Class was extremely boring as I sat in the back-corner of the classroom. I twirled my pen in my hands as I fought to keep my heavy eyelids open. Two days into school and we were already starting intensely dull and way-too-hard classes.
I feel like the only reason why everyone at school isn't failing is because their parents pay the teachers to boost up their grade. This school had so many ways to get money out of school families.
I glanced around the class to see Kyle in the middle of the classroom. Even though he sort of started a fist fight the day before, no one was really paying him attention. It was like he was getting a lot and very little attention at the same time.
To be completely honest I was staring at him during most of class. I could only see his backside, but he was filled with so many mysteries his backside was enough. Through his dress shirt, if I paid enough attention, I could see he was very fit, with much larger muscles compared to the other boys in my class. His blonde hair was casually brushed, and it wasn't messy or neat. It didn't look like he just rolled out of bed but it didn't look like he spent hours working on his hair in the morning, like my brothers, either.
It was strange. This new kid, who was really different from everyone at Lockwood Academy, was suddenly in my life and it seemed like I was the only person who was interested in him.
I wanted to get to know him, uncover the secrets under his protective shield and unwavering eyes.
When class ended, I ran over to Kyle, who was somehow already out of the class even though the bell just rung.
"Hey." I said, walking alongside him. Wow, he was a fast walker.
He raised an eyebrow, though his expression didn't change. I assumed he was a little surprised...but I couldn't understand what else he was feeling. Did this boy not have any emotions?
"So, about yesterday, you don't have to worry about those guys. They were just being morons."
"I know." He replied.
I bit my lip. "Uhm, okay, well, how are you liking Lockwood Academy so far?"
"I hate it."
I frowned. This guy was totally unsocial and kind of an asshole.
"Okay, I can understand that. But the park is nice, isn't it? In the spring, the tulips are just—"
He suddenly turned on me with his arms crossed over his chest. "What do you want from me?"
For a second I was speechless. "Uh, nothing! Just trying to be a friend."
"I don't need one."
My mouth thinned into a straight line.
"Well, neither do I, but it's nice to have one." I said quietly, and for a second looked into his eyes. They were a bright green with flecks of so many different colors I couldn't possibly list them all. It was probably wishful thinking, but I saw his eyes—his protectful, guarded eyes—look ever so slightly regretful.
I sighed softly and turned around.
I had completely walked off when I realized I completely screwed up. My plan was to get to know Kyle, and he probably didn't want anything to do with me. He might have regretted being harsh to me (even though that's a next to nothing chance), but in the end he got me to go away.
I groaned. Getting to know Kyle was going to be much harder than I thought.
What was with him anyway? Why do I want to get to know him so much?
I couldn't figure out myself, how could I figure Kyle out?
* * * * *
"Why do you look so annoyed?" A low, handsome voice asked as I was eating out of my bento box. I almost spit out my food in surprise.
"Oh, hey Zayden!" I said, my voice sounding high and chirpy. I mentally punched myself for being so excited to see him.
He sat himself next to me, and I could feel my heart beat faster. What was wrong with me?
"So...how's it going?" He asked causally.
"Okay...I guess. You?"
"Good. Great, actually. I got into all the sport teams I wanted to get into."
"Obviously." I said, rolling my eyes slightly.
He turned to me. "Why do you say that?" He looked genuinely curious.
"Well...if you ask why, well, because you're part of the popular group, or whatever, and you're really good at sports and stuff."
A small smirk spread across his lips. "Just because I'm in the 'popular group' doesn't mean I'm good at sports."
I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. I felt stupid and disabled like I couldn't move my mouth right. "No, but you are. I mean, you're good at sports."
Zayden laughed softly, and his face moved close to mine. I held my breath and averted my gaze to the floor.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Zayden asked lowly, and his breath fanned my cheeks. I could feel my face burn up like an oven.
"No, I...I like your company."
Zayden grinned and leaned away. I let out the breath I was holding in relief and a little disappointment.
Zayden and I talked about random things, and he was surprisingly very fun to talk to. I could imagine why everyone would want to be friends with him. I'd never had anyone at school pay attention to me and want to talk to me, and it was honestly a really nice feeling. It warmed my insides.
"And he literally just ran into me, and I broke half the bones in my ribs."
"What? No way!" I gasped and rolled around in laughter as he talked about how as a first grader, he ran into a chubby Asian guy nicknamed "Bulldozer Bill" on the streets.
Just then, the bell rung for class and I put my things into my bag.
"We have the same class next. Let's go together." Zayden suggested.
I smiled, happy at the thought of having a friend to be able to walk with. "Yeah."
When Zayden suggested walking into class together, I hadn't thought of all the stares we would gain from my classmates.
Zayden Rhodes and Cassandra Heywood? I could literally hear their voices in my head. What's up with them? Are they dating?
