"Your mission is to convey attraction and seduction. And now... carry her."
Freya let herself be lifted from the ground, trying to keep the position as she sheathed herself from head to toe.
Unfortunately, it was enough for her to think again about Valerio and the latest events to immediately lose her focus. She left a sudden gasp as she almost fell before closing her eyes while waiting for the fall.
However, she soon reopened them at the sensation of two strong arms supporting her. She looked up just to meet Hugo's worried look."You're okay ?"
Freya took a moment to catch her breath before nodding her head in response.
"Perfect ! She feels better. Meanwhile, she just ruined everything." Exclaimed Denitseï forcing the duo to stand up with their heads down."What was that, Freya? Huh? You were elsewhere during the whole session."
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
"I don't care about your excuses." Denitseï was indignant as she approached her before taking her face between her fingers."Look at me. You know we could have chosen someone else to play Odette, right? Your performance was not the best of all during the auditions."
Freya looked away in shame and disappointment as she could again feel anger assaulting her.
She felt so bad right now. She was just making a mistake. First her father and then Valerio and finally that. Her father was probably right. She was nothing without him. And she could probably never be someone now that he was gone.
She could feel the tears rushing behind her eyes under the scathing gaze of her teacher. She swallowed in an effort to control her emotions before lowering her head again as Denitseï let go.
"Take a break! Out of my sight."
She gestured with her hand towards the duo to dismiss them, leaving Freya to slowly walk towards her backpack. She tried to control the exhaustion weighing on her mind and body before recovering her bottle of water.
However, it was not long before she paused as she felt Hugo's presence at her side."Denitseï is right. You hardly seem there. Does that have something to do with this club your father was talking about the other day? You still haven't told me what that means by the way."
Freya shook her head at the thought before shrugging disinterestedly."It is no longer really important."
Hugo watched the strangely disconnected brunette since arriving before narrowing his lips. He knelt down to be at her height before placing his hand on hers.
"Are you really sure that you're fine?"
Freya paused as she gauged their joined hands before looking up at Hugo, swallowing. She immediately shook her head."My whole life is going into a spin."
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay." Hugo immediately exclaimed, widening his eyes at the sight of the brunette sharply throwing her bottle into her bag in frustration."Here, come here."
He pulled Freya against him before hugging her.
Nevertheless Freya was content to control her breath as this stupid hug was enough to remind her how Hugo had absolutely nothing to do with Valerio.
She left a grimace at the thought before detaching herself from the brown, clumsily clearing her throat."Sorry, I don't need this."
She got up immediately while swallowing as she ignored the rejected look of the brown before returning to the middle of the studio.
She had a training to finish.
****************
The days that followed were similar to this one.
Freya struggled to excel at the studio while ignoring the feelings flowing down her chest. And yet it was not the easiest task given that she felt herself getting more and more stupid with each passing day. Especially whenever Valerio just ignored her.
At this point, she couldn't even count the number of times she had seen him flirt with girls from Las Encinas. And yet she couldn't help but feel anxious every time she saw his dark face.
She thought she had caught him watching her from afar during class, but she quickly abandoned that idea. After all, he had been very clear. He was just a junkie and she didn't like him.
She shook her head at the thought as she rested her eyes on her textbook, sighing in exhaustion.
"What happened to you princesa?"Rebecca asked immediately as she raised an eyebrow in question.
Nadia immediately raised her head, also challenged leaving Freya to raise her head by shrugging her shoulders."Nothing."
"Yeah, that's it. Tell that to someone who don't care." Rebecca replied in the objection before crossing her arms on the library table."Go ahead tell me. What's going on with you?"
Freya glanced at Nadia in hesitation letting the Muslim brunette pucker her lips." Don't look at me like that. Honestly, I think it would relieve me to hear that I'm not the only one having problems."
"See? So go ahead. Tell us what concerns this pretty complex head."
Freya let out a new sigh in defeat before placing her pen on the table."My father left the house. He sleeps in a hotel, I think."
"And it's wrong because?" Rebecca immediately asked with a confused frown before raising her hands in surrender at the looks she received from the two girls."Okay, relax. It's just that he's not really tender with you. I thought you would be relieved to be able to breathe a little."
Freya looked down at her notes, nodding her head."Yeah. You are probably right. "
"Hey, Freya."
