her.
She knew what she was going to do after high school and yet she lived in the moment enjoying her day to day life. She was great at school and had tons of friends. The boys all loved her and she wasn't afraid to flirt or ignore them depending on her mood.
The only problem she ever had was love. She hated love and she didn't trust love. She saw it as this explosive thing that made her parents go crazy and it freaked her out to the point she always repressed any feeling she ever might have felt for someone.
The moment she could feel feelings she shut them down immediately.
"Did you talk about this with Luca?"
"No." She said carelessly and then she lowered her voice. "Should I have?"
I swallowed the food I was chewing. "Hm.. I think Luca can tell when you might actually start feeling something for him. Girl let me call you back. "
I hung up and then just before I redialed Luca's number for more info I saw mom peeking with her head inside.
I jolted back and almost turned over my plate. "Damn it mom, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough. The date didn't go well?" She walked inside heading straight to my makeup table and picked up a brush playing with it.
"The date went well but she still doesn't have feelings for him, which is bad because I don't know if she's just repressing them or she really doesn't like him."
"Yeah I don't think a nice date would turn things around." She said distracted.
"What do you mean." I placed the plate on the coffee table.
She turned around focusing on me. "If a nice date was all it took, she was going to date long time ago honey."
"So...any suggestions?"
"It's not my place to intrude.." She said and then walked over sitting on the bed. "But if you insist.."
If anyone ever wonders where I get my thirst for gossip, it's a no brainer.
"I do."
"Was there ever a time when those two talked and Shay did something unlike herself?"
It was like an instant flash. "I have." I said enthusiastically. " They had an argument with Luca."
And he provoked her like no one else. It was very unusual for Shay because she usually has it her way and crushes her opponent. But this time she was also very vulnerable with someone who wasn't me.
"Just tell him to use that attitude. She needs to be out of her comfort zone to feel something."
Oh I seee...
"Thanks mom." I smiled satisfied. "I owe you coffee."
She just shrugged. "Just get a boyfriend and we'll call it even. You go to all these parties and meet all these people and nothing."
"You know other moms forbid their daughters to date. They are strictly against it."
She glanced at me. "Well sue me for being worried. You haven't liked anyone else since that boy from middle school.
Um.. yeah she wasn't wrong there. "Wait..how did you know that?"
She gave me an are you kidding me look. "You'd scribble his name everywhere. It was on notebooks, books, erasers, inside of pencil cases. I cleaned your room honey, I didn't even have to try snooping. One look over your desk, ay-ay-ay."
I was about to try cover up this embarrassment when I heard dad yelling from the hallway.
"That coffee turned into tea!"
"Well it's going to turn into nothing if you keep rushing me." She yelled out the door.
"That man loves me so much, he just can't live without me. "
She winked and then left my room. Adorable.
I immediately called Luca.
"Hey." He answered obviously in a good mood.
"So. How did the date go?" I circled around the topic.
"It went great." He answered.
"She still said it felt friendly."
"I figured. But I'm feeling my way around it. Gathering information and so on. I'm just getting started."
"Good, good." I said happy to hear that. "Well then let me give you a groundbreaking information."
"Shoot."
****
The next morning I left the house in a mess, but I was too late for school to care. I had spent all morning coming up with an outfit that was school-appropriate and at the same time cute enough for a date, but also not to look like I tried too much.
And let me tell you, I nailed it.
I wore a white turtleneck with a thin strap red dress over it and cute white tights that matched my white boots well and made the outfit elegant.
I walked through the halls with confidence making my ways to my classroom.
To my surprise, Bradberry was waiting by the door causing a commotion in my class.
They were nervous and fidgeting.
"Good morning student body president." I smiled standing next to her.
She seemed to be confused about my good mood.
"Are you here to remind me for the meeting today?" I asked chirpy.
"No, I was doing a class inspection." She said. That seemed to quiet down the classroom immediately.
"My class is perfect of course. They have me." I said entering my classroom to leave the bag on the chair.
She followed me inside.
"Do you need me for something?" I leaned on my desk.
"No." She smiled. "I'm just happy too see my colleague in a good mood."
"Thank you." I placed my hand over my chest. "I'm touched you noticed. I had a really nice dream last night. It made my morning all better."
