The girls had Econs after break. Elva and Natalia sat together at the front while Nicky sat alone behind. They were talking until someone slipped in beside her.
Nicky turned to pass a greeting but stopped seeing Jeffrey’s smiling face. She looked away immediately.
Sorry Jeff, but you aren’t gonna make getting over you harder for me.
“Hey, Nick.” He grinned but she only nodded. After saying hi to Elva and Natalia, they naughtily winked at her and faced forward.
Silly girls! When did they turn to matchmakers??
Nicky thought of leaving. It was the best thing to do. She looked around to see if there was a free seat but found none. The class was full.
“Is there a reason you’re back to being distant?” He worriedly asked. Maybe the ‘uninterested’ vibe would shun him. She thought and faced her books.
“Nicky, what happened to our friendship? Are you mad at me?”
She still ignored him. When Jeffrey tried to take her hand, she stood up instantly.
“Who wanna switch seats with me, please?”
Everyone stopped chattering at once. The humidifiers humming was the only sound heard and not only felt. Then suddenly, every desk started rumbling and rattling with girls running from all directions to her side!
Nicky walked away to a vacated seat on the front role, next to Eden and sat. The tacklings and giggling went on behind.
Ignoring about a hundred texts from Elva and Natalia in their private group chat, Nicky Winterfield picked up her current novel; ‘Getting Over Him’ and continued to read.
***
Class was over and Natalia and Elva rushed over to Nicky as she walked out of the class alone.
“Girl, that wasn’t nice!” Elva said breathlessly, holding her books well.
“Tell that to him! It’s not like I shaded him or something. He just doesn’t wanna get the red light.” She snapped back at Elva.
“You could’ve at least played along… or personally asked someone to switch with you?” Natalia pouted and Elva agreed. Nicky let out a tensed breath and relaxed.
“Fine. It was on impulse and I wasn’t thinking straight. But don’t expect me to apologise ’cause I won’t!” She said and adamantly flipped her hair.
So stubborn!
And that’s the real Nicky.
They closed their lockers and turned to go to their next class when beeps sounded throughout the hall. It was another flash text. Natalia’s phone was switched off while Elva and Nicky’s phones were powered.
“What now?” The Princess mumbled dryly.
Suddenly, they stopped staring at their phones and gasped, following the others in the hall. Natalia looked at her friends, suddenly curious to hear the ‘trending’ gossip but they said nothing.
Instead, Nicky and Elva looked at her with wide eyes.
~ What the heck??!
~ So it’s true?
~ When did this happen?!
~ I’ve been suspicious of the tramp myself!
~ She’s such a dirty little whore!
~ Ahhh! This one’s too juicy to ignore! Forward it to all the groups in school!!
Since everyone’s eyes were coming her way, Natalia concluded she was the one in the news again!
****
Arian and Ricky were up in their penthouse, playing table tennis when the bell rung for change of period. Following that, Jeffrey walked in with a gloomy face and crashed on the couch, lost in thoughts.
Arian felt it was strange because he was usually the parrotic one! He shared secret glances with Ricky.
“Jeff?” They called out simultaneously but got no answer.
“You alright, man?” Ricky asked and there was no response again. He didn’t even bat an eyelid!
Then Arian De’ Argent graciously smashed the ball his way and THAT, my friend, finally got his attention.
“What’s your headache, dude?! I’m sure I don’t resemble Rick’s doppelganger!” He yelled at him.
Arian simply turned to face Ricky. “Now you’ve got his attention.”
“Arse!” Jeffrey huffed out and played with the ball.
“Man, what’s eating you up?” Ricky asked with concern.
“It’s Nicky.” He breathed tiredly. Ricky instantly stopped playing, earning Arian a point on a game he’d been kicking his ass!
Bless you, Nicky!!
“She’s mad at me again and avoiding me.”
“Well, did you do anything to make her mad?” Arian asked the automatic question.
“That’s the whole puzzle! I didn’t… as far as I can remember.” He explained what happened in class.
