It has been two days since Hayley was absent from school. The class adviser said that Hayley was on sick leave and won't be in for a while. Angel tried to call her phone, but all she got from her was a vague answer and teasing from her. While in Raeven's case, she was getting better at teasing Hayley, and giving it more time she will be at the same level as Hayley…
That day Angel got a text message from Hayley inviting them to come out and play. It was a sudden invitation that she felt surprised. But then again, it is Hayley, and this girl does what she wants whenever she wants. She was just happy that this is the first time Hayley reaches out to her.
"Girls, Hayley just texted me. She's asking if we girls want to hang out after school. What do you say?" Angel started the conversation while they were having their lunch in the cafeteria. They have been eating there while Hayley is not around.
Yuri swallowed her food before talking. "Really?! She did? That's wonderful. At least she's feeling okay now." Yuri was all excited. It has been quite a while since she felt energized by Hayley's absence.
Raeven looked at the excited little lady. "How did you know she's feeling okay now?"
Yuri looked at her with those big, innocent bunny eyes. "She's invited us out. If she's not feeling okay, then why does she want to go out?"
Raeven sighed helplessly. "Like you didn't know her, that girl was probably bored and wanted to find something to tease and experiment with.
Yuri just laughed, and Angel smiled while looking at her friends. They looked so happy. It looked like they have been friends for years. Little did they know that their newfound friendship attracts some unwarranted attention, and it is not a good thing.
After class, they went to a shopping mall 30-minute drive from school. Hayley requested for them to meet up in that place.
Meanwhile, here is the lady who is the girl's topic, lounging in her bedroom. She was busy with her phone checking whatever is new in her social media app. She doesn't want to go out and all she wanted to do was just lay on her bed and sleep, it just happens that a while ago an unexpected call was received that morning that made her decide to drag her friends out, to help her hide, is all… Well, she's kinda missing her new friends… a little.
She was still lazing in her bed when she received yet another call… She stopped what she was doing for a second and then whistled like it was an interesting call…
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself. Feeling better?" Said the guy on the other line.
"Who said I'm not okay?" Hayley said nonchalantly and then rolled on her back and looked at her gray ceiling.
"Oh. If you are okay, then why did you call in sick for two days now? Don't you know it is wrong to tell lies?"
Hayley smirked. "Oh, Director, are you going to tell on me then? Besides, my dad was the one who called in sick in my stead. Call my dad instead."
The guy on the other line laughs, that low, smooth voice with a hint of hoarseness. "Seriously, though..."
"Yeah, I'm okay… I won't be bothering you with my spoiled brat attitude and I will go to school by tomorrow. I'm sure my classmates were missing me."
"Are you on good terms with your classmates?"
"Well, they were fine. They were all trying to be on my good side if that's what you mean..."
"The girls you're with during your vacation. They were the only people who are good at keeping up with you, right?"
"Well, it is easy to befriend me. It just happened that some were annoyingly good at pissing me off."
At that remark, the guy on the other line laughs a little louder this time. "What doesn't piss you off? Years of knowing you, you're always like a moody old woman." Then laughs some more.
"If you're done, then I'm hanging up," Hayley said. This guy didn't change a bit after all the years he's been away. He is still a bully.
"Auntie called me and invite me for a dinner."
"Why would she be inviting you for dinner when she wouldn't be here herself? She won't be here until Sunday." Hayley said. She knew her mother was cooking something, inviting a man inside the mansion with her alone.
"Then, shall we go out for dinner then?
"Well, tough luck. I may have to decline your kind offer. I will be out with the girls this afternoon. I will eat dinner with them, probably."
There was a silence for a moment…
"Why don't you want to have dinner with me?" The guy asked on the other line while chuckling.
"I need to get out of the house..."
There was a silence again. "If I didn't know you for a long time, I would've thought you really value your friends more than anything… You're hiding from someone?"
Hayley sighed helplessly… This guy.
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
"I can handle it."
Hayley turned silent for a second, then an evil smile slipped out of her lips… It's time to tease this guy a bit. "Well, it has been a while since you saw him. I wonder what will happen when you meet each other after a long time… I would love to see that."
