Chapter Three: Loving You

＊ Loving You by SISTAR

“GOING TO BE M-MINE?” My eyes were about to pop out of their sockets as I asked nervously. 

What the hell did he mean by ‘I’m going to be yours’?

With our bodies so close to each other, I could feel the vibration as he let out a deep chuckle. “I meant I’m going to be your secret.” He smiled and those dark eyes sparkled under the rays of the streetlight. I looked at him in disbelief. It was so hard to believe that he was the same Tyler I’d been cursing on every Math lesson for being so smart that I couldn't beat his score. “Why? Do you want me that bad?” He laughed full of himself.

“Are you sure you’re Tyler Vincent and not his evil twin brother or something?” I asked, still dumbfounded. Maybe he had a twin brother. That always happened in books and movies, right? I mean, come the fucking on! Tyler Vincent couldn’t be this handsome, right? That damn weird nerd couldn’t be this hot!

He messed up my hair with one hand and smiled. “The one and only, Sweetheart.” His smile turned into a grin as he watched my suspicious expression. “Why? Don’t you think I look better without glasses?” Giving me a wink, he caressed my cheek with his warm hand. His thumb ran across my lips making my breath hitch. He lowered his hand to my neck; still keeping his eyes locked with mine, and went all the way down to the edge of the tank top beneath my hoodie.

I caught his hand before he went further down. I admit that I was shocked to see him looking so delicious and hot, but that didn't mean that he could play with me like a toy and start groping me.

I’m Autumn Summers, I’m the damn Queen Bee for Odin’s sake! He’s just another nerd in the school! He can’t play me! 

Giving him a hard stare, my eyes met his, and I said in my back-off-tone, “Don’t you dare!” I tossed his hand and walked away. To my surprise, he didn’t chase after me, nor did he say anything back, but his devilish laugh echoed through the alley following me like a shadow.

* * *

Tyler POV

I watched her walk away and couldn’t help but laugh my ass off. She was the combination of cute and sassy, and I had to admit that I kinda liked it. She spent almost a year sitting on the seat behind me in Mrs. F’s class, but this was the first time we’d ever spoken to each other. And to add more to the tray, it was the first time I kissed her. It was purely accidental. I hadn’t planned on kissing Autumn Summers, but when she looked up to me with those big dark eyes of hers that glinted under the moonlight like a puppy and bit her pink lower lips, I knew it was my undone. At that moment there was nothing that I wanted more than to kiss her senseless, to taste those pink strawberry lips.

Surprise, surprise. It didn’t taste like strawberry. It didn’t taste like any lip-smacker or lip-gloss that most girls wore. Her lips were bare. Call me crazy, but it tasted a bit like summer breeze. When our lips met, despite the coolness in the air, I felt warm. And it’s not even summertime yet. It’s February, it’s practically winter. Maybe it was her name. Maybe kissing someone named Apple made her taste like an apple. Whatever it was, I was going to find out.

I walked down the alley to where she was going. “Ty!” I heard my buddy Lucas calling me, so I turned to watch him jog towards me over my shoulder. “You’re leaving now?” It was funny to see people trying to jog while they were high as if their legs had their own will and confused left for right.

“Yeah, I’m done with mine.” I nodded. “Plus I got a someone waiting for me.” Luke smiled, probably thinking I was going to bang someone tonight. I let him think that, and when he shouted “good luck”, I let out a chuckle and walked away.

It was true. There was someone waiting for me at home. But it wasn’t a girlfriend or a fuck-buddy, it was a woman that I respected and loved, my mother, Audrey. She worked very hard every day as a waitress to make a living for both of us. The jackass, who was supposedly my father, ran away from us when I was ten. And mom has been supporting us ever since.

So when I finally got a scholarship from Carlton Private High School, we packed our bags and moved to the U.S. And that was exactly why I’d been playing the good kid at school. I couldn’t afford to lose the scholarship and I needed good grades so I could get a decent job and make my mom stop working. She needed some rest after working so hard all of her life, and I was going to give her that.

Why was I smoking pot in a dark alley at night? It was not because I was a junkie, but because I was a dope-slanger, aka a drug dealer. The options to get money fast and furious were either to whore me out or to sell drugs. I chose the latter.

Now Autumn Summers had seen me here. I thought I’ve chosen the perfect place where no kids from Carlton would ever come. However, she walked down the alley like she owned the freaking place, which surprised me again. And stupid me didn’t recognize her with her hoodie on and thought maybe I could score a deal. A transaction deal, of course.

Now I have to take care of this situation. She was smart, the smartest girl I knew, and she was probably coming up with a dozen reasons why I was there. I reached the main road, and two girls giggled when they saw me. An idea popped into my head. Maybe she was smart, but she was still a girl. Maybe instead of thinking about why I was there, she was distracted by the kiss and thinking about it. Yeah. She was probably dreaming about the kiss right now. Putting both hands inside the pockets of my jacket, I walked home satisfied and couldn’t wait for school tomorrow.

