Episode 1|| Welcome
"So, where are the two of you headed after school, hmm?" I rolled my eyes at Lu's ridiculously annoying question. It definitely sounded simple and innocent but if it had anything to do with Lu, innocent was far from it.
After class ended the 6 of us met up at the cafeteria to get some food. Thankfully over the years I haven't had to digest any awful cafeteria junk, but it's a given when my dad pays thousands of dollars just for my tuition. Even then, a balsamic glazed salad sits (now empty) on the table in front of me. I glanced at the boys who were engaging in a conversation of their own, so they shouldn't have heard anything Lu had said.
Unexpectedly though, Anders eyes found my own and he shot me a quick little smile before returning his attention to the boys. Probably just to check in. And even with that little gesture that probably meant nothing in his head, it meant everything to me. It made me fall deeper into this dee dark hole that only leads to one thing.
Heartbreak.
"Lu, can we not," I sighed and pushed away the empty bowl just because I needed to do something. "Besides he didn't even tell me where he needed to go just that he had to be somewhere."
"You know, if you actually want to show him how you feel, saying yes to everything he asks you isn't the right move, chica" Carla laughed and leaned in more so that the boys couldn't hear. I silently thanked her in my head since she was closer to them and had higher chances of being heard. That's even if Guzman and Polo haven't already gotten the notion that I was far beyond interested than being just friends with their boy.
"For your information, I don't always say yes to anything he says. I don't say yes to anything unless I get something in return— and speaking of return I need to exchange some shoes I bought the other week." I sigh getting sidetracked from whatever the conversation was. I hated talking about my unrequited and unknown love for my best friend especially when he was not more than a foot away from me. Even then, it makes me uncomfortable to the point where I push the topic away. Like now.
"And there she goes," Lu announces my exit of conversation to Carla watching me as I move around Guzman to face the boy he was speaking to.
"Ah, Dani, dani, dani, how is my little sister huh? Still daydreaming about stupid shit all day?" He laughed as he swung an arm around my shoulder pulling my in for a side kind of hug.
"Well, thank god I'm not your actual little sister or that would've made my life a living hell. Mariana has a hard life." I scoff and shoot his arm off my shoulder before moving closer to Ander. Guzman was the typical "older brother" figure between the lot of us. Growing up he even took the leadership role of our group. He usually knew what was going on between things. Kept all the details and information of what was happening in the group and all of the other bullshit I didn't care to think about. And I would actually never admit it to him ever, but I didn't enjoy the fact of having an older sibling figure considering I was an only child. Even if we are the same age.
"And for your notice I don't daydream. I plan about all the possible ways to murder you in your sleep, Hermano." I smile innocently at Guzman and
Guzman laughs and replies, "you know speaking of Mariana, my parents are wondering if your father is attending her coming out party. Guest list and shit."
"No I don't think so. I talked about it to him a couple days ago but he said he wouldn't be able to make it. He's flying to Abu Dhabi to meet with some clients, but I told him he has to buy Mariana whatever she wants since he wasn't going." It wasn't even that hard. I don't think papa was even listening to me when I told him about it. He would've done anything for Mariana regardless of it was her coming out party or not.
Between Me, Carla, Lu, Polo, Ander, and Guzman, myself and Guzman were the closest in terms of family relations. My father technically runs the entire construction business here in Madrid, but that didn't mean he wasn't needed in other parts of the world. Sometimes it sucked that he was out travelling the world for work while he missed out on so many great things. I've definitely experienced a few birthdays holidays where he was absent and when I was younger I didn't mind it because I had free reign to everything inside the house. But if you ask me now, having him there would've made everything that much better.
"Kind of feel bad for your sister. I would hate to have that type of attention on me." Ander shuttered as he shook his head absentmindedly.
Guzmans parents are throwing a big bash celebration for Marianas coming out and because we were all friends we had no choice to attend. It's weird because it seems like Mariana wants absolutely nothing to do with any sort of coming party at all. All i've heard from her is that she wishes it wasn't happening at all.
"That's because you'd rather sit in the corner in sorrows all on your own," I hum and pinched Anders cheeks just because I could. I used to do that when I first met him because I thought they were cute and clearly I still think they are. He hated it, but now he has no choice but to suck it up.
"Whatever, I'd rather that then have to go around saying high to friends of my parents who've barely met me," he scoffed. He's right. Having parents with lots of money is nice and comfortable but things get tiring after a while. Putting on a good show towards their friends and acquaintances, pretending to be a happy family when your really discombobulated is not so easy. Before mom left it was almost like she and dad had no choice but to tape themselves together so it looked like they were a happily married couple.
Ander on the other hand hand it semi okay. His mother was the principal of the school which is how he got his place here, but it doesn't matter because we integrated him into our little circle of five. Making it now the six of us.
"Mmm baby," Lu says and sneaks her way in between us hugging Guzman from the back letting her chin rest on his shoulder.