There was a silence again. And a snort came out on the other line.
"Well, he knows my parents were thinking of arranging me with you, and let's just say he was the least happy about it, he's trying to castigate me, well, more like, instigate me into saying no to you."
"That bastard..." the guy said in a hushed tone, but his annoyed voice was clear.
It was now Hayley's turn to laugh, that evil laugh.
"Well, I'm hanging up. I need to get ready now. Bye." She said and without waiting for the other line to say goodbye, she hangs up the phone.
Hayley bounced out of her bed and did a big stretch, twisting her hips side to side, then followed by a yawn she made her way to the bathroom.
It was 30 minutes after 2 pm when they meet up at a shopping mall. Yuri immediately dragged them to the nearest Korean restaurant and ordered different meat for their Samgyupsal.
"It must be the first time we'll eat Samgyupsal since we became friends! I'm so happy." Yuri said, practically bouncing in her seat.
Raeven was looking at her. There was a small smile on her lips. "Seriously, for you, everything should be a happy occasion."
"Well, that's Yuri for you," Angel said, laughing.
"I thought you said you're on a diet? Remember, your young, handsome professor likes slender and mature-looking women..." Hayley said a little teasing.
Yuri pouted. "Hmph. I am trying to watch what I eat, but it is hard when my mom is always nagging me to eat less at home. See, I don't have a choice but to eat, or else my mom will scold me."
"Typical excuse of a foodie," Raeven said while rolling her eyes.
They enjoyed their chat while waiting for their meal when something caught Angel's attention out of the blue. To be exact, someone caught her attention. Her eyes followed the newcomers' waltz into the restaurant. Angel couldn't believe it, all the places… Such is Fate…
Hayley noticed Angel went silent and felt curious. Her eyes followed what Angel was looking at. She almost exclaimed 'wow', yeah, of all the exclamations she can think of. She wanted to laugh, but she contained herself. She looked at Raeven to see her reaction. However, Raeven was busy paying attention to their chatterbox friend. She has little time to focus on any other thing but herself.
Hayley and Angel caught each other's eye, and it only took a second to comprehend what they saw. Through that eye contact, they decided…
“Raeven, lend me your notes. It's been two days I'm absent and I've fallen behind in our lessons," Hayley said.
Raeven looked at her. "Why are asking for my notes? You can ask Angel for hers, you know."
"I want yours. Lend it to me later, okay?" Hayley said.
Raeven rolled her eyes. "I fear you now…."
It didn't take long and their meal arrived and they were busy cooking their meat. Hayley and Angel tried to avert Raeven's attention to avoid her from roaming her eyes around. The last thing they wanted was to spoil their happy bonding with an unpleasant couple just meters away from them.
It took a while before they finished. At the end of the meal, Hayley received a call. She answered it while Yuri and Raeven go to the restroom to touch up.
"That was such a nice meal, wasn't it? I really love grilled meat. We should go out often, go shopping, we can also go to the salon and have a nice massage… I miss going out with my friends..." Yuri said.
They were out of the restroom and on their way back. Raeven was about to ask something regarding Yuri's other friends when she stopped in her tracks.
"Hey, Rae, come on, they're waiting-" Yuri said when she stopped and looked at Raeven. When she turned around she saw what Raeven was looking at.
"Is that Victoria and her boyfriend?" Yuri asked. She looked back at Raeven while asking her that. "They look perfect together, don't they?" She said she sounds like some auntie…
Raeven was looking at the couple, who were laughing together. The couple was three tables away from theirs, surrounded by Victoria's friend, looking so happy, like she was the luckiest girl on the planet while her posse was fawning over them.
Raeven stared when she saw the guy beside Victoria turn his head and caught her looking at them. She looked at him coldly, without emotion.
"Rae?" Yuri called her.
Raeven breaks their eye contact. "Let's go." was all she said.
When they were in the elevator on their way to the parking space, Raeven was spacing out like she was not there with them no matter how she tried to act like she does not care she can't shake off the feeling of being annoyed at the couple, especially at that guy…
"Raeven?"