Freya straightened in surprise at Polo's voice before giving him a look over her shoulder with a confused little smile."Hey, Polo. How you're doing ?"
She could briefly hear Rebecca and Nadia whisper behind her. Obviously, they were also puzzled about the presence of Polo.
To be honest, Freya was too.
"I'm fine." Replied the brown before signing the empty chair by her side." I can sit ?"
"Uh, sure?"
She gave a confused look at the girls before shrugging her shoulders as Polo hastened to sit down.
Polo has been surprising her regularly lately. She didn't say she was unhappy to speak with the brown but she wasn't really his friend. She didn't really know how to describe their connection.
All she knew was that he reminded her a little of her brother sometimes.
A heavy silence fell on their small group as Rebecca and Nadia looked between the two in perplexity.
"So, uh, you were reviewing the math exam?" He asked in an attempt to break the awkward silence.
Clearly, Polo was as embarrassed as the girls were.
Nonetheless Freya tried to leave a friendly smile on her lips as she nodded."Yeah. And you ? You started ?"
"Uh, not really." Polo grimaced, shrugging his shoulders with a small smile before giving an uncertain look at Freya."So ... uh, my mothers told me about your performance. Swan Lake is ... uh, yeah, that sounds cool."
"How does he know that?" Rebecca murmured, giving a suspicious look at Polo.
"Oh, to tell the truth, my mothers bought tickets." Polo immediately explained visibly too nervous to feel comfortable letting Freya's eyes widen in disbelief.
She immediately turned to the brown with icy blue eyes."They buy tickets?"
"My second mother insisted." Replied Polo, somewhat hesitant."I hope it doesn't bother you. I thought it would be pretty good for you to have a friend in the room."
Freya let out a breath of laughter touched by his initiative."Well, this is not my first show, you know. But, uh, thank you. I hope your mothers will enjoy it."
"Yeah me too." Polo replied immediately as he hastened to get up somewhat uncomfortable again under the looks of the two brunettes in front of him."So see you there, right? I mean, we'll see each other before that. In class. But uh, finally, you understand."
Freya gave a still puzzled look at the brown before nodding her head."Yeah, Polo. We will meet over there."
She narrowed her lips in a small smile as she followed the nervous brown's back before suddenly turning to Rebecca at her incredulous statement."The weirdo is totally into you."
"What?" Freya exclaimed in shock before immediately shaking her head."No. No, no, he's just nice. Besides, I'm not sure he has a lot of friends right now."
"He was part of the Guzmàn gang." Rebecca reminded in doubt."And then I think the Barbie has a crush on him."
Freya immediately left a scoff at the mention of Cayetana." Of course. Hyenas always prey on easy prey."
"Wow ... it looks like someone doesn't like the new girl very much." Rebe commented with interest as she leaned closer to Freya while Nadia rolled her eyes."Hey, do you want to know what I learned about her?"
"Not really." Freya replied sincerely before starting to pack her things as she glanced at her watch."Anyway, I don't have time. Pablo must already be waiting outside."
Rebecca immediately sighed before leaning nonchalantly against her seat as she watched her friend."Come on. What is it this time? Dance? Piano? Or the freaking ascent of the Mount Everest?"
Freya immediately gave the brunette a flat look as she pulled the straps of her backpack over her shoulders.
"Come on, how am I supposed to do with friends like you?"
Freya let a small smile amuse as the librarian scolded Rebe before shaking her head as she entered the hallway. She quickly went outside just to pause for the sight of Samuel coming down the stairs.
"Samuel! "
The little brown immediately turned on his heels when she called before widening his eyes wide as he saw her go down the stairs to join him.
"Hey, Samuel. We haven't really talked for a while." Greeted the brunette as she stopped next to him with a smile that was easily deemed attractive.
Samuel was not blind. To tell the truth, he was willing to bet that a lot of high school boys secretly dream of Freya. She was beautiful in her own way. But what captivated Samuel was her personality. She was just lovely. A real friend he could count on.
"Yeah, I think a lot has happened since."
Freya hissed, grimacing before giving him a look of sympathy."Yeah, I thought I heard about Nano."
"Obviously you heard." Samuel sighed somewhat ashamed before giving her a defeatist look."It looks like it will take me longer to forgive him."
