Nola Scott
The last couple weeks of life have been hard.
The only good thing is that finals are finally over, meaning I have a little over a month off from school now. This will give me time to figure out what the hell is going on with my life before school starts back up again. Hopefully, at least.
At first, I was blaming the stress of school. Transitioning from high school to university is a challenge especially when you move cities and start a whole new life. I didn't start getting homesick until October but when I did, it hit me terribly. Telling my parents I wanted to come back home wasn't an option.
I wasn't a baby anymore. I needed to grow up.
So I dealt with it on my own. I don't think that was the best idea. My season depression really struck, hitting me harder than ever and I did the stupid thing I always do when that happens. I pushed it away by partying, figure skating, and drowning myself in school. That's never smart and I know that but I still do it anyway. It's better than being sad. Anything's better than that.
Now that school is over, I only have figure skating to rely on to help me distract myself from the mess that is my life. Loud heavy knocks on my front door make me flinch as I drown my sorrows on the living room couch. "Nola! Open up! I know you're in there!" My eyes widen and I hop off the couch rushing to the door, hoping this isn't a dream.
When I swing open the door, my beautiful, smiling cousin stands on the other side of it. Oh my God. I pounce myself into her arms, hugging her tightly. Tears prick my closed eyes, but I hold them back. My cousin giggles, rubbing my back. "Surprise!" she says. Pulling back, I take in the beauty that Frankie Adler is.
Frankie is my uncle Rhys and aunt Monet's oldest daughter and my best friend growing up. I have plenty of cousins close in age but I grew a connection to Frankie deeper than others. It's hard seeing her these days since she's so famous. She hates when I call her that but I'm sure random people get more time with my cousin than I do these days.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, pulling her into my apartment. She giggles as I close the door behind us and drag her ass to the couch. "Well, I know you're finishing up school so I thought it'd make sense to pop back into your life since you have so much free time now. Or do you not?" Frankie eyes me questioningly. I nod frantically. "Always for you. God, I'm so happy you're here," I admit.
New distraction: Frankie.
Frankie's smile grows and she grabs my hands in hers, squeezing them. "Amazing! I missed you so much, Nola. And also... we have so much to catch up on." She gives me a look that only we know means. Frankie Adler is about to spill the hottest tea. "Start. Now." A mischievous smirk creeps onto her face as she turns to face me.
***
After a whole hour and a half of catching up, we decide to order some food. Or a lot of food. Debriefing makes us hungry.
She told me about influencer drama, what she's been working on, and also family/boyfriend drama. Especially family/boyfriend drama. A couple of months ago, Frankie introduced the family to her boyfriend, Alistair. My cousin is the sweetest girl I've ever met. She cares entirely too much about everyone and everything. Alistair Hill, on the other hand, cares entirely too little about everything and everyone. Besides Frankie.
He wasn't what we were expecting when Frankie said she had a boyfriend. Black hair, tattoos all over his body, and a nose piercing was the last thing I thought of whenever she told me she had a boyfriend but that's exactly who he was. He also has that 'I don't give a fuck' attitude to match his look which pisses off my uncle even more.
Even though they've been dating for close to a year, my uncle Rhys isn't sold one bit on the guy yet. Frankie just explained how he still thinks Alistair is a bad influence on her and how much he resents the guy. I've met him more than once and while I see why her dad might be worried, I also see why she can defend him the way she does. He's completely in love with her. Who isn't?
I feel bad that her relationship isn't being accepted by the people we love. I'm entirely on her side and I let her know that. She'll always have my vote.
When the clock starts nearing five, she starts saying her goodbyes. "I have to go, but before I do. I have something to ask..." She waggles her thick brows. "What's up?" She grabs my hands. "There's this event I'm going to tomorrow and I have a plus one. How would you like to be my plus one?" she exclaims. I raise my brows. "Me? What business do I have doing at an event for influencers?" I question.
"It's not only influencers! A bunch of people will be there, potentially celebs! Come with me, please, Nol. I need more time with you and this will be just that!" Frankie pleads, her green eyes lighting up. "Oh, why not? I'll come!" I say. She squeals and wraps me up in a tight hug. "Perfect, perfect. It's tomorrow at five, so I'll swing by to pick you up. It's pretty casual so nothing too fancy, don't go out of your way to buy a new fit."
"Perfect, can't wait," I say. Frankie hugs me one more time as we say our goodbyes.
Perks of having a famous cousin? Going to events where celebrities will be present. Maybe life isn't as bad as I thought.
