Chapter 6
'Little Miss Perfect as known as Sophia Hastings skipping class for the first time. It seems that she'll lose this title very soon.'
That would be a perfect header for the lifeless gossip magazine Sophia loathed. They focused on every single detail in her family's life. She wouldn't be surprised if the magazine's name changed to The Hastings Stalkers. They definitely were stalkers.
But really, Sophia was skipping class. With a stranger.
A cute stranger.
A cute obnoxious stranger.
She couldn't believe herself. She was used to having the perfect attendance in school and perfect grades. It's not that she was a nerd, she was just smart. And she liked it when others agreed on that. So skipping class was a big deal for Sophia.
If Teresa was here, she would've screamed YOLO loudly in Sophia's ears and maybe Sophia would've gone with the flow. But not right now. Not on her first day of her senior year.
On the bright side, she'll get to know Liam more, she'd always wanted to anyway.
'I told you not to go.' Sophia's conscious reminded her. She had a feeling somehow that she'll regret this later on. But right now, what was there to lose?
"Sophia?" A very amused Liam asked, raising an eyebrow. Sophia was sitting in the passenger seat of his car staring off into space. It seems that she was deep in thoughts and not aware of their arrival to Starbucks two minutes ago.
"Sophia!" Liam nearly shouted in Sophia's ears making her jump in her seat. "What the heck?!" She said, narrowing her eyes at Liam.
"We're here." Liam grinned as he got out of the car and walked towards the coffee shop, leaving Sophia behind.
Sophia sat in the car for five minutes processing what had just happened. Did he just leave her alone? In his car? And she thought that it was cute of him to take her to her favourite coffee shop. Guess she was wrong.
Nobody dares to leave Sophia Hastings alone. What if she got kidnapped and raped? Or worse, robbed.
Sophia angrily stomped out of the car and followed him nearly crashing Starbucks' front door. Her eyes wandered around the shop until she saw Liam carrying two drinks and heading for a table. He pulled a chair and sat on it, put Sophia's drink infront of him and waited for her.
She walked towards the table and folded her arms, "Why are we here?" Sophia asked, narrowing her eyes.
"So we can get to know each other?" Liam said not surely. Why were they really here? He just asked her to skip the first day of school for a cup of coffee and she agreed, what's her problem now? "Sit down and don't make a scene again, please. You're grabbing attention." Liam joked.
Sophia stared at him blankly and then sat down silently. She took a sip of the drink Liam bought her. Vanilla latte. Excellent. Sophia was surprised he remembered her favorite drink since the day at the mall, the day they met.
'You're exaggerating, Sophia. That day at the mall was yesterday, idiot.'
Wow, it was really yesterday. But it felt like ages since she first saw Liam. Sophia can't help but feel guilty when she remembered shouting at Liam and causing a scene. She surely humiliated him.
"So," Sophia statred with a sly smile on her face. "How are we going to 'get to know each other'?" She asked sarcastically, making air quotations with her fingers.
Liam ignored her sarcastic tone. "How about we ask 20 questions? You start." He replied, taking a sip of his coffee.
That was hard. Only 10 questions for her. There were a lot of things Sophia wanted to ask Liam, but she didn't know from where to start.
Sophia instantly asked the first question that popped into her head, "Do you like me?"
Liam choked on his coffee and coughed violently. What a wierd question. Why would Sophia even ask this especially when they both barely knew each other.
Liam surely did like her, but as friends. He just wanted to make friends on his first day like any other new kid. Was that wrong?
Sophia raised an eyebrow and gave him a napkin. "So, won't you answer?"
"What do you mean by 'Do you like me?'"
"I guess my question was clear." Sophia replied, rolling her eyes.
"Of course I like you, but as friends I mean. Just friends." Liam answered quickly, scratching his hair. This whole conversation was making him nervous. He didn't want to lose the only to-be-friend he had in his new school. But Sophia's straightforwardness was creeping him out.
Sophia felt a tug in her chest. "Then why did you bring me here?"
"So we can get to know each other," Liam said slowly. "As friends."
Sophia somehow felt embarrassed by her question. It was stupid of her to ask him such thing. Maybe the unexplainable attraction towards Liam made her hope a little that he might answer with a yes. But whom was she kidding? They barely knew each other and yet she asumed he liked her.
"Uh.." She stummered as she got up from the chair and looking at the floor, "Maybe I should get back to school."
"No! I mean, come back! It was my turn." Liam said quickly grabbing Sophia's hand.
"No really, I have to go." She said, not taking her eyes off th ground. That was stupid. Why is she embarrassed? Sophia Hastings never gets embarrassed and talks in a low voice. What was wrong with her?
"Then how about we continue this game next time?"
"Nex time?" Sophia said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah next time we hang out." He looked at Sophia's deathly expression then quickly added, "as friends."
"As friends." Sophia repeated with a sarcastic laugh. "You don't get me, there's no next time."
"Why?"
"Because I said so." She threw Liam a fake smile then grabbed her bag and went right back to his car. "Come on, drive me back to school."
What the hell? This is Liam's car, not hers. She didn't even ask in a polite way, it was more of a demand than a request. This girl is doing a great job getting on his nerves.