* * *

Autumn POV

My hands went searching for my phone to put my alarm on snooze. I swore I put it on the bed right beside my body, yet I couldn’t find it. Groaning, I forced my eyes to open and start looking for it. After spending what felt like ten minutes, I glanced at the clock on the wall to realize that barely five minutes have passed. Lying down on the floor, I peeked under my bed and finally found my phone there, blinking like starlight.

I used my leg to reach for it since my hand was too short. “Gotcha!” I smiled happily when my toes managed to catch the phone. I grabbed my phone and stopped the alarm. After my recent attempt and victory, I was not sleepy anymore so I dragged my feet to the bathroom.

It didn’t take forever to get ready. I was already in the middle of putting on my mascara when my stupid brother swung the bedroom door open. “Morning, sunshine!” he shouted and I nearly blinded myself by poking my eyeball with mascara.

I turned and shot him daggers. “Could you please not do that every goddamn morning!”

Instead of getting angry, Steven walked to my dressing table and kissed the top of my head while one hand pinched my cheek. “I love you too, Little Sis!” I rolled my eyes at him but deep down I was grateful for his love for me. He was the only one who not only knew about the wrecked family but lived through it all with me.

“Why are you so cheery this morning?” I went back to focus on my lashes. Putting the mascara down, I glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Our eyes met, and I shuddered because I looked at the exact same eyes as mine. We both had Dad’s dark eyes. I remember wishing I had fancy blue eyes like mom, but knowing her secretive behaviors, I’d rather not. Not that dad was any better but at least he wasn’t the one to cheat first.

“Nothing new.” He shrugged, clearly hiding something.

I narrowed my eyes. “Say it, Steven. You know I’ll find out sooner or later.”

The words escaped from his mouth in a shout, “I finally landed a job!”

I rubbed my ears, and he mumbled his sorry though looking at him grinning down at me, he didn’t look sorry at all.

“It’s not a big-screen movie, just a TV series, but for the first time I got the lead role. And I didn’t ask anyone’s help. Even Uncle Javier doesn’t know about this and we both know he knows everything there is when it comes to the entertainment industry.”

The pain in my ear was forgotten instantly. I jumped to my feet and hugged my brother. He has gone to numerous auditions, hoping that he would stop landing supporting roles and finally get a big break. And finally, he got it, and I was so damn happy for him. “Way to go, Steve!” I pulled away and slapped his arm jokingly.

Still grinning like an idiot, he added. “That’s why I’m going to drive you to school today!”

I blinked once. Twice. “Wait, what?”

“Why?” His smile faltered a little. “You don’t like it?”

It had been a long time since he took me to school, it was probably when I was in ninth grade and he was on twelfth. After that, he took an acting lesson and was busy following his dream. People think that being born as a rich kid with a celeb mom and powerful family that he’d get it easy. Wrong.

Nothing is easy in life. You have to work your butt off if you want to live your dream. No pain, no gain.

Glancing up at his face, I couldn’t say no so I reached up for my phone on the dressing table, and texted Jess to let her know that I wouldn't need a ride to school today.

“What’re you doing?” Steven looked down and tried to peek.

Turning around, I smiled. “I’m in for the ride.”

“Good." He grinned back. “Cos that’ll be hard when I’m famous and our place is swamped by paparazzi.”

“Yeah, yeah right. Big shot!” I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. If it would make him happy, why not?

* * *

Tyler POV

It was Thursday, which meant another Math class in the second period. Call me a psychic but I could feel her eyes making a hole in my back. After what happened, I didn’t approach her and we didn’t exactly see each other even at school. How could I? When she was Queen Bee and I was a nobody. Even in the cafeteria, the popular kids always surrounded her, while I was always left alone in the corner. But now we were in the same room and she was so close to me that I could smell her perfume. Lilac.

I braced myself and glanced back at her over my shoulder, and was shocked when my eyes instantly caught hers. So I was right, she was looking at me this whole time. I turned around and adjusted my glasses as Mrs. F asked me a question.

Obviously, I could answer it without using my brain so hard. Math was an easy subject for me because I loved numbers and solving problems. I stole another glance at her, and this time she was looking out the window. Her eyes looked dreamy as an indication that her mind was elsewhere. Mrs. F asked her a question, but she clearly hadn’t paid attention since she didn’t react.

“Miss Summers! Maybe you could enlighten us about what you’re daydreaming about!” Her tone was harsh and loud, and I watched Autumn shake her head slightly as if she has just woken up from a dream.

She looked confused, blinking several times. “I’m sorry, what was the question again, Mam?” Mrs. F snorted in annoyance but she repeated the question.

A thought crossed my mind. Maybe she was still thinking about the kiss. Maybe she felt the electricity that I felt when our lips met. A smile crept onto my lips and I tried to suppress it.

Whatever happened, I got more important things I had to do so I shoved the thoughts into the back of my mind.