•<The beginning.02>•

'Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs
            With the boom box blaring as
                     we're falling in love
I got a bottle of whatever, but it's gettin'
                                us drunk
        Singing here's to never growing up..'
•
Avril Lavigne

•<>•

Walking hastily without paying attention to my surroundings, I inadvertently collide with someone. As I swiftly raise my gaze, a sigh of relief escapes my lips upon seeing Key standing in front of me looking at me with concern etched on her face.

"Are you okay?" Key engulfs my arms firmly as furrows appear on her forehead.

Upon clearing my throat, I reply with a faint 'yes.'

"You sure?" She lifts an eyebrow, her gaze still searching for answers in mine.

"Yeah, I am," I reassure her as I gently massage my forehead to ease the pain.

After a while of remaining silent, meticulously analyzing me, and yet not finding anything, she gives up. Finally. Her prying eyes are always unsettling it's hard to keep most things hidden from her.

Always trying to be the mama bear in the group despite being a few months younger than me and a few months older than Autumn.

"Okay? By the way, I have something to show you, oh my you're gonna love it." She squeaks and drags me to the kitchen in the bat of an eye.

Upon reaching the kitchen, she lets go of my hand and grabs two cups from the counter.

I'm standing a few feet apart from her, quietly watching as she selects a bottle of wine and cream soda while I remain perplexed by the situation.

"What are you doing?" I finally let the words that have been so tense on my tongue roll out of my mouth as I fold my arms over my chest.

When she's done mixing Malibu and cream soda in one cup, she lifts the cup and brings it to my face. "Here, try it." She offers.

When she notices how hesitant I am about this, she adds, "It's not harmful," she rolls her eyes and exhales sharply from her nostrils, "I've tried it, and trust me, you're gonna love it."

Reluctantly, I dip the tip of my tongue into the drink before taking a sip and surprisingly, it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

"See! I told you — you would love it." A warm and radiant smile graces her face, revealing her flawless pearl-white teeth.

"H-how did you come up with this cocktail?" I question as the savoring taste lingers on my tongue.

Immediately, she begins enthusiastically sharing details about it — her voice infused with excitement as if she's discussing an extraordinary revelation that no one could have conceived before.

Amid the conversation, my mind drifts away from her unending chatter and lands on the one person I walked away from minutes ago.

Seeing him standing across the room, leaning against the wall as he's talking to his friend captures my whole being instantaneously.

I wouldn't say he has my heart racing, but something about his pure smile has me feeling some kind of way, some kind of fascination I can't put my hand on.

"Hey!" Key's voice pulls me out of my trance and prompts me to dart my eyes to her in New York time.

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?" Lines of concern emerge between her eyebrows — her gaze momentarily distant as it explores me, delving deeper into my eyes until she finds the focus of my attention throughout this entire period of following my gaze.

Dragging her eyes back to me, her lips pull into a wicked grin and her eyes are glinting. Some sort of  'I caught you in the act' flashes in her golden brown eyes, a tease if I may say and I know this is not even the beginning.

I'm screwed!

"So who is he?" She asks excitedly with a devilish grin etched on her face.

"N-no one." I stutter as I turn my eyes in every direction but hers.

I'm a terrible liar.

Knowing all that I've been through in my previous relationship, Autumn and Key have gone above and beyond just to help me recover. It's been almost a year now and still, my heart aches at the thought of it, at the thought of how everything changed in a heartbeat. Maybe things didn't change in a heartbeat, maybe the change was happening gradually and I just didn't notice it.

Getting back into the dating world hasn't been easy, it's not like I'm trying anyway. However, Key and Autumn have been so determined to link me up with guys, a hookup, or basically anything that wouldn't make me feel like I'm missing out and watching life pass me by.

"Mal," she presses as she folds her arms over her chest, her inquisitive eyes never leaving me and the torturous linger causes my tongue to loosen up.

Upon darting my tongue out to wet my lips, I emit a warm breath of air from my lungs through my parted lips and shrug my shoulders slightly, "I'm being honest, however, I was talking to him seconds before I ran into you."

"And?" She grins and that mischievous look flashes in her eyes.

"Well, I don't know if it's just me but I think he umm..." I stall — searching for the right words to formulate my sentence without making it look like I'm already jumping to conclusions.

"What?" She asserts, her eyes widening with impatience while her smile gradually fades — morphing into an expression of confusion.

"I think he wanted to kiss me." My eyebrows furrow in uncertainty as I continue to flit my eyes side to side across the pristine marble floor.

Her jaw drops, and she stands still, looking at me while trying to process what I've said to her.

"What makes you think so?" She questions as she flits her eyes between mine.

"'Cause he tucked my hair behind my ear, cupped my face, and started leaning in while still dragging his eyes between mine and my lips."

