Nessa was so angry that she couldn't hide the scowl on her expression the next day at school. Her face looked like someone had thrown shit at her.
"You're angry" Aimee figured out.
Glancing down at her friend, she had no choice but to ease up, "I was, until you came my way" she smiled at her.
"Aww, I love you, my avocado" cooed Aimee dramatically.
"Me too, Berry" Replied Nessa, prompting the students passing by to give them weird looks.
Aimee decided it was much more fun calling each other fruit names that comes to mind instead of their real names. Thanks to that, Nessa began researching and came to a startling realization that there were more fruits in this world than one knows.
"So, who put my kiwi in a sour mood?" Aimee finally inquired, escorting her friend to her locker.
Without wasting time, Nessa began to tell her about Luke saving her dog, coming to her place, blah blah, and when she was done, the girl almost screamed her ears off.
"O.M.G!" Jubilated Aimee, almost jumping up and down from happiness.
"Keep your voice down, you're embarrassing me." Nessa jabbed her stomach gently, taking in the way the students were staring at them curiously.
"Come on, this calls for a celebration" Aimee pouted.
Nessa scowled at her "Really? Celebration? When the kiss -"
"What?! You kissed him too?!" Aimee screamed in delight taking the wrong words out of her mouth while attracting gossipy scrutiny from the audience.
"Could you please keep your voice low, I don't want to be the subject of their rumors this morning" Nessa implored, shielding her face from their hawk-like eyes and elephant-like ears while Aimee closed her mouth with her palm shaking from her muffled giggles
"We were about to kiss until some jerk decided that moment to flash his headlight at us" she recollected.
"Wow, that's a total mood crusher" Aimee heaved before flashing her killer smile "But you're so lucky, you get to almost kiss him. I wish to be you" she cooed laying more emphasis on "almost kiss him"
"That would be the second kiss actually" Nessa reminded her.
"Yeah, I know. You're the only girl that gets to kiss Luke in the locker room without having sex"
Nessa rolled her eyes and clarified firmly, "He was the one who kissed me, and what do you mean sex? I - "
"It takes two to tango, apple" Aimee pointed out while Nessa sighed in resignation. It was almost impossible to win against her in an argument.
"Speaking of which," Nessa faced Aimee, "Shouldn't you be angry and jealous of me? You like him too, don't you?"
Aimee gave her a blank expression making Nessa wonder if she had crossed the line.
"Honey," Aimee played with her hair," I want to lick him the way I do to a lollipop not love him, I'm not a lover girl,"
"R-Really?" Nessa croaked, unsure.
"As you already know, I don't do relationship but since you're my girl, I'll take my eyes off your loverboy and move to another target," she said to Nessa, leaving her surprised.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" Nessa joked, giving her an affectionate hug.
"I don't do love but your heart seems unique, so I'll take it," Aimee bent towards her ear and added "Without remainder "
"And here comes your loverboy" she notified her, pulling away from the hug.
Nessa's heart skipped a beat, she turned around and confirmed Luke was really coming in her direction.
"Make sure to make out in the locker room," Aimee added, "And have sex this time," causing her eyes to widen. But before she could speak out, the unreliable friend had zoomed off, leaving her alone with Luke. So much for loyalty.
"Hi, Ness," Luke said, standing right in front of her.
Wow, his voice sounds so sexy, Nessa swoon. Gosh, why was she behaving like a love-starved teenager? Oh right, she was a teenager, but not a love-starved one, point of correction.
"Hi, Luke" she replied, struggling to hide the blush creeping up her face.
"Are you sick?" Luke inquired with concern in his eyes.
She frowned, "S-sick? No, why?"
"Your face is red. By chance, did you catch a cold after seeing me off yesterday?"
"No, no way. My face just gets red sometimes, you know Caucasians " Nessa lied through her teeth. It was obvious that Luke had mistaken her blushing for sickness.
"So, why are you here?" Nessa finally reined in her fluctuating emotions.
