Mr. Camillo would make a great businessman. All throughout the tour, even I was convinced that Goldenlux Academy was the best place on earth next to Disneyland. He was charming and polite, kind and intelligent. I'm sure even Mrs. Marithe, the fifty-five year old woman with greying hair and round specs, swooned.
I, on the other hand, let go of all the negative vibes in my entirety for an hour. It almost killed me, but at least Mrs. Marithe thinks I changed my life path into becoming a saint now.
Nikolas kindly agreed to excuse me from the classes I missed. Personally.
After bidding Mrs. Marithe and her minions farewell, I followed Nikolas to my Social Studies class which was one hour into discussion out of its two-hour period.
"You think we did well?" I asked as he followed close.
"Old women are the easiest to please," he commented.
It reminded me of our time with my mother, "That sounded wrong but okay."
We stopped in front of the room. I raised my fist, ready to knock on the wooden door when Nick stopped me with his words.
"What were you gonna say earlier? Before the phone rang. You were gonna say something. What was it?"
I turned around to face him. His stare never fails to give me the same effect, no matter how many times I've drowned in his golden pools before.
"I was gonna say that I think you..." don't love your wife as much as you think you do, especially when I'm here now. I thought of an alibi, "should clean your office because it's ashier than 2000s popstar makeup."
I knocked on the door and heard my teacher's "Yes?"
The day fell boring. The only exciting things always involved Nikolas. I would've died in boredom in the school if it weren't for him. There's Sean too, I thought, but he wasn't the type I'd get obsessed over.
After Nikolas excused me for being an hour late in Social Studies, I tried hard to listen to a lecture about debates. At dismissal, I met with Aiden for a quick chat before walking to the parking lot and to my car.
"Rose!" Maia's voice called out. Turning, I came face-to-face with the girl. Her purple sling bag fit right across her body and in her arms she hugged a binder against her chest.
Her perfect, thick, and smooth hair fell down to her waist. Her thick brows were naturally arched perfect to fit her face.
"What's up?" I put my bag in the car and shut the door.
"Sean and I are going to this concert Friday night," she smiled tightly. "He told me to ask if you wanted to come. He'd really like it if you come," she smiled some more.
"Why me?" I crossed my arms, "Shouldn't it be, like, a date for you two?"
"Yes, actually," she breathe out, "But he insisted on bringing you along."
"So? Are you coming?" her eyes widened in anticipation." It's okay if you can't make it," she added.
"No thanks, Maia. You two enjoy it. Tell Sean I said thanks and sorry." Maia's shoulders dropped in relief but I pretended not to notice.
"That's okay," she waved dismissively. "Another time, maybe?" she started walking away, "Bye, Rose!"
-
Charlotte stood in the middle of our kitchen in baby pink pajamas. Her hair was in a messy bun and her face was makeup-free. White AirPods were in her ears and she swayed to whatever music she was listening to as she whisked the eggs in the bowl she held.
Sunlight illuminated the white kitchen and Char looked like the ideal housewife—minus the cussing as she rapped Fuck Tha Police. I sneaked up to her and peeked over her shoulder to see bacon on the frying pan along with German franks and Italian sausages.
I tapped her shoulder and she jumped, turned, and faced me with wide eyes and an open mouth.
"Rose! You're awake!"
She smiled and put the bowl down. After pulling me into an unexpected hug, she laid a plate and a fork down.
"I made breakfast. Eat up!"
With a spatula, she fished two sausages and two strips of bacon and laid them on my plate. Then, the woman started cooking the eggs.
"Oh!" she nodded towards the coffee maker, "Coffee's ready. Go help yourself."
"I wasn't aware that you stayed the night."
"I'm sorry," she cringed and turned around, spatula in hand and all.
"Wyatt told me that you don't want any of his company here," her cringe intensified, "Just say the word and I'll be out before you know it, I promise."
"No, no," I grabbed the fork and perched myself on a stool. "You're welcome here. It's fine."
I liked Charlotte compared to Wyatt's other women in the past. It made me happy that she makes him happy.
"Honestly, this isn't the first time I spent the night here."
"I know," I dug in to the food, "So, what are you two? Are you dating? Are you exclusive? Are you getting married?"
