{ Noah's P.O.V }
"Noah Anderson... what are you doing with your life," I mumbled to myself.
I half questioned half lectured myself the whole way until I arrived at the school gates. I was immediately greeted by Pri and Eli with hugs that legit suffocated me.
No, I literally couldn't breath.
"OMG NOE YOU'RE ALIVEEEE" Elijah shrieked and pulled me into a tight hug, almost squeezing the breath out of me.
"Did he hit you?! Are you ok?! What did he do? Tell me!" Pri demanded whilst checking my face for any sign of mistreatment.
If anything, you two are the one mistreating me with how hard you're hugging me!
"C-Can't... breath..." I managed to wheeze out. They immediately let me go, allowing me to have a gasp of fresh breath before they both bombarded me with questions.
"Did he wake up?"
"Why is your hair a mess?"
"Where's the paper?"
"Wait," Eli raised an eyebrow and looked at my face and hair.
"Did you two fuck?"
"Elijah!" I yelled and instantly turned a red shade of embarrassment.
"What? He treats you like you're his pet. Both of you were alone in the room, how am i-" I quickly put a hand over his mouth and looked around us at the students that were still going home.
"Elijah they didn't fuck you dumbass, it was only around 15 minutes and Ray fucks for at least 30 with the girls he brings home" Pri said with a roll of her eyes, "man hoe with hoes..."
Why does it slightly hurt when Pri mentioned he sleeps with other people? Girls to be exact...
"Anyways where's the letter?"
At the mention of the paper I stood for a few moments and sheepishly rubbed the back of my head, laughing with nervousness.
"Um... about that..." I looked up at Priyanka's and Elijah's expectant expressions and took a deep breath.
"Ididn'tgettogetit" I blurted out in a rush. The two looked at me in confusion.
"What?" Elijah blinked.
"I didn't... get to get it" I repeated slowly, hesitantly looking at each of their expressions.
There was a slight pause before Elijah snorted and nudged Pri with his elbow, "I told you they fucked."
Again, my cheeks flushed slightly pink and I quickly denied his statement again, "No we didn't Eli!"
"You did something right?"
"YES!! And that was get out the classroom when Mr Jones came in!" I exclaimed, "he didn't even wake up!"
Priyanka looked at me with squinted eyes before sighing and shaking her head with a soft smile.
"Alright then, we'll find out what's going on another way, I live in the same house as him...I'm just glad you're not hurt" Pri sighed, whispering the last part.
I smiled gently and looked at the time on my phone, letting out a surprised outburst.
"Yeah uh... guys I need to pick my siblings up," With a quick hug to Elijah and Priyanka, I quickly dashed out the gates, shouting in agreement to Elijah's yell.
"We can video call when we get home!"
{ 3rd person P.O.V }
Priyanka and Elijah stood in the school grounds staring after Noah who dashed away.
"He was never good at lying was he" Priyanka questioned, to which Elijah responded with a chuckle.
"Nope."
They sighed in unison and Elijah turned towards Priyanka.
"I better start heading home too, you coming?" Elijah asked.
Priyanka shook her head, "I have to wait for Gabriel to come pick both me and the dickhead up..." she grumbled out, kicking a stone on the floor.
"Who's Gabriel?" Elijah questioned and furrowed his eyes in confusion.
"The driver my step-dad told to pick us up and drop us wherever we wanted to go" she mumbled and raised her eyes to meet Elijah's shocked ones.
"Holy shit, living the luxurious life I see," Elijah laughed lightly.
Priyanka laughed along, "He owns a car company where they do model-shows. People buy cars too if they have enough money."
Elijah was impressed, "Buy my food from now on, rich girl."
Priyanka giggled and Elijah carefully hugged her goodbye, "I'll get going. Make sure to hit that asshole with the car door for me!"
She slapped him playfully but grinned, "I'll try."
{ Priyanka's P.O.V }
I waved after Eli until he was out of my sight of vision, immediately frowning after that. Having to wait for that son of a bitch was something I really didn't want to do.
Like come on, who wants a stuck up cunt who wears Loui Vuitton socks to be with them anywhere?
Don't ask how I saw his socks, I just never wanted to look at his face.
Though dirty shoes are an almost equivalent.
To say the truth, I don't know why my step-dad hired one of his drivers to drive us everywhere, it's stopping me from going home with my only friends and that just pisses me off.
Making up my mind, I turned towards the gates and without a second thought, I started towards them, intending to go home myself.
However I stopped in my tracks when I heard someone calling out my name and turned towards the voice to see Alexander walking towards me, Ray beside him.
"Priyanka! There you are, I called you but you didn't answer," Alexander said with a smile.
I side eyed him and moved my eyes to Ray, returning the glare he was giving me, "Yeah... I keep my phone on silent."
That's not true, I just never answer calls from anyone that isn't Noah, Eli or my mother.
Besides, I don't even have his number saved- I should do that when I get home.
Alexander hummed with a nod and suddenly grinned, "How was my lecture? Was it good?"
I still don't understand why Ray's dad told Alexander to teach at our school, it was like he was trying to protect us or something.
