INTERLUDE I

MIKAYLA

. . .

"Have a great day and be a good girl, okay?" My dad says, looking down at me with those eyes.

"Yeah, bye, bye!" I wave my hand, grinning at him. His eyes follow the movement of my small hand. Well, my hand is very small in front of my Dad's hand.

He smiles back and kisses my forehead. My eyes close for a brief moment before the touch leaves and he gets back into the car, passing me one last smile.

I sigh once the car leaves and walk through the broad stoned pathway that leads to the grand building of my school.

The scent of fresh green leaves meets my senses as I breathe deeply, walking as I hold the straps of my red princess backpack.

On the way, my classmates and those who are not even my classmates greet me. They hover around me like moths, telling me silly things while I enjoy receiving attention.

I deserve it and I know it. After all, I am the brightest student in the school and everybody wants to be my friend.

Flipping my pigtail behind my shoulder, I look straight with my head raised high, and there, my eyes fall upon that particular boy.

Blondie.

Yeah, I have given that name to a boy. Because he has blond hair and blue eyes which I despise very much.

My eyes are the most beautiful, nobody else can take more compliments than me. Not even this Blondie!

But he gets many compliments because of his eyes. They are bright blue. Like the summer sky. They are big and even his eyelashes are long. Oh, I was so jealous of him that you can't even measure the extent. That is why I don't like his eyes.

And about this Blondie, when I look at him, something very lovely clicks in my mind and I smirk to myself.

Out of my insane habit, I jog to him, ignoring all the students around me. They call my name but I pay no attention to them.

"Hey, Blondie!" I tap his shoulder from behind.

His friend, with whom he was talking, now passes me a sweet smile. I roll my eyes to Blondie, giving him my sugary smile which is two hundred percent fake.

"What?" He asks, giving me a bored look. How dare he?

Even though I wish to grab his face and make him speak nicely to me because no one has yet dared to do that to me, I control myself.

Not so early in the morning, Mikayla. You have an entire day to annoy him.

"You see, everybody tries to get my attention and impress me," I begin, pushing away his friend so that I stand right in front of him, being so proud of my height because I stand longer than him.

Huh, shortie!

I'm younger than him yet taller.

"So what?" He steps back, creating distance between us. Of course, do it. I myself do not like being standing so close to you. It is just this itch inside that I want to relieve by annoying you.

"You should do the same."

He squints his bright blue eyes, looking annoyed. Easy, peasy, lemon, squeezy. It was so easy! It does not take a moment to annoy him and I love doing that. My heart is at peace. What a beginning of an amazing day.

"And why should I do that?" He slants his head and a few of his blond locks fall over his forehead. He taps his foot on the dark path and I am well aware of his friend's gaze upon us.

"Because I deserve it." I shrug. Turning to his friend, I ask him even though I do not even have to, "Don't I, Rufus?"

"Yes, yes, you do!" He nods more than twice, grinning at me like the mouse Cinderella saved from their house cat Lucifer.

"See?" I turn back to Blondie.

He rolls his eyes. "I don't care," he answers with that annoying attitude and walks away.

I glare at his back, clutching the strap of my favorite backpack.

"I should also go. Okay, Mikayla?" His friend asks but I ignore him, walking into the building to sit in my class. He follows me after, trying to talk with me but my gaze remains stuck on Blondie who walks ahead of me.

His friends wave at him on the way and he returns the gesture. After him, it is me they notice but I ignore them, keeping my eyes on Blondie while my insides burn, remembering his answer over and over again.

I don't like him.

But do not worry, Blondie, how can I let you go easily?

｡ﾉ⁠♡

"Okay so, lovely students, hear me out! You can have any partner you like but share everything with each other, okay? Sharing is good. Now, all the best!"

I begin rolling my clay and use the cutter to give it a shape. I smile at the outcome, trying pink clay and mixing it with blue. Oh, it's going to be so beautiful!

"Mikayla."

Someone just called me.

"Yeah?" I pay no heed to the student, busy with my work.

"Can I be your partner?"

"No, thanks. I can do it alone."

This one walks away and another one comes, asking for the same. I refuse any help because I do not like sharing, at all. But the next, my plastic cutter broke because a stupid student just trampled it.

"I'm so sorry!" She utters, crouching down to collect the broken pieces. What's the use now? It is already broken.

"Are you blind or what? Ask your Daddy to get you specs."

She passes me a poor look. Like a beggar. "My eyesight is fine," she reasons meekly. Even her voice is like a beggar.

"Whatever. Collect the pieces and throw them in the dustbin," I mutter, scrunching my nose.

I go to Blondie, not paying any attention to the girl at my feet. I look down at his desk and stand in awe of the art he created. How awesome! I cannot even make any words.

The elephant he is shaping stands on the surface. Wow!

"Hey, Mikayla. Would you like to be our partner?" His friend asks me, grinning at me like he does every time whenever he looks at me.

What's with this mouse-like grin?

"No," I murmur, searching for any cutter which they are not using. My gaze falls upon the white cutter immediately, and I grab it, walking away.

