Chapter 1 - Intro.
Kids under 13 are allowed.
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The night was pure darkness. She could not make sense of where she was. Completely lost she called for help but she realized something terrifying, she had no voice, she was mute! In a panic, she ran south till she came to what seems to be a never ending ocean of tranquility. Her panic state changed to calm and warmth. The moon made a faithful contribution to the night as it shone brightly. The ocean mimicked the moon with its wavy reflection. Whilst enjoying herself, she heard something coming up from behind, it sounded like twigs and dried leaves as someone stepped on them. Fear crept under her very bones. Adrenaline pumped up and ready for a fight or flight. The desire to turn around and see who it was overwhelmed her but she stood still and tried her best to not make a sound. Her mind was confused and everything seems jumbled up. She did not understand what was happening or where she was. The footsteps got closer and that was the last straw, she quickly switched to her flight mode and started running.
"Catherina!" she heard someone shouting her name from a distance. It sounded hoarse, mad and dangerous. She turned her head and saw not a beach but a forest. She swore she was at the beach a minute ago. She felt sand on her feet, the cold breeze touching her skin, the moonlight glistening down at her. How could this be? She thought to herself. It's not possible. What's going on?
Looking around, she saw tall Canopy trees. She was more overwhelmed than confused. She lived in Los Angeles. There were no Canopies around! Where was she? She thought as she expanded her vision. The rainforest had the most beautiful sight. The floras were rare and exquisite. It has always been her dream to someday study the beauty of Mother Nature and the idea of just awing at Mother Nature's work thrilled her.
"Catherina!" echoed the rainforest. "Catherina!" She squatted down and curled up into a ball with her hands covering both ears. The echoes got louder the more she exerted pressure on her ears. It seemed as if the voice was shouting into her eardrums. She was afraid, her heart was pounding and she'd do anything to get out of this nightmare.
"Catherina, wake up!" her little sister shouted. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the interior of her familiar girly pink bedroom. Being 16 and all, she knew it was a bit too childish. She wanted to redecorate the room but her father said she had to earn it. Since she had already bought a second-hand 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 worth $ 995 from the money she earned at her part-time job, she's broke even though her dad pitched in a little.
Her little sister, Clarissa, was sitting on her bed, beside her. It was just a dream. She thought, relieved. Her once feeling of confusion and fear turned to irritation. Clarissa kept jumping up and down on her bed, repeating the same thing over and over. "Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!"
She groaned, still a bit lazy to get out of bed. She felt so at peace and comfortable as she pulled up her comforter. She refused to get up and go to school. "Clarissa, shut up" with an attempt to throw a pillow to her annoying sister.
"Ha, missed me!" her sister said running out the room, "Come on. Get up sleepy head!" she shouted as she ran down the stairs.
"Clarissa Margarita Simmons, stop running around the house" Catherina heard her mom scolding her sister.
Catherina groaned once more before getting up to make her bed. She had preferences to tidiness and she loved the fact that she could help out Mrs. Montgomery, their housekeeper. Here's a fact you might not know about Catherina and her family, they live in Bel Air! They are extremely wealthy but still very giving and modest. They often donate to those in need and are never stingy with what they had. Her parents tried their best not to spoil her and Clarissa. If they wanted something, they always had to earn it by working part-time or doing house chores. Her father is one of the top film producers in Hollywood. His films were often nominated as the best at the Grammy's. Her mother is also in the film industry, she is an actress and a very beautiful one. Her mom and dad met on set 18 years ago and they are still going strong. Catherina smiled at the thought.
7.00 a.m. 10th of July
The morning mist crawled itself in to the house through a purposely opened window. The cold light wind blew the once motionless green pastel curtains. The sun shone beautifully and the warmth it emitted kept the air in the house just right. The smell of delicious pancakes and bacons filled the air. Mrs. Simmons was frying scrambled eggs at the stove. Everything smelled wonderful and it was enough to make Catherina's stomach growl with hunger as she went down the stairs. As she cascaded downstairs, she began to hear of what seemed to be cartoons coming from the television.
"Clarissa, turn down the volume," Mr. Simmons said hiding behind his daily newspaper.
The family's home was like any other in Bel Air. The house was built with a theme of modern luxury and grand Italian Villa, complete with an expansive veranda with grassy area, pool, spa and glorious vista canyon views. The neighborhood mostly consists of wealthy business men, Hollywood stars and other very important people. The house had three floors, the first floor which is the basement was entirely built for entertainment, equip with an arcade room, a theater room, a small indoor bowling alley, a guest room, a 'bar' and a kitchen. It's a 'bar' for a reason; it lacked alcohol beverages. Catherina and Clarissa often hang out with their friends down there.