"I need to know what kind of suit you're going to wear for the party. I want to make sure our outfits are coordinated, si?" She says before returning back to her conversation with Carla. She didn't even care to wait for the boys response.
"Hey, what time is the party?" I ask to particularly no one since everyone was going to be there. Someone's got to know right?
"Party? Somebody say party? Hi, I'm christian." I turn my head hearing a new and unfamiliar voice make its way towards our table. Ahhh, Christian the playboy.
"Hello! Do you speak Spanish?" Lu mocks at him english but says it with a Spanish accent knowing he couldn't understand what she said. Everyone laughs at the joke but I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed for him. Sometimes my friends take thing a bit too far and yet again I don't have the courage to fight them back.
"I was talking to my friends." Guzman butts in now with a standoffish tone, even if he was still leaning carelessly on the table.
"Oh, sorry." He brushes Fuzman off and faces the three of us girls. "By the way, are you on instagram? I can give you mine if you want."Christian asks to the three of us girls and we all look at each other like this boys grown another head.
"Ah, Yes please!" Lu says almost too excitedly but I know she's just playing her little games. In the future, she's probably sending Carla and I screenshots of whatever shit she finds on his page.
And while Lu and Christian search for playboys profile I look over at the table across from us where the other two new kids were sitting. They look partly annoyed at their friend's behaviour but equally as concerned since he decided to just jump on right ahead to engage conversation with us. When he barely knew us.
"I've fucking had it with these people," Guzman curses at both me and Ander before leaning up straight for Christian. "I don't how they got in this school."
"Guzman, No—" I tried to stop the boy from moving away from our spot by grabbing his arm but he brushed me off. Keeping his furry filled eyes on Christian. More importantly on Lu, his girlfriend, because she was closer to playboy than she should. It probably made it all the more worse in Guzmans eyes.
"This should be good," I sighed and kept close to Ander as we watched everything play out.
"You could stop them you know?" He whispers. He's right. I could if I desperately wanted to, I could pull these idiots out of any situation at any time if I wanted. It was kind of my superpower as we grew up together.
"Yeah, but I don't think it's worth it right now. But anyways, where is this place that you're taking me, hmm?" I look away from my friends crowding Christian like a pack of hyenas to face the gorgeous boy beside me.
"Where do you think I'm taking you?" He smiles a bit and it makes my heart beat a little bit faster. The more that he raised those cheeks the more warmer in my uniform it gets. Every emotion that I've ever felt for this man gets brought up tot the forefront of my brain. Sometimes I daydream about blurting I LOVE YOU! right in the spur of the moment to just let him know how I truly feel. But the fear of rejection creeps in and holds that dream back like an anchor holding down a ship. Then the image fades away to the back of my mind.
"Hey!" I gasp and look at Ander like a mamas man. He had just pinched my side.
"You didn't answer my question. Where do you think i'm taking you?" Gosh. What kind of a love sick idiot am I that I couldn't even pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth anymore?
"You mean where do you think I as in me— Dani— am taking you," I correct his little mistake. "Because I'm the one who's going to be behind the wheel."
Ander watches me like he was about to pinch at my sides again for the second time but his hands don't move just his mouth. "You and your smart mouth."
"Are doing just fine thank you very much." I laugh and lean my head on his shoulder since I was standing beside him. I was thankful that little actions like that were safe for me to do because we had such a close bond. It didn't matter that my secret love for him was so potent because I could act like his closest friend. It might sound desperate and silly but to me it was special.
But that was the moment where dream world came to an end and reality checked in.
"Shall I say say it in English so you get it? Goodbye." Guzman looked too ready to beat in christian's head at this moment so I had to do something to get him to back off.
"Ander," I sighed and sent the boy off to reel Guzman back in.
"And if I don't feel like it?" Christian said daring Guzman and egging him on. It wasn't even just Guzman that was getting hot on his toes. I looked behind Christian and noticed Polo with a snare aimed towards playboy. Good thing I never pegged playboy to be smart because putting yourself between two lions as fresh meat wasn't the greatest ideas he could've had.
Guzman began again, "You're slow, so you don't get how things work here. But your friend there is starting to get it—"
"Come on, let's go, Guzman." Ander finally had a hold on the guy and nudges him so he'd get the idea to leave before things got worse. I pick up my bag and phone from the table and begin to follow as my group packs up to leave.
"See you around, playboy." I say over my shoulder with a little comforting smile. I didnt do it for the reason of teasing or egging the boy on but because I wanted him to know there was at least one sane person in our group.
"Hey," Ander says like he was scolding me from doing something bad before wrapping his arm around my waste.
"What?" I asked him as I was taken back for on the sudden gesture. He usually wasn't an outright affectionate person, which had me somewhat confused by the way he was acting.
Thing was, he didn't even have the ability to respond and just kept on walking like I hadn't said anything.