Like I was going to tell her about the date and let her ruin it for me.
"You have a little something here." I showed her between then the teeth and then went on to mind my own business while she ran out without opening her mouth again.
That should keep her from snooping around here again. After she left the class seemed to have calmed down and went back to its usual noise making.
Luca, walked in yawning with the hood over his head walking over to his seat.
He seemed to have been up all night coming up with ideas. After I told him his best shot is to make Shay uncomfortable, which was the hardest thing to do, he hung up saying he will come up with something for sure.
And knowing him, he probably did.
Few of the guys in our class tried to wake him up as he laid his head over the desk sleeping. He wasn't even budging.
Guess I can't tell him about Bradberry now.
After classes, I headed to the student council room and glanced out the window seeing Damyan heading towards the gym building where they had their practices during winter.
He glanced up the window, same, and then gave me the biggest and sexiest smile and waved at me.
I waved back, turned into a puddle of joy.
I then walked into my student council meeting for the day.
"No. It's not good." Bradberry returned me back to my seat with the document for the fourth time and I was starting to get irritated.
While my job was communication and public relations, I was in charge of coming up with events, seeing what would work within our budget, making sure I consult with all the representatives of each year to make sure this is what everyone wants.
I was dead set on having a Christmas festival and everyone supported me.
But every damn time, Bradberry rejected my plan saying it will never happen. Well, it was said in between the lines.
I knew she was doing it on purpose to me, but there was also no particular reason why there shouldn't be a Christmas party in the school. We had activities for every other holiday of all cultures but Christmas was nowhere to be found in any of these three years she's been president.
I started getting suspicious about why she wouldn't hold it.
She had also canceled school uniforms which were my favorite part of the school when I arrived for the first time. I certainly planned to get them back as soon as I'm president. They were the best part of private school and they actually were pretty cute if you had good enough style to make one that would flatter everyone.
I continued reviewing my plan to see what could be done differently. The room was quiet and everyone was working in silence. The only ones missing from the meeting were the year representatives, but they were called only for additional meetings.
"Russo.." Bradberry suddenly said. "Go get me a cup of coffee. Vanilla latte."
"I'm busy." I answered without raising my head.
Everyone stopped typing on their laptops or scribbling.
"Now." There was repressed anger in her voice.
I raised my head to look at her. "I said I'm busy. There's a vending machine on the first floor, if you want one, I'll get you that. I'm not going out of the school to get you a vanilla latte."
"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" She rose up ready to argue.
I calmly closed the laptop. "The student body president?"
"Exactly. And you might want to show more respect when you're talking to me."
"Seriously though, so disrespectful." Andre placed his hands underneath his chin.
"I was being respectful," I answered. I wasn't a pushover. " I'm busy with student council things and while your coffee might be more important to you, that's not my priority."
She took a step towards me. "You're really brave you know that. I can kick you out as fast as you joined."
"For what? For not getting you coffee? " I rose up as well. "I got voted into this fair and square and I do my job. I'm always on time and I help everyone. So I don't see with what reasoning you'd kick me out? Because you don't like me?"
"Are you guys hearing this?" She said completely baffled.
Tomislav slammed his hand on the table. "Russo has a point. She's not your personal assistant, she's an equal member of this government."
"She also does her job well." Sabrina also defended me.
"She helps me out all the time." Bryan said too.
Bradberry couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Simon?" She turned towards him angry. He was still working on his laptop.
"She gets coffee and cupcakes for everyone all the time and no one asks her to." He turned his chair around and looked at Bradberry. "I don't want to hear a word about Russo again."
He turned towards me and winked.
"Unbelievable." She stormed out and Sienna and Andre followed her out.
I didn't notice my hands were slightly shaking until I looked down. I was pretty calm, or so I believed before everyone stood on my side. It was like a surge of overwhelming happiness and pride that these people stood up for me.
"Thank you." I said quietly.
Tomislav wrapped his hand around my shoulder. "You were right to tell her off. We're all important here. Do you think I'd be ordering everyone around like that, if I was president?"
I smiled. "You'd be a tyrant in that position Tommy. I'd be fetching you coffee and cupcakes."