Angel was looking at Raeven for a while now. She noticed that since she came back to their table; she has not been herself. She tried calling her; it took Angel three times to call her name before Raeven reverts to herself. "Angel? Why?"
Angel was looking at her, worried. "Are you okay? You seemed distracted."
Raeven just shook her head. Obviously, she does not enjoy talking about it and Angel can feel it. Hayley stared at Raeven for a second. Something dawned on her. "You saw them?"
Raeven looked at Hayley and then scowled at her. "You knew all along..."
Hayley just shrugged. "I thought it would've been nice if you didn't see them."
Raeven sighed helplessly. She felt upset about herself. She, a self-proclaimed emotionless, and the heartless girl was now depressed because her fiance was out and having dinner with another girl. She was really pissed at the two of them. Just seeing these two together can turn her mood sour. Raeven then realized she is the jealous type. That all the pleasantries and her eloquence were thrown out the window the moment she heard anything that has got to do with that guy and that Victoria.
"Hey, Yuri I just noticed you didn't realize something..." Hayley said. They were now in the parking area, and just exited the elevator.
Yuri spun around and looked at Hayley, a little expectant.
"Raeven and that guy with our school prez, they are betrothed."
Yuri needs to process this information for a little…
"What?! For real?!" Yuri said. She was surprised that her voice turned up a notch into a shrill-like volume. A little.
Angel sighed. "Oh, well, that's the downside of letting your parents decide for stuff involving love.
Yuri whistled first. Her attention was now caught by something. "Well, not for Hayley..."
The three girls looked at what caught Yuri's attention.
A tall, handsome guy emerged from a fancy and luxurious car. He was looking at them. Smoothly getting out of the car and elegantly walking in their direction. Yuri has always dreamed of a guy like this…
"How long have you been waiting here?" Hayley asked. She said it like it was their normal conversation, she was talking to a friend and not to a CEO of a big company.
Yuri can't get out of her daydreaming, not just yet.
"I got to go now, girls. Be careful on your way home. See you at school tomorrow." Hayley said, she waived slowly and then walked beside the guy towards the luxurious car.
After the car was out of Yuri's eyes, she then shook her head and then sighed. "Look at our friend. She's truly blessed."
Angel smiled. She can't keep up with Yuri's thoughts.
It took a 30-minute drive home for Raeven. After she went up to her room, she immediately stripped out of her uniform and changed to comfy basic clothes; a soft cotton shirt, black dolphin shorts, and her comfy fluffy slippers. Next, she goes to the library and found a book to read. Her personal attendant knows her well that after going back home she enjoys reading, so, she made it a point that the fireplace at the corner of the library was going and the big chair has a big knitted blanket, and the big window was closed but still enough to see the dark sky, it has been Raeven's favorite time of the day- Twilight.
She was enjoying her book and was already around 50 pages when her phone rang. Someone's calling.
She picked it up, not caring who was on the other line. She was too focused on her reading and it might even be her parent's calling or her brother's. She just said hello to the other line when she suddenly peeled away her eyes from her book.
It took 10 minutes before the call ended. It was her fiance, Bryce, who called. He wanted to invite her to a movie; it has been a while since the last meeting. According to him, since their marriage was settled, it was about time to get to know each other. Raeven felt funny hearing those words from him. After seeing him with that girl…
Oh, well… I can always ask him… That's what Raeven was thinking…
She got up from the chair and went out of the library, then she went to her room and go to her walk-in closet. She went with her off-shoulder knee-length lace black dress; she had her 5-inch black wedge shoes and a small but cute yellow canary gold chain shoulder bag. Since her shoulder was exposed, she need a jacket to cover it up from the cold wind. She went and get her white-colored ones.
She just let her long black wavy hair and a nice pink lipstick go with the look. Viola! Everything's perfect for their first movie date.
It took her almost an hour to get ready, and by the time she went down, she saw their butler waiting for her at the bottom of the stair.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
The butler shook his head. "Nothing, miss. Mr. Tan was waiting for you outside. He will drive you to your event and then back home."