"I'm not your driver." Liam said narrowing his eyes.
"Then give me the keys."
"What?"
"Are you an idiot? I said give me the keys." Sophia said extending her hand. If he wasn't driving her back to school, she was going to.
"No I'll drive." Liam got in the car and started the engine. He took off the parking lot and went down the street.
They both sat in silence not knowing what to say. Sophia was still embarrassed by her stupidity and couldn't wait to get back and try to avoid him for the rest of her life. That seemed hard because he was in most of her classes after all, but no, she really doesn't want to see him again.
"Take me home."
"What?"
"I said take me home you idiot." Sophia huffed.
"Well, didn't you say that you wanted to go back to school?" Liam raised his eyebrows. This Sophia girl is definitely crazy. He's not her driver to boss him around and order him where to go just because she's rich and famous for some kind of reason.
"I changed my mind. Turn left." Sophia said coldly not taking her eyes off the window.
Liam gave her a dirty look then turned left. He kept following her directions until they stopped infont of a huge golden gate guarded with men in black suits and big sunglasses. Scary.
They quickly opened the gate the minute they saw Sophia in the car. "Welcome back Miss Hastings." One of them smiled at Sophia as he opened the gate.
"Whatever." She simply responded, brushing him off.
Liam looked at her with surprise, he couldn't believe how rude was her reply to the kind man.
"What are you waiting for? Move on." Sophia said turning her head to Liam. He was still looking at her in surprise.
He just shook his head then proceeded driving his car down the road to her house. Well, it was more of a tremendous villa. Infront of the entrance, there was a huge garden full of flowers and a fountain siutuated in the center. Liam couldn't believe that places like these people live in them, he thought they were only used for shooting scenes in a movie or something.
Once he came to a stop infornt of the house, Sophia quickly opened the car's door and stepped out, slamming it shut. She headed into her house without a word. Not even a goodbye to Liam.
What's wrong with that girl? How did he wrong her in any way?
Liam sighed and drove back to his own home. He didn't feel like going back to school after what had happened. He opened his small apartment's door and put his keys on a table. He walked to his room and threw himself on his bed.
Liam was sent to Sanford Private Highschool on a scholarship. He was one of the genius students that were sent to have their diploma from a school that offers a better education and advanced classes. Being origanlly from Orlando, he was new to California and had to buy a small apartment to live this school year on his own.
He always thought that he'd have a peaceful year and make friends with bunch of normal people, just like him. But it turned out that more than half his peers are rich brats that he always felt they would be.
You've created too much drama in one week since your arrival, Liam. All because of that girl.
That girl. Sophia. Although she never failed to get on his nerves, something about her told him that they'd be good friends. He, however, failed in making friends with her. He was always such a failure in these stuff.
Liam also felt his heart beating fast at the thought of her. This was not good.
No no no you stupid human being! We're not going to repeat the whole thing! Just focus on your studies so we can get that diploma and get the hell out of this damn school!
Yes, his subconscious is right. He will not start everything all over again. He's going to get Sophia out of his head.
And he'll make sure of it.
****
Ding ding!
Sophia's cell phone rang loudly, interrupting her from her thoughts. Groaning, she answered the call.
"Hey Soph! I didn't catch you after class, where were you?" Teresa asked her bestfriend thoughtfully.
"I just didn't feel like going through the first day of hell, so I went home." She replied simply, lying.
"You didn't fee like it?!" Teresa was shocked. "But you said that you wanted to enjoy the first day of our senior year and not to miss any class!"
"Well, I changed my mind."
Teresa raised an eyebrow questionably. What's wrong with her bestfriend? "But weren't we supposed to make Daniel regret the day he left you? He was sitting all day with Jessica Adams, laughing, making out, and talking like they were-"
Sophia felt a pang of jealousy then snapped, "Look Teresa, I don't care for that shitface Daniel nor do I care for his new bitch okay? Just leave me alone for now. I don't have time for you and your stupid ideas." She then hung up the phone and threw it across the room.
What's wrong with her? She has to admit that she was a little bit harsh on Teresa. But her bestfriend wouldn't understand anyway, nobody could.
Her day is ruined again because of that guy. She was so stupid back then. How could she ask him such question and he responds in a way that embarrassed her? Why is he even on her mind?
And Daniel. She was very jealous when Teresa told her about him and Jessica, not because she was not over him, but because she hated being replaced. She hated feeling not good enough, or that someone can replace what she once meant to somebody. For God's sake, she's Sophia Hastings. How could he dare break up with her first and then replace her with Jessica?
She'll have to admit that she's still attracted to Daniel. Don't blame her, he was her boyfriend once. But then there's that guy, Liam. She'll have to apologize tomorrow for treating him so badly earlier. She can also offer being friends, nothing more.
Nothing more, Sophia. Nothing more.
She'll have to ignore these butterflies she gets when she thinks of him before they turn into something more serious.
And she'll make sure of it.
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Hey guys! I know it's been nearly a year since I disappeared, but I'm back!
So here's a long chapter to compensate lol.
Thanks for voting! Lots of love!