"I—" she sighed and turned around again to face me, "I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is..." she put her hand on her hip as the other flipped eggs, "I "don't know what we are yet."
"But?"
"He tells me that we should go slow but his actions tell me otherwise. Men are so fucking complicated." Her shoulders drooped and I stood up for a mug and coffee.
"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes and agreed as I poured the rich black liquid into my favorite cup. Then, I got some vanilla syrup from the fridge and mixed the contents together. No doubt it tasted as good as it smells.
"Do you want me to talk to him?" I offered, knowing that she'll say no. I'll do it anyway.
"No, I don't want him thinking I'm complaining." She served me the eggs.
I shrugged, "If you say so..."
"Rosaleen," she warned, "I know that look. I made that look when I was a teenager. Seriously, don't tell him."
I sighed and gulped my coffee down, "Fine."
Charlotte grinned and continued cooking more food which I could tell was supposed to be for her and my brother.
"Rose?"
"Hm?"
"Are you having boy problems?" she shrugged, "Maybe you wanna talk about it?"
Boy problems, huh? Try again.
"There's this guy," I started only to hear Charlotte's snarky snort.
"There's this guy," I started again, "And I like him and I know he likes me too but he's already... taken."
"Oh. Well, his commitment is weak if he likes other girls outside their relationship," Char drank coffee from her own mug, "And technically, as long as he's still not married, there's hope. But Rose... that's very disrespectful. To yourself, to him, and to his girl."
"I don't want a relationship with him," I added.
"Ah," she put one finger up, "mingle-shmingle? hokey pokey?"
I nodded solemnly and Charlotte smiled reassuringly which I appreciated.
"I wasn't born yesterday," she put her hands on her hips, "Neither was I born in the forties. I know these things, Rose."
"Then there it is; it doesn't go further than that. Plus, let's say he's... popular and has a reputation to protect."
"First," she put the cooked food on a plate, laid it on the counter, and occupied the stool close to mine, "Do you really want him? Because you'll encounter a lot of boys that you'll want across your lifetime. Do you want him so much that you think you'll never want anyone else that much? Because if the answer is no, then I suggest you stop and keep your hands to yourself."
"If yes?"
"If yes," she he half-smiled, "If there are less evil ways to do things, choose the less evil ways."
I heard a door upstairs slam shut, indicating that Wyatt had awaken.
"If he decides to stay with her, let them be," her voice turned soft, "You're an amazing woman, Rose, and any man would be blessed to have you. If he decides to leave, however, then he has to choose if he still wants to be with you or not. Plus, coming from a history like that, it's gonna be bumpy with you too."
I thought about it. I thought about Charlotte's words and how complicated my version was. I thought about in in the shower, while getting dressed, and on my way to school.
"What's going on?" asked Jared. Of course he had noticed that I was in my head too much. "Oh! You don't like her, don't you?" he wondered, pertaining to Charlotte who everyone saw leave with Wyatt earlier.
"No," I glared at him, "I like Charlotte. It's not that."
"Gotta shit?"
I glared some more. He held a hand up, the other still on the wheel, "Hey, I get it if you're embarrassed about shit talk. You're.. high-maintenance, after all, but if you need me to pull over and—"
"I don't need to shit."
Quiet.
I sighed, "I just... like a guy and he doesn't like me back."
"Oh, it's that kind of problem?" he looked at me through the mirror, "Forget I asked then."
I rolled my eyes. "He's not just an average guy," I began but reminded myself to watch my words as I could not reveal anything to Jared. "I wish he was. This would be much more easy if he was."
"Maybe he is average." Jared shrugged. "Maybe it's just you that keeps thinking he's special."
I was thinking about it until Aiden shoved a chocolate chip cookie in front of me.
"What's going on in your head now?" he asked as I took the cookie and devoured it in two bites.
"Nothing you should worry about," I answered.
"I'll see you guys later," I put my backpack on and buttoned the top buttons of my blouse, "I forgot to do my homework." Without another word, I got up and started towards the cafeteria doors, leaving Jie and Jeric arguing, Sean and Aiden concerned, and Maia wondering.
This time, I didn't knock. I entered Mr. Camillo's office to see him behind his desk—his usual place, in an olive green dress shirt and light gray trousers.