The second floor was the family floor where huge family gatherings were often held. The Simmons family is extremely close. Mr. Simmons' side of the family has been actively involved in the film industry since decades ago, starting with Grandpa Simmons. The last floor was of course the bedrooms.
"Morning, mom," Catherina greeted as she gave her mom a peck on the cheek. She did the same with her dad. She didn't bother saying anything to her little sister, whose eyes were glued to the television.
"Morning, honey. Breakfast?"
"Nah, I'm not hungry," Catherina replied. "Nonsense," her mom snapped before giving her normal 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day' speech. Mrs. Simmons is very peculiar on a healthy and well balanced diet. She makes the whole family eat fruits before every meal and a pile of vegetables everyday! But Catherina didn't mind, she knew her mother was on to something and she figured if she wanted to age well like her mom, she might as well comply.
After breakfast, she went back upstairs to get dressed for school. She went to Stiltons Elite Private School in the Westside, not far from where she lived. Catherina put on her everyday school uniform, a plain white shirt and a box patterned dark green skirt, ahead of combing her silky black hair courtesy of the mom's Asian traits. Grabbed her beg and went straight downstairs. She gave her parent a goodbye flying kiss as she headed to the garage.
"Clarissa, hurry up. You're so slow. I don't wanna be late, again!" Catherina scoffed.
"I'm coming. I'm coming. And FYI I'm not slow, you're just too fast! You need to loosen up. Smell the roses," Clarissa said in her all-smarts tone. Clarissa was in the 7th grade at Stiltons. Although she is sometimes quite immature, she still knew what she was talking about. She has never been in a hurry to grow up, unlike her sister, Catherina. Peer pressure seldom gets to her. Catherina rolled her eyes and ignored her sister.
As she reversed the car out of the garage and towards the road, a mysterious sports car sped past, almost hitting them. She did not recognize the model but she was certain it took a whole gold mine to purchase that car. Luckily Catherina had a quick reflex action and hit the brakes. The mysterious sports car honks in protest as if it was Catherina's fault.
"HEY! Watch it!" Catherina shouted in anger while her sister just sat in the passenger seat like nothing had happened and turned on the radio. Clarissa was very different from Catherina. She is ridiculously calm when others are panicking but of course, she has her moments.
7.45 a.m.
They finally reached Stiltons five minutes later. School starts at 8.15 with an assembly. Clarissa and Catherina went to their cliques. Being normal siblings in the same school, they rarely sit together at lunch or talk for that matter.
The school was all brick, quite modern and castle like. It was built in the 1950s and is tremendously well funded by notable alumni's and of course parents. The students frequently describe it as 'A less magical Hogwarts'. The entrance hall had multiple precious paintings by very famous artist and a round sofa in the middle. The lockers are positioned along the corridors, similar to other schools. Basically, The Stiltons Elite Private School has all fundamental requirements of a standard school and much more.
Catherina marched herself towards her best friends, Annabelle Ames and Yvonne Monet, who were calling her from a distance. They greeted each other and started their daily chats and gossips as they walked along the corridors. They had known one another since kindergarten and were very close. Catherina understood her friends as much as they understood her. Even with knowing each others' flaws, they still manage to stay best friends.
Annabelle lives a few blocks away from Catherina. She'd carpool if her dad couldn't drop her off. She doesn't have her license yet because she's short two weeks from her sweet sixteen. The simplest way to describe Annabelle would be outrageously playful and funny. Mr. Ames, Annabelle's father, owns a car dealing company, one of the best. Mrs. Ames on the other hand is a small time fashion designer but her work is truly exquisite! She once designed a Strapless Sweep Train Taffeta Evening Gown with Applique and Sequin embellishment for Annabelle for a school dance. It was beautiful and Annabelle looked gorgeous in it.
Yvonne is a different story, her family lives out a moderate urban lifestyle. Her mom and dad are both lecturers at Bel Air Community College. While Catherina and Annabelle are out having fun, she'll sometimes go to the library to revise her studies. She has the more mature and serious role in their friendship, and she keeps her friends grounded. She's shares a passion for art and literature like her older brother, Logan, who's in his 2nd year of college in London. Speaking of Logan, Annabelle and Catherina can never stop themselves from drooling over him. His perfectly tanned and muscular body makes it impossible for them to keep their eyes off him. His face is flawless, looking somewhat like a Greek God. Yvonne often makes fun of them when Logan's around which causes them to blush or formulate a quick exit.
"Did you hear that One Direction is moving to L.A.? They just got signed up for another record deal!" Annabelle squealed in excitement, almost hyperventilating.
