It should have been one of those days when all Hayley needed is a quiet morning; no disturbance, no classes to wake up to and most obviously no mother who will just barged inside her room to kiss her awake like she is a handsome, tall and blonde, blue eyed prince charming. Hell, she was not even Sleeping Beauty!
“Darling, rise and shine! Your breakfast is ready, you need to be ready lest you run late to school.” Her mother said. It is past 6:30 am and there is her mother getting all hype like she was the one who is going to school instead of her darling daughter.
For f*ck’s sake... She said under her breath. “I have my alarm clock...” She said her voice still groggy from sleep.
“Come on sweetheart, get up now, I want you to join me in breakfast, I need to go before 8.” Her mom said while caressing her long black hair.
Hayley was trying to ignore her to make her give up, she’s not a morning person and all she needs right now is to sleep some more for she has gone to bed close to 1 am. “bye, have a safe trip then.” She said nonchalantly.
“Sweetheart, I’ll be gone for a week...”
Hayley opened her eyes slowly then rolled her eyes telling herself that it’s just for today, she’ll have a peaceful morning for a week after this. It has been her mother’s habit, to have her accompany her when she’s going on a business trip away from home.
Then she realized… Just a week?
“Only a week?” She asked a little surprised.
Her mother stared at her for a second, Hayley was not sure what to make of her poker face- since she was a child until this day. “Yes, honey.”
Hayley thought that lately, her business trip is too short. What was happening?
The breakfast was cut short when her mother bid her goodbye for she will be late for her flight. Her mother kissed her cheeks then smiled and left.
Hayley was left to finish her breakfast. She stand and left her food. She was not in the mood to eat anyway, she’ll just eat at the school cafeteria.
It was only quarter to eight, at this time she had just gotten out of bed and getting ready to take a bath. She has a lot of free time and she spent it playing with the white mouse called Stuart.
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Meanwhile, in a spacious walk in closet Raeven was having a hard time styling her hair, she can’t decide what to do with her hair. She tried braiding it to the side, then putting it up in a bun with some tendrils left to hang to frame her small face, but then she will change it again to another style. She was getting frustrated by then. What hairstyle could make her whole face approachable? It only makes her morning more gloomy, on top of that she did not sleep well last night, she still has hang over from the kiss on the cheeks bestowed by Bryce.
Yes, bestowed, because she knew that fiance of hers already had a secret affair, but she still didn’t know why he still want to be engaged to her… She told herself that it didn’t matter, but the jealous side of her is making it difficult for her. Though Bryce didn’t directly told her that Victoria is his secret girlfriend.
She shakes her head to dispel her way of thinking. Enough, she should not be pining over her fiance no matter how much she likes him, and no matter how attracted she is to him. This is just an arranged marriage!
Without her knowing, she subconsciously put up her long black and wavy hair in a high ponytail and grabbed her bag ready to go to the academy.
When she reached the entrance to the academy, she felt uncomfortable, almost everyone are looking at her, it seems like she was an alien that suddenly came down from the outer space. She automatically felt her face blush, she is not sure if her light makeup was done correctly or if the setting powder was not blended well, she usually use only the cream blush and lip tint but today she needs to use a concealer to hide her dark eye bags, so she opts for some setting powder for a matte finish. She made a quick run to the bathroom to check her makeup, she couldn’t stand being watched like a piece of abnormal being.
When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was shocked, she does not look like this before she left the house!
Her face looks radiant-looking, she looks like she has a good night’s sleep! Her cheeks looked naturally flushed, her eyes wide and looked cheery-looking, not at all distant! Her long black hair, being tied up high, helped the overall appearance to look cheery.
She may look like a cheerful and approachable person to anyone. What happened?
“Hey!”
Someone suddenly called her and pulled her out of her reverie. When she looked at that person she saw Hayley.
“W-what the hell… is this? Who are you?!”
Raeven was taken aback, Hayley’s surprised remark didn’t help with the shock and confused situation she is currently into.
“Ha!” Hayley exclaimed, a little sarcastic. “So, are we going to have two b*tchy pres now?” She was chuckling while saying that.
Raeven raised her eyebrow, and looked at her sideways; what is she talking about? And then she looked at the mirror again… Then she finally realized something…
Lunch break, at the school rooftop.
“So, you mean, the high ponytail that ‘our’ goody-two-shoes president’s signature looked was ten times more suitable to Raeven than her?!” Yuri said while laughing.
