Chapter 7

PIERRE POV

The rest of the weekend flashed by more quickly than I had anticipated. I was still amidst the dire confusion of change, trying to cope with the idea of suddenly being a rich kid living in a house bigger than The Louvre with maids at my disposal all day long. Everything was just so overwhelming and before I could wrap my mind around everything that was happening and cushion myself well, come to terms with that yes this was it, this was my life and I was going to be some trust fund baby, it was already Monday and we were all leaving for school. I don’t know what it was that made me so antsy, but I didn’t sleep a wink the previous night. Luckily, I had thoughts of Poseidon accompanying me for the rest of the night.

I should say, he has played rather an important faction around me these past few days, despite the haze and bafflement that was overriding my system. Although the change was good, that didn't mean it was all easy. But at the end of the day, it was change, and no matter how badly we may try to run away from it, it is just there, waiting for us to embrace it and move on.

So, for these days, I got to learn whatever there was to learn about the Rhodez and how they come to be the elites in the business world. Not a night passed without me hearing news about the CEO of Rhodez Empire doing this and that. I remember being shocked for the first time we were all sprawled in the living room watching the news. 

My mom was tucked safely in Gabriel's hold while he held a tablet in his free hand. The news was all excessive in obsequious praise and believe me, none of them seemed fazed by that. They were so used to being showered with compliments and exaggerations that it just didn't bother them anymore.

And well, that kind of life, to a simple country peasant who rides a bus every day; was shocking enough.

Apart from the Rhodez empire, Poseidon was human enough to let me in on his life and told me about his friends and everything he thought I needed to know. He was, frankly, not what I had expected. You imagine a rich kid and all you can think of is an arrogant pompous piece of crap who thinks the world revolves around him and enjoys trampling over other people only because money buys him the ticket to do so. But Poseidon... Man, that guy...

He was, surprisingly, more human than I had thought. He was down to earth and always there to tell me anything about literally everything. Although I didn’t trust myself around him, the 4 days we spent just going about everything made me know all there was about him. And I should say, despite all the money and the dripping perfection, he was still human made of flesh and blood. I don’t know if I was expecting him to start yeeting rainbows but hey… I wouldn’t put anything passed him. 

One of the things I came to learn was that his mom was from Thailand. Maybe that explained all the creamy skin that didn’t have even a single blemish. He told me she was obsessed with Greek mythology hence the name Poseidon, but with that, I had to argue that it may have resulted from his ocean-blue eyes. He just laughed me off and didn’t read too much into it. But on a serious note, that had to be the reason. He had the world’s most fascinating, bluest eyes I have ever seen. Although he made sure to compliment mine and claimed they were a rare shade of brown, I still found myself drowning in the blue pools of his soul.

"Earth to Pookie?" Mom snapped his fingers in front of me three times, ruthlessly yanking me from the deep morning slumber I was in. I shook my head just to clear the thoughts off my head, then gave her an apologetic smile.

"Feeling a little nervous, aren't we?" Gabriel asked from across the table, adding to his words a little smile that soften his harsh tone. Subconsciously, I rubbed my hands on my thighs and gave a small nod. He just brushed me off casually and started spreading butter on his bread.

That's right, even the "1%" eat bread with butter for breakfast. Except the butter was imported from somewhere across the world. So...

"It's nothing. You will get used to the place in no time. Plus, you have your brother if you need help." He said and just then, Poseidon came spilling into the room, washed freshly and looking like everything that was forbidden but deadly alluring. He threw himself on the chair beside his dad and raised his face to us,

"Morning. I overslept." He dashed a smile to my mom and in return, she just chuckled and shook her head. They really had a good relationship.

"Will you be riding with your brother?" Gabriel asked, and both Poseidon and I froze in our seats. Our eyes darted around the room before landing on each other, and for a second there, it was just the two of us.

"No. I don't like being driven around." 

Ouch.

"It's okay. I can take a bus to school." I refuted and that's when mom snorted out a burst of ugly laughter,

"My sweet, sweet boy." She leaned in for a quick squeeze and then wiggled me slightly.

"Have you ever seen a bus around here?" She asked, and yeah. I felt like an idiot.

"It's okay. David will take you to and from school. If you want a different chauffeur, we will invite some for an interview and you'll take a pick." 

WOOOOOOOOW. Just, wow! But...

"Who's David?" 

"Your mom's chauffeur." Right. The big guy that drove us around last Wednesday.

"Okay. Thank you." I whispered softly and he gave me a small smile.

"Alright. I'm out." Poseidon pulled from his seat and then started to walk off even before anyone could reply. His father gave a huge bothered sigh and shook his head.

"I just hope he won't give you a hard time."

Me too, Gabe. Me too!

~~~

Just as Gabriel had claimed, David drove me to school in a flashing white Bentley Bentayga. I swear I felt like dirt spread over the toffee leather interior and wasn't comfortable the whole ride.

My nerves hit the roof when we rolled into the campus, seeing hundreds and thousands of students milling about. I found myself trying to be one with the seats as I tried to hide away from such a throng. In all my life, I never knew, never even fathomed that one school, could have this much of a crowd.

I wasn't always antsy in public but this, this was hell.

"Don't worry. It's only because it's the first day. You will find your way around." David said from the driver's seat while staring at me from the rearview mirror. I figured I was being a nuisance just cramped in the car and refusing to come out, and with that, I bundled my backpack and started to make way for the door.

"And Pierre?" I paused and stared at him,

"Be careful okay? This isn't France." The warm yet deadly warning in his voice shook me to the core, and all I managed in return was a small nod before I pushed the door open, then carefully closed it behind me and waved at him.

He gave me a nod and then pulled out of the parking lot. I took a good minute, just standing there and watching people milling around. After a long moment of a mental pep talk, I willed my feet to carry me further into the campus and towards the building. I was about to climb the stairs when I heard someone screaming my name, freezing me to a spot. All kinds of thoughts flashed through my mind trying to decipher who the hell it was who knew my name on my damn first day.

For starters, I was sure as hell that nobody here, except Poseidon, knew me. Secondly, I was hundred percent positive that Poseidon would be so dang busy to even care about me and whatever it is that I would be doing, let alone call me out in that manner. Thirdly, I wasn't an I*******m monk who posted almost everything about my life. Now, who the hell was this one and how the fuck did he come to know my name?

Slowly, I spun on my heel and turned to see who it was. A boy with ginger curly hair waved from the leveled ground. A big smile etched on his lips as he started to make his way to where I was. He came running and at that moment, I tried to make a quick recollection of where I may have seen him.

"Hey man, good to see you." He thrust his fist toward me and awkwardly, I returned it.

"Elijah? From Wednesday?" He explained, reading my mind because I had no idea who the hell he was.

"You were with your mom for registration. The Principal mentioned that we are both transfer students?" He continued, and that's when the light shone on the rest of the world.

"Of course. I remember." 

We shared a good laugh and then entered into the building. And just like that, I landed myself a friend on my very first day at school.

Maybe Gabriel was right. Maybe Boston wasn't all bad.