I was used to the stares and the gossip, but not this kind. It made me want to bury my face into my text book. It didn't help when Zayden sat next to me, too. I think I was more shocked than my classmates.
What was he thinking? People were going to misunderstand!
I sat, my face red as a tomato, as my classmates gawked at us.
This was definitely not a normal day.
After school ended and Henry drove me home, I dumped myself into bed. I was exhausted of attention and getting nervous around guys wasn't something I was used to.
I wasn't like, interested, in Zayden Rhodes right? I've been spending my entire life hating the popular people at my school, because they were so rich and snobby and self-centered. So could it be possible for me to like one of the most popular person at my school, a best friend of my brothers?
And could it be possible he liked me?
I was lying on my stomach when I heard someone come in.
"Are you feeling alright, miss?" It was Melissa.
"Leave me alone." I muttered.
"But—"
"Melissa, please get out."
Melissa said a hasty apology and rushed out. Maybe I was being too rude. But I wasn't up to talking to anyone.
When dinner was prepared, I walked downstairs and sat down on one of the seats in my dining hall as one of our maids placed a plate of appetizers in front of me. I was thanking her when my brothers sat down on their seats. When the maid walked away, Auden raised an eyebrow at me.
"You don't need to thank the maid, she's getting paid to serve you."
I rolled my eyes. "Manners don't change because of rank or money."
My brothers made snide remarks about how the maids were paid so much or whatever, but I zoned them out and concentrated on my minestrone soup. I dipped the French bread that was laid out in the center of the table into my soup and bit into it, and I almost swooned. This stuff was delicious. I had to ask the cook for the recipe some time.
I was dunking large mouthfulls of the soup into my mouth when Alec asked, "so what's up with you and Zayden?"
I coughed and spluttered as I almost spit out my food.
"We're friends!" I practically shouted, feeling nervous. Alec didn't look impressed.
"Really?"
"Yeah," I answered. "Anyway, where's mom?"
"In Milan. But Zayden seems...interested in you." Alec said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Oh really? Why's mom in Milan?"
Auden sighed loudly. "Stop trying to change the subject."
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are. Now how do you feel about Zayden?"
"Why the heck do you guys even care?"
"Because Zayden is one of our closest friends. And you're our sister. And if you two got married, Zayden would be our bro-in-law. So we have a right to know." Auden said with a straight face. I had no idea if he was being serious or not. It kind of creeped me out.
Auden and Alec nodded to each other, and they had large smirks on their lips as they shared amused looks. I could never understand those two, but this time was over the top. I was blushing madly as I thought of Zayden and I's 'future.' Why would they say something like that?
I was so speechless I couldn't even snap something sassy back to them.
I spent the rest of dinner in silence and ran upstairs to my room.
* * * * *
The next day I arrived to school early because my brothers had soccer practice. Usually, I would have asked Henry to drive me and my brothers separately because I hate getting up early, but that morning I accidentally woke up really early and I couldn't sleep again so I went to school with them. I sat down in the empty dining hall and bought myself a cup of tea and a freshly-baked chocolate muffin that was usually sold out by the time I got to school.
I flipped open my Algebra 2 text book to do some last-minute cramming for the up-coming quiz. I was starting to get pretty confident about my knowledge when I saw Kyle walk into the dining hall. He sat down at one of the tables at the edge of the room, where a blonde girl was sitting. And then I noticed who the blonde girl was. Rebecca Amador.
And Rebecca Amador looked like she was expecting him. I felt my heart sink. I knew a lot of guys crushed on her, but I thought Kyle was different. Just then, Rebecca glanced at me, and looked away immediately when our eyes met, and she nodded to Kyle. They stood up together, and walked out of the dining hall. I watched them, and I was really confused.
Why were they together? I knew Rebecca and Auden were together, and she would never cheat on him because the gossip afterwards would be unbearable. Or at least offending. But Kyle didn't really seem like he was flirting, and they both looked serious.
So what was going on?
I stood up to follow them, and as my boots hit the empty dining hall floor, the clamping sound echoed across the room. The sound made me feel like someone was following me, so I rushed out of the dining hall.
When I walked out, though, Rebecca Amador and Kyle Foust were nowhere to be seen. They couldn't possibly have gone far, unless they ran. But why would they need to run?
I looked around for them until students started flooding the halls, and I finally gave up. Kyle was in my classes like usual, and I was having a harder time than usual to pay attention to my classes. Finally, I decided it was better to ask Kyle straight up rather than being distracted the entire day, so I did just that.
I walked up to him after one of my classes. He turned around smoothly when I barely touched his shoulder to tap it, as if he was expecting to be tapped on the shoulder.
"Hi." I said.
"Hi."
"Uhm...I just wanted to ask, what were you doing with Rebecca Amador this morning?"
Kyle looked at me and smirked. "Trust me, you don't want to know."
"Trust me, I do."
"I can't tell you anyway. Classified information." He replied seriously.
