Chapter 1

MIREYA'S P.O.V:

"I'm so nervous bel." I nervously jogged my legs. 

"I know. It's important to Alex. It was his dream to win the Championship."  

"I hope everything goes well." Sweats glistened in my face as I rubbed them off. While Bella too sat there nervously. His parents too sat along with us with a tensed expression. 

The National Championship game was a way bigger deal for them. There were cameras everywhere. People shouting their commands over the mic. Several assistants walked around with headsets and black blazers making sure everything ran smoothly. I was sitting with Isabella who is also anxious about her brother's match. 

"Alright, folks! We have quite the game coming your way soon!" The announcer shouted over the mic. He kept on rambling about the opponent team's victory. I rubbed my palms on my jeans to dry my sweat off. 

The announcer continued " Here comes the New York Jets team. They had a perfect season until now. I'm sure they want to keep up the streak and win the match."

I chewed on my bottom lip as the announcer called the players from the tunnel. My eyes found Alex as he led his team from the locker room. The whole team bounced excitedly behind him and they riled up for the game. Alex determinedly kept his jaw locked and his eyes straight ahead. 

The game moved agonizingly slow. I felt like every playtime was dragged on. But both teams are evenly matched. Neither of them could go ahead. 

Nearing the end both of the teams are angrier and to pull ahead. I could see the determination in Alex's eyes as he carried out for his team. The two teams slammed together and fought for their last final moments. There were only a few seconds left for the final goal for the Wildwood to win the match. Alex dodged the ball and bought him to cross the end zone. He threw the ball onto the ground and raised his arms in victory. 

Laughter erupted from me and Isabella as Mr. and Mrs. Knight jumped up clapping their hand with their son's victory. 

Everyone congratulated Alex for pulling the final goal in the football match. His jocks hugged and fist-bumped with him. Everyone was cheering for the young emerging players of the New York Jets in New York. He stood there in his all-hot glory waving at the loud crowd of people shouting for them. He looked happiest at this moment. He gave his full-blown smile showing his dimples on both of the cheeks. Girls were swooning and muttering he is hot. All the boys were admiring him. 

His eyes searched for someone as he spotted me from the ground. He came running towards me picked me off the feet and swung me around as we are both on high of win. I hugged his neck tightly as he nuzzled his face into my neck as I whispered "You did it!". 

My heart thudded in my chest at the intensity of Alex's eyes. He bent down to my height and captured my lips in a fierce kiss. The kiss was slow and hard. He poured his emotions into this kiss. That kiss is enough for me to say that he got what he deserved. He nibbled and sucked my bottom lip between his teeth.

The alarm beside my table blared and interrupted my intimate moment with Alexander. Perfect timing and a nice way to ruin the dream. I dragged myself towards the bathroom and did my morning routines. 

"Good morning, Sweetie pie." My mom or Mrs. Carina greeted me as I sat at the dining table. She is in her mid-thirties. She is such a beautiful lady at this age she looks young. She is our mother or caretaker or in charge of the orphanage. Her husband died due to a heart attack when she was in her early twenties. Since then she decided to run an orphanage for the kids. She is an absolute lover of the kids. She adopted me as well as the ten kids around here and gave them meaning to life. She is a civil engineer. She works pretty hard for us to survive. She loves us more than anything in the world. Her eyes held the motherly warmth which I had lost years ago, but she made me survive with her insane love for us. 

As you all guessed, I'm an orphan. My parents died in a car crash when I was five. I remember getting into the accident where my father and mother got killed. I never told them that I remember the accident very well and they know it haunts me in the night, but they haunt less now. That pretty much explains why I'm here. Nobody from my both dad's and mum's family wanted to adopt me. Since I came here everyone treated me as their sibling and Carina take care of me like my mother. I have that urge to call her my mom, but I never did that and I know she knew that too and never complained and was treated as her child. She loved me so much as much I loved her to the moon and never back. Who knows that the death of my family would give me a family of a mom and a bunch of brothers and sisters loving me dearly.