"That's so cool. Maybe they're moving to Bel Air!" Yvonne said mockingly with her fake enthusiasm, knowing it would freak Annabelle out. With that, Annabelle started her rant on how it would be awesome if they did and how amazing they were. Nice going Yvonne, Catherina thought, humorously glaring at her friend. Yvonne replied with a 'what goes up must come down' look. Except for Annabelle, the girls were not much of a fan but they did enjoy the British boy band's hit single 'What Makes You Beautiful'. Other than that, they were not fairly interested.
"Wow, when was the last time they had a vacation?" Catherina mumbled, thinking of how tiring and frustrating it is to be them.
"Last weekend actually," a boy with an English accent replied. All three girls turn their backs simultaneously and saw, as how Annabelle constantly puts it, 'The one and only…One Direction!'
Annabelle's jaws dropped as she gazed upon the five international superstars. Catherina and Yvonne were not successful in hiding their surprise either.
"One-one-one-one Direction?" Annabelle finally managed.
"That would be us," they answered, smiling at the three dumbfounded girls. Then, Harry, the curly-haired boy turned his attention to Catherina whose face was full of confusion. He was rather confused himself, looking around the corridors, which were almost empty.
"Where is everybody?" He asked smiling. Although she was not much of a Directioner, she had to admit his smile was exceptional. She could see his dimples popping out and his sparkling white teeth as his smile widen. Not to mention his beautiful emerald eyes.
Still a bit baffled, Catherina finally managed to blurt out her words, "We have morning assembly!" trying her best to sound natural but ended up with a high-pitched voice instead. Harry was joyed by her reaction. "Ehem," she cleared her throat whilst eyeing Yvonne who looked like she had numerous questions listed in her head, which she was ultimately going to ask the boys. Knowing her friend, those questions will take longer to ask than answered. Catherina was about to say something to stop Yvonne's unofficial interview.
"What are you guys doing here? Are you trying to enroll? How long have you been walking behind us? Were you eavesdropping? Do you guys always do that?" Yvonne started. Too late, Catherina thought. The boys stared at Yvonne, puzzled and trying to figure out which question to answer first. Hearing Yvonne's questions, Annabelle slapped her forehead with embarrassment. Yvonne clearly had no idea what she was talking about. They were way too old for high school, why on earth would they want to enroll? And she completely accused them of eavesdropping which made Annabelle lose it.
"That's it! You're done," Annabelle announced, dragging Yvonne into the assembly hall.
"Hey, I wasn't finished!" Yvonne protested. "Oh, yes you are," Annabelle insisted mockingly.
Oh god. I hope this doesn't come back and haunt us, Catherina thought, obviously uncomfortable with her friends' behavior. She sheepishly switched her glances between her friends and the boys who are now appearing quite amused as they smiled at each other as if they were exchanging thoughts. Catherina found it a bit creepy so she decided it was time to bolt.
"Alrighty then! I guess I better get going," Catherina indicated nervously before making her way to the assembly hall. Did I just say 'alrighty then'? She thought, mortified.
"They're cute," Zayn chuckled.
"Yeah, and nice too," Louis added, smiling.
Catherina slipped into the assembly hall unnoticed and found a saved seat next to her best friends. She saw a bunch of her other friends and waved at them. "So what did I miss?" She asked. "Nothing much," Yvonne and Annabelle answered, obviously bored.
After a few announcements, the assembly hall went dark. Everyone was whispering, wondering what had happened. Was there a power glitch? Then suddenly the spotlights were turned on. Before Catherina could figure out what was happening, all her friends started cheering. One Direction was on stage! Catherina and Yvonne smiled at each other as they clapped their hands. Some girls were screaming 'I love you' to the boys and making such a fuss. "Directioners," Yvonne muttered, rolling her eyes. She was completely annoyed by them and questioned how the British boy band handled it. Ironically, Annabelle was one of the Directioners. She loves One Direction as much as she loves fashion. Yvonne and Catherina exchanged 'the look' and joined in the fun. 'The look' is when Annabelle gets energized about something that was not significant to her best friends but they decide to humor her anyway. They thought, if Annabelle loved it, they should at least support her. Plus they had to admit, it was fun.
"Hello," Liam said smiling, followed by dozens of screaming fans, before continuing, "How do you do?" and again, followed by dozens of screaming girl fans! Their fan base is mostly girls so the boys as presumed were less excited about it; but they were psyched that there were possibilities of the first period being cancelled. The boy band laughed at their fans' response, signaling them to settle down. The assembly hall was now silent. Then, the speaker started playing their song 'What Makes You Beautiful'. Can anyone guess what happens next? Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner! The hall roared as the boys started singing and some students swore they felt a quake! But of course, that claim was a bit preposterous.
Catherina, Yvonne and Annabelle were enjoying and swaying to the music. Catherina was watching Harry intensely, secretly attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? He's so cute, she thought. When it stopped, the lights were turned back on. The boys thanked their fans for their immense support and told them that they were lucky to be invited by one of the biggest schools in United States.