"Will it make you happy if I said I was expecting you?" he asked as he took his glasses off and put them in its case.
I locked the door behind me and dropped my bag to the floor. "Anything you do makes me happy," the words were out before I could rephrase them. It was out of place for me.
"And I'm the cheesy one?" he remarked as I sat on the chair across him. I'd rather sit on his lap but I didn't want him to push me away again.
There was silence as I examined the clutter on his desk—papers, laptop, files. Typical. I could feel his eyes assessing me. Then, he broke the comfortable quiet by asking, "Have you eaten?"
I shrugged. I was too caught up with thoughts of Nikolas to notice that I haven't eaten anything since Char's generous gesture. Minus Aiden's cookie, that is.
"Maybe you should eat," he closed his laptop, "It is lunch, after all."
"I'm good. Have you?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
We were quiet again with Nikolas trying to read me like a book. He opened his mouth to talk when I beat him to it, "Can I sit on you?"
"Excuse me?"
"On your lap, I mean... I like it."
He looked at me weirdly.
I spoke again, "What's wrong?"
"You never ask," he told me, "You just kinda do it, remember?"
"Well, I'm asking now," I stood, "May I?"
"Rose, I don't think that's a good—" I put on the saddest expression I could muster which thankfully made him shut up. I sat on Mr. Camillo's lap, hearing him sigh in defeat afterwards.
I laced my hands with his, "I like you."
He pulled his hands away, "It's bad and it's wrong."
"But it's mutual, right?" I grasped his hands again, holding them tighter this time, "Admit it."
He looked at me long and hard, "If I did, that wouldn't mean that I should be doing anything about it."
I slid off his lap and fiddled with his belt. He sighed in frustration and rubbed his eyes. We still had thirty minutes of break time to spend however we wanted.
Once the buckle was off, his hands grasped mine. He gave me a warning look. I pulled my hands away and tangled my fingers into his hair, pulling and tugging the way I knew he likes.
"Rose," he said softly. I disregarded it and pulled at his boxers. His length sprung free, taunting me.
"Let me," I got on my knees, "Please."
"This is so wrong," he held my hands tightly, his fingers shaking slightly, "Fuck."
I shook my head and pulled my hands out of his grip. I wrapped one of them around him, feeling Nick twitch when I did. Then, slowly and ever so gently, I licked the tip. His breathing hitched. I stroked him slowly, feeling him get harder against my palm. I opened my mouth and put the head in.
"Nem fodendo," he muttered under his breath. I didn't know what the hell it meant but I took it as a sign to proceed.
Opening my mouth a bit more, I took in half of him. His lips parted as he glanced down to watch me. His right hand tangled itself in my hair. Nick's breathing turned ragged and uneven. I flicked my tongue against sweet and salty skin as he sucked in a breath. With no warning, I took in the rest of him.
He tugged on my hair and I hollowed my cheeks, tightening around him. I sucked and pulled back, all the way back until I released him with a faint pop. For a moment, we just stared at each other. I knew what I looked like: dark eyes, plump lips, flushed cheeks, and hair messy from his hand through my locks. Nikolas, on the other hand, looked so fucking good that I could die from the sight of him.
Mr. Camillo watched as I took him in again, wrapping my lips around the boundary of his head. I flicked my tongue again and again against the slit before I took in the rest. There was a low growl from the back of his throat when I started moving my head back and forth, pleasuring him in one of the few ways I knew how to.
I put him in as deep as I could, ignoring the threat of tears in my eyes. A whimper escaped me when my lips reached the end of his shaft. Nick's thumb grazed my temple with circular motions, caressing me. I was picking up pace as the seconds went by. His hips bucked forward and I felt him pulsate rhythmically in my mouth.
"Faster," he muttered breathlessly.
I went as fast as I could, only to stop when my mouth was filled with sticky saliva. I pulled him out to catch my breath. My hand stroked, not wanting to neglect. This time, both his hands tangled into my hair and pulled me forward. I opened my mouth to accommodate him again.
Nick's office was filled with the sounds of restrained groans, moans, and profanities for the next minutes as I took my time with him. Eventually, I pulled my skirt up and slipped my fingers into myself. I was desperate for friction.
"I'm close," he said through gritted teeth.
