'Who would've thought, our perfectly disciplined head girl can't seem to keep her legs closed when it comes to Romeo Allegretti. What a shame honestly, I imagine that was the reason our handsome head boy broke innocent Camille's heart last semester...'
I hadn't bothered to read further than that when it had been posted six hours earlier. At the moment, I can feel everyone's eyes on me. Every single one of them. From the moment I walked through those doors, gave my speech, and sat down for dinner. The seniors of Crestview Academy didn't bother to hide their desire to get a reaction from their Head girl. Some whisper to their friends, others watch me obsessively, too engrossed to look away or else they'll miss the show. A few of them are overjoyed, glad to know that their head girl isn't as perfect as she seems. The mocking smiles on their faces causes an itch at the back of my neck and I desperately want to throw something. For the nth time today, I curse the fact that our secret was exposed on the same day the Crestview Senior Dinner was held. An event held on the first Sunday of every school year, where the new senior students of our prestigious boarding school mingle and socialize. As Head girl, this means I am forced to be in a room of Forty students desperate for gossip, believing they had a right to judge me. Too bad I wasn't going to give them anything to gossip about.
Innocent until proven guilty. My father always said.
Meaning no matter what anyone in this room thinks of me right now, it doesn't matter because they have no proof. Only the words of an anonymous blog whose credibility was starting to be questioned.
My eyes close for a moment as I take in a deep breath. My hands wrap into fists as they sit on my lap. I release the breath with a sigh, quietly letting out the air through my nose. I open my eyes once more, taking in the scene that consists of the final year students of Crestview Academy.
I am in control again.
So I sit up straight, a small relaxed smile painted on my lips, my perfectly fitted purple dress, and pristine makeup acts as a well-crafted shield. I continue to eat, calm and collected as if I wasn't the hottest gossip in school. Being the latest topic of 'Dear Crestview' will do that to you. The blog is dedicated to exposing every dirty secret about Crestview. Both students and faculty, no one is spared.
"Miss Cabrera." The hall goes silent the moment Mr. Lewis calls for my attention and I can't help but frown at the sound of his voice. I expect the school to take action, after all, I have broken a rule but I'm still surprised at how quickly they've come for me. The strictest teacher in school looks down on me with contempt and judgment in his eyes and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I despise judgemental people and Mr. Lewis is on the top of the list. I laugh inwardly at the irony, the man is no saint.
"Yes?" I answer as I stand up. Mr. Lewis is a short man barely coming up to 5'4 and I'm 5'6, with the heels I have on 5'9 and I take delight in the fact that I tower over him. Maybe the word tower is a bit of an exaggeration but I have to look down to meet his eyes so I believe it fits. A muscle in his jaw ticks and I almost smile.
"May I see you for a moment? It'll be brief." He's smiling like he has just won the lottery, delighted in the fact that for the very first time I'm about to be chastised. Mr. Lewis is possibly the only teacher in this school that doesn't like me, probably because I reported him when he tried to flirt with me last year, costing him the promotion he so desperately wanted.
"Of course, Mr. Lewis," I say, my plum-coloured lips pulled into a fake smile before turning to my friends who sit around the table. "I'll be back guys."
"I'll go with you," Romeo says as he stands up. The hall begins buzzing again as my partner in crime willingly chooses to involve himself in whatever punishment awaits me.
"That's not necessary Mr. Allegretti." Mr. Lewis says and I'm tempted to roll my eyes at his words. Why am I being targeted for a crime we both equally committed? I can take a wild guess. Romeo adjusts his suit jacket before looking down on Mr. Lewis with venom in his blue eyes.
"I insist Mr. Lewis. I'll go with you." Romeo says with an air of finality. I see the man's jaw tick once again and a smile briefly brushes my lips. Watching him slowly unravel has been the highlight of my day.
"Of course Mr. Allegretti, this matter does concern you too. Right this way." The teacher says with a forced smile. Romeo and I exchange a look before following him out of the hall. The seniors erupt in chaos the second their Head girl and the Head boy disappear . I can hear Abimbola immediately silence the noise and I sigh in gratitude to my assistant. We walk the empty corridors before stopping when the only sound that can be heard is that of our footsteps. I'm suddenly glad Romeo decided to come with me, I nearly shiver at the thought of being alone with Mr. Lewis in these dark corridors.