"Invited?" Annabelle asked, surprised. Then she realized how much she loved our school and stated how amazingly wonderful our headmistress was! Annabelle never really cared much for school. She is an exemplary student but she was often more mischievous than serious. So you can imagine her friends' utter shock when she told them how much she loved going to school. "Wow, I guess there's a first for everything," Yvonne muttered sarcastically, which earned her a playful smack on the knee. Yvonne replied with a comical grin.
The boy band continued making small talks and answering their fans' questions. Then, Catherina noticed Harry staring at her with his stunning emerald like eyes. Nah, I'm seeing things, she convinced herself and ignored it.
"So..." Niall began.
"We bumped into three girls earlier," Zayn continued.
"One of them asked if we were enrolling into this school," Niall said which made the whole school laugh. Well, almost the whole school. Most of the guys seemed clueless. They didn't get what was so funny but in their defense, they are guys. Catherina was relieved at the fact considering how shamelessly humiliated she was right then and there!
"If you girls are out there, the answer's no," Louis stated as a matter of fact. The others laughed, remembering their confrontation with the girls. They made a few more harmless jokes about the girls and went off stage. Throughout this secretly mortifying experience, Annabelle hid her face under her tiny palms, afraid the boys might recognize her. "At least, they don't know our names," Yvonne tried comforting her, feeling a little guilty.
8.45 a.m.
The assembly just ended, Annabelle and Yvonne headed to their 1st period class with Mrs. Davenport. She is the physics teacher and she has got all sorts of smarts embedded in her brain so you might want to think twice before skipping her classes.
"We gotta go. Mrs. Davenport will kill us if we're late!" Yvonne pointed out.
Annabelle made a face, "Remember what she did to Eric Silvers? He was late like 3 minutes!" clearly petrified as she recalled how Mrs. Davenport made Eric walk around school the whole day wearing a 'I'm sorry. I'll never be late again.' sign. "That thing does not match my uniform!" she added, hand gesturing for emphasis. Clearly, it was a big deal to her but Yvonne specifically remembered Eric said he could care less about Mrs. Davenport's stupid signs as long as she doesn't give him detention.
"I'll see you guys later," Catherina laughed as she keyed in her locker combination. She had French with Mrs. Emilio for the 1st and 2nd period. Catherina loved learning new languages. Her mom is part Asian so she knows a tad of Mandarin and she has distant relatives in Bulgaria so she evidently speaks Bulgarian. One way or another, it gives her a sense of superiority.
As she made her way to class, she saw Mona, who thinks she's the most popular girl in school, and Chris, a dumb jock, eating each others faces. It was awful and they reminded Catherina of bulldogs with excessive saliva secretion. Being in an elite school has its ups and downs, and obviously this is the down part. Get a room, she thought, looking at the couple with disgust.
Catherina made it to class on time and went to her seat. She sat next to a foreign exchange student named Aaric Christoff from England. He's new and doesn't talk much but he's pretty cool. Catherina remembered how he helped Mrs. Emilio carry a mountain of boxes to her car. She smiled at the thought. "Good Morning," he greeted her with his sparkling white teeth and deep ocean blue eyes.
"Morning," she smiled as Mrs. Emilio walked into class.
"Bonjour à tous. Je suis sûr que vous avez apprécié le montage aujourd'hui." Mrs. Emillio said with a grin.
"Bounjor Mme Emilio," the class beamed.
Mrs. Emilio told the class to take out their text books and complete Comprehension Task 1. Aaric looked at Catherina, helplessly. He was behind on a lot of lessons. Catherina smiled at him and tutored him along the way plus he was a really quick learner so it wasn't any trouble.
After class, he thanked her for her generosity. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help," she responded with a smile. "See you later," Aaric said. Catherina nodded.
Third period was a free period. Catherina had planned to go to the library. Before she could leave, "Catherina," Mrs. Emilio called her.
"Oui Mme Emilio."
"I notice you've been helping Aaric. I was hoping you could tutor him outside of class during free periods. I'd really appreciate it if you do and it'll give you a chance to earn that extra credit you've been asking me about," Mrs. Emilio offered.
"What do you think?" she finally asked.
"I think it's great!" Catherina chimed. I do need the extra credit, she confessed to herself.
"Great!" Mrs. Emilio repeated with a huge smile.
After her dialogue with Mrs. Emilio, Catherina went to her locker to grab her mobile phone. She dialed Aaric's number and explained to him what Mrs. Emilio had told her. Aaric agreed that he needed help but he can't make it today. Apparently he had a lacrosse meeting. "It's ok. We'll try sometime later," Catherina agreed, feeling relieved that she could carry on with her earlier plans.