I continued my task and wrapped both my hands on his shaft as my head bobbed. He slid back and forth in my mouth and it didn't take long before I felt warm, sweet, and salty liquid against my throat. I let him stay in my mouth until I knew he was finished. Then, I pulled him out.
The way he looked at me turned me on even more. I swallowed and wiped my lips with the back of my hand. He took his time fixing his pants. Once that was done, I sat on top of him again. One of his arms circled my waist.
"Forget that happened," he spoke against my ear. I can still feel his heart beating wildly beneath his chest.
"No," I sighed, "Why would I do that?"
"Because I told you so," he kissed my cheek and pulled away, releasing me from his grip.
"I think you should go."
I stood and looked at him, my shoulders square and my chin up. "You kick me out after using my mouth?"
"What? It's not like I'm anything but a dick to you anyway."
Mr. Camillo fixed his hair and put his glasses back on. Instead of arguing, I left.
Because he's right. Nikolas Camillo is nothing but a dick to me.
-
Dani Guevarra has curves for days. In her favorite hot pink two-piece, her perfectly tanned body was on display on our poolside lounge. Beside her was Viktor Alexeev who was so much more pale in contrast to the prior. Nevertheless, his figure was one to die for. In maroon swim trunks, his body splayed half-naked under the sun. Both of them were quietly battling for Jared's attention who stood guard in the dining room, a glass door away.
And me? I was in my uniform with an Aiden cookie in hand and fruit juice in the other.
"Are you sure you don't wanna change into something more..." Dani put her shades on top of her head like a headband, "fitting?"
In response, I took a bite of my cookie.
"It's a school day and all but the sun's out and you could use a distraction, Rose," added Vi.
In response, I sipped my orange juice.
They sighed at the same time and sat up.
"Come on, let's get you changed,"
Daniella wore her robe and stood, grabbed my arm, and hauled me to my feet.
"I want the old Rose," said Viktor. "I hate that school for turning you into this," he gestured wildly at me like I was some sort of mess.
"It's not GA," I sighed, "it's that fucking moron."
"You said it yourself," Dani brushed my hair with her fingers. "You sucked his dick. That's what you wanted, right? We should celebrate."
"I feel bad," I crossed my arms and hugged myself. I shouldn't feel bad. I never feel bad.
So why do I feel bad?
"I want him so much but I don't wanna have to tempt him into doing things with me every damn time."
"Holy shit," Viktor spat his pineapple juice. "My ears must be playing tricks."
"I'm telling the truth." I tugged on my hair, suddenly reminded that Nick did the same only hours ago.
Dani rubbed my shoulders, "It's good that you finally know what you want and that you're feeling a bit of guilt like a normal human—"
"I don't feel guilty," I corrected.
"Whatever," Dani sighed, "I just don't want my friend being sad over some man I don't even know. I don't like you sad."
"Dani and I came over because you said you wanted to bond again and be happy," Viktor gestured to himself, "Here we are. So, let's get you into a pretty little bikini, yes?"
I nodded slowly and let them bring me upstairs. Dani picked out a bathing suit for me and I got changed. We went to the backyard again.
I took my robe off and laid on the lounge chair. I put a pair of sunglasses on and closed my eyes. The heat felt good against my skin, ridding me of all the thoughts even just for a while to focus on the feeling that the sun had to offer. Minutes later, I heard giggling and the sound of an iPhone's camera. I opened one eye to see Dani taking pictures of Viktor at the edge of the pool.
I took my shades off, "What's going on?"
"I need a new pic for Tinder," he answered a matter-of-factly. He glanced at Jared through the door and winked at the poor man whose brows had met in the middle.
I snorted and went back to relaxing. I opened my eyes again when I sensed them taking pics of me. I gave them a questioning look.
"Oh come on," Dani smiled, "Don't you want new pictures for your Instagram?" she took a selfie with Viktor who now had wet hair.
"I'm not in the mood," I closed my eyes again and disregarded them.
Disregarded them until an idea popped into my head.
I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my photos, looking for a particular informative page that I took in Camillo's office. Once I found it, I added the combination of numbers to my contact list.
"Actually, I change my mind. Take pics of me," I handed my phone to Viktor, "And make sure they look great."