Freya immediately gave him an empathetic look before placing her hand on his shoulder to reassure him."I'm not saying hitting him was a good thing, but you don't have to force yourself to forgive him. You're not a bad brother, though."
Samuel left a broad smile at the brunette's support. However, he wasted no time in reducing it as he glanced over his shoulder just to see Lucrecia making her way outside. And as if that were not enough, her half-brother, Valerio was soon out too.
Unsurprisingly, the duo immediately paused at the sight of Freya being by his side. Lucrecia had a wide look of panic as Valerio clenched his jaw as he looked between Lu and Freya.
Samuel frowned at the tall brown's reaction before turning his eyes back to Freya.
"Well, I think my taxi has just arrived." She said as she nodded towards the black sedan stopping a little further."See you later ?"
Samuel gave a new look between the duo at the top of the stairs and Freya before nodding his head with a smile towards the brunette Bjørkaas."Yeah, sure."
****************
"Are you all right, Carmen?" Freya asked as she lifted her head from her notes just to realize that her stepmother was staring at an onion without moving for several minutes.
Carmen straightened up suddenly in an awareness before shaking her head, nonchalant."Yeah, absolutely. Don't worry. I'm fine."
Freya knew how to recognize a lie when she saw one.
After all, it took a good liar to recognize one. And Freya considered herself a good liar. Especially when it came to pretending to be okay. It was her specialty.
So she immediately closed her laptop screen before removing her glasses to fold them on the screen.
She hummed her lips in hesitation as she watched her stepmother carefully cut the onion without crying before looking up at her elongated face.
"Did you hear from dad?"
Unsurprisingly Carmen immediately paused in her kitchen swallowing before giving a brief look over her shoulder in the direction of Freya."We spoke briefly on the phone. He's on a business trip to New York at the moment."
"For how long ?"
"One week." Answered Carmen, distracted.
Freya nodded her head as she focused her attention on the chopped onion before swallowing in nervousness."And after that ? Will he come home?"
Carmen paused again before placing the knife she was holding on the cutting board. Freya watched as Carmen let out a sigh before going to the sink to retrieve a tea towel. She wiped her hands on it before turning to Freya in understanding.
They all missed him.
Despite everything, his absence left a big void in the house.
Not to mention that such an incident had never happened before. Sandvik had always been intimidating but he had never been violent. It was something that Carmen never thought of. She couldn't even think of such a subject from her husband.
And maybe it wasn't that unjustified.
Again, that was not a reason.
She knew their son was as angry with him as her husband.
Carmen leaned against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest before giving a sympathetic look at her step-daughter."I don't know. It will depend on Luís. If he feels ready to see your father again."
Freya nodded in understanding as Carmen returned to her kitchen. Freya watched her stepmother's back a little longer before letting out a new sigh as she pulled on her glasses again.
She opened her screen again to resume her essay when the doorbell rang.
She immediately looked up at Carmen."You were waiting for someone?"
"No. And you?" Freya immediately shook her head in ignorance letting Carmen give a look towards the living room."Luís? Can you answer the door, please."
Freya left a small smirk as she heard her brother complaining before shaking her head as she continued typing on the keys of her keyboard.
However, she did not expect to hear her little brother's suddenly angry voice."The hell you're doing here?"
"No, no, wait, wait, Luís, let me see her. Let me see your sister."
Freya's eyes widened at the familiar voice of Valerio before she immediately turned her head towards the door just to see her little brother trying to fight Valerio to shut the door in his face.
Carmen frowned just as taken aback while Freya hastened to get down from her stool to join the two idiots."The hell is going on here?"
"Damn it! "
"Freya!" Valerio exclaimed as he took the opportunity to push the door before pausing at her sight."Wow, you're wearing glasses. Nice."
Freya hastened to remove them in the embarrassment." Yeah, I know. It's just for-but whatever! What are you doing here, Valerio?"
"I need to talk to you." The brown replied seriously for once.
"Freya? Who's this boy ? "
Valerio took the opportunity to display a broad smile as he walked further into the Bjørkaas house while Luís closed the door behind him in defeat.
"I am Valerio. A friend of your stepdaughter." The brown presented himself in his usual exuberance letting Freya pinch the bridge of her nose still mixed by his sudden appearance.
She didn't really know if she should feel joy or annoyance. It was a bit of a constant fight with the tall brown. Not to mention that she thought they were finished. At least that was what she was trying to convince herself of as her heart again seemed to make this pattern of stupid beats in his presence.