"Happy morning, Carina." I chirped happily.

"Someone is way too happier today." She teased me. She knew about my love for him and always teased me about it. I would always roll my eyes at her but the natural blush in my cheeks gave out a way for her that she succeeded in teasing me. 

"Not again. Where are the kids? Aren't they up yet?" I groaned before and diverted my question.

"Yeah, they are up. They will be joining soon. You know what Mia is getting adopted." She shrieked with happiness and a slight bit of disappointment because we will miss her. I will miss that little devil terribly.

"Woah! That's great. I hope they love her. She too able to adjust to their environment. Mostly, I'll miss her. She is our little devil." I said with a sigh. 

"Everyone gonna miss her so much." She gave me a weak smile and ruffled my hair kissing my forehead. I felt the love pouring out from her. It never felt like an orphanage. It is my home and I felt it and the kids are my siblings from different mothers. Here my mom is with me.

"Where is Adrian? Is he still sleeping? He asked me to wake him up before I go to school." 

"He is not a morning person, Mireya. Go and wake him up." Carina said as she set up the plate filled with food for the kids.

"Alright!" I said and headed towards his room. He was sleeping snoring out loudly. I chuckled at him. He is my elder brother. We came to the orphanage on the same day, so I told him that he is my bigger brother. We patched up so quickly and I felt this bond with him that I never experienced with anyone. Since then we are siblings. He is an idiotic brother every girl would ask for. Everyone loves him, including me to the core. 

"Adrian, wake up." I shoved him hard in the stomach making him groan. It's my special way to make him wake up because if we keep on calling he will sleep. Eventually, I will get tired of it and he will sleep peacefully.

"Damn! Mireya. You have your ways for waking me up." He grumbled rubbing his sleepy eyes and glaring at me. I smiled sweetly at him and said,

"Enough idiot! Since I woke you up, you better buy me chocolates that I asked you for last week."

"That makes sense. Hereafter, you don't need to wake me up. I'll ask mom." He grunted and turned his head folding his hand below his chest. Such an annoying kid. He was just a year older than me. He finished high school as he started pursuing his career in music. He wants to become a singer as well as a musician one day and I know the burning passion for music. He is handsome, to be honest. He has this grey eyes which would make every girl swoon over him and he is well built. Most of the girls would be jealous as we didn't look like siblings and they think that I was his girlfriend. He would always make me jealous of the girls using me. This sneaky bastard. Anyways of his player ways, I love him. His arms where I feel safe. He knows about me so well and always I feel like I was an open book to him. I never regretted becoming an orphan, because I have a family and I'm not even an orphan.

I kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair. A small smile played on his lips as he tried hard to stop it to show on his face.

"You always make me nothing with your forehead kisses. As much I love it, you always make me a fool with that." He pouted. I rolled my eyes at his cute antics to get me. 

"Enough of the drama! Come downstairs. I'm gonna head off to the coffee shop. Behave like a good guy and I took my pocket money and I've kept rest in your table. Bye, Adrian." 

"Hey! Come home soon. I will be leaving for a month." He sighed and looked sad and I could tell it from his eyes.

"Oh! Yeah right! Today you are going to the auditions." The smile on my face left. I know he felt that too as he stood up and hugged me tightly placing his cheek on my head. He is way too taller than me as I only reached just below his chest. 

"I will be back soon with good news, my little baby." He kissed my forehead. I wanted to cry and I don't want to stop his dreams. I shut my eyes and I sink myself in his brotherly warmth. He is gonna make it and become a famous star one day.

"I will miss you so much!" I hugged him tighter as he squeezed me tighter enough to tell me that he is feeling the same.

"I will miss you too, little baby."

"Come home soon?" It came out like a question which he nodded and pecked my cheeks as I grinned at him.

"I love you, Adrian." I kissed his cheeks standing on my tippy toes.

"Love you, Mireya." He shouted as I chuckled. I bid him bye and went downstairs as I bid bye to mom.