"Nothing" He shrugged," Just wanted to check up on you and thank you for yesterday"
A blush attacked Nessa's face once again when she remembered the kissing scene which would have happened if not for that stupid headlight.
"Luke, you don't have to thank me for anything. I should be the one doing so" Nessa insisted.
"How so?" He leaned against her locker with that lopsided grin on his lips.
"I had a good time yesterday thanks to you" she smiled back.
"Fine then, let's call it a tie" He finally compromised after much argument, "Alright, see you around "
"Me too," Nessa waved with a tinge of sadness. What was she even expecting? A kiss or something? Was she crazy? They were not even a couple, why would he kiss her? She felt like banging her head on her locker.
However, Luke hardly took two steps forward when he retraced his steps, stopping to whisper into her ears, "You look sexy when you blush"
Nessa glanced up, shocked. He knew that all along?!
"See you later," He pecked her on the cheek, his lips leaving a tingling sensation in his wake as he left for real this time.
Nessa's heart melted instantly yet she couldn't help but feel sad. This was obviously a game to Luke, the guy doesn't do love and relationship. Maybe it was time she stopped this hopeful delusion of hers that he would change.
Still deep in thought, she turned around with a gloomy expression, Nessa slammed into a wall, no wait, a chest. Whose chest?
Combined with her mood, Nessa was vexed and yelled "Are you blind or ..."
"Hi, Red" Damon waved, flashing his signature irritating smirk. They said a smile is the best makeup one could put on, but this particular makeup was beginning to annoy her.
"Eww" Nessa shut her locker door so hard that it startled her neighbor," Go bother someone else, I'm not in the mood"
"Why?" Damon followed after her, "Santa stole your kiss?" He taunted her on purpose.
Nessa stopped in her tracks, "Would it do you any harm if you stop bothering me for a day?" She awaited his answer but the amusement glinting in his eyes gave her a hint of what to expect.
"Don't you know, Red" he started "I love to tease you" somehow, his words sounded ambiguous.
Anger like never before made its way to Nessa's heart and she clenched her fist so tight that her knuckles turned white.
It would surely feel good to hit him on the face but she had enough enemies already. Though they haven't been bullying her much due to Luke's protectiveness, this asshole here had the resources to make the rest of her school days miserable, plus he looks like someone who holds grudges.
"Then" she spat, "You should know I live to hate you, Damon"
His hand went to his chest dramatically, "I thought you liked me?"
"Keep on deceiving yourself," Nessa glowered at him intensely, "I hate you with every fiber of my being"
For a moment there, Nessa felt bad for saying that especially after seeing a trace of unhappiness flicker across his face, until he added.
"It's great to know that you're invulnerable to my charms, it makes you a good playmate. So, what do you say? Do you want to play with me?"
She was bewildered. Was this boy for real?
"Am I insane?" She retorted, "Why would I?" She questioned him, still not understanding his mood swings. Was he bipolar or something?
"Guess, I have no choice then," Damon said.
"What?" Her brows furrowed in confusion.
But the next she knew, a cold metal was slammed onto her wrist making her flinch as she looked down to notice that the bastard handcuffed her to him.
"What the hell?" She tried shaking it off all to no avail.
"Are you crazy?!" She glared daggers at him, "Give me the key, Damon" she demanded through gritted teeth.
"The key?" He feigned ignorance
"Don't push me to the walls, Damon," Nessa threatened him, her anger on the point of erupting.
"Oh, you mean this?" Damon dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a key that dangled from his grasp
Nessa nodded
"What do you need it for?" Damon intentionally goaded her.
"Hand the key over to me, Damon, if you don't want to know how crazy I can get?" She told him with a low, dangerous tone.
"Really?" Damon was captivated,
"Perhaps, I should show you what craziness looks like"
And before Nessa's watchful eyes, Damon swallowed the key. He crazily devoured the key to her freedom!
"No!!!!"