THE ACADEMY. The place I've spent the majority of my childhood. It's where I met my friends and where I come to escape from my reality. It's my haven.
I met Caspian and Chase on my first day at the Academy when we were in first grade. And, Chase being the guy that he is, came up to the quiet, loner kid and wouldn't leave him alone until he agreed to be friends. Eventually, with a lot of persistence, Cas and Chase's duo became a trio.
During elementary school I had been the quiet guy and, besides Teagan, Caspian's twin sister, and her friends, I didn't really hang out with anyone else. That was until another boy came along who was equally as moody and lonely as me.
It took Chase months to get him to speak to us, whereas I broke from his hazing within three weeks. But, I guess that's Blaise for you. It's been eight years and he's still the serious, quiet dude that everyone is scared of talking to.
And as they should be. He rarely shows any emotion, but that's due to his own set of problems at home which he also t never speaks about.
After Blaise joined us, we thought our group was complete.
Chase, the childish and energetic kid everyone wanted to hang out with. Blaise, the harmless psycho. Caspian, the charming, good-looking ladies' man. And me, the 'mysterious' famous guy who girls want to 'heal'. Or whatever that means.
However, in middle school, an annoying, lanky, brown-haired boy came up to us at lunch and asked if he could sit with us. While Blaise grunted in answer and I replied with a blatant 'no', Cas and Chase agreed. From then on, it was the five of us.
Except when the Artemis girls decide to spend time at our lunch table or during our weekly dinners at either of our houses. They hang out with us more often than they did when we were kids. This is probably because Chase finally plucked up the courage to ask Teagan out in our freshman year, after ten years of fawning over her. Or perhaps it's because we all started boarding when we were freshmen and our boarding houses spend a lot of time together.
But, besides Chase, I'm almost sure that he's not the only one who has taken an interest in one of the girls who live across the street. Caspian keeps making googly eyes at Bea every time he sees her. She's cute, perhaps a bit too shy for what I thought Cas would be into, but I'm not one to judge.
I've never felt like that for a girl. I've never taken one look at someone and felt that sharp spark of what was to come in our future. I love my friends, and I'd do anything for them, but when it comes to my love life, I don't think I could ever feel that way for any girl, no matter how pretty she was.
However, it seems the world has turned its ugly head around on me because I can't seem to get Adina fucking Ricci out of my head.
When I went to leave Davis's office, keeping my head down so neither of the two people in the doorway could tell who I was, her presence or whatever it was drew my head up, warm brown eyes melting into my gaze.
Perfection, is what I thought to myself as I looked at the girl I had never thought I'd see unless the world was ending.
Her eyes meet mine, the sharp spark I had been waiting for igniting immediately. She was tall, much taller than any girl I had met, her long legs which were accentuated by the figure-hugging fabric of her leggings demanding further attention from me. The fullness of those pouty lips, the hint of bare skin showing from her slightly revealing crop top, and the almost golden aura that came off of her dark hair almost made me lose my footing.
Normally whenever I look at people they get intimidated, but not her. She held my stare, allowing for something to pass between us, something I couldn't really understand, something I still do not understand. But, I sure am intrigued to figure out what is.
When Caspian, Blaise, and I left the office to go meet up with Chase and Xavier, Cas lightly hit my arm to get my attention.
❁
"Yo, did you see who that was in Davis's office?"
"The girl and her Dad?" I questioned, trying to act indifferent. Of course, I knew who they were. Not only would I recognize them in a heartbeat, but Davis literally introduced both of them to us. But, Cas didn't need to know how spooked I had gotten in that room. "Yeah, what about them?"
"Did you seriously not recognize them?" I shake my head, "that was the Vincent Ricci."
"Like as in, Ricci Industries?" Xavier butts in, obviously having heard our conversation.
I keep my face straight, but it's a hard task. I mean he and my Father have been enemies since before I was even born and now I can't stop thinking about his daughter.
"Yeah, apparently his daughter is gonna be a student here now."
"Dude, that's so co–" Chase gets interrupted by a door opening, making us go quiet as we're all supposed to be in class now.
Heavy footsteps sound along the floor as Mr. Ricci and his daughter walk out of the office doors. The girl still radiates the same confidence I saw in the office. She stares back, holding eye contact with me once again. Who wouldn't be completely starstruck by her?