11.15 a.m.
The library was almost empty with only 3 occupied tables, mainly because the school has its own theater room. A good number of students spend their free periods there but of course they are required to show their Student ID Cards. This prevents troublemakers from cutting class. As you enter the library, you can see the librarians at the Help Counter. At the left end is the sofa area where they keep stacks of old magazines and journals. There's also a television but nobody sees the point. The volume is so low that you'd have to place your ears literally on the speaker just to hear whispers! Most of the time, students just hang out there to relax or if the librarians are not looking, they take naps. The library's huge but unfortunately it's only full during finals. Go figure.
Catherina made her way to the end of the library. She loved sitting there because people can barely see her. She can do her work in peace. Catherina found a spot and took out her journal where she scribbles random things. Catherina enjoys creative writing like her father. He was the one who got her interested in it when he showed her the first poem he ever wrote to her mom, a fascinatingly meaningful and simple yet sophisticated message. Catherina looked around and saw something that caught her eye. More like someone…it was Harry Styles! He was talking flirtatiously with a senior and it was clear she was taken by his charm. Catherina was slightly disappointed but she did not expect anything from him to begin with. She found herself profoundly gazing on him and mesmerized by his deep emerald eyes. They're beautiful, she thought. Suddenly, Harry turned his attention to her which caused her to look away almost immediately. I hope he didn't see me. I hope he didn't see me. She chanted to herself. But to her dismay, he saw her and was making his way towards her. He thought she was cute and amusing, and to some extent, weird. He chuckled.
"Hello there," Harry addressed her.
"Oh, hi," Catherina replied awkwardly.
"I'm Harry," he introduced himself, which was hardly relevant because almost everyone in this school knows who he was.
"I know," she giggled.
"Can I join you?" he asked. Catherina nodded. Harry sat beside her, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable but she thought it won't take long, he's not gonna stay forever.
"What are you working on?" He asked.
"Nothing really. Just a bunch of self notes," she answered candidly.
Harry flashed his blinding one hundred watts smile. Then made his move and brushed Catherina's shoulder, catching her by surprise.
"I was wondering if you'd like to grab a bite to eat." He offered touching her knee.
What is he doing? She thought in disgust. He was literally feeling her up. Who does he think he is? God's gift to women? She ranted on in her head in anger. He was just flirting with that senior, now he's flirting with her. Catherina turned her head, catching a glimpse of the senior who looked rather disheartened but still waiting for Harry to come back. Why would she stick around? Can't she see that he is just playing with her? He might be rich and famous but no girl deserves to be treated that way. She pitied the girl.
"I'm sorry but I'm busy," she said, hiding her disgust.
"Maybe some other time," Harry grinned.
"No, I'm sorry but I'm awfully busy," she stressed and got up to leave. Harry was taken aback by Catherina's reaction towards him. He had never been turned down by any girl ever since he got famous. He wondered why she rejected him.
"What a jerk," she mumbled as she left the library.
Catherina's POV
Oh my god. What a serious jerk! I felt like punching him straight in the face! Third period just ended and I found out that One Direction has officially left the building. I have to admit they are cute but if all of them equaled Harry Styles. I'd personally push each and every single one of them off a 50 feet cliff.
As I made my way to Chemistry, I bumped into Sam, short for Samuel. I've had a crush on him since forever. This might sound cheesy but he was the most popular guy in school and he was certainly the hottest. His golden hazel eyes were magnificent and his smile is the kind that could make you heart melt in an instant. One Direction couldn't compete with him no matter how hard they try. But the one thing I love most about him is his genuine kindness towards others.
We're pretty tight. I tell him almost everything kind of like how best friends do. We spend some nights together in his room, some in mine, talking for hours or watching movies. Did I mention he lives next door? Ah, the boy next door…totally dreamy. We spend so much time together and we know almost everything about each other like I know he hates cheese but he still eats mozzarella. I know how he's terrified of bugs. I remember this one time, we were hanging out by the lake and a ladybug flew across his face. He jumped and ran 4 feet away like a little girl. His expression was priceless. If only I had my phone with me. I could have caught it on tape! Now that would be awesome. Anyway as I was saying, we know lots about each other. You'd think we were a couple.
But unfortunately for me, I was stuck in the friend zone. Boo.
"Hi, Cat. Off to Chemistry Lab?" Sam made conversation.
"Yeah, wanna go together?" I asked since he was in the same class.
"Nah, I'm headed to see the headmistress," he said showing his hall pass, "apparently, she has something important to discuss with me."