They were having some ham and cheese sandwiches, chicken lollipops, and diet coke for lunch.
“I can’t believe I’ll see the day...” Hayley said, faking a helpless sigh, and then bit her sandwich. Yuri laughed louder at that.
“HA.HA.HA. Very funny.” Raeven said she was looking a little offended now that Hayley was sharing their encounter in the bathroom earlier. Now she’s back to her usual style; hair down and cascaded down to her shoulders, black waves and all framing her heart-shaped face.
“Well, it’s not like school prez’s hairstyle is unique and patented and no one can do the same, right?” Angel reasoned out, she’s just stating a fact there.
“Oh, yeah! Imagine that!” Yuri said while laughing.
Raeven rolled her eyes, she won’t put up with these girls' craziness anymore.
“Girls, I know that we’ll have a tough week ahead of us, but my mom always tells me to find a time to relax to avoid stress, and so, if you want we could hang out at my house this Wednesday, you know, just bake or learn another dish to cook...” Angel suggested. They all knew that next week will be THE exam week, and it will be a tough time for everyone if they wanted to get into the special class. Angel already voiced out her interest to get in, Yuri said if one of her friends wanted to, then might as well make the four of them try and if by any luck they pass the test they’d be all getting in the special class.
Yuri was thinking at the moment, still chewing her chicken pops looking like a squirrel. “Hmm… How about we go to your house and study for an exam? You know that is usually what we always did when I was in middle school!” Yuri said she thinks it will be a good idea and now she is pumped up and excited.
Raeven thought for a second. “That would be a good idea. Well, I don’t usually go for group study, but when I was in middle school it somewhat became popular with the girls.
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“Oh, you know our little chipmunk here, she likes Cartoons, so she wanted to make her fantasies come alive.”
“Excuse me, It’s Anime, not cartoons, I’m not a child anymore!” She argued.
Angel looks at the girls in front, Hayley and Yuri are still in banters, and Raeven is eating her sandwich thoughtfully.
“So, it’s settled then.”
Angel said.
Late afternoon, school is over for that day, the four girls have gone to their house respectively. Hayley was inside her bedroom, it was quiet there, since the little white mouse named Stuart is taking a nap. She is lying down on her bed and just taking a short nap before dinner. Since her parents were not in the mansion, it only means she can do anything. Not that her father is always home and he occasionally leaves, since he was a governor of a province, heck, he only goes two or three times all year round!
She was in deep thought when suddenly her door opened and created a loud sound, it also made the poor little mouse who was sleeping jump awake in surprise.
Hayley rolled her eyes, there is only one person who makes a lot of ruckus when visiting her. She sat up lazily and brushed her hair with her hands. “Uncle, could you not do that every time? You startled poor little Stuart over there.”
Her uncle, older than her, the youngest brother of his father, only 27 years old, has brown tousled short hair, wearing prescription glasses, was about 5’8 tall, lanky and has a scholarly aura around him, he was dressed in a powder blue button down long sleeves, and dark brown long slacks pants. He stopped at the entrance of the bedroom and looked at the little white mouse. He was a little surprised. “You still keep him? Or is it a new one?”
Hayley rolled her eyes at him. “You always see him every time you’re here.”
“He doesn't like me so how am I going to remember him?”
“You remember all the girls who rejected you, how come you can’t remember Stuart?”
“What the- Why are you bringing that up now?”
“Well, Stuart likes rejecting you...” She pointed out.
The uncle was ready to fight with her but then he remembered his purpose. “Oi! You’re distracting me. You are really a queen of deception.”
“What are you doing here?” Hayley asked, her voice was a little dead cold.
“Hey, before you start glaring at me, let me tell you, I asked you to go to my house this week, and it was almost mid-week and until now you still haven’t come, I know you will continue ignoring me after that, and so, I decided to bring myself to go here at least.”
Hayley rolled her eyes. She stands up from her bed and walked to her uncle. “Come on, let’s go down let’s talk while having dinner.” She said.
Her uncle snort and walked out of the bedroom first. She thought this uncle of hers will not have much time since it is already midterm and he is a professor himself. She can’t believe that the professor will have much time, or is it just her uncle?
With the dinner ready and only the two of them left in the spacious dining hall, Hayley didn’t thought that it the same atmosphere when she’s having dinner with her parents. With her uncle, eating dinner feels comfortable.
