ONE

"Please tell me that thing isn't sleeping with my man." I heard a student say beside me.

Girl.... what man are you talking about? Everyone in Eastwood High is a boy or a girl. No fúcking man involve.

I slam my locker close, the textbook in my hand getting suddenly heavy. The annoying hallway noises suddenly quiet down and I know just why.

Stephanie Black must be making an entrance.

When I turned around to look, it was just like I thought. I shook my head as I watch her flip her hair while cat-walking toward me.

"It's almost time for class, friend. What the hell are you still doing here?" She ask me, I chuckle and intertwine my fingers with hers.

I've been schooling in Eastwood High for years now and ever since I started I've been trying to stay out of trouble, it worked for the first few years but last year Stephanie took an interest in me(thinking about it, it felt cringe)

"I was just grabbing my textbook for Mr. Hillary's class," I respond as we walk down the hallway, all eyes on us.

Who wouldn't look?

I am the daughter of a street food seller and she is the daughter of a billionaire and a legendary basketball player, we are completely different, but just like they say, opposites do attract.

Our friendship started because I saw her wallet fall off her backpack and being the kind of person that I am, I took it to her. She was moved by my action and a week later she approached me for a lunch date, that was how our friendship started.

Even though we were friends I refused to take handouts from her, I befriended her for her and not her money.

Steph smiled brightly when she sees her boyfriend, Ray, walking toward us.

She kiss his lips and wipe his bottom lip with her thumb. "Your lips are very kissable, my love."She said and I rolled my eyes.

I was not jealous. No way. She just liked flaunting Ray anytime we were all together and it's getting tiring.

Ray was the son of a senator, someone of her caliber. I would never have a boy that wants me, I mean, I don't want me to when I could just go after the rich girls.

I didn't come here to date. My mother wanted the best for me, she wanted me to be educated since she wasn't, and she wanted me to attend the best school in the city despite our financial situation. She took loans, stood in the sun, ran after buses in traffic just to send me to Eastwood High, I would be nothing but a dumb bitch if I forget all that.

"Hi, Elsa." Ray greeted me with a wink. I smiled at him and kept it pushing. When we got to our English class, Ray pushed the door open and we all walk in but we couldn't escape Mr. Hillary's alertness. He looked up from his desk and furrowed his eyebrows, I could see through my lenses how his brows pulled together in a deep frown while he watch us.

"Nice to see that you're late to my class again, Miss Black, Miss Jameson, and Mr. Hilton."He grumbled.

I hung my head in shame as I walked toward an empty chair.

You have to get it together, Elsa.

I can't let Steph influence my actions, that isn't a good look, I thought to myself.

We all took our seats and class started as usual. Thirty minutes later my phone beeped inside my jeans pocket.

I knew it wasn't my mother so who the fuck would be texting me at this time of the day?

I brought out my phone from my pocket and unlocked it but was surprised to see that it was actually from Stephanie.

I glanced at her but she wasn't looking at me, she was so focused on her phone. I clicked on the message and my pants twisted in a bunch.

"I forgot to tell you earlier that my brother is throwing a pool party at our house later tonight since my parents are out of town, I'm expecting you."

Oh no, you're not.

I can't do it.

I can't see Zayn.

Not tonight.

I can't be close to him or I'll lose it, I thought to myself.

He is a bad boy, a rich boy, and a Playboy, totally out of my league but still the one that got my heart shaken.

I wanted to love a good boy, a boy who knew what he wanted for his future, and not Zayn, not my best friend's brother, but what could I do when my heart was so messed up with the thoughts of him?

Fuck!

I was doing it again. Thinking about him until I started having headaches. It wasn't healthy. My feelings weren't healthy.

That boy doesn't even acknowledge me nor talk to me.

I quickly wrote a text and send it back to her.

"Sorry best friend, but I can't go. You know how my Mom gets with stuff like this, she'll kill me."

I watch her frown as she read my reply and then her fingers started moving again.

A few seconds later another message emerges.

"That's crap. Just tell her that you have a sleepover with me, she won't say no. And don't forget to bring your bikini, the brown one we bought while shopping last month!"

I shook my head and pressed my lips together. Stephanie wasn't someone that can cope with the word "NO," being said to her.

No matter what she says all I knew was that I wasn't going to that pool party.

"You better plan to come or else you're in trouble, Elsa Snow." She wrote, adding Snow at the end of my name just to make me laugh.

I chuckled at her text and put back my phone inside my pants pocket. Stephanie was seriously someone I never thought I'll have so much fun with.

"Elsa Jameson, out!" Mr. Hillary scream at me, I glanced up from my chair and noticed the students watching me, I must have laughed out loud. But oh well,

I grabbed my backpack and walked out of the class in a hurry, now I just had to find a way to get my Mom to agree with me on going to Steph's house. Anyway possible. I had to do it.