Raeven almost raised her eyebrows when she heard it. She nodded her head to the butler and together they went outside the mansion.
And true enough, Bryce was waiting for her. He was dressed in his normal jeans, which took her attention to what he was wearing at the top. It was a white button-down shirt with two undone buttons by the chest area. He looked like he just got out from a long workday. His shoulder-length hair was half tied, with some left blowing in the wind. He was on his phone, but still, he looked so charming.
"Hey." Bryce greeted him when he noticed her a few steps away from him.
"Good evening to you," Raeven said.
Bryce chuckles. "Good evening. How do you do, milady?" He said, teasing her.
Raeven looked poised and courteous. "I'm good, thank you."
Bryce helps her into the car. It was a fancy-looking car with a chaperone.
Raeven didn't know where to start. She was not used to being the first one to start any conversation. Bryce noticed it and started it by asking about her school, her friends, and her family. It was not a long drive. Bryce made it a point to choose the nearest movie theater to avoid awkwardness during the ride.
Bryce already planned what they will watch, and the dinner after that. Raeven felt a little like a guest being maneuvered from here to there, where she just needs to move from where he pointed her to or so.
The movie was a documentary. Good thing she likes documentaries more than those cheesy rom-com or action movies that are so popular nowadays. She enjoyed the whole movie.
After the movie, they went to a fancy restaurant and order a full-course dinner care from the top chef of that place.
"I'm glad you liked the movie. I had a hard time choosing something that will pique your interest." Bryce said while cutting his steak.
"Thank you. I like the movie. You don't need to go through those troubles. We can always pick together, you know." She said.
Bryce looked at her. He didn't know if his effort was appreciated by the way Raeven talk to him. "Next time, it's your call." was all he said.
Raven looked at him, thinking that maybe he felt offended by what she said. She felt helpless. It was really awkward. And now, she didn't know how to ask him about Victoria. Then, she remembered what she said before, about breaking their engagement.
"So, your grandmother was a little worried that we don't see each other that much. She is eager to see some development, you know."
Raeven stopped cutting her steak. She stared at him for a second. "I'm wondering if it's okay with you, these betrothed things? Don't you want to break this? We are not that familiar with each other."
Bryce smiled at her. "Why? Do you not like me that much to even want to break our engagement?"
"We are not officially engaged yet," Raeven said.
"Yes, we are. Sure, you are still not wearing a ring, but our parents will announce it officially next week. It won't take long."
Raeven felt like frowning. She won't be able to stop her parents, but this guy can stop his'…
"Are you sure about this?"
Bryce was looking at her. "Yes."
Raeven was still looking at him. She was not aware that she was now frowning, but for Bryce, she looked adorable.
"What about-"
"About who? Victoria? You saw us this afternoon. Do you feel like I'm cheating?"
Raeven felt embarrassed. She was only thinking, but she didn't dare to speak it aloud. This guy…
Bryce touched her cheek. Just a swift one then withdraws it afterward. "Don't worry, I don't cheat. And it won't be called cheating, we are just hanging out. It's not like we're doing something nasty."
Raeven thinks he has a point, but still…
"You know, I've known Victoria for a long time. She is a kind girl, maybe she acts like a flirt, but she’s not, maybe she was seen as one, but truthfully speaking, it is her acting spoiled but she does not flirt, that's what she hates the most. Once you get to know her, you'll see."
Raeven did not feel assured. However, who is she to even question him, whatever he was doing, if she remembered correctly, she didn't like this engagement to go through in the beginning. And now, she's acting all possessive?!
On the way home, she sobered a little… It is nice to talk to him, and she got to know him better and maybe will stop being too suspicious of him. It won't do her any good. After all, this is her first love… She will waste it for nothing.
The night is long; the stars look so bright above and the sky is clear. Why does it feel like the first night they talked, the first dinner they had?
She was looking up at the sky and was lost in her musing when she felt a warm hand in hers guide her towards him. She can't move. Her heart pound so fast, she knows her cheeks blushing. The next thing she felt was a gentle kiss on her cheek, a quick but satisfying touch of his lips.
A kiss she will dream of that night. On their first date.
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