"Hey, it's mine!" Blondie calls me from behind.

I was not expecting it but that's great! Let him create his elephant without any cutter. Even if by coincidence, I got a reason to annoy him.

I turn around. "Do you need it?" I ask, showing him the cutter.

He nods. "I do." Very well. Now he is not going to get it back.

"Oh? But I, too, need it." He purses his lips, looking annoyed. I cannot help but smirk. "Well, sharing is good. Isn't it, Blondie?" I bat my eyelashes and walk away, not waiting for any reply.

Any chance, and I'm not going to let it go. Like this, I have his many belongings in my secret crest which I have not given him back. Poor Blondie regrets every day because he and I are in the same school, if not the same classes. And by no means I am letting him live peacefully as long as I am around him because I hate him.

｡ﾉ⁠♡

"Daddy!" I run into his arms and he lifts me up, hugging me tight. He stands so tall, I cannot help but wonder once again.

"My princess, how was your day?" He asks, kissing my cheek. I kiss him back, saving my mouth from his beard.

"Very good!" I chirp, hugging his neck.

"How well," he says, starting to walk towards the car.

I enjoy the ride as I do every day, looking around at the big green trees. They cast shadows down on the way, saving us from the ruthless sunlight. I love nature. Birds are flying around, chirping sweetly along with that annoying sound of students meeting their parents. Gosh, why so noisy!

A very familiar sound is spread around by the jingling bells, snatching my attention. I look to my right, and on the other side, there stands an ocean-cream man, surrounded by many kids.

"Daddy!"

"Yes?"

"I want an ice cream!"

And he takes me to the cart. He puts me down to get an ice cream cone for me. He knows I love chocolate so I do not have to tell him about that but I am literally not-so pleased to find Blondie on my side.

I look up at the man beside him and in no time, he engages with my dad in a conversation, first greeting him lovingly.

He is my Dad's friend. I have met him many times. Of course, what a stupid coincidence that my father and Blondie's father are friends.

I greet him and so does Blondie to my Dad. Our Dads give us ice cream cones and before I have a taste, an idea pops into my head.

Looking at Blondie from the corner of my passive gaze, I notice he has started enjoying his chocolate ice cream with chocolate cereal and cherry pieces.

Nice choice.

I lose my grip over the cone and go closer to him. He does not notice it, indulging in licking or I know he would have jumped back with tinted cheeks. Hmm, I have noticed that, too, because of my crazy habit of noticing everything. His cheeks heat up as soon as I jump closer to him.

Why so?

I take my chance and let my ice cream with the cone fall upon his shoe which stains his sock as well.

His shoe has grown a horn, lol!

He jumps back, looking down at his shoe.

"Oh, no!" He gasps, lifting his shoe as the cream with the cone drops to the sizzled ground.

Oh, yes!

"I-I'm so sorry, Blon—Barak!" I bite my tongue. They would have caught me! And what impression would I have earned if his father would have listened to me calling his son Blondie? So bad!

He glares at me, fisting the cone so that it cracks and the cream is squeezed under his fist.

Aww, so angry, ain't he?

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" He yells at me, stepping ahead towards me. Smart boy, ain't he? Finally, the dam of his tolerance is broken right in front of his father.

I step back. "I didn't mean to. Why would I do that?" Well done, Mikayla, well done. I know I am so good at acting.

"You—"

"Barak, forgive her. It was a mistake," his Dad says, holding his shoulder. I knew that.

"But Daddy—"

"Forgive her, my son."

Unable to disobey his Dad, he turns back to me. He makes a funny face, muttering, "It's okay." And after that, he walks away in anger, stomping upon the melted cream so that it splashes on my shoe, dirtying it.

You stupid!

"I admire him very much," I hear my Daddy complimenting Blondie and I cannot help but roll my eyes. What's admirable about him?

Blondie's Dad smiles. How pleasant! Just like my Dad's.

He buys another cone and follows his son while my Dad buys me another cone. We depart and I am still upset after knowing that my Dad admires that Blondie.

"Daddy," I say to get his attention as soon as he fastens my seatbelt.

"Yes, Mickey?"

"I'm your princess."

He smiles at me. "Of course, you are." The car starts and I start enjoying my ice cream. It tastes sweeter after the stunt I pulled.

"Then why do you admire him?" I grumble, noticing a car coming beside us. I catch Blondie and I cannot help but stick out my tongue to tease him. He should know I indeed stained his shoe knowingly.

"Because he's a good boy. He obeys his father and respects the elders."

Blondie frowns at me and I notice his jaw flexing. What a relieving sight.

"I also do that."

I smirk at him, turning back to my dad. Blondie is not the most handsome boy that I would look at until his car passes by. I just needed to see his stupid reaction and wanted to show him some attitude. He also showed his attitude in the morning, right? It was just a payback.

"And I also admire you, don't I?"

Of course, you do, Daddy. But your love and affection should be for me only. I can share you with Mama, but not with anyone else. And why should that Blondie receive compliments from you? He is the boy I hate.