October 7, 2011
I want a boyfriend! And I want…him.
“There are way too many people arriving in Heartlake City these days. Don’t you think?” Rachelle grumbled. “Some, I don’t mind but the others, oh hell no!”
“Are we back to Jessica?” Nick said, amused at Rachelle’s annoyance.
She glowered at him. “Don’t remind me.”
“You started.”
“Hmph.”
Classes had just ended and Rachelle was walking with Nick along the hallways, on their way to the judo club’s office.
“But really, I’m glad your parents are back. Grace told me hers had just arrived this morning as well.” She sighed with longing. “I wish my dad’s home.”
Nick smiled at her. “He’ll be back soon enough. You’re still not used to his job, are you?”
“I guess. I mean, he’s a media consultant and all but he had always been working here in Heartlake. Sometimes I wish he hadn’t accepted a working contract abroad. I miss him,” Rachelle said, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
Nick draped his right arm around Rachelle’s shoulders to give her a small hug. “I’m sure he misses you too.”
They continued walking, with Nick’s arm still in place. Rachelle spotted Grace talking with some of her classmates. She broke into a grin as she sprinted in that direction, Nick closely behind her.
“Hey, Grace,” she greeted. “Hi everyone. I’m Rachelle.”
“Hi, Rach.” Grace replied while everyone else was still awestruck. “This is Lia, Ronald and Michel. My classmates.”
Rachelle shook everyone’s hands and then she introduced Nick as well.
The small group was discussing an upcoming investigatory project in Physics when the entire lobby abruptly quieted. About seventeen different people stopped in mid-sentence, all of them forgetting what they were supposed to say. Rachelle was the last one talking but the sudden eerie silence made her slowly shut her mouth and turn towards the school entrance.
A sleek, black, and obviously luxurious car sped in through the gates and parked in one of the nearest lots to the entrance hall. Everyone seemed to have been struck by the sheer lavishness that they gaped at the car, their jaws dropped. One of its shiny doors opened and a guy wearing a pair of expensive Prada aviators emerged. A gust of wind decided to ruffle his jet-black hair as he closed the sedan’s door and began walking towards everybody else. His black leather jacket reflected the light in all directions, making him look all the more god-like.
The boys in the lobby glared at the new arrival while the girls began to appear mesmerized. It was not odd however, that Rachelle and Nick were the only exceptions, considering how they must see the same things when they look at the mirror. Rachelle looked admiringly at the school’s guest, her eyes calculating. She turned to glance at Nick who immediately understood what was going on in her head. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong but there was something in Nick’s expression that bothered her. She didn’t manage to think further than that when she remembered the new guy and found herself extremely curious. She assumed a welcoming look and stared straight at his eyes.
The man in black easily caught Rachelle’s smiling features, and understood it as friendliness, so he ambled to where she was currently standing.
He had removed his shades right before he stopped in front of her.
“Hi,” he began with a boyish grin, his voice a deep baritone, “I’m Liam Milton. I just arrived here in Heartlake City. I was just wondering if you would be so kind as to direct me to the Office of the School President? I have some things I need to discuss with her so I can get admitted to St. James even if it’s the middle of the semester.”
Rachelle’s eyes sparked with interest. “Call me Rach. So you’re going to study here?”
“Yeah. Unexpected things happened so I had to finish high school here instead of in Canada.”
He was starting to become more and more interesting.
“I see. We’ll see each other again then.” She waved her hand to begin with the directions. “You just have to turn right then it’s at the end of that hallway. The one with the mahogany double-doors.”
Liam glanced to where she had pointed then nodded. “Thanks! I hope I get to be friends with you when I managed to enter.”
Rachelle covertly studied him from head to toe, deliberately delaying a reply for a few seconds. “Oh, you will. I’m sure of it.”
His grin grew wider. “Thanks.” And then he went off, reflected lights following him.
Whispers had begun the moment Liam removed his sunglasses but when he disappeared in the hallway, the whispers turned into lively conversations. The words ‘Liam’, ‘handsome’, ‘hot’ and the like, echoed in the lobby.
Grace and Rachelle sighed dreamily.
Nick snorted. “You didn’t even bother to introduce your friends.”
Rachelle turned to him with a half-apologetic look. “I can’t possibly expect him to wait for me to introduce everyone. You heard what he said. He had more urgent matters to attend to.” She placed her hand on Nick’s arm then smiled mischievously. “I’ll introduce you to him next time, ‘kay?”
Grace and Lia sighed again.
It caught Rachelle’s attention and she laughed softly. “Apparently, men get hotter by wearing cool shades.”
Grace nodded as she stared at Liam’s black car. “And more so, if he’s driving a Porsche Cayman S.”
Rachelle and Lia’s eyes narrowed on her while Nick and the other boys laughed.
“So you’re gaping at his car? You don’t find him hot or handsome or whatever you girls call boys that catch your interest?” Nick asked, a confident grin forming on his face.
“Huh?” Grace looked dumbfounded. “Oh? Yeah. He’s handsome, alright.”
The boys began to look crestfallen.
“But, his car,” she said with a sigh. “That’s the car of my dreams.” She eyed everyone. “To be honest, I’d rather admire it more than its owner.”
Silence welcomed that admission but before long, they had all laughed at Grace’s unusual statement.
“Now I know why you’ve never had a boyfriend,” Rachelle told her matter-of-factly.
“Hey, maybe she just has different tastes,” was Nick’s defense of Grace.
