"We have a problem!"
"What now?"
"Nadia wants to refuse the scholarship!"
Freya's eyes widened as she readjusted her grip on her crutches before motioning for Lu to follow her."She can't do that. It's an opportunity of a lifetime!"
"I know !"
Freya gulped in the realization before giving Lu a wide look."Wait, if she refuses then that means that-"
"The scholarship comes back to me."Lu nodded weakly before shaking her head."I know this is completely crazy but I don't want it. Not like this."
"Are you sure ?" Freya asked sympathetically."I mean I wouldn't be mad at you if you accepted it. It's also your future."
Lu left a small smile on her lips in support of Freya despite her friendship for Nadia before shaking her head in the objection."I know you say that to comfort me, but you also care about Nadia. And you know she deserves it."
Freya pursed her lips in agreement before turning her head just to question Lu."Speaking of Nadia."
Lu followed her gaze before hurrying off after the brunette Muslim leaving Freya to follow behind her. She tried to accelerate the pace despite her stupid crutches before advancing towards the brunette duo.
"You're nuts if you think I'll settle for you scraps."
Almost immediately Nadia released an alliance leaving Freya to take an abrupt pause with a broad look in the realization."Wow! "
"Yeah. I don't want to live a lie."Nadia nodded as she gave a weary look between the girls' duo.
Lucrecia nodded as she shared a look with Freya before leaving a scoff."So you don't want to live a lie? Well, grow some fucking ovaries and tell your father you're going to accept the scholarship and go alone. Because you don't need a man or anyone else, Nadia. Be the woman who managed to beat me! The one I admire, dammit!"
Freya backed away in shock from Lucrecia's admission before looking away with an amused smile as Lu hastily corrected her statement with pride.
"The one I can't stand."She readjusted her blazer by squinting at Freya at the sight of her smirk before crossing her arms over her chest as she shook her head with a roll of her eyes."I mean to say 'the one I can't stand'. Because I can't stand you. It's true. Ask Freya."
Freya immediately turned to the brunette sinking deeper into her lie before leaving a broad smile as Nadia just threw herself on Lucrecia's neck to hug her instead of answering. Lucrecia stood motionless for a moment, clearly surprised by the embrace before meeting Freya's proud gaze over Nadia's shoulder.
"People are staring."Chuckled Lu before absently patting Nadia on the back with a sincere smile.
***************
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Freya looked up from her book just to leave a small smile on her lips at the sight of Valerio in the doorway."It's not even been a day and you're already breaking the first rule?"
"Well you know me. I like to live dangerously."Valerio replied immediately with the same smile that had charmed Freya at the very beginning before narrowing his lips as he motioned in her room."I can enter ?"
Freya hummed her agreement before closing her book. She put it on her blanket before removing her ankle from her cushion to turn to Valerio."So? Are you comfortable?"
"Yeah. I still can't believe we live under the same roof."Valerio replied immediately before leaving a cheeky smile."Not that I'm complaining. On the contrary. "
"If it had been a few months back, you wouldn't even have crossed the entrance."Reminded Freya still shocked herself by her father's decision."I think he's trying to be forgiven for a whole bunch of stuff. So ..."
Valerio nodded his head as he sat down beside her leaving a distance between them out of respect for Freya's parents before giving her a genuinely grateful look."I think you're lucky he tries that much. I thought we could put him in the same category as my father but ..."
"Yeah."Freya sighed weakly before closing the gap between them to take his hand in spite of herself."I'm sorry for your parents, Valerio. They don't know what they're missing."
Valerio immediately left a doubtful scoff."A dealer son?"
"Mhm. I was thinking more about the one who listens to others, the one who is ready to do anything to prove to others how wrong they are to underestimate him."
Valerio looked at their joined hand with emotion before swallowing as he looked up to look Freya intently. He watched her heart-shaped face for a moment before suddenly leaning towards her in a burst of hope.He pressed his lips to hers in hesitation before quickly backing away from her lack of response.
He left a nervous laugh before shaking his head."I am sorry. I, yeah, that was silly. Completely and-"
She didn't let him finish as she connected their lips again in a passionate kiss. She quickly noticed the shock on Valerio's face before sliding her tongue over his lower lip.
It was enough to bring Valerio back to his senses as he slid his tongue against hers in a battle for dominance before placing his hand on Freya's hip. He continued to kiss her passionately before pushing her lightly towards her mattress.
Freya fell with a slight gasping breath before leaving a slight chuckle as Valerio readjusted on her. He paused with a broad smile at her melodious laugh before stepping back slightly to watch her face in admiration."You're not going to run away again, right?"
Freya readjusted on her bed as she could still have her doubts lingering in the back of her mind before leaving a sly smile on her lips as she realized that no matter what fears she felt, she always had deep feelings for Valerio .
She sincerely loved him. Enough to show him how serious she was this time.
She wanted to show him how much she trusted him this time. How much she counted on him.
She slid her hand down his back to remove his shirt, leaving him shirtless before leaning towards him to bite lightly on his lower lip."Undress me."
"Wha-what?"
Freya fell back on her mattress to face Valerio's wide look in nervousness before giving him a sincere look."I want to do it. With you."
******************
"Hey, guys, gals, and everyone! Our suffering is over! Finals are over! No more uniform! Let's party!"
Freya rolled her eyes at Yeray speaking through the speaker before sharing a blasé look with Lucrecia through her sunglasses. It turns out that Yeray and Carla apparently had a great end of year party. And since Freya couldn't really enjoy the pool, the girl duo had opted for lounging on the deckchairs with martinis.