Aren't those the obvious signs?

Reverting my eyes to her, I come face to face with that devilish grin again, gently stretching the corners of her mouth into a wide smile that's tugging from ear to ear.

"Well, what did you do?" her brows shoot up, "Did you two kiss?" She squeaks, her lips tugging from ear to ear like a bookworm that is deeply engrossed in a romantic novel and is impatiently waiting for that erotic part they're always anticipating.

"No," I pause, "I-I walked away."

"Why?!" Her eyes flit in between mine, trying to read my mind like always as her forehead creases.

After a couple of failed attempts of setting me up on dates with a couple of guys, and creating accounts for me on different dating websites including Plenty of Fish and Tinder, they've both given up and sat back while hoping that I will not lose my sex drive while waiting for my Mr. Right.

I don't think POF and Tinder are the best places to meet my Mr. Right, so I'd rather be locked up in my room dreaming about the fictional characters I read about in books.

"I don't know, my reflex I guess," I reply with a surge of doubt and embarrassment laced in my voice as I bite the inside of my cheek.

"But you would have loved to kiss him, wouldn't you?" She presses while still holding my eyes with hers.

Will she ever stop interrogating me?!

I walk to the other side of the room and rinse my glass. Luckily enough, only a few people are roaming around and it's not like they're paying attention to this endless conversation anyway, and besides, Avril Lavigne's song Here's To Never Growing Up playing in the background is loud enough to mute this conversation.

"I don't know, maybe, maybe not," I reply as I return to my position.

"You would," she smiles, "I can tell by the look in your eyes, look at you," she narrows her eyes, tracing my line of sight before returning her gaze to me, "You can't even tear your gaze away from him."

She takes a step closer and engulfs my arms, locking my gaze with hers, "Look," she says firmly, "I don't want you to leave this place with regrets and wonders of what could have been. This may or may not be a one-time thing but I'd rather you give it a shot. If he's captured your attention this much, it's best to give it a try."

I wouldn't say he's completely captured my attention, but I'm quite fascinated by him. How he talked about life, his remarkable calmness that made me feel secure, the captivating sparkle in his golden eyes with each step closer, and the surge of warmth that coursed through me when he stood mere inches away...

Why am I still thinking about that? Why do I want to feel that again?! I don't even know his name for goodness sake!

Reverting my green eyes to her, she presses her lips into a thin line and nods her head slowly — urging me to talk to him.

Following my eyes, we both fall into a state of confusion when our eyes land on unfamiliar faces.

"He's not there anymore so I guess..." I utter with a hint of relief woven into my voice — thanking my lucky star for not putting me through another embarrassing situation. He seemed so cool, and so out of my league that I wouldn't have been able to converse with him without stumbling on my words or choking on my own breath.

"There he is, up the stairs!" She points, her eyes and smile both expanding with enthusiasm.

You couldn't keep your wandering eyes still, could you?

"You really think I should do this?" I nervously nibble the skin on my lower lip — anxiously anticipating her confirmation.

She nods vigorously, her dreadlocks dancing along, "What are you waiting for, go on." She dismisses me as if she's grown tired of my presence and simply desires solitude.

Exhaling a quiet sigh, I gently shake my hands to release built-up tension before ascending the staircase that will either lead me to a disastrous evening or an exhilarating one.

•<<<>>>•

After opening a couple of doors that I wish I could have not bothered to open, I find myself standing in front of one. I feel my heart racing faster than before, my hands are all sweaty and my mind's at war.

Hope I won't find myself in another awkward moment, I've seen way too many inappropriate things for the night.

I take a deep breath as I stand nervously before a door that I'm not sure I want to open after opening a few doors that I'm regretting; I let out another deep breath from my lips and grip the door handle.

Do I have to do this? But talking to him once more wouldn't hurt, would it?

Upon opening the door as slow as a turtle, I pinch my eyes shut — anticipating to hear those disturbing sounds again, however, I don't, it's simply quiet and the moment I open my eyes, a subtle smile touches my lips for a split second.

"You can come in," he says while his back is turned to me. He's sitting still on the edge of the bed and staring at the plain wall.

"How did you know it was me?" I ask softly as I close the door behind me and enter the dimly lit room.

"I didn't," he turns his head to me, "I figured whoever opened this door and chose not to come in, must have needed something in this room but couldn't say it."

Upon turning his whole body and attention to me, he curves his lips into a subtle, yet welcoming smile, "It's nice to see you again, didn't think it would happen again, especially in this short period."

After scratching the back of my head briefly, I take a few steps closer to where he's sitting, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened earlier."

He lets out a soft chuckle, causing his dimples to carve deep into his cheeks, "You came here just to tell me that?"

"No, umm," I emit a nervous chuckle, "It's not like I've been looking for you just to tell you that."