That's unsurprising. Sam is the student body president. Students and teachers adored him. He is responsible, trustworthy, reliable, athletic, and incredible handsome. No one had trouble communicating with him; he is soft spoken yet very strict. He is near to perfect. But he isn't always like this. When we were kids, around 3rd grade, Sam was considered a shy kid. He usually follows me around like a puppy, trying his best to fit in. He didn't mind hanging around my crowd, they eventually accepted him as their friend and everything started to escalate from there and puberty definitely helped. Although he has grown out of his awkward stage, sometimes I miss my 'puppy'.
"Ok. I'll see you later," I smiled hopefully.
"You bet." He confirmed with confidence and not to mention a gorgeous smile.
The class started with Mr. Stevenson lecturing us on how terrible own previous pop quizzes were. I was great at most subject but Chemistry was definitely not my strongest point. Then he turned his disapproving expression to me. Oh no, not good.
"Ms. Simmons, your grades just keeps…" Mr. Stevenson began when he was interrupted by Sam as he entered the lab.
"Ah, Mr. Reese. So nice of you to join us. Please take your seat," Mr. Stevenson told him. Sam nodded and apologized for being late. To be honest, he didn't have to do that. Mr. Stevenson knew where he was and trusts him. He was the teacher's pet. His pop quiz grades were up top. Mine however…
"As I was saying, Ms. Simmons, you're grades are slipping. You need to get someone to tutor you," he continued. I looked helplessly at Sam. He smirked playfully at me and I reply with a pout.
"I have the perfect candidate to tutor you," Mr. Stevenson said looking proudly at Sam.
"But you'll have to ask him yourself. I understand he is often busy?" Mr. Stevenson queried. Sam nodded at him with a smile. Then, he beamed at me mischievously. He was teasing me! Sometimes I can't believe this is the guy teachers' trust the most. I stuck my tongue out at him once Mr. Stevenson wasn't watching us.
Although I hate the fact that I had to work extra on Chemistry, I am secretly glad I got to spend more time with Sam. After class ended with another disastrous experiment, I went up to Sam.
"So…," I began.
"So?" He smirked, knowing what I was going to ask him. I couldn't get the words out. I hated asking for his help because he likes to tease me with ever chance he gets and this is one of them.
"Why are you here, Catherina?" He loves calling me 'Catherina' whenever he's making fun of me. I kind of like it but it always makes me blush.
"Oh, you know why!" I snapped, irritated.
"No, no, I do not," he proclaimed with ignorance.
"I was hoping you could tutor me," I mumbled timidly.
"What was that?" He grinned as he brought his ear close to my face. Bad move, Sam. I smirked.
"I was hoping you could tutor me!" I shouted in his ear causing him to flinch.
"Ow." I heard him whine.
"Serves you right," I laughed.
"Oh, you are so gonna get it," he declared. I knew what he was going to do. Every time we fought, he'd always win because he knows I'm ticklish.
"You wouldn't," I warned. He smiled teasingly as he took a step towards me. I quickly made a run for it. He laughed at my sudden move, "You can run but you can't hide," he announced.
"I can try," I shouted back, still running, making my way to the cafeteria for fifth period lunch. I saw Yvonne and Annabelle calling me from our table. We always sit at the same spot during lunch.
"Hey, guys," I said when I finally reached our table. I noticed that they've gotten their lunches. Then, I realized I was awfully hungry, my mind went blank with delicious aromas of freshly baked buns coming from Yvonne's lunch tray. I was literally staring at it and I could have sworn I saw my friends eyeballing me. They looked a bit freaked out. Can't say I blame them. I drooled over the buns like a mindless zombie.
"Cat, Cat," Erin, a friend of mine, called worriedly.
"What?" I recovered before apologizing, "Sorry. I'm kinda starving," I said sheepishly. My friends shook their head disapprovingly and laughed at me.
Suddenly, "Got cha!" Someone wrapped his arms around my waist and swung me around.
"Hey!" I protested, trying my best to release myself but to no avail. Then, he stopped, still not letting go of me.
"Told you, you couldn't hide from me," he whispered to me.
"Sam!" I cried out, worried of what he was going to do next. Sam freed me from his grasp. I turned myself to see him grinning at me. "You got lucky," he said humorously. I understood and felt completely relieved. Although I so desperately wanted to get back at him right then and there, I was too afraid he might start tickling me.
"You two are so clueless," I thought I heard Yvonne say after Sam left.
Yvonne's POV
After lunch, I went to my locker to get my English textbook. My locker was a mess. I'm the kind of girl that is very punctual and serious but when it comes to organizing things, I suck. As I proceeded to class, I saw juniors and seniors running along the hallways, chatting amongst one another, laughing, and fooling around. I guess juniors or seniors; we're quite similar, still incredibly silly. Then I heard someone calling me, "Hey, Yvonne. Wait up!"