His most trusted driver to take us places and someone to randomly teach at our school? What am I? Six?
"It was alright," I replied bluntly and cast my eyes to the gate, where we saw Gabriel standing there in front of a black car.
Alexander hummed, "I should control what I say in class though. Me swearing didn't look good, did it?"
I grinned up at him, memory of his first impression coming back to me, "No, I think it's okay. Besides you being like any other teacher would make you more boring than you are now."
"The cheek," Alexander grinned back.
Alexander was nice: When my mother and I moved in, he gave his best efoort to make us feel welcomed.
I looked over at Gabriel standing by the car.
He waved at us which to I waved back with a grin.
"Looks like Gabriel is here... I've got some things to finish off, you two go." Alexander gave a small chuckle and walked back to the school building, leaving me and Ray standing.
I immediately turned around and made towards the car, greeting Gabriel when I reached him.
"Hey Pri," he smiled and opened the car door.
"Thanks Gabriel," I said and got inside the car. My mouth immediately dropped as I scanned the luxurious inside of the vehicle.
Inside were 3 creamy white sofa-like seats with arm rests, two long enough to fit about 4 people comfortably. The two were on the sides of the car and at the back, was the same type of sofa, but smaller, possibly able to fit in 3 people.
In the middle was a marble table that was stuck to the maroon carpeted floor and had small items on it. I stepped further in and slowly sat down at the 3 seated sofa-like seat at the back, gaping at everything in awe.
Is that a TV?!
Attached to the front of the car just behind the driver's seat was a wide screen TV. The front seats were attached at the bottom, leaving the top open for the driver to speak or communicate with the passengers.
Two remotes sat at the table in the middle. I didn't even want to touch anything, thinking it might stain or mark it.
I snapped out of it when Gabriel told Ray to sit down from the driver's seat. It was then when I realised that Ray was sitting in the other seat, looking at his phone in his hand.
There was me that was sitting with my back straight and hands in my laps, careful not to touch anything; Then there was Ray, who was spread out, arm on the arm rest, phone in hand and not giving a flying fuck about his shoes on the shiny surface of the marble table.
When we started to finally move, I gazed out the window at the passing cars and people that seemed to zoom past. My throat started to feel dry and I realised that I haven't had water or any sort of liquid since lunch.
I cleared my throat and called out from the back, "Gabriel? You wouldn't happen to have any water would you?"
"There's some drinks in the compartment to your right. Pick any," he replied, his eyes still on the road.
I looked at the sliding compartment and carefully opened it. My eyes widened when they landed on bottles of water, fizzy drinks, juices, soft drinks and coffee cups. There were even two bottles of wine.
Right, so I know that Xavier owns a car company and a property business, but does those two businesses make you this rich?!
"Snacks on your left and glasses in the compartment in the table," Gabriel said, "there's also a pull out table-"
"I'll just have a fizzy drink," I quickly cut him off, overwhelmed by all the luxury.
I heard an animal make a noise to my right and I turned my head to it. There were even dogs here?
Oh, my bad. It was just Ray scoffing.
"What?" I snapped.
"You're not used to all this are you," he sneered, not looking up from his phone.
I narrowed my eyebrows and retorted, "Yeah I wasn't exactly born into wealth like you were."
"I can see that," he taunted and looked up at me with a wicked gleam, making me narrow my eyebrows even further.
"Listen here you-"
"You two stop, behave Ray. Not while I'm driving to where you're supposed to be going. Do you want me to crash?" Gabriel calmly interrupted before I could say anything.
"Don't tell me what to do," Ray grumbled out but went back to looking at his phone screen.
Gabriel was one of Ray's dad's close friends, he was kind of like a second dad to Ray being aged at 35 and he knew Ray's dad since they were kids.
If I remember correctly, Gabriel told me that Ray was born when Ray's dad was 22. I see Gabriel as a really close friend despite the age gap, he comforted me when me and my mum first moved into the so called 'house' that was more like a mansion.
I smiled at Gabriel through the mirror and he gave a small smile back, "There's a cup holder on the arm rests, tap the top and it'll open."
I searched for a slight dent or some sort of cutting in the arm rest but couldn't find it, "Where?"
"Ray, show her," Gabriel said and immediately got denied.
"It's not my fault she-"
"Ray," he warned and glared at Ray through the rear view mirror.
He growled out with a scowl and roughly pushed himself up and stalked over to me. With a harsh jab to a random spot on the armrest, an opening formed in the shape of a circle and there in the depth of the arm rest was a space for a cup.
With pure astonishment, I looked up at Ray who went back to his seat and sat down with a plop.
... Was- Was this immature fuck really older than me? Nineteen my ass.
The rest of the journey was carried on in silence with a few comments from Gabriel here and there.
[ At the mansion ]
"Hey mum," I greeted, placing my coat and bag on the holders.
"Hey hun! How was school?" She asked with a small peck to my temple.
From over Mum's shoulder, I could see the intense stare Ray was giving me, also awaiting my answer.
"... It was fine..." I replied with a straight face, staring straight back at my so called step-brother, who turned and made up the stairs.
Of course the fucker didn't want me telling her or his dad that he beat up Eli.