“Girls are so dramatic. Let it slide, she’ll come around.” Arian muttered and walked into the adjoining kitchen to grab three cans of Pepsi, barefooted.
Ricky snorted in silence.
“Oh… kay?” Jeffrey mouthed. “Dude, am I safe?”
“Yeah, what’s up with the touchy feelings? I get the over protectiveness but THIS is Jeffrey.” He tossed them a soda each.
“And that’s the darn problem!” He snorted. If it wasn’t Jeffrey, Ricky would’ve given the idiot who hurts his little sister a lot a big piece of his boiling mind!
“What?” They turned to him.
“Nothing.” He picked up the TV control as Arian sat on the next couch.
“Aren’t you delinquents going to class or what?” He cocked a brow.
“After you.” They threw back simultaneously making them all chuckle.
“I’m skipping the rest of the day. My heart needs a rest.” Jeffrey laid on a couch fully.
“Me too.” Ricky muttered about to lie down also but jerked up the moment the door flung open, revealing a teary eyed Princess!
Natalia looked so hurt and angry and angry all over again! Seeing her that way, Arian jerked up, his heart lurching in pain. Whoever did that to her was gonna get it!
“Uh… I think we’re late for class, Jeff.” Ricky mouthed and slowly stood up.
“Speak of being dramatic.” Jeffrey murmured before picking his bag.
When they got behind her, they turned and made a ‘kill us later!’ sign before finally leaving.
But giving them the full detail of what happened wasn’t Arian’s priority. His Natalia was.
Yeah, you heard right. And he wasn’t repeating!
Arian stood up slowly and walked to her the moment the door clicked shut.
“Hey.” He whispered softly. “What happened?”
But instead of an answer, the enraged Princess hurled her bag at him aggressively!
“You’re such a despicable bastard! How could you, huh?! You’re worst than garbage! You’re worst than the worst! You wait till I get my hands on you!” She screamed and lurched at him.
.
And the hot chase began.
.
Arian Dé Argent drifted and dodged as she kept throwing stuffs at him, even her boots! What was his crime?! He wondered as he narrowly missed a flying book!
Arian tried to survive everything she aimed at him and under five minutes, the whole living room was a disaster!
“Natalia, calm down! I don’t understand wh…” He cautiously moved closer but froze when she glared at him. The wronged Princess continued hitting him HARD!
Arian tried to hold her still but slipped on something, taking her down along with him! They crash landed on a sofa but Natalia resumed the struggle, letting out her pain. He held her tightly.
In a few minutes, she stopped fighting back and started to whimper in his hold instead. Arian’s heart stopped, listening to her tears. She felt like a baby bird, so fragile and hurting in his arms.
He released her slowly and she sat up on him. Two of her buttons had come off during the struggle. Her hair was a wild mess and her belt had gone off somewhere. Natalia’s sniffs brought the young French’s lustful gaze away from her body up to her face. She was really crying now! He sat up too.
“Hey, It’s okay. It hurts seeing your tears.” He cooed, softly wiping her tears but they kept on falling.
“I… I’d thought y… you were bluffing w.. when y.. you th… threatened to expose w… whatever y.. you said w.. we, we… we did t.. that night!” She stumbled through her words, crying.
“I t.. thought I h.. had to l.. live with th… the fact th.. that I was… wasn’t a virgin a.. anymore. I.. I m.. mean I haven’t e.. even h.. had my f.. first kiss yet a.. and then y.. your threat, a.. and the post o… on the s.. school blog a.. and t.. t… then e.. everyone st… staring a.. at me a… a…” She couldn’t complete her words as fresh tears flowed uncontrollably down her cute cheeks.
Arian’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! Who said anything about taking advantage of her?? Woah! He’ld never do that to anyone, especially a drunk girl!
“Natalia, I’ld never do that to you. I’ld be a fool if I did. It was just a joke! Nothing happened between us that night…” He paused thoughtfully.
“Well, something did happen…” Arian couldn’t complete his sentence because she burst out crying all over again!
Oh Jeez.
Chapter 50