I turned around and saw Jake, my boyfriend, waving at me. I waved back as I waited for him to approach me. "Hey, what's up?" I smiled.
"Well, I was hoping we could catch a movie tonight. There's this awesome action sci-fi premiere at 8!" he said excitedly. He loves sci-fi's and going to comic book conventions. He'll usually drag me into it. I'm not exactly a fan but I don't mind. I love seeing him like this. It's so adorable.
"Sure," I laughed at him. "Great!" he announced, quite loudly I might add. I chuckled softly at his enthusiasm. The excitement suddenly wore off. He started straightening his uniform before asking me if he could walk me to class in the most romantic way possible, at least to him. He was funny that way. He can be an excited 5-year-old one minute and a complete macho man the next.
"Why, yes. It would be an honor, my dear sir," I said in my 18th century ladylike expression which made him laugh. Ok, that was a bit tacky but what the heck? He carried my books and held my hand firmly as we walked down the hallway.
When we finally reached the classroom, I felt a bit reluctant to let go but I knew he had somewhere to be. He looked around to make sure it was clear and gave me a light kiss on the lip. He didn't' want anyone to see us because they love to make a fuss about it. We've been dating for nearly four months now and our friends knew but they still like making fun of us because according to them, 'it's fun teasing you and Jake. You both just look so cute when you're shy!' I rolled my eyes at the thought. My friends are so nosy sometimes but truthfully, I was from top to bottom happy.
3.15 p.m.
The school bell rang indicating that school was over for the day. Some students headed to their lockers, some home, some stayed back for curricular activities. Catherina and Yvonne made their way to Catherina's car while Annabelle waited for her father.
"Hey, Anna. You sure you don't want a ride home?" Catherina offered her friend, "I mean, it's really no problem."
Annabelle's father likes to insist on picking up his daughter. He is often busy so it's his way of telling her he cares. They do spend time with each other and Mr. Ames is a family man. Although he is extremely busy, he still finds a way to take a week off every year for a family vacation. Annabelle knew that about her father and she loves and admires him for it which made her decline Catherina's offer.
"Where's Clarissa?" Yvonne asked looking at her wristwatch. They have been waiting for her for 10 minutes.
"I don't know but she is so in trouble," Catherina said, annoyed by her sister's lack of punctuality as she speed dialed Clarissa. Catherina eye searched her sister and saw Clarissa running from afar. She then apologizes and said she had left her water bottle in class but Catherina knew she was lying. Her sister never bought a water bottle to school, not even during the marathon. But since her sister was not harmed in any way, Catherina decided to overlook it. Along the way home, they listened to Catherina's favorite band, Airhead. They have a funny name but it doesn't mean they're any less of a band. Catherina dropped Yvonne off and drove straight home. Clarissa had been texting the whole time and her older sister noticed her giggling and smiling like a total simpleton, and Catherina had a pretty good idea why.
Once they reached home, Catherina immediately went to her room. After taking a hot bath, she went downstairs and saw Clarissa eating a baloney sandwich prepared by their nanny, Renee. Renee has been with the family ever since Catherina was two years old; she helped Mr. and Mrs. Simmons take care of the kids while they're at work during the day. She was part of the family. Catherina and Clarissa love her and confide in her with their problems. Renee has a girlfriend, Elena, and they live together at an apartment nearby. The kids have had multiple visits. The apartment is enormous and very elegant. Elena works as a very successful and demanded attorney and Renee is also paid a considerably huge sum of money by the Simmons so it's no wonder they could afford such a great place. Renee and Elena have an adopted son a year older than Clarissa named Max. They practically grew up together and were best of friends. Max hangs out at their house whenever Renee babysits during weekdays. He's like a middle kid in the Simmons household.
"Maxine! Where have you been? We miss you," Catherina teased Max and started to squeeze him. Max hasn't been around lately. He's been practicing for his martial arts tournament. His skills are one to be marveled at. Catherina describes it as amazingly awesome. He once did a martial arts performance at his school. His friends recorded it and uploaded it on Youtube. It gained almost 500,000 views in a day!
He was eating a sandwich next to Clarissa and tried his best to free himself from Catherina's embrace. "Catherina, let go of me!" Max says, annoyed with her. "And my name is not Maxine!" finally liberating himself from her.
"Aww, come on. Is that any way to treat a friend?" Catherina clutched her chest, appearing to feel hurt. Max ignored his crazy friend and continued enjoying his sandwich. Catherina laughed at Max's expression while grabbing herself some orange juice from the refrigerator.