"Pri!" I turned my head to the side and smiled lightly at my step-dad approaching me with welcoming arms spread out, "There you are! How was school?"
"It was alright sir," I replied with a small laugh, accepting the warm hug. He cringed at the word sir and I heard Mum suppress a laugh.
"Please don't call me sir, it makes me feel weird. Xavier is good enough."
Xavier had offered before that I call him Dad, but after a few months of realising I wouldn't, he stopped and began with his name instead.
I smiled at him again, "Alright Xav-"
Before I could finish my sentence, the padding of feet were heard something barged into me from behind, making me stumble forward in shock.
"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!!"
Confused, I looked at who was hugging me and saw Ray's twelve-year-old cousin Alison hiding now in front of me from a raging sixteen-year-old Ryland, who was Ray's little brother.
... and he was also drenched in water. Again.
"Priyanka he's trying to hit me-"
"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-" Ryland immediately cut of when he realised who Alison was standing behind. He smiled up at me, a dimple denting his right cheek. "Hi Pri."
Ryland slowly hid the television remote behind his back and glanced to the side innocently.
The corner of my mouth twitched up in amusement and I placed my hand on top of Alison's head.
"Alison, what did you do this time?" Xavier asked in an exasperated voice and he closed his eyes before opening them again.
"Nothing," she replied genuinely and looked at Ryland from behind me, only angering the boy even more.
"She pushed me into the pool while I still had my phone in my hand that little bi-"
"Language" dad spoke in a warning tone and almost immediately Ryland muttered an apology, "Alison why did you push him into the pool?"
"I didn't! I tripped!" She denied and came out from behind me, "I was walking but it was slippery and- and I tripped and I accidentally pushed him and he fell into the pool and I tried to catch him but he was too fat and heav-"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Ryland roared and tried escaping mum's embrace, "WHO YOU CALLING FAT YOU LITTLE CHIPMUNK?!"
Mum let out a tiny smile and she caught Ryland's hand, taking the remote before he could throw it in Alison's direction, "Sweety we'll get you a waterproof phone, for now go take a shower and change into new clothes."
As mum let him go, Ryland passed us but not before trying to lash out at Alison, where I had to stop him.
"Not so fast little tiger," I chuckled and ruffled his wet locks. He gave up and made his way into the mansion, grumbling quietly to himself.
"Aiden! Come here!" Xavier called out into the house. A few seconds passed by and in the doorway leading further into the mansion stood Alison's seventeen-year-old brother.
He scanned the scene before looking at dad with a soft smile, "You called, Uncle?"
"Take Alison to her room, I need to talk with her after."
"What did she do this time?" He asked curiously and eyed his little sister who was suppressing a smile, "And why did I pass Ryland drenched in water all moody and saying something about a phone?"
"I didn't push him into the pool! It was an accident" she repeated, the smile slowly appearing.
Aiden scoffed and shook his head. Hands in pocket, he walked forward and knocked his fist against her head gently.
"You're a handful, you know," Aiden murmured, and placed his right hand on her shoulder. He looked at me, only realising I was there just now.
"Oh hey Pri and Aunty," without giving us time to reply, Aiden lead a protesting Alison- who was still trying to convince him that it was an accident- away from the main entrance of the hallway. Xavier also parted away to probably his office after a kiss given to mum.
A few silent seconds passed before we both burst into laughter.
"What just happened?" I rhetorically questioned, passing a hand through my hair.
"I have no clue, but I loved it!" mum replied with a small laugh, "I better tell the maids to help Ryland choose the clothes, you know how fussy he can be."
"Mum, he's sixteen!" I giggled, to which she waved off.
"Oh and get ready, we're going out to a family dinner," Mum gave a kiss to my cheek and walked away.
I was happy to actually be part of a family that wanted me and cared for me, not including Ray.
I felt a smile tug at my lips as I turned and made my way to my room.
While walking down the spaced out landing, a voice travelled out from an opened door. I rolled my eyes with a sigh.
Ryland. This boy always has his door wide open.
"-want the tattoo, why can't I get it now?" Asked Ryland's voice. I grew nearer and stood outside the door, listening with an amused smile.
So, Ryland wants a tattoo?
Another familiarly annoying voice replied, "You're not eighteen yet. Try this waistcoat on."
The shuffling of clothes was heard before Ryland spoke again, "Dad can just hire a tattooist, I can get one now!"
"That's not the point, Father doesn't want you having it at this age."
"Not this waistcoat, it's too tight," Came Ryland's grumble, "You got the tattoo."
"I'm fucking nineteen you idiot. Everyone gets it at eighteen."
I paused. Ray had a tattoo? Is this a family thing?
I squinted my eyes. How come I wasn't offered to get one? I'm eighteen!
"I'm gonna get it behind my ear!" Ryland said, sounding excited.
"Why the fuck would you want a tattoo of a black skull behind your ear?" Ray asked, disgusted, "Get it on your shoulder or something."
"But I need to be able to show it quickly but still keep it hidden-"
Alright, enough chatting about tattoos. I walked off, in the direction of my room.
Right! Time to pick out an outfit for dinner!