He had an evil smirk on his face. "Good thing I'm not the president then."
Simon walked over shooing Tomislav away. "If she talks to you like that again, you come straight to me."
"Thank you Simon." I gave him a charming smile.
All these guys were just too precious. I knew I wanted to be a part of the student body government but I never knew how much it will change my relationship with these people.
After the meeting was over, Bradberry didn't return. She was probably licking her wounds somewhere and thinking of a way to destroy me. But I wrapped up my worrying for today. I headed straight for the gym to meet up with Damyan.
I wasn't allowed to watch practice while they were on the inside and I couldn't wait for them to get back out on the field.
After five minutes he walked out.
"Ready to go." He put on his backpack and then tossed the gym bag over his shoulder. Damn, can he carry me too?
He played with the baseball cap in his hands.
"Can I see it?" I said looking at it.
He pushed his hair back and placed it over his head immediately.
Oh damn, that actually made him look hotter. Especially with the hair pushed back like that. He was like a different guy.
I kept staring without words, but this was a picture to be framed. Now I am definitely more interested in watching baseball than ever before.
Then he took the hat off breaking the magic.
I instantly sulked.
"You want it back on?" He leaned over me, talking in a low tone and a smug smile on his face.
"No. You'll create an addiction and I'll start having withdrawal symptoms every time you take it off."
He smiled satisfied. "You should say things like that more often."
"It will lose its effect if I do."
"Well, well well. What do we have here?" Paul walked out of the gym building and pulled the hood over his head.
"Hi Paul." I smiled cheerfully.
"Oh..So it's an enthusiastic greeting today." He approached us. "No drama like yesterday?"
"There was never drama. I'm just very passionate about returning stuff to people."
"Aha." He narrowed his eyes. "And then he had to run after you..why?"
Damyan cleared his throat. "She forgot the phone in the pocket."
He shook his head in disappointment. He wasn't buying it.
"Whatever. It's none of my business." He took a few steps leaving and then retraced his steps back.
"You're going somewhere together now?"
"What happened to none of your business?" Damyan waved his hand, shooing him away.
"I mean. There's no one else coming with you or anything right?" He explained himself.
I grinned. "No, there will be no study group today.".
I freaking knew it. I knew he liked Sabrina.
"Oh." He shook it off disappointed.
"There will be one soon." I added. "I was thinking of inviting Damyan. Would you be interested in joining?"
He glanced at Damyan. "I mean... I don't know. Who's going?"
Oh he was just an adorable muffin.
"Few of my friends." I was as vague as possible. Suffer!
"Like um student council friends?" Paul asked.
"Maybe."
Damyan seemed to have understood what was happening and joined in. "Forget about him. He loses interest in just about anything. He'll fall asleep right away."
"I see." I sighed.
"Forget it then." Paul left again.
"Should I call Sabrina?" I said a bit louder and then turned towards Damyan pretending to say it to him.
Paul walked right back and pointed his finger at both of us. "Fuck you. And you. And I'll see you then."
With that he left and we both covered our mouths trying not to laugh. He stayed proud until the end.
Before we could get to the bus station and go somewhere, Damyan got a text that made him change his mood instantly.
"Give me a second." He told me and then phoned someone.
"Okaay." I took a step closer to him trying to see if I could hear something.
"Yeah, I read the message." It was the first thing he said."Why can't Marcia do it?"
Who's Marcia?
"No Mom..."
Oh. I see. Probably his sister..
"Fine."He hung up a bit angry and then looked at me. "I'm really sorry for this, but I have to cancel."
"Why?" I blurted out annoyed.
"My youngest siblings are in kindergarten and few of the kids have the flu, so they're sending all kids home earlier as a precaution. Everyone is at work and my sister has classes this afternoon so there's no one to pick them up." He sighed. "I mean I'd invite you but you've no idea what they're like. It's war.."
I could feel my eyes sparkling as he said that .
"War you say?" I smiled. "If you're in, I'm in."
"These are four year olds from hell."
"They're kids. You tire them out, they fall asleep. And then we can watch baseball."
That idea seemed to pause all the excuses he had. "That's not such a bad idea actually. Let's go."
~Another update coming soon