Sam's POV
Damn. I'm glad that's over. I just had a school body board meeting and it was exhausting. Can you imagine sitting in a meeting where you have to listen to people talk and talk and talk?! I was going out of my mind! Not to mention the fact that I haven't eaten lunch and it was already 4 p.m. As I drove along the road, I could feel the pleasant air gliding on my face but I was too tired and irritated to appreciate it. So I turned on the radio and Coldplay was on. I finally reached home and as I walked to the front porch, I saw Cat looking through a window in her room. What is she doing? I wondered to myself. Despite being tired, I still noticed her long silky black hair complimenting her fair complexion. I can't get over how cheerful and wonderful she was. She's so full of love and humble and awkward! I still remember when she got one of my train toys tangled up in her hair. We had to cut it off! She looked weird for months. I would burst out laughing whenever I thought about it.
Then she looked down and I stopped staring at her abruptly. I was embarrassed and desperately hoping she didn't see me do that. She started waving at me like a hyper 6-year-old girl and told me to wait as she's come over later. I could only laugh and nod to her request.
After freshening up, I went straight down and waited for her as I ate a huge plate of spaghetti. I watched TV while eating and suddenly realize it was my 3rd plate. I was full and extremely grateful to have eaten something today. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. As expected, it was Cat.
"Hi," she said with an enormous smile on her face. I could just reply back with a "Hey" but I just can't bring myself to let it go. As disturbing as it may sound, I found great joy in teasing her in almost everything. One of the reasons being, it always drives her mad! And that amuses me.
"Someone's chirpy," I said, rolling my eyes. It made her crinkle her nose a bit. That's adorable, I thought.
"So what if I am? It's not my fault you're cranky," she frowned. I have no idea if this is reflex but I automatically placed my thumb in between her eyebrows to tell her to relax; like I always do but this time was different. The moment I touched her, I felt something strange. Her face was so close to mine, I almost leaned in for a kiss but I stopped. I felt so awkward. Luckily, she didn't think of it as foul play. She smiled and went to the kitchen. I rolled my eyes.
"Don't you have food in you OWN house?" I scoffed when I saw her head stuck to my fridge. Honestly, sometimes I think she's a total pig! She eats a portion suited for a jock. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating but it doesn't change the fact that the girl eats a lot.
"Heh," she shrugged as heated a plate of black pepper chicken chop with a side of French fries, coleslaw, sweet corn, a ham stuffed sandwich, and some garlic bread in the microwave oven. Now do you believe me?
"You're gonna get fat," I sighed, stating the obvious.
"No, I'm not. I exercise," she proclaimed proudly. To this, I laughed out loud. For the past 8 years since I've known her, not once have I seen her exercise. Heck, she doesn't even jog! She has the stamina of a person with obesity.
"What?!" she demanded angrily.
"You? Exercise? I'd pay to see that," I laughed like a maniac. I might have upsetted her a bit and I wanted to apologize but chose not to after she pushed me off my chair. I was now on the floor, shocked. My left hand broke my fall. I looked up to see her laughing at my face. Although my hand was fine, it still hurt…a lot!
"hahahahahaha," she laughed maniacally, pointing her finger at me, indicating how stupid I was for letting my guard down. I took this as a chance for payback. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to the floor; she landed directly on my chest. "Ow," I heard her whine. I smiled pompously knowing I had the last laugh. Although it was fun to get back at her, I was still worried if she had gotten hurt because she just rested her head on my chest quietly. Usually she would have gotten up, act all furious and stomp her way to the living room. At first, I didn't want to say anything because it felt good. I could feel the warmth of her breath, her body on top of me. I wanted to hug her tight but I was afraid she'd push me away.
"Hey, are you ok?" I asked, tilting my head up a bit. She looked up to me and nodded. She looked so beautiful and innocent, like someone who needed my constant protection. I lost myself in her hazel brown eyes for a minute. Then I realize we've been on the floor for almost 5 minutes. I held her in my arms as I brought us both in a sitting position, facing each other. I thought she was going to hit me but instead she smiled. A wave of her sweet fragrant lavender perfume washed over me. I closed my eyes momentarily to enjoy it and smiled.
Have you ever heard of the quote "The moment you least expect it, expect it"? Well, all I can say is expect it. Cat got up on her foot, bent down and punched my shoulder!
My eyes widen by her actions, "What the hell was that?!" I shouted, rubbing my bruised shoulder. She smiled, widely I might add, and dashed out of the room. I chuckled and shook my head as it was hard to wrap my head around what she had done. "You're an odd girl. You know that?" I whispered to myself.
I got up, straighten my shirt and went into the living room. The television was on and Cat was laying on her right side like a couch potato with her legs curled up. She was flicking the remote control. She looks comfortable, I thought sarcastically as I came to join her. I rested my head on the headrest, exhausted and sleepy. Cat was watching a kid TV show and in the mist of all that 'excitement', I fell asleep.
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