Freya knew full well that even though Lucrecia had a laid-back expression, she was devastated and worried about her future. Hence the reason why she did her best to comfort her.
"Freya!"Hailed immediately Valerio as he rushed towards her before sitting on her deckchair to steal a kiss.
Almost immediately Lucreica left a disgusted growl."Seriously? You have to do this before my eyes."
"This is what is called love, sister."Teased Valerio looking at her under his sunglasses before turning to Freya carefully."How's your ankle?"
"I will survive."
"The sun ?"
"Enough hot to let me sunbathe."Chuckled the brunette.
"Good! I'll get you a new drink then!"
Freya shook her head as she watched Valerio walk away in his simple swimsuit bottoms and ridiculous backpack before turning to Lu at hER statement. "At least you've managed to make him docile."
"He's not an animal, Lu."
Lucrecia shrugged huffily before pointing at him."Are you sure ?"
Freya shook her head with a breath of laughter at the sight of Valerio dancing further towards the house. She shook her head before standing up to get her crutches."I should go make sure he doesn't get lost along the way."
"Yeah, do that." Lucrecia sighed dramatically."I'm just going to bask here thinking about all my shattered dreams."
****************
"Freya!" Recognized Polo as he stopped at her height before giving a look at her sun dress."Nice swimsuit."
"Yeah, I doubted it would go well with the ankle bandaged so ..." She chuckled before frowning at the expression on Polo's face."Hey, are you okay? You look sad."
Polo swallowed as he took in her face before nodding."Yeah, Cayetana and I broke up."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you OK ?"
Polo narrowed his lips before nodding for a quieter corner."Yep I'm fine. Actually, I've wanted to talk to you about something for a while now."
"Sure. What did you want to talk about?"Freya asked once they were a little further from the party.
She shivered slightly in the slightly cooler air.
Night had started to fall on the villa and Freya was beginning to regret not having brought back an extra layer of clothing. Not to mention that her ankle killed her.
"Well I don't really know how to say that ..." Hesited Polo, rubbing his neck nervously.
Freya immediately frowned before placing her hand on his biceps."Polo, you can tell me everything, kay? We're friends."
Polo froze for a moment at the word he hated hearing so much on her lips before finally reacting instead of speaking.
Freya's eyes widened immediately as he leaned forward abruptly to kiss her. She instantly left a shocked gasp at the feeling of Polo's smooth lips against hers before suddenly pushing him away.
She slapped him in the moment."The fuck, Polo?"
The brunet brought his hand to his cheek now blushed before turning his head to Freya in embarrassment and rejection.
Freya shook her head on the brown in disappointment before tightening her grip on her crutches."I don't know what got into you, but I'm going to pretend it never happened. For the sake of our friendship."
She shook her head one last time on the brown before walking away.
It was time for her to leave.
*******************
Unfortunately it would seem that she had chosen to leave at the worst of times. Not even ten minutes after her departure Carla had plunged into the pool, overdosed.
She spent most of the night in the hospital hoping to hear from her. It looks like she was doing better, but after a night like this, that is to say that Freya wasn't really in the mood.
She shook her head as she closed her locker before turning to Valerio at the sight of his forehead pressing the locker next to hers in guilt. She gave him a look of sympathy before taking his hand in hers to get his attention.
"Hey, you have nothing to blame yourself for. You didn't give her the drugs."Murmured Freya hoping to comfort him anyway.
"No, but it's just like. It was I who initiated her."Valerio reminded in a bittersweet feeling before shaking his head."I have to stop this. Now."
Freya shook her head as she watched him push out of the locker before trying to follow as he rushed at Rebecca."Good morning, Narco queen. Here's what's left. I'm out, okay?"
"I'm out too."Rebecca sighed as she retrieved the bags that Valerio had just placed in her locker before seeing Freya stop by his side."Flush it down the toilet. Please, Freya? I want nothing to do with this shit."
"What's wrong?"
"What did you give Carla, huh?"Abruptly barked at Polo as he walked around Freya to throw himself on Valerio."Huh? What the fuck did you give her?"
Freya's eyes widened as she let go of her crutches in panic before rushing to the duo, completely forgetting the pain in her ankle."Let go of him! Polo! Let go of him!"
"Let go of him! He didn't do it!"Rebecca barked in her turn as she grabbed Polo by the neck to push him away.
Polo caught sight of Freya raising Valerio with a genuinely worried look, fueling his rage."The fuck? Is that why you rejected me ? Is that the guy you refused to kiss me for?"
"Wow, did he kiss you?" Rebecca exclaimed as she gave Freya a look.
The latter gave a wide look at Polo before turning to Valerio."It is true ?"
"I pushed him away."
Valerio immediately let out a groan as he threw himself on Polo to stick his fist in his face, soon followed by Samuel. Freya rushed to the trio with Guzmàn to try to separate them only she had not foreseen the sudden blow of Polo trying to push Valerio away from him.
He kicked blindly letting Freya feel the pain long before hitting the floor before leaving a deafening cry at the sensation of her tendons stretching like chewing gum.
Her cry was such that the trio wrestling on the ground stopped dead before turning to the brunette rolling on the ground holding her ankle in agony.
She nibbled on her lip to try to silence her cries of pain only Rebecca rushed at her."Fuck, Freya! Freya, what's going on? Freya!"
At this point, Freya no longer really knew why she was crying. For the numbing pain in her whole ankle or because she had just realized that she had literally ruined any chance for her future.