Rachelle smiled knowingly at them then shrugged. “O-kay. If you say so.” After less than a few seconds, “Do you think Liam would like me?”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Here we go, again.”
His best friend smirked. “Oh come on, Nick. He’s hotter than his car. And that’s saying something.”
He sighed. “Every guy would like you, Rach,” Nick said earnestly. “Especially if you put in an effort to make them care for you.”
“Aww, thanks Nicky. That’s why I love you so much,” she declared. She then looped her arm around his. “You’re really my biggest admirer. I’d date you if you aren’t my bestest friend.”
A flash of regret crossed his face as soon as she said the word ‘if’.
What was that?
It was gone so quickly that she thought she might have imagined it.
“You’ve delayed me long enough. I have to hurry to the club office,” he suddenly blurted out. He removed her hand from his arm then gave her a close-lipped smile. “Why don’t you stay here with Grace so you can gush over that Liam guy?”
She tilted her head to the side. “You’re not angry, are you?”
“Of course not. It’s not like I’m not used to you and your Imma-make-that-guy-my-boyfriend schemes.” He gave Rachelle’s shoulder a squeeze, shrugged then turned around to proceed to his club activities.
She addressed everybody. “Sorry about that. That’s just his best friend blues.” She giggled then went on to discuss St. James’s future new student.
*****
All hell broke loose that evening.
Someone posted an anonymous hate letter in Tumblr which went on to spread through Facebok, Twitter and whatever social network site accesible. Considering the content, it reached everyone’s profiles faster than a wildfire. Online discussions and arguments erupted. Violent reactions, smug comments and even sympathy were all directed at Rachelle Harlow.
It was apparently written by someone who had worked with Rachelle in a pictorial before. The letter stated:
You know what I hate most in the world? It’s those little bitches who pretend to be angels but are actualy sluts. And no one, NO ONE, could ever bit that bitch Rachelle Harlow at that. I want to be quiet about it but she’s just too much! She smile and flirt at every boy in every pictorial and pretends as if she do it unconcsiously. I mean, helloooo??? She wants all the atention to herself and pretends she don’t want to.
At first, I thouhgt she really don’t know what she’s doing, but when I saw her flirting with my boyfrend, I knew she’s nothin but a fucking slut!
Then she acts all high and mighty, telling evryone she’s the best model in Heartlake, blah, blah. There’s even a time when she got angry at me because I touched one of the clothes she’s s’posed to wear! I mean, I just TOUCHED IT! Then she yelled at me and called me a useless maid! You can go ask everyone. They’ll tell you just how bitchy that girl is. She’s not who you all think she is. She’s a slut and a bitch! I hate her! I hope she burns in hell!
“Ha!” Rachelle yelled at her computer. “I don’t believe it!” She angrily hit her desk and stood up. “I don’t freaking believe it! I would have let it go if anything about it is true but they’re all lies, Matt! Lies!” She started to pace.
“Relax, Rach,” came Matt’s calm voice. His fists, however, belied his tone. They were currently balled, as if ready to punch a wall. “I tried to make Lance find out anything about the person who originally posted the letter but he wasn’t able to locate her. No clues. He couldn’t even access the IP address.”
“If I ever get my hands on that liar, I swear I’d—I’d shave off her head and pluck her eyeballs out! And—and make her kneel for forgiveness—which I’d never give!” Rachelle growled angrily.
“I’ll ask for Kane’s help as well. He knows everyone in Heartlake. At least almost everyone. And he likes investigating things. Besides, he won’t let go of this easily.”
Matt’s phone rang. He took it out of his pants pocket and answered.
“Hey Ni—,”
“Where’s Rach?” Nick said through the receiver, his voice anxious. “She won’t answer her phone.”
“Wait, she’s right here,” Matt replied then hurriedly passed Rachelle his mobile.
“Hi Ni—,”
“Why on earth won’t you answer your fuckin’ phone?” he barked at her. She had to move the phone away from her ear to avoid damaging her eardrum. Her best friend did not say the f word so casually and she knew right then that he was more than upset.
“Chill,” she replied with a calmer voice. “I’m sorry. I had it on silent and it’s under my pillow. Why’d you call, by the way?”
“You haven’t heard?”
“About the letter?” She looked at her laptop screen again, her irritation turning into anger. The letter had caused her friends worry and she couldn’t forgive that part so easily. She really would wring that girl’s neck. Whoever she was. “I’ve read it.”
“Are you alright?” Nick’s voice was now filled with genuine concern.
“Me? Of course I am. What I feel right now is anger and annoyance towards that hypocrite,” her grip tightened around the phone, “who had nothing better to do but lie about other people.”
“Turn on the speaker phone,” Nick instructed.
As soon as she did, Nick addressed Matt: “You got any leads?”
“Unfortunately, none. Rach doesn’t remember anyone she’s treated badly when she’s at work so she wasn’t able to give names.”
“I’ll try to remember anything. If I do, I promise to tell you, guys,” Rachelle added.
“Try to recall anyone who might be envious of you, Rach. That’s one possibility,” Nick said.
“Yeah, I will.”
“That Grace girl—” Matt began but he was interrupted by both of Rachelle’s and Nick’s voices.
“She won’t do something like that.”
“I don’t think it’s her.”
“Fine, not her then. I already asked help from Kane and Lance,” Matt glanced at the phone then looked intently at Rachelle. “We’re not going to stop until we find out who the hell did this to you, sis.”
“Count me in,” Nick’s voice put in.
“Just don’t touch her until after I’m through with her,” Rachelle said, her voice unusually dangerous.