The seconds feel like minutes as Adina and I stare at each other from across the hall. But, before I can dip my eyes to the rest of her, the burning need to memorize every detail of her legs in those tight pants getting to me, her father takes her arm, dragging her down the hall until they're out of sight.
"Okay, that wasn't weird at all," Caspian sarcastically jokes, looking at me. But, I'm still staring at the end of the hall, where she disappeared.
❁
It's the next day and Xavier and I are heading to lunch, just having gotten out of Chemistry.
"Are you going to practice today?" Xavier asks as we pick up our lunch trays and head to the line.
"Yeah, Coach asked me yesterday. I wasn't gonna go but he didn't really give me any choice." I told him, and he raises his eyebrows in question, "he told me I'd have to help Kat with dinner today. And, I was not gonna do that. You know what happened last time." I shake in horror.
"Yeah, kind of don't wanna get food poisoning again. Sorry dude." He laughs as he pats me on the shoulder, to which I hit him upside the head. "Ow!"
"Hey, what's up?" I hear Caspian as he joins the line next to Xavier, Chase, and Blaise following behind.
"Nothing, just Coach being Coach," I tell him as I grab a plate from the self-serve counter.
After paying, we all make our way to our table where six other people are already sitting.
Chase bounds over to his girlfriend while Caspian sits on the other side of her, grabbing the empty seat beside Bea. Typical.
I grab the next free seat available, only scanning my neighbors once I've sat down. To my left is Summer, who's busy arguing with Xavier about whatever went down in their history class this morning. To my right is Blaise, not speaking to anyone as he busies himself with eating his food.
Looking past him, I see the girl I've been spending probably too much time thinking about.
What the fuck? My eyes all but pop out of my head before I try and calm myself down.
She's sitting next to Eris and Bea, laughing at something Eris has said before she turns her head and, once again, looks directly into my eyes.
"Who's this?" I ask, nodding towards the girl, trying to act as though I don't remember her. Smooth, Vaughn.
"This is our new roommate, Adina." Summer informs me, "Adina, this is Vaughn."
"So, you're Vaughn." She says matter-of-factly, crossing her legs and arms as she grins cockily at me.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I scoff, raising my eyebrows with a slight smirk on my lips.
"Oh, nothing. Just heard a lot about you from your friends, actually."
"And what did my friends say?" I question, looking at all the guys, besides Blaise. He wouldn't say anything about me, he hardly talks to us much less to a stranger.
"Teagan was wondering how I already knew who Adina was," Caspian begins, "so I had to tell her how we ended up in Davis's office and about the fight. Also, how you were the one who started it."
"Hey! What did you expect me to do? Sorry, I wanted to stick up for my friend." I say as I pat Blaise on the shoulder.
"Bro, you know I didn't mean it like that. When the dude threw the first punch it wasn't just Blaise who helped you, now was it?"
"True," I roll my eyes before turning back to the beauty, "Vaughn King," I tell her, reaching my hand over for her to shake, with another smirk stretched across my face. To which she raises an eyebrow in question as she rolls her eyes at me.
Does she recognize me now? There's no sign of acknowledgment or horror coming from her, so I mostly assume that she hasn't put two-and-two together. Which, sadly, makes me want to sigh in relief. I'd rather be the one to tell her.
"Adina Ricci." She informs, but instead of shaking my hand she pushes it down, my usual blank exterior now replaced by a slightly wide-eyed expression. But it goes as quickly as it comes.
"Oh yeah, you're Vincent Ricci's daughter, right?" Xavier asks as she sits back in her seat.
"Yeah, but I prefer Adina." She tells the table with a shy smile.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offe–"
"No, no. It's all good, I just get that all the time. With my Mom, as well."
"Dude! I love your Mom's movies. 'The Date' is my favorite movie ever." Chase tells her, making us all look at him weirdly. But honestly, I'm not surprised. "What? I love Rom-Com's." He pouts, looking down at the table until Teagan reaches over and quickly pecks his bottom lip, making Caspian fake gag at their PDA.
"Hang on. Your Mom's Anastasia James?" Caspian asks in disbelief, quickly changing his disgusted expression, and she nods sheepishly.
"Yeah, but I'd rather not talk about it if that's okay," Adina says, to which we all nod.
I understand not wanting to be associated with your parents. However, I think that mine and Adina's reasonings are completely different, her sad expression at the mention of her mother making me question everything I've ever known about the Ricci family.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Teagan breaks it, trying to change the subject.
"So...how's everyone's spaghetti?"