Carmen watched as the very attractive young brown gave her a hand kiss before giving a look at her stepdaughter in surprise and suspicion."A friend, huh?"
"Yeah, not for long. You come with me." Freya replied immediately as she took Valerio's forearm and dragged him upstairs with her.
She went up the stairs just to pause at the hearing of her stepmother's call."Leave the door open, Freya."
"Mhm, intelligent woman." Valerio commented, allowing Freya to give him a dark look over her shoulder.
She finished climbing the stairs before finally entering her room still frustrated with the presence of the brown. She did as requested as she closed her door only halfway before swiveling quickly on her heels just to give a look of disbelief on the brown as he watched her room intently in curiosity.
"Mhm, so this is where you dream of me."
"What are you doing here, Valerio?" Asked Freya impatiently.
Perhaps she was also frustrated with herself. That stupid heart and its irregular beating.
"Well, our chemistry is undeniable." Valerio replied, shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to ease the tension.
Freya immediately left a scoff as she put her glasses on the top of her dresser before picking up her tweezers as she rushed over the brown in indignation."Want to know what else is undeniable? The pain this tweezers is gonna cause when I jam it into your eye."
"Wow, that's a bit excessive, don't you think?" Valerio immediately took a step back.
"Excessive? Excessive? Are you kidding me? I told you I like you and you left me in a fucking toilet for men."
Valerio winced in guilt in memory of his act. She had every right to be mad at him.
Honestly, he shouldn't even be here. But again, he was just a damn selfish dick who couldn't do without Freya. Ignoring her and pretending that nothing had happened during the last few days had probably been the hardest thing for him to do.
Usually, he was incredibly good at forgetting his problems, but even coca had no effect this time. And every time he saw her in the hallways it all came back to him.
He should probably hate himself right now. And he did.
However he had come to realize one thing by being away from Freya. He had never felt so good when being with her. She made him feel like someone growing up, not just the kid with the credit cards that Lu saw in him. He just felt happy alongside Freya.
But when he saw Samuel with her on these stairs, he realized that he could never hope to feel that happiness again if he stayed away from her.
Freya looked at the brown avoiding her gaze before throwing her tweezers dryly on her bed with a sigh. She ran her hands down her hair, clearly overwhelmed by the situation. She stopped on her face before shaking her head in exhaustion. She no longer understood anything.
"Argh ... why are you here Valerio?" Freya grumbled, leaning on her dresser, her head bowed.
Valerio watched Freya in silence before leaving an uncertain breath as he walked towards her. He put his hand on her shoulder letting the brunette give him a look over her shoulder."I am sorry. I was angry. And I was stupid."
"Oh yeah, you were." Freya replied immediately as she slapped his hand before turning to him."You know what? I withdraw everything I said. I don't fancy you. I might even hate you Valerio."
Still, Valerio left a small smile amused by her anger before shaking his head."You don't. You don't hate me."
"Stop pretending like you always know what I'm thinking." Exploded Freya as she paced the floor of her room under the amused and faceted eyes of Valerio.
"But I know." He replied as he walked over to her before displaying a smirk as she almost missed hitting him.
Freya swore under her breath as she stepped back in exasperation."Oh really? And how would you know?"
"Because I love you too, Stupid."
"Wh--"
Freya paused suddenly with her wide eyes as she realized what he had just said.
Valerio widened his smile as he could once again feel his heart ignite at the sight of her expression before closing the gap between them to take her face in his hands."And you're so sexy when you're angry. "
Freya set her eyes on his attractive lips despite before looking up at Valerio simply to connecting their lips in an uncontrolled need. Valerio immediately returned her kiss asking for entry by biting her lower lip lightly before fighting her tongue in a battle of dominance.
He was right when he said she was sexy when she was angry.
She tugged lightly on his hair to pull his head back in a takeover before attacking his neck.
Valerio immediately let out a groan of pleasure at the sensation of her biting teeth and her lips sucking on his skin. He backed away with the brunette to her bed before tipping them both over.
Freya emitted a small grunt caught in the kiss before removing the hair from her face as she straightened up on her bed. Valerio repositioned his hands on her hips with an arrogant smirk."So am I forgiven?"
"Shut up !" Freya replied immediately, connecting their lips again.