"Tell the kids that I love them. I'm heading to school Carina. Love you." I blew a flying kiss to her and waved my hand. I yelled and made my way to the coffee shop. Without caffeine in my body, I always feel terrible. Coffee became my addiction as well as art. Being an artist was always my passion. I wanted to get into the fine arts college to pursue my dreams. It just started with a small drawing here and there on the notebooks, but it developed into a passion when I had the urge to draw and paint beautiful things into a realistic ones.

I waited for Isabella so we could head to school together. I took my drawing notebook out and started sketching the things that I saw in my dreams, along with my journal to write my never-ending fantasy dreams with him. I had pretty much time for school which is only 10 minutes walk away from here. I ordered my coffee and sat at the same table that I sat at every day. I pulled my hair in a bun and started sketching. 

While I was sketching intensely, I was bothered that someone is watching me. 

I looked around to see who was watching me, the same pair of black eyes which I admired from afar for all these years was watching me intently without breaking a trance. The same pair of black orbs that I wanted to drown every day looking at me now. He didn't even break eye contact as if he was searching for something in me still watching me with a smirk. My eyes widened at the sight that Alexander is looking at me. I quickly turned around avoiding his eye contact. 

Why the heck is he in this coffee shop at this time? 

I peeked at the corner of my eyes to check that he is watching me, but this time he turned around and was talking with his friends that all the jocks are here in the coffee shop at this time. I can't believe this. I huffed out in relief because he turned around. I made a mental note to ask Ryan and Isabella about this later.

Maybe he was staring at someone or something and it is not you Mireya. I scolded myself. The memories of my dream in the morning flooded making my cheeks heat up. I shook my head to clear those thoughts, but they invaded my mind.

Everyone has their moment for falling in love. I too had the moment when I was in middle school. It was just to be a crush on him. But soon it developed into an everlasting love for him. I don't know where I've fallen in love with him at which moment. For me, it was the first time I laid my eyes on him. I don't even know if he remembers me or not. I've remembered him for years that he would notice me, eventually, he never noticed me. I wanted him to notice me, but at the same time, I don't want to. Because I don't want to be the one that he sleeps with. I'm such a coward not even attempted to talk to him in any circumstances. I've only admired him at a long distance. I'm happy with that. 

Alexander has these black eyes I want to drown in them and never wake up. It is difficult for me to see him if he stares into my soul. I love him for years. He is exactly about 6'3 inches in height. He has this athletic body because he loves football so much. He is the captain of the school's football team -  an unbeatable and harsh player on the field and equally with his brooding stares. He is utterly gorgeous with a sculpted jaw, high cheekbones, beautiful black eyes, silky black hair with slight curls at the end. His hair is so disheveled that it should be illegal to look so handsome in it. His heart-shaped bee-stung lips are tempting to devour it. Not to mention, he is super smart and a straight-A student. 

Isabella is his little sister. She is a cute little pretty girl of 5'6 height with cute dimples when she smiles. Her blue eyes are always radiant which is calming and gives happiness just like her brother Adam. Her long black hair flowing below her waist made her a more elegant girl. 

Since middle school, we became so much close and she is my only best friend till now. She was like my sister. I have never felt comfortable around anyone all these years. She made me that I too deserve friendship. She will always say that I'm her Knight shining in Armor because I saved her from getting bullied by the bitch Bianca. From that moment, we kicked off our friendship. If Bianca gets to know that she is Alex's sister she eventually will throw herself at Bella and her bitchy act to get Alex. If only they know. I laughed at the thing, what would be their reaction when they come to know that she is his sister.

Though I became friends with her unknowingly that she is the sister of my crush. But eventually, when we became close, I blurted out that I love Alexander. That was when she revealed that he was his brother. 

Firstly, It shocked me to the core of talking about my fantasies of love with my best friend's brother.

 Secondly, she doesn't want to reveal because if everyone knows that Isabella is Alexander and Adam's sister everyone would develop a fake friendship with her and cling to her like a leech to get with her brothers. Of course, no one in the school knows that she is Alex and Adam's sister. 

