3

Andrea Salvador

"What are you doing, pervert? Let go of my hand this instant" I said and he let go.

"I'm sorry but, I really need your help"

"We're not friends so, I can't help you."

"We're friends, Andrea. We've been friends for three years now. You have to listen to me, it's important" he said.

"What do you want from me?"

"Let's talk for a moment outside" he said and walked away.

Brute!

For some weird reason, I found myself following him. I'm not supposed to do that right? I've always avoided him like a plague, I do not want anything to do with him even though we walk together every day with his group of friends. They're all playboys and everyone knows about that.

That's why I've been warning Celine to cut off whatever thing she has with Andrew, I'm positive that he's going to hurt her in the end.

"Stop having a staring competition with me and tell me what you want, Francis" I hissed as I crossed my arm over my chest.

"I need your help, okay? I need you to tutor me" he said in a serious tone.

"I'm not the best student in the class, why me?" He sounded suspicious.

Why me of all people all of a sudden? Besides, he's one of the best students in our department so, why does he need help to study?

"You might not know this but, I've been having poor performance in the elective course, accounting. I'm not good at calculations so, I need your help" he said and I scoffed.

"I'm not a fool, Francis. You're not good in calculations but you're good in business? You're a businessman? You've been doing so well for yourself and that's because you're good in business and now, you want someone like me to tutor you because you're not good at calculations? Lies! You're lying Francis North."

Everyone in this country knows about him and his friends. They might still be young, schooling but.. they're all doing fine for themselves since they all handle their family business. Francis to be precise is the richest of them all. Not only is he rich but also good-looking too.

And with that opportunity they've gotten, they've been using it to play with lots of innocent girls' emotions.

"Just because I'm into business doesn't mean I don't have my flaws, Andrea. Stop asking questions and help me out already. It's important I know all the basics in accounting."

"Ask Xander or Aaron to do that for you, everyone knows how intelligent they are when it comes to accounting"

"But not like you. Just help me out this once as a friend, okay?"

"Pay me then" I have no idea where that came from all of a sudden. I shouldn't have agreed to tutor him since I don't want to get involved with him but, for some weird feeling, I want to give it a try.

There's no harm in helping out a friend right? Yes, I might have been avoiding him but, we all have been friends for the past years now. And since Aaron is their friend, it makes things easier for both Celine and I to be closer to them; Xavier, Xander, Aaron, Andrew, and Francis.

"Name your price" he said and smirked.

•

A Year Later 

Is there any other word to use other than perfection?

I think that's what Francis is. It's been a year already and we've become close. Literally, BEST FRIENDS.

Ever since the very day I agreed to tutor him, we became friends and now, we're hardly inseparable. I also noticed that we have a lot of things in common. We have also done lots of things together in the past months. Hiking together, going to the beach, cinema and even concerts too.

Not only that, he has cooked on several occasions for me and made cakes for me too.

Students and the paparazzi started to talk about us. It was so quick for them to take news about us since we're both celebrities. They concluded that something was going on between Francis and me even though we kept denying it to them, they wouldn't listen and let us be.

This is it, right? Being a celebrity isn't easy at all.

Both Francis and I get to know each other's deepest secret. He told me he was the son of a Mafia leader and all his family were wiped out including his kid sister he cherishes so much by his father's enemy. He promised to find his father's killer and make them pay for the pain they have caused him.

I started to feel attracted to him months after we became so close and it wasn't a one-sided thing, I knew, he felt the same way too but neither of us has admitted our feelings for each other yet.

I have always thought Francis and the boys are someone to avoid but never did I know, I was wrong. Celine was right, it's never right to judge a book by its cover. I didn't attempt to know the real them and judged them. Even though I always say it to their face yet, they never take any of my words to heart.

I'm so glad I get to see the good side of them. And presently, Francis is doing that to me. Always makes me feel like the most precious person on earth...

He called me an hour ago and told me to get dressed, he wanted to take me somewhere special... I had no idea that the special place he was talking about was the bookstore.

We arrived there and I bought as many books as I wanted. I just can't stop picking them one after the other.

While he was done paying for the book I bought at the counter, we both walked out of the store to where he parked his car. Out of the blue, I heard him call out my name and I turned to face him... "Andrea"

"Huh?" I said but he took me off guard and kissed me. I had thought it was going to be a brief kiss but, it was a deep and passionate one. I had no idea of what I was doing and rather, I pulled his head closer and deepened the kiss more.

Minutes later, we both pulled apart to grasp for some air. "Get in the car let me take you home. You look tired" He said as he caressed my cheek but I shook my head.

"No, I can go home myself. It's just a 5-minute walk from here, Francis" I remind him, chuckling.

"Why? You want to walk back home when I had brought you to this place myself? Plus, is everything okay with you? You weren't like this minutes ago. You look down" he said.

He was right, I wasn't like this some minutes ago. I have no idea if what's going through my mind right now does make sense or not.

Or, should I let it out?

"Chloe, talk to me. I'm here to listen"

"I.. Erm, don't you think everything going on between us is too fast?"

"Fast? How?"

"Everything. Everything between us, Francis. I think, it's kinda weird don't you think?"

"Nothing weird is going on, Chloe. And, nothing is moving too fast also. I think... I think I like you and this is not moving too fast for me" he said and my breath got hitched immediately after those words came out of his mouth.

He likes me? He finally admitted that he liked me.

I gulp down nervously afraid of looking straight into his eyes. All of a sudden, I'm scared and shy to look him in the eyes.

"Give me a chance to prove that to you. And I promise you won't regret it"

"But Francis, we-"

"Shush!" He placed his index finger on my lip to stop me from saying a word. "I know exactly what you're about to say. Don't say anything okay else, you want me to get hurt" he pouts and I smile shaking my head.

"You're silly" I said and hit him lightly on his arm.

"Only for you beautiful" he said and winked at me.