"You've been looking for me?" His voice lowers and it's sultry.

Oh my...

"No," I reply -- sounding so defensive. "I uh.." As I survey my surroundings, my gaze sweeps across the room, searching for any potential excuse for my presence here, and eventually, my eyes settle upon an electrical socket. Perfect! "I've been looking for a socket," a nervous chuckle infused with words leaves my lips, "Phone batteries right? Always draining as fast as our bank accounts."

He directs a brief, doubtful, and somewhat astonished glance in my direction before he begins to speak, "You're a terrible liar. First, it was the cough, and now this," upon heaving a sigh, he adds, "But I'll play pretend and go with whatever you say, you're quite intriguing and amusing. I like it."

I can feel embarrassment flushing my cheeks, but I pray it hasn't transformed them into a deep crimson hue. Seated next to him, I intertwine my fingers and discreetly tuck them between my thighs, concealing the nervousness surging within me.

"You don't have to do that around me." He utters as his eyes travel to my hands.

A faint 'what' escapes my lips as I avert my gaze from him — attempting to conceal the shyness and nervousness that is betraying me through my eyes and cheeks.

"That, being uncomfortable around me. I don't bite," he says firmly, "But maybe you may come in handy someday," he says thoughtfully and all I can do is look at him perplexed.

What is he talking about? Is he a vampire? But vampires don't exist, right? Or maybe they do? Is this the part where I should run away?

"Are your kidneys healthy?" he utters, "I might need them someday, somebody's been asking for kidneys on the black market, they might as well make me rich," he mumbles on the last part as he darts his eyes to his nails as if he's checking them out. His nonchalant expression induces fear inside me as the beating of my heart quickens in response to his words.

Yeah, I gotta run! I'm not about to have my kidneys cut out of me.

When he notices the fear evident on my face and the paralyzing effect his words have had on me, he lets out a chuckle as a tinge of satisfaction flickers in his eyes — knowing he has successfully frightened me, "Relax, I'm just playing witchu."

Unconvinced, I sit still like a statue — too numb to move a muscle and too taken aback to speak.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd take me seriously," he says sincerely, "If it will put you at ease, you can ask Clayton about me, he's my cousin."

"Clayton is your cousin?" I finally speak up after what felt like an eternity of being mute.

He simply hums as he nods his head briefly.

"Okay, I guess I should text my girlfriends to inform them about where to look first in case I go missing," I retort and he throws his head back laughing at my witty reply — appreciating my clever comeback.

"I'm glad we met," he utters, taking a deep breath while his outstretched hands find a resting place behind his back on the bed, "Coming here, I was quite reluctant knowing how foreign this type of environment is to me. Everybody here seems so, so full of life, so well-put together, you know."

"Right," I reply — agreeing with him.

Surrounded by the school's elite, I felt an overwhelming sense of intimidation, I didn't know how I was going to manage to endure the night.

As I gradually raise my gaze to meet his, I find him initially staring at the vacant wall, only to swiftly redirect his attention toward me.

Silence sips in I can hear my heart beating harder than a snare drum — torturing my ears like a bug flying around my head it won't go away. "So, what are your plans after school?" I inquire cautiously. Mindful of his earlier concerns about life after school, I can't help but feel regretful for bringing up this emotionally weighty subject, I wish I could bury my head in the sand right now.

Well done Mal, well done.

"I'd rather...we talk about something else if you don't mind." He replies with a hint of sadness laced in his voice.

As he turns his head toward me, a gleam of brightness fills his eyes— signaling the departure of the sadness that lingered for a while and its replacement with happiness, "You didn't tell me what you do when you're not bored," he says — the smoothness of his voice flowing past his lips is as soft as silk.

Upon taking a deep breath, I reply, "Well, I go for walks especially when the sun is setting, I solve puzzles from time to time and I read, a lot of books."

"What kind of books?" He inquires. He's listening attentively and gazing at me in admiration, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his mesmerizing eyes are revealing his hidden attraction towards me.

"Mystery, romance."

"So I suppose you have high expectations when it comes to romance?"

"Huh?" I dart my eyes at him -- taken aback by his response.

"You've been so soaked up reading romance novels that you expect your love story to be as good as something out of a fictional book."

With a slight shake of my head, I let out a gentle, hushed utterance from my parted lips, "I don't expect it to be as good and perfect as a love story out of a novel."

"Really?" Curiosity and fascination spark within his eyes of golden brown.

Stay strong my heart. You can get through this conversation without fluttering.

I shake my head again — unable to look at him.

"Not even the erotic parts?" he says — his voice so sultry that it ignites a spark within me and nearly sets my heart on fire.

Upon clenching my hands into a fist between my thighs in an attempt to conceal the spark he's awakened within me, I flit my eyes to him only for a split second before fixing my gaze on the floor.

