Chapter Sixteen

All the way back to the dorms Adrian held Sydney's hand the entire time back, not just because he was helping her run through the forest away from the teachers and making sure she didn't trip but because he didn't want to let go of her, and she didn't want to let go of him. When they finally got back to the dorms without being caught, Adrian realised that Mason, along with everyone else, had been watching so spent five minutes running after the guys and only managed to punch Mason and Eddie. Christian manage to slip several punches and just ended up getting a high-five, while Dimitri managed to hug Adrian and give him a strong bear hug.

Rose, Lissa and Jill congratulated Sydney for finally having her first kiss, making the young scientist blush violently and catching Adrian's attention.

"So are you guys going out now?"

"Well, if Sydney wants to." She turned to see Adrian walk next to her, smiling down. "I want to go out with her. But I would understand if you don't want to just-"

"I want to go out with you." Everyone looked pretty shocked at how Sydney interrupted Adrian and said it so boldly. "I do. I want to be your girlfriend." Rose and Jill squealed loudly while Lissa felt as though she could faint.

By the time they all got up in the dorms, Lissa and Rose walked into their room to see the time was only twelve. But all the girls were tired so they decided to go to bed. Rose and Jill hugged Mason, Eddie and Dimitri while Lissa and Christian shared a kiss. Sydney hugged Adrian, moving into his chest and hearing his steady heartbeat.

"See you in the morning."

"Have a good night." Adrian kissed her on the forehead and released his grip from her body, watching her walk into her bedroom with Jill. "What now you guys?"

"Now, we go into your room and chill out."

"Why my room?"

"Why not?"

When they walked into Adrian's room they took a while to look at all his paintings. A couple of pieces were for school work which included a painting of Jill that Tasha wanted for their homework, a painting of the group that had the photograph attached in the corner and a painting of the classroom that he and Jill have their lessons in. There was also the painting that Adrian promised Dimitri, a couple of random pieces that looked like paint was thrown onto the canvas and there was the uncompleted one of the drawing Adrian had done at the park.

Christian liked one of the random pieces and asked if he could also have it, so it was agreed that Adrian would come by in the morning and help them put the paintings up in their room as the paint of Dimitri's painting was now completely dry. Mason and Dimitri were just impressed with all of his work, and Eddie was admiring the portrait of Jill.

"If I didn't have to hand that into Miss Ozera, I would had given it to you."

"What?"

"Just ask her out mate, she's into you as well."

"Says the guy who can't ask Rose out."

"Hey, I would ask her out but she's into someone else." Mason glanced at Dimitri, for an awkward tension to fill the air. Dimitri cleared his throat.

"Well...even if she did ask me out I would reject her..." The guys stared at him, slightly confused. Dimitri went red in the cheeks. "I already have someone I like."

"Seriously?" Adrian nudged his friend. "Care to share?" Dimitri shook his head. "Oh come on. We want to know."

"Someone in this room won't like to know." The guys all looked at each other before all eyes fell on Christian, who glared at Dimitri.

"It's not Lissa, is it?"

"No! Of course not..." His face went bright red. "It's...your...aunt..."

...

"WHAT?" All the guys looked at Dimitri, shocked at what he said, especially Christian. Dimitri got explaining.

Back in their first year when Jill started taking Art, she asked Dimitri if he could drop by and model for her for one of her pieces. When he went by in the art block he spent some time looking at other work, for Tasha to drop by and ask if he was interested in art. The guys knew that Dimitri did like art but couldn't draw at all, so he told this to Christian's aunt. Jill came along and got Dimitri to sit on a chair while she painted him. Tasha was in the classroom, talking to the pair and laughing with them.

"Jill was nearly done with the painting when Tasha said something that made my heart skip a beat." The redness of Dimitri's face was replaced by a faint pink as he hardly spoke to the guys about stuff like this. "She said 'you've missed out the sparkle in his dark eyes'. I don't know why, but it just got to me. She must had been really focusing on my face to notice fine detail like that, and the thought of her looking at me just makes my heart miss beats." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Not that I can do anything about it. She's not only my friend's aunt but she's also a teacher. I doubt she has feelings for a student like me."

All eyes fell on Christian. To him, the only family he truly had left in his life was Tasha. He had Lissa and his friends who to him were like the brothers and sisters he never had. He knew he couldn't control his aunt's love life, but knowing that one of his closest friends had a school-boy crush on her? He was happy that his friend had a crush on someone, and that his aunt finally had an admirer, but he didn't know how to feel knowing that the crush was on his aunt, and that the admirer was one of his closest friends.

They boys sat in silence for around five minutes. Adrian glanced at Mason and Eddie who were obviously feeling just as awkward as he was. Dimitri was sitting there, with a calm yet embarrassed look on his face. But inside he was completely freaking out, panicking that his friend wouldn't agree to it. Dimitri was seventeen, Tasha was twenty-seven. Ten years was a huge age gap. After a long five minutes all four boys jumped a bit when they heard Christian sigh.

"I can't tell you to stay away from my aunt because we attend a school. And I can't tell you not to like her because no one can control the way they feel about others." Christian looked away from his friends, slightly pink in the cheeks. "Do whatever you want. Tell her that you like her or something. If she rejects you then get over it like a man. If she likes you back...then as long as you don't end up getting my aunt fired you can do whatever the hell you like."

"Really?"

"Don't make me repeat it again!" Christian shot Dimitri a glare. "Just be careful if something happens between you two."

"Wow...thanks Christian."

"Whatever."

"I think you should tell her."

"Yeah totally."

"Let's go find her now!" Adrian placed an arm around Dimitri for his face to burn bright red.

"NO! Not now!"