Thirdly, she said she liked me and I was not like other girls so she revealed that she is his sister. 

Everyone in the school teased me for being fat, that too not much. For my 5'3 frame, my weight was 65kgs, so it just made me a little chubbier. I never felt bad about my body. I just like the way I'm now. Isabella was always there for me when I broke down by such comments. Everyone around teased me for this. But in all perspectives, I felt good about myself. Sometimes it gets into my mind, sometimes I just ignore that. 

I'm always an outcast in my school. Nobody noticed me. Of course, that's what I exactly wanted. I want to finish my high school years without getting into trouble. I and Bella are in 11th grade. While Alex and his jocks are in 12th grade. 

But I never thought that it would be turned out to be the opposite. 

Never in the world, I think that Alexander freaking Knight would notice me. 

I pretended that he did not look at me as I sat in silence sipping my coffee and sketching his intense eyes that looked on me. The bell in the shop chimed as Isabella entered the shop. I quickly hid my coffee cup because I was prescribed not to drink coffee by Athena, her mom. If she knows, you can consider me dead. Never mess with Isabella or Athena, they can become murderers when you plan to not obey them. I tilted my head sideward and  dramatically called her,

"Rose." I wiggled my eyebrows teasingly at her as she rolled her eyes. She hates her middle name but I liked it so much, I always tease her with that.

"Jack." She gave me a fake endearment. I laughed at her antics as she flipped my forehead with her two fingers. 

"Ouch! What was that?" I asked her while rubbing to soothe the pain.

"Because I did so." She shrugged grinning at me. 

I pulled my hair from the bun and let it flow around my shoulders. I picked my hair clip and tucked my few hairs gathering it around the back. I avoided looking at Alexander, but much to my surprise he is still looking at me with a small smirk playing on his lips. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I've always wanted him to notice me, but now it was something different and out of the blue how and why did he notice me. 

"We should head to school, Belle. Come, we are going to be late." I said hurriedly. 

"What's with the hurry? We still have time. Let's chat." Rose whined.

"Rose, I need to meet my art teacher to get my assignments," I said impatiently and kept looking at Alex who is still looking at me with a smirk, as Rose eyed me suspiciously. 

"What are you looking at the back?" She said and turned around and saw his brother is looking at me. Alex looked at Isabella and grinned sheepishly as she narrowed her eyes at him. What are they talking about with their eyes? Again Alex's eyes diverted to me. I was so shy to see his deep black orbs with a hint of playfulness in it.

Isabella's eyes were as wide as she turned to see me with her mouth hung open. She opened and closed her mouth to say something but nothing came. I sat there avoiding his eyes. 

"Don't tell me that you were the one that my brother saw." She said. I don't believe her. She is hiding something from me. 

"Not me, Bella. Don't ever dream about that." I trailed off not knowing what to say. 

"We should head to school. Please, Rose. I don't want to be here." I said pleading with my puppy dog eyes. 

"No. Finally, he noticed you, Hope. How can you just run away?" She questioned me. 

"Don't call me that," I exclaimed because I hate my middle name too.

"We should stay and I want to see what my brother does." She clapped her hands happily. She always shipped me and Alex in spite he never noticed me. She would be an amazing sister-in-law for me. She always kept saying those things as much I would love to hear that, but at the same time, I don't want to keep my hopes high.

"Keep your voice low." I whisper-yelled at her. But she never seemed to care. She was way too excited about it. I can't stop it because she is more excited than me. I planned to drag her out without causing any scene. 

"That's it, Rose. You're coming with me now." I pulled her hands and started dragging her outside.

"Aww! I'm finally happy that he is noticing you." She said happily. I put my hands on her mouth preventing her from saying the things because he could still hear it. But still, I was in confusion about what the heck happened there. 

"Hope, Are you okay? Why are you so confused? You should be the one who is happier." She said to me, concerned. 

"I don't know Rose, if he thinks me that I was his next target to sleep with... That scares me... That thought alone scares me and you know I'm not like that." I trailed off not completing the sentence. 

