Chapter 4

Thorn Trevor's Point of View:

I noticed a mid-sized black luxury SUV Fortuner, which was considered as one of the best variations in its segment. The lavish interiors design and its top speed have no doubt. This model has just launched a week ago and is already on the top sale list for this month. The high-end features and equipped capabilities. Yzack dropped down his window and took a glance at me.

"Bro, hop in." He shouted for me to hear him. I waited for him for almost an hour. There were lots of people in our university staring at me, and I hated it a lot. I hated being talked with, being the center of attraction. And that was exactly the reason why I refuse to sign the three-year contract as a model in one of the well-known brands that offering an exclusive contract in their company.

"What took you so long, Bro. I was waiting here for almost an hour." I hopped in the passenger seat.

"Last time I checked I was not hired as your driver." He said while his staring directly on the way. I chuckled as a response.

"I just need your help. Mom will notice that I left home if I used my sports car." I reasoned out. He hissed half a laugh. My phone rang.

"You're dead, man." He was laughing, concluding that it was Mom. I hissed half a laugh in response to him.

I shoved my hand in my pocket and grab my phone. I saw Mom's name on my screen. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, knowing that she already knew that I left without telling her where I will go. I slid the green button on my screen to answer her call.

"Mom," I uttered as I answered her call. Mom was not that strict like any other mom, but sometimes, I mean most of the time, she was overprotective. Sometimes, I was thinking if she forgot that I was 21 now. For her, I was still her five-year-old son. Mom already went through a lot and I was the only person she can lean on. Now, I could not let anyone hurt her again. After what happened to her and dad, I could never let him get involved in our lives again. It did not mean that I hated dad's second family, what I hated was that, how he hurt mom by his selfish actions.

"Where are you?" She was usually has a pleasant-voiced, but now she was sounded like her sister, Miss Leif our biology class. She was my aunt, but during her class, she was strict. I smiled, imagining how angry mom was right now.

"I'm on the way home, Mom. I am with Yzack, he needed my help in some of their business matters, but no worries, we are on the way." Yzack abruptly looked at me and widened his eyes. He was conveying a message to me using some gesture. I also do likewise in response.

"Okay. I'll talk to Yzack tomorrow. Just don't do the waves, Thorn. I am serious this time."

"Of course, Mom. You know me, I am not fond of trouble." I heard the man beside me stop himself to laugh. Yzack has no choice but to be my backup every time that I got into trouble. We've been friends ever since. I knew everything about him, even the feelings he had for my sister. Is not that, I did not like him for her. It's just that Alexey was too young for that.

"Okay, take care." She said in a calm voice.

"Yes, Mom. Love you!" I abruptly hang up the call.

"Bro, I need your help." I was begging for his help again for the nth time. I knew that he could not say no to me.

"Do I have a choice? What do you want me to reason out to your mom this time?" He asked, knowing that he had no choice.

"Anything, that is your expertise." He just hissed after hearing my response.

"Thanks, man." He nodded.

"Do it again, and I might kill you, bro." I exhaled half a laugh. I tapped his shoulder. When I'm in trouble, he's got my back and vice versa. Well, that's brotherhood.

"What had happened yesterday?" I was referring to his blind date. He shook his head. I devoured the pizza he was holding and licked my lips as I waited for his answer.

"Stop it, man. That was nothing. I just did it for Grandma." For some reason, I noticed that he always changed the subject when we talked about his date.

"No way, dude. I know you. You like her, don't you?" He took a plastic bottle of water and drank on it then, took a glance at me, and smirked before answering my question.

"She has the looks, man. No doubt in it. It's just that, we cannot be." I raised my eyebrow and showed him that I was not convinced by his answer.

"For what reason?" I gave him an inquisitive look.

"For some reason, bro. You will know when you meet her." He reasoned out. I simply nodded in response to his playing-safe answers, then ran my fingers through my messy hair.

"Let's talk about your new luxury car, then." He took a glance at me as I teased him. He and smiled while shaking his head.

"Won't you mind if I let it talk instead?" A smug grin flashed on his face as he drove fast. I noticed the engine speed in the speedometer. I shook my head while rubbing my lower lip.

-

We attended tedious class as usual.

"Class dismissed." I heard the favorite line of all the students from our instructors. Everyone leaned on their tables and stretch their arms. I wondered how Yzack managed to sleep during class and never been caught. What a legend! Thank God, we had one hour vacant.

"Hey, if you have time let's finish this." A tall and slender girl. Wearing a black crop top and skirt with her white sneakers, it was standing in front of me. I totally could not understand why girls wear uncomfortable clothes. She always has a peach and red shade of lipstick on her lips. She showed me some pieces of paper. Not only that, but she clamped her hair into the other side. I walked next to her. Her hair bounced as she took steps. We walked into the narrow hallway, we spotted unoccupied bleachers. She put her laptop and sat at the bleachers, wherein we can witness the different things students were doing at this moment.

"What?" She asked me with an inquisitive look when she caught me staring at her.

"Nothing." I simply replied.

Her eyelashes and light-brown-glittery-eyeshadow caught my attention as she rolled her eyes. She was mad as always, I hissed half a laugh while watching her.

"I already started 'since I'll not be able to help you after class 'cause we have a training." She explained. I simply nodded as a response. I casually folded my arms across my chest and lean at the bleachers.

"I also have a training later," I said without looking at her.

"You're a player?" She asked. I could hear the teasing tone laced with her voice.

"Basketball player." I corrected.

"You're so defensive." She said while playing the pen in her hand, half laughing. I looked away.

"Stop accusing," I uttered as she shrugged. Yzack was right, she was different from all the girls I knew. She was cool to be with, the only issue was that she talked a lot.

"Did you ever just look at someone and get a headache?" I mumbled and shook my head with a scoff.

"Yeah. When I saw you." I hissed as hearing what she said.

"Hey! Can you try this one, I don't get it." I got the paper from her. I followed the formula given in yesterday's discussion.

"One thing, can you stop calling me in various insulting words?" I furrowed my eyebrows as I saw a curve on her lips.

"Insulting? Why? Are you insulted by your attitude?" She grinned sarcastically and raised her eyebrows as if waiting for what I will about to say.

"Nah, I just hate the way you address me. You're odd." She grimaced. I handed her the paper with the answers that she was struggling with, then she gave me hers.

"You can check my answer, tell me if you have corrections." She had examined the paper she was holding and clumped her hair to the other side.

"What?" She asked as she noticed that I was staring at her.

"I am just wondering if you're a girl, 'cause your behavior won't fit if you are. Maybe you are a man living in that body." I slightly nodded my head to annoy her. I gave her a wry smile.

"It took me an hour to figure it out. Now I know." I shook my head in disappointment. She was burning with anger and immediately frowned. She hated