"What, really?" I said.
Kyle grinned. "Nope."
"What?"
"Never mind."
"But...what were you...wait, are you and Rebecca like...you know...dating?"
Kyle scoffed. "You wish."
"What? Why would I wish?"
It was just then when it seemed like Kyle shut down his emotions. Suddenly his face was straight and his eyes were guarded.
"Really, this isn't any of your business." His voice was cold and I almost flinched. He walked away leaving me behind.
I stood there, rooted to the spot as if my feet were stuck in solidifying cement. For a moment I felt guilty, sticking my nose into his business. I mean, it was sort of rude to ask him so bluntly about something I didn't have a right to ask about.
But still, I couldn't help but to think, what was going on between Kyle and Rebecca?
* * * * *
I got home, still thinking of the incident with Kyle and Rebecca, and also about Zayden.
"What seems to be bothering you?" Henry asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "You know, busy day at school."
But having been taking care of me ever since I was born, Henry knew something more than a 'busy day at school' was up.
"If you want to talk to someone, I'm always here, miss." He said with a smile. Even though I had no friends at school, I was popular among the staff at my house, and Henry, even though he was almost four times my age, was one of the best friends I had.
"Thank you, Henry, but I think I can handle this on my own." I said, and I truly believed that. Just the thought of having people who cared about me cleared my head slightly.
I walked up to my room, slumping my belongings onto the huge sofa in my room and changed into a T-shirt and shorts. Yes, even billionaires wear T-shirts. Although the T-shirt I was wearing was an original Ralph Lauren T-shirt I got in a Celeb Teen's Fashion Show that I was invited to a few months ago.
Someone knocked on my door, and I looked up.
"Come in." I said.
Melissa stepped in, a shy smile on her face. "I brought your snack, miss."
"Thanks. Just put it there," I said, pointing to my desk which was empty except for my computer and a stack of papers for school. Melissa placed the tray and scurried away. I wondered if she was scared of me or something.
I was going to get some of my readings done first, but the delicious sweet smell kept wafting from the tray Melissa left for me and I couldn't concentrate. I hopped over to the tray to see five freshly-baked, warm-out-of-the-oven, gooey, chocolate chip cookies neatly arranged on a ceramic plate. Next to it was a cup of fresh milk in a wide glass so I could dunk the cookies into the milk easily.
I grinned and brought the tray of cookies to my bed as I stuffed myself with the delicious stuff. I was in the midst of my eating when Alec came into my room.
"Oh, gross, you're never going to get a boyfriend if you're like that."
I glared at him. I chewed the remnants of cookie in my mouth, swallowed, and snapped, "bug off, loser," at him.
Although I had to admit I was in quite an ungraceful position. One of my legs was dangling off the bed as the other was sprawled out on my bed, milk and cookie crumbs all over my tray, and my face and fingers covered with gooey chocolate.
Alec rolled his eyes, though he looked a little amused. "Whatever, mom's calling you."
I perked up. "Mom's home?"
Alec nodded. He turned to leave, but at the last moment, he turned around. "Aren't you going to offer me a cookie?"
I gave him a sweet smile. "Nope."
"Why do you get cookies and I don't?"
"Because Melissa is awesome." I said.
Alec grumbled. "Whatever, you're going to get fat anyway."
"Yep, and I'll be one happy fat girl!" I called after him as he left my room. I heard him chuckle quietly, and I grinned as if in victory.
I quickly finished off my cookies, placed the tray on the table, and rushed downstairs. My mom was there, wearing a light sundress and suitcases surrounding her.
"Hey mom, I didn't know you were back!"
"Yes, I actually came back yesterday night, but it was way after you had gone to bed and I slept in this morning." She said, giving me a hug. I realized I was already becoming taller than her, and she was a moderately tall 5'6". I must have grown, and at a height of 5'7".
"Here, I got you this." My mom said, taking out a pair of faint pink pumps. It had intricate lace patterns and small studs and sequins adorned the sides. It would have been beautiful on any girl, but I wasn't any girl. I didn't really like heels, at all, but I kept on getting them.
My mother studied my face and looked slightly dismayed. "You don't like them." She stated.
"No, mom, no, they're beautiful! But I don't really wear heels. They're uncomfortable."
"Oh, but these have nice cusshioning and they don't strain the toes." My mom said, sounding like those people on TV who try to sell you their items.
"They won't be as strain-free as sneakers or boots." I told her.
My mom frowned. "Honey, you're fifteen. It worries me that you don't care much for fashion."
"I do, but my fashion is more plain and...and darker colored than yours." I said. "But I will wear these, I promise."
And then I went back to my room, placing my new pair of heels in my shoe cabinet. It was filled from top to bottom from delicate, hand-made shoes from all over the world, and half of them were the heels my mom would get me in her trips. I sighed and closed the cabinet behind me.
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