***
I keep my outfit simple, just like Frankie told me, wearing all black and matching it with a rhinestone purse for a little pop. As soon as we get to the event, pictures start being taken by the paparazzi. Yeah, I'm not used to this. Frankie leads the way, holding my hand as we enter the building where the event is being held.
Some beefy guy gives her a thumbs up as we whizz by and make it inside, away from all the flashing lights. "God, that was crazy," I say. Frankie chuckles fixing her curly hair. I look away from her and start noticing the room full of influencers, some who I know, some I don't. "Come on, let's get a drink!" Frankie says.
"We're not 21!" I whisper shout to her as she pulls me toward the bar. "No one cares in here, babe. And.." she pauses, taking a seat on one of the stools at the bar. I slip into the one next to her as she waves to a couple of people across the room. "I'll be twenty-one in a couple of weeks." She shrugs. That's true. She turns 21 on New Year's Eve. I'm barely eighteen, so I have to rely on my fake ID. Which I stupidly didn't bring.
"Hi, can I get a vodka cran, and Nola? What would you like?" Frankie turns to look at me, the bartender staring at me too. "I'll have a Moscow mule, thanks," I try to say as confidently as possible. The bartender nods, "Coming right up, ladies." Frankie turns to me, wagging her brows. "See?" she says. I roll my eyes. "I need some alcohol in me or else my social battery will die quicker than usual," Frankie adds.
Weirdly, Frankie's never been super social. It took her a while to adjust to this part of her lifestyle. My cousin is a heavy introvert and she would take a day in over a night out any day. These events she attends are mandatory though. She has to keep up with them because they help her grow, I think it's the only reason she attends them.
"Here you go." The bartender sets our drinks in front of us shortly after. We thank him and Frankie pulls out a ten, handing the tip to him. "Drinks are free here. Don't worry," she assures me. I nod, taking a sip from my drink. It's strong. I make a face, shaking it off. It's been a while since I've had a sip of alcohol. I've been trying to stay away from it for a while now.
"We have to take some pictures later, Nola. There should be a photo wall around here somewhere," Frankie says, looking around as she sips her drink. "Frankie!" An unfamiliar voice shouts. My cousin turns looking for the voice and when she finally spots it, her smile grows. She sets her drink down, standing up and meeting the girl halfway. "Long time no see, friend!" The blonde girl says, cupping my cousin's face gently.
"Lana! This is my cousin, Nola Scott. Nola this is Lana, we both model for IMG." Frankie introduces me to the gorgeous model. "Hi, it's nice to meet you! Wow, you're beautiful!" Lana says, touching my hair. I notice a thick accent, probably Russian, escape her lips. My eyes widen slightly and I put a hand on my chest. "Oh my, thank you. You're stunning as well," I return the compliment.
"We should get you on the runway, what do you think, Fran?" Lana says, looking at my cousin. "Oh, no. I could never. I'm too short," I chuckle. Frankie smiles. "That is so stupid, heels will make you taller, girl! You should give it a try." Frankie puts a hand on Lana's shoulder. "Excuse her, Nola. She's always trying to get more girls on our team so they'll stop focusing on her."
"Please. That's not the reason. I love attention." Lana shrugs. I chuckle, sipping on my drink. "Oh, Frankie! There are some girls here from Elite that I have to introduce you to, it's why I came to pull you. It'll only take a minute," Lana adds. Frankie turns to look at me and I can tell she doesn't want to leave me behind. "I'm good! Go ahead, I'll see you in a bit," I assure her. "You sure? I don't want to just leave you," Frankie whispers.
I shake my head. "Frankie, you're not sticking by my side all night. Go! I'll be fine for a while." She looks at me for a long moment, contemplating it. "Okay, don't move. I'm coming back in five," she tells me. I give her a nod before Lana drags her in another direction. It's not long before I lose sight of my cousin completely.
Even though I'm only a plus one, I decide to look around the event. Maybe I'll run into a celebrity? I haven't seen any so far. Grabbing my drink from the bar, I start walking around, feeling slightly intimidated by all the models here. I'm only slightly taller with the heels I'm wearing and they all tower over me. They're also extremely beautiful.
I stop abruptly when I notice someone familiar from afar. My jaw drops. In all her glory, Bella Walker, a famous singer, stands at the end of the room talking to other famous singers. "Holy shit," I whisper when I manage to pick my jaw up from the floor. Besides the people in my family, I've never met a celebrity. I feel like a little girl right now. Staring at her like she's candy in a candy shop, I force myself to look away after feeling like a total creep.