"Don't overthink in that pretty little head of yours. Alex is not like that, you know it. Come let's head to class it's almost time." She said dragging me towards my art class as she headed towards her biology class. She shrugged off the topic and diverted to the class which I'm glad she did.

I hope this day goes better. 

I sat in my art class. My favorite teacher Mrs.Whiteman came in with her never-ending smile. Ryan quickly took a seat beside me. He is a handsome boy, to be honest. He is also a part of Alex's crew. He has this beautiful grey eyes which attract everyone to him. Since he is an athlete you all know how they maintain their bodies perfectly. He is my friend and like a little brother. He loves Isabella to death and she too loves him, but they never confess it. I was so bored playing cupid for them for so many days. I even set up a date for Isabella and Ryan ruined it some way and he smiled innocently for doing nothing. They are so oblivious about their love, but I don't know what stops them. 

Ryan smiled at me as I mirrored his smile.

"What got you so happy?" I whispered to him wiggling my eyebrows playfully.

"I saw Isabella this morning, she looked so beautiful." He gushed as I eyed him with a glare. He smiled sheepishly at me. 

"Confess your love already. How many days I'm gonna wait?" I whined placing my hand on my cheeks and turned to look at him.

"Did you confessed yours?" He asked me. It was my turn to smile sheepishly at him.

"At least Isabella noticed you, Ryan. You both belong to the same family. Alex didn't even know that I exist." I sighed looking at Mrs.Whiteman who was busy lecturing about others' artwork.  He knows about my love for Alex and he was so happy that I love him. He says I was the one for him. I don't know if it's true, guess what happens in the future, God only knows. He even tried to make Alex meet me, but I refused it. I don't want it to be a planned one, it just has to happen on the spur of the moment just like in the morning. 

"I wanted to ask you something, today morning why Alex's crew came so early to Mary's cafe." I quirked my eyebrow accusingly at him. 

"It has nothing to do with me. I was not even there!" Ryan held his hands up. 

"If there is something you have been doing, you are dead." I took my thumb finger to my neck and acted as cutting it. Ryan gulped looking ahead of the class. 

"I'm you best friend right." Ryan asked me still staring ahead.

"Yeah, you are," I said nonchalantly.  

"Why don't you just approach him?" Ryan asked the same thing he has been asking for all these years.

"No Ryan, I don't want him to think of me like the other girls clinging onto him." I sighed as he looked at me with a small smile.

"Quit staring. It's creepy." I made a horrible face making him laugh.

"Every girls want me to stare at them." Ryan gave out his sexy smirk. I glared at him as he smiled and we both started listening to the class. Mrs.Whiteman was explaining something about sketching a living person project. It was going to be difficult and who know that who will be my model to finish the project. 

"I will assign you the models within a week. You can sketch whatever is on your mind now. Submit it at the end of the class." She said and sat on her desk drinking her coffee. 

"I'm already terrible at sketching things! I just selected it as a elective to escape History subject, yet here I'm suffering to draw one." Ryan grunted banging his head on the desk. I let out a breathy laugh at his sufferings for drawing.

"I figured when you selected this. Sketching is easy when you focus on a particular thing you love, Ryan. Just let your fingers do the work. Focus on the thing you love the most." I instructed him as he nodded and started figuring out what he should draw. I started sketching mine, where I started to sketch Adrian with his guitar while he sang a song soulfully.

"Hey, Adrian is going to the auditions right!" He asked me suddenly. I jumped out of the seat since I was so focused on drawing. Ryan looked sheepishly and I said,

"Yeah, he is going today. I need to head home soon." I sighed remembering it. Ryan sensed my mood.

"He will be back in a month with a piece of good news. And you are going to jump up and down hearing it." He gave me a reassuring smile. 

"Such a good friend you are," I giggled as he rolled his eyes at my sarcastic comment. 

"Ms.Waters and Mr.Pierce,  You both have something to say." Mrs.Whiteman asked as we shook our heads and resumed our sketching.