"Can you please make this quick Mr. Lewis, I have a performance in a few minutes and really wouldn't want to be delayed," Romeo says in a commanding tone and the older man's eyes blaze in fury. I can see his hands shake with anger and the thought of him reaching out and punching Romeo in the face briefly crosses my mind. Romeo, the poster boy for good manners usually isn't the disrespectful type, that was Nic's job but today he doesn't bother to hide his irritation from Mr. Lewis.
"If I'm wasting your time Mr. Allegretti, remember I didn't force you to come along. You did that willingly. If you want to leave, please do so." Mr. Lewis says and Romeo rolls his eyes. I swallow the giggle that threatens to bubble up in my throat. "It wasn't my intention to disrupt your dinner but I was told to get the message across as soon as possible. Due to recent circumstances, Headmaster Stefan has requested a meeting with both of you. You're expected at his office by 7 am tomorrow. Before then can the both of you try not to cause a ruckus in the school with your immoral activities." The man finishes, his face twisted in disgust as he practically spits out the last sentence.
From the corner of my eye, I can see Romeo tense and prepare to attack. I hold his arm in silent warning, choosing to be the voice of reason before he does something to get us in more trouble than we're already in. I face the man with a sickly sweet smile on my lips.
"What are you implying Mr. Lewis?" I ask in a way that makes him realize who exactly he was going against. He sputters suddenly at a loss for words.
"I mean-." He tries again but I cut him off.
"Surely, you don't pay attention to mindless gossip?" I ask with a raise of an eyebrow. Mr. Lewis pulls at his shirt collar which was suddenly too tight for him. He fumbles with his tie, loosening it a bit, revealing pink skin. I tsk. The unsettled man in front of me is well aware that a single report from me to the school board can cost him his job.
"I've always thought of you as a man of integrity, sadly it seems otherwise." I tilt my head to the side with a mocking frown on my lips. My mom always did say I had a gift for unsettling people. She claimed it was a natural born talent reserved for the oldest daughter in a Nigerian household.
"Of course I am." Mr. Lewis is on the brink of explosion, a throbbing vein on his forehead, and I take delight in pushing his buttons. Romeo can barely hold in his laughter at this point, his blue eyes sparkling even in the barely lit environment and I can tell it's irritating Mr. Lewis further. He takes in a deep breath probably to calm down. "Forgive me if I had implied anything to question your character. I have no business with the gossip that goes around the school. I am merely helping the headmaster pass on a message."
"Certainly, Mr. Lewis. I respect you a whole lot like most students of Crestview and it would have been a shame if that were the case."
"I can assure you it's not Miss Cabrera." Mr. Lewis says with a forced smile and I smile at the subtle way he still shakes with anger.
"Splendid." My voice is cheerful and bright and I'm tempted to clap my hands to complete the act. "Now if that's all, Romeo and I should head back to dinner. You should know the Senior Dinner isn't an event you want to miss even a second. Care to join us?" I ask in that sickly sweet voice and Mr. Lewis' jaw ticks for the third time.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Cabrera. I need to head back to my room. The headmaster expects the both of you tomorrow, don't forget. If you'll excuse me I must take my leave and the both of you should head back to the hall." He says as he gestures for us to head back to the event.
"Of course Mr. Lewis. We'll be seeing you tomorrow." He responds with a nod and a tight smile before wasting no time in walking away.
"I could swear the old man was about to start sprouting fresh gray hairs, you almost gave him a heart attack," Romeo says as we turn to walk back to the hall. I make a clicking sound with my tongue.
"I let him off easy," I reply and he smiles. "With what happened with Esme last term, we should have taken care of that blog by now." Romeo lets out a heavy sigh, the unfair expulsion of Esme Harrison was still a sore subject in our group. 'Dear Crestview' had dedicated a post to Esme in May. It made her out to be a chronic drug user prompting the disciplinary board to carry out an investigation and things went south when illicit drugs were found in her locker. Crestview wasted no time in expelling her not bothering to listen to our pleas of the whole ordeal being a setup. The fact that Esme had been the best student in our year and had never been found guilty of any wrongdoing in the past didn't sway their decision. The school cared too much about its "disciplinary standard".