When I go to turn back around and return to the bar where Frankie told me to stay, my body collides with a hard chest. I hold onto my drink, making sure not to spill it and embarrass myself and my cousin. "I'm so sorry!" I say, stumbling back slightly. "That's my bad," a deep voice says. Looking up from my feet when I stable myself, familiar gray eyes meet mine.
Oh, God.
Miles.
"Shit," he says under his breath but I still catch it. The usual anger that flares up inside of me when I see him doesn't come. My mind reverts back to that conversation I had with my dad not long ago. Don't be a bitch again, Nola. Just be cordial. "How did we go from running into each other into literally running into each other?" I question. Miles looks at me suspiciously. He was expecting a snarkier remark, I suppose.
"Yeah," is all he says. Shaking his head, he chuckles lightly and starts walking past me. "Excuse me," he says, squeezing his large body as much as possible to walk in the other direction. My body tells me to let him go but my stupid brain tells me to stop him. Listen to your body, Nola! "Miles, wait!" I say, internally beating myself up.
Miles turns, looking around before setting his light eyes back on me. He walks closer toward me, raising his brows. What the hell did I call him back for? I don't even know what to say. I nervously look at him for a long time without uttering a word. "Miles, come on!" A familiar voice cuts the silence between us and a couple of seconds later, a blonde boy appears at Miles' side. JT. Ember's classmate.
JT notices me and his eyes widen. He looks at Miles and then back at me. "Nola! Right? How are you? And what are you doing here?" I thank him in my brain for interrupting because I had no idea what to say to Miles. "Yeah. I'm fine and my cousin brought me. I'm her plus one, I guess." If I knew hockey players, specifically LA Kings, were going to be here, I would've declined Frankie's offer. Too late.
"Oh, who's your cousin?" JT asks. Both guys focus on me making me shy. Frankie is the shy one, not you. "Uh, Frankie Adler. She's a model and stuff," I reply, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear nervously. "Right, you've got like madddd famous people in your fam. I remember that." JT grins. I return a weak smile wanting to run as far away as possible. Miles turns to JT, who turns back to him before looking at me and then back at Miles.
"Uh! I'm going to the bathroom. Nola, it was nice seeing you again! Tell Ember I said hey, will ya? See you in a minute, man," JT rambles before disappearing quickly. Miles fails to hold back a laugh, shaking his head and rubbing his mouth. "Sorry about the kid. He's a strange one." Yeah, he is. But what was that exchange they had? I didn't want to be left alone with this man!
I find it unsettling how calm he's being after our last interaction. I was so sure he finally hated me after it but maybe dad was right. He doesn't think twice about me or our exchanges. This is why, once and for all, I'm going to end this. Even though I couldn't care less what he thinks about me, I just need to get this weird relationship off my back so that I can feel some relief.
For some strange reason, it's been weighing on me. If I'm going to try and better myself, I need to fix whatever is happening here.
"Miles, I-" I cut myself off, figuring out what exactly I want to say. Apologizing to people isn't really my strong suit. I also don't know if I want to apologize to him since he was the one who was a dick to me from the start. "About Renaissance-" This time, it's Miles who cuts me off. "It's fine, Nola. Don't even worry about it."
How did he know what I was going to say? I eye him wearily. "It's what we do. We bicker, we see each other again and I try to act like nothing happened, and then you start it over again." He shrugs. I furrow my brows, trying my best not to glare at him. "I'm not going to start it again is what I was gonna say before you cut me off earlier," I say. He raises his brows shortly, his face saying more than he is.
He doesn't believe me.
I try to hide the annoyance I'm feeling. "Enough is enough," I shrug, "we don't even know each other enough to be this cruel to one another. And even though I've said this multiple times, and it still hasn't happened, I'm sure we won't cross paths again so this is me putting an end to whatever...this was." I force myself to smile a bit.
Miles looks amused. His face showing it all. Ugh, he still kind of annoys me. He half smirks but it leaves his face as quickly as it came. "Cool. Apology accepted," he says. I chuckle, "I never apologized." I correct. And I never will. "Of course not. My bad. I'll accept whatever end this is." Miles nods once, bumping his bottle of Budweiser with my drink, looking deeply into my eyes.
For a second, I see something different pass through those gray eyes. Those stupidly pretty gray eyes.
"I'll see you, Scott," Miles says as he backs up slowly. "No, you won't!" I reply. I hear him chuckle and shake his head.
Please let that be the last interaction I have with that man.