"No," a faint voice rips out of my chest as I shake my head -- matching my reply.

He then chuckles softly and incredulously — his burning gaze never leaving me, "So you wouldn't want to have any of what's written in those erotic parts done to you?"

Why is he asking me this out of all the questions? Is this what people think about bookworms? That all we want is to have our backs pinned against the wall in a choke hold as the alpha male slowly and painfully teases our skin with his burning touch while plastering open-mouthed kisses on our necks till we plead for mercy? Huh, please.

However...

"No." I lie, again.

"Your eyes are telling me something different." His gaze lingers — his eyes delving deep into mine, causing a twisting sensation within me. A moment later, he brings his hand to my face at a leisurely pace and gently captures my chin between his thumb and index finger.

A spark of lust shoots through me, sending shockwaves of unwanted pleasure to my poor heart and throbbing center between my legs as he feathers the pad of his thumb against my bottom lip.

His eyes continuously shift, moving between my eyes and my lips. My heart is pounding so vigorously within my ribcage that it feels as though it might break free, and my skin tingles at the warmth of his tender touch.

"So you wouldn't want," he pauses as he drags his eyes to my lips, "This to be done to you?" he says as he starts leaning in.

Unable to utter a word, I sit still under his spell. My brain is too scrambled to think straight and my body's tingling from his gentle touch and our proximity.

"Or this?" He leans closer, the sweetness of his words dripping past his lips like honey. When he's a breath apart, he emits a soft warm breath that ghosts over my lips and nearly suffocates my senses.

I'm in trouble!

When I don't answer, he proceeds to scramble my brain with his moves. He's taking his time, savoring this moment before pressing his lips on mine tenderly — claiming them with so much passion as he folds his lips over mine repeatedly, and all my heart can do is to do backflips over and over again as my mind goes haywire while crickets sing melodies above my head.

I swear I can hear them singing.

When he pulls away from the passionate kiss — parting his gentle lips from mine, the heat that consumed my body is suddenly replaced with cold air while I silently hope that he'll continue.

Is this what I've been missing out?

"You don't have to deny something you know you want, there's nothing wrong with wanting something beautiful," he says calmly as he flits his eyes between mine.

"You're sweet," he says, presumably not aware of his words — until now, "I mean as a person, you seem so kind, gentle and so pleasant to be around. N- Not that the kiss was not sweet, don't get me wrong," he stutters, "Your lips are amazing. I can only imagine how much money I'll make from them on the black market," he quips — prompting me to look at him with fear skating in my eyes.

"Still falling for it, huh?" he chuckles softly. His once playful expression gradually gives way to a serious demeanor. Familiar with this tendency, from my father, I gulp nervously, my gaze remaining fixed upon him while I wait for him to say something very serious.

"As unrealistic as some books portray the main male characters, know that some of those fictional male characters you read about in books exist in the real world. They may not check all your boxes but, good men do exist, it's just a matter of putting yourself out there," he exhales a sharp breath and proceeds to speak, "Disappointments, heartbreaks, they're likely to happen, it's part of growing up emotionally, and like Rita Ora said in her song Grateful, you have to experience the storm to appreciate the sun."

Touched by his words, I smile at him — without words, thanking him for this mini heart-touching lecture and appreciating his presence at this party.

The heartwarming moment persists, with our eyes conveying sentiments our hearts have silently cherished. It feels as if I've known him for ages it's remarkable how deeply connected I feel to him in such a short time.

How can this be?

They say that everybody we meet has something to teach us, good or bad; some teach us how to walk in a thornless rose garden, while some teach us how to survive in a thorn bush while walking through it, and tonight, I've learned the latter from a stranger.

While our gazes remain locked, fully immersed in this moment, his phone chimes — prompting him to draw his attention to the screen.

"I have to go," he suddenly says in a state of panic.

Scrunching my brows in utter confusion I ask him what's wrong.

"Clayton has passed out from alcohol and we need to take him to the hospital," he replies with a trace of fear and worry laced in his voice as he leaps out of his seat.

He follows it up with a remorseful expression, repeatedly apologizing before hurriedly giving me a peck on the cheek and dashing out the door, leaving me in complete silence and without a name.

                                AN
What are your thoughts about Mallory's interaction with the stranger? Should we ship them? Not so fast, I have a lot of surprises that are yet to come!🙃

✨I'd like to get to know you briefly but you can skip this question if you want to.

- What are your favorite beverage/food combinations? (I'm yet to discover mine.)
- And also, what's your favorite hobby? (Mine is singing🎤)✨

                                   ***
Thank you so much for getting this far, much appreciated. Don't forget to vote, comment and share. It'd really be nice to hear from you and your honest opinions/thoughts about the story.
🧡🤎