"I know. Milia is working on it." Romeo says running a hand through his blond hair causing me to raise an eyebrow.
"Nicolás isn't going to like that." Emilia's burning passion to be an investigative journalist wasn't one her older cousin approved of.
"We all know there's nothing you can do to stop Emilia once she puts her mind to something."
"Stubborn child," I mutter with a sigh just like my mother used to do when I was younger. The thought brings a half-smile to my face. Romeo's phone begins ringing, glancing at the screen he brings the device to his ear.
"It's Scarlet." He mouths to me and I nod. A minute later he cuts the call and pockets the phone. "It's almost time for the performance, we better get going." He says as he leads me back to the hall with a gentle hand on my lower back. We reach the double doors that led to the hall. We're meant to go separate ways here, I to the table reserved for Prefects and Romeo to the back door that leads to the stage. I make a move towards the door but Romeo holds me back with a firm grip on my left wrist.
"Gwen-"He starts, his voice heavy with emotion. I feel panic building up in my chest and I resist the urge to snatch my hand from his grasp.
"What is it?" I ask and I silently plead with him not to ruin this. What we have is fun, it is entertaining and it keeps me occupied and distracted. It isn't serious, we're nothing but a fling, he needs to understand that.
He grabs my right hand and pulls me closer. Our proximity which normally thrills me seems to suffocate me at the moment and I find it hard to breathe. I take deep breaths trying my best to compensate for the fact that my lungs have stopped functioning properly at the moment. I can hear the girls' voices in my head warning me that this is what our relationship is going to lead to. Someone's heart is going to get broken. I watch him closely, intently for any sign that I misunderstood and I'm panicking for nothing. I can see the wheels turning in his head and desperately hope he has changed his mind.
"Cara," He says and his Italian accent seems to be pronounced more than ever, just like it always does whenever he gets choked up.
"I just wanted-" I don't let him finish.
"Romeo, don't." I can see it in his eyes, his bright blue eyes, the moment his heart is stomped on and his eyes aren't so bright anymore. I hate myself for a brief moment then. "Let's not do this. It's not a good idea." I gently pull away from him, twisting the knife in his heart. "We should go in," I say with a smile but Romeo refuses to look at me. I resist the urge to apologize because I know it'll only make things worse. He gestures behind him.
"I'm going this way," He says and is about to leave when I pull him back.
"We're good, right?" I ask and he gives me a halfhearted smile and I know we are going to be fine, we have to be.
"Of course we are." I smile before letting him go but can't help the sadness that threatens to overwhelm me as I watch him walk away from me.
I turn to face the doors and walk back into the hall. Everyone's eyes turn to me the second I step in but I can't bring myself to be bothered by their need for gossip. I walk back to my table and sit down next to Abimbola just as Yeona in her bright pink dress that only she could pull off so well begins addressing the students from the stage as she flashes her award-winning smile.
"What happened?" Bola asks with a gentle touch on my arm, her gold bangles making a soft, gentle sound at the movement.
"Stefan wants to see us first thing tomorrow morning," I explain and can see Scarlet and Romeo enter the stage. Seeing him is a reminder of what took place a few minutes ago and I can't help cringing at the memory. Bola, my ever observant friend picks up on this.
"That's not all, is it?" She asks and I sigh. Bola and the other girls warned me of the consequences of what we were doing and I feel a little reluctant to admit that they were right.
"It's Romeo." I blurt casting a glance at my friend. "You guys were right. It was a bad idea."
Romeo begins playing at the moment and Bola doesn't get the chance to reply because the hall has gone silent. Romeo has that effect on most people the instant he lays his hands on the piano. We all seem to hold our breath and it feels like a bubble has formed around us. Then Scarlet starts singing. Her voice washes over every inch of the room and I can feel it creeping into my soul, reaching the deepest and darkest corners of my heart. Romeo and Scarlet are phenomenal artists individually and together they are simply magical. I hope they never stop performing together. The performance goes on for about three minutes and I can physically feel my body calm down. For that short time, I feel serenity and all my problems don't seem to matter all that much. The second Romeo and Scarlet finish they receive a standing ovation and thunderous applause from their fellow students.
A/N
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Love,
Lily.