She called one of the server and asked to bring some wine since her uncle didn’t like having dinner without wine. Her uncle taught her to drink wine without her parents knowing.
“Ooh…. Nice, you’re spoiling me, this one is one hell of expensive wine, huh. You really love your uncle the most.”
Hayley begin to eat her dinner and totally ignored her uncle. Her dinner tonight is light and easy on stomach since she will go to bed early.
“That brat is here to stay, is that right?” Her uncle said.
Hayley looked at him for a second. “as If 23 is still a brat?”
“HE’S a brat.” Her uncle said with conviction, with his fist banging on the table.
Hayley winced at the sudden loud banging on the table. “Geez, calm down will yah”?
His uncle snorts then resumes eating his medium rare steak. “Hmph, I can’t believe he really came back for you. I thought he’s just joking. You know, a way to piss me off.” He said while chewing his steak.
Hayley’s spoon is midway to her mouth when she paused and think about what her uncle meant by what he said… “What did you mean?”
“Ha. Exactly by what you think of it.”
Hayley snorted and said, “tsk, impossible! Who’s in their right mind that will suddenly decide to go back just to piss you off? Who the hell are you compared to what he is right now?” She spoke with a little resentment.
“I will be a great historian, okay.” Her uncle said with great conviction.
You're such a child. Will you stop doing that? Act your age, are you intending to obsess on your loss to him for the rest of your life? He seem to have moved on already.
His uncle was a bit offended. “Of course he will move on, he’s not the one who needs a comeback. Anyway, I won't let you date him. From now on, don't go looking for him.
Hayley choked on her food when she heard the way her uncle speaks; what right does he have to forbid her from seeing him when her own father was outright pushing her to that guy- desperately giving her to HIM! “Excuse me?!”
Her uncle just looked at her and why he is eating his steak, like he was saying, you should know by now who’s mighty between us.
“Well, you’re overpowered, they were all up for this ‘engagement’.” She said then wiped her mouth with a napkin and take a sip of her wine.
“Big brother did? Well, I need to give him a piece of my mind."
She was tired of his shenanigans, Hayley rolled her eyes. “Do whatever you want.”
“You bet I will!” He said with his fist banging the table again while holding a fork.
“But on second thought it would be quite interesting being engaged to him just so I can watch you being triggered.” She said.
“SHUT UP!”
The next day…
The four girls do have agendas after school, Angel needs to go home early to run an errand for her parents, Yuri needs to attend a party her relative organized and it is out of town, which only leaves Raeven and Hayley without much to do, but then Raeven thought of something and invited Hayley to come along.
They were in one of the popular sports centers and they were there to play one or two tennis matches against each other. Hayley thought it has been a while since she last held a tennis racket, she might be a little rusty now.
“Don’t worry, if you tell me to be a little lenient on you, I will for the sake of our friendship,” Raeven said with a little teasing.
Hayley just shrugged and looked at herself in the mirror, they were inside the girl’s locker room, and just changed into a pleated white skirt and a white sleeveless top, she look like a sporty chic right now. She can’t help but look at Raeven; the girl has some serious curves, she can’t help herself but ogle her friend.
“Hey, what are you still dazed about, let’s go.” Raeven said while looking at her, she looked at her like Hayley was an idiot.
Hayley chuckles, she can’t believe that she was dazed for a moment there. “Yes, princess.”
The court was a huge one, with four courts that can accommodate four players for each court. The two girls only minded their business for a while, trying to sweat it out, and at least make it a workout. Then, Hayley caught sight of something, performed a double take, and then, gradually, a smirk crept across her lips. She caught a guy ogling her beautiful friend. And not just some random guy, but THE fiance of her friend she’s with right now. She now realizes that it was only natural to feel disoriented when admiring Raeven because her friend is quite charming, as her ogling fiance demonstrates.52Please respect copyright.PENANAvLgI2NFSDC
However, she was a little curious as to what this fiance was thinking about. He had a beautiful and showy girlfriend (cough, Victoria), and he still wanted the ice beauty on the other side? And he was not being discreet about it, such a gutsy man.
“Well, look who’s been so enticed with my pretty and sexy friend here...” Hayley said to Raeven with a playful smile on her face.
Raeven stopped and looked at her a little confused, but then Hayley was looking at something behind them, it made her look around and look at what she’s found!
And that is where the event escalated…
7 pm, after dinner with her fiance and Hayley, Bryce invited Raeven to go to his condo. Hayley hinted about something inappropriate, she knew, but then, what could ever happen? They were engaged, and it’s not like Bryce is such a psycho to do something weird to her, right? It would be wrong if she thinks that Bryce would turn out to be that kind of a person. Whatever happened to her Hayley will know.
When they entered the condo, Raeven stopped at the foyer then looked around, and saw it was a typical bachelor pad. Bryce was staring at her, there is something the way he looked at her, it is the kind where it is a little intimidating… or so she thought.
“Is there something wrong?” He asked.
Raeven snapped out of her reverie, she then walked further and was led inside a dining room, intersecting a nice and tidy little kitchen and mostly occupied by what looked like a bar, she knew it was a mini bar because of the glasses that were suspended in the ceiling, and behind the long counter was a wide array of different alcohol beverage that was placed in expensive looking bottles that may cost a fortune just by the looks of it. There was another room she was led into a what looked like the receiving area, with a big and wide 75-inch flat-screen TV. With a big L-shaped sofa, and four single sofas around. There was also a big pool outside that can be seen through the glass door to the right side, all in all it looked like this place’s purpose was for entertaining guests. It looked like her fiance liked to entertain guests as a hobby. She didn’t hear anything about him throwing any party though…
“You can sit here first, I’ll bring snacks and drink, what do you want?” He asked, his voice full of warmth and care.
Raeven looked up and said anything will do.
Bryce chuckled, that smooth and cool voice of his. “Anything, ey? Sure.” After saying that he left, but with a smile on his face.
Raeven didn’t think of anything about that smile, she was too busy trying to decipher this man through his home. Little by little she was convinced that Hayley might be right… This fiance of hers might turn out to be a playboy.
Bryce comes back with some snacks and drinks then turns on the big TV. They agreed on a romance movie, just for something to watch like a normal couple.
Raeven was trying not to cringe with every cheesy line the guy throws at every turn, she can’t believe that the female lead would fall for every cheesy line he would say. But then this won’t be a romance without some drama to spice up the plot. It somehow got to her when the guy made the female lead’s best friend pregnant, and she wanted to break up their engagement. The male guy said it was a mistake and all sorts of apologies known to mankind, the female lead was such a kind and forgiving soul that she was ready to give him a second chance…Raeven was horrified, she suddenly thought of her friend Angel. Knowing how pure and kind-hearted her friend is; what if this thing happened to Angel? She made it a point to remember to remind her best friend about this.
She was busy trying to find a plan to warn her friends about cheating jerks that she forgot about the guy beside her. The next thing she knew she was already in his arms, what looked like they’re cuddling…
Such a development!. What the heck?!
“You looked serious. At first, I thought you were affected by the movie, but then, you were looking past it. Like you were in your own world.” Bryce said.
He was so close that every time he speaks Raeven can feel his warm breath, his every breath. It was like she was now so conscious of his every move. Somehow it felt uncomfortable…
“You know, you were so different from other girls I’ve met. You were so detached, it was like, being alone does not matter to you. You act so maturely, you seem like you were born in the wrong time. Most of the rich heiresses act spoiled, entitled, flirty and fun.”
“Am I boring you? “ Raeven asked, a tiny bit sarcastic...
Bryce chuckled. “You’re so weird, that’s it. But it only makes you more charming. No wonder everybody called you the ice beauty.”
“So, you were only curious, that’s why you agreed to this betrothal, right?”
“No. Hmmm…. You can say that I’m attracted to you. You’re beautiful, charming, and intelligent. Don’t you believe me?”
Raeven looked at him for quite some time. This guy… He may be handsome and cool and all that, and his charm may work on others- well, it also worked on her, a little bit, however, you can never trust whatever he says when he keeps a secret girlfriend in the side.
“You’re so uptight that you need to let go sometimes, you need to see what others see in you, you’re hard to get, and it only makes the chase more interesting.” Bryce said.
So I’m just a game to you?!
Raeven felt insulted by what she heard. She was about to get up from her seat when Bryce held her arm and drew her near him. Raeven was so surprised she didn’t see this one coming. A kiss on the lips.
It was a soft touch at first. His slightly cold lips to her warm ones, the slight taste of wine on his lips, then it slowly deepens. She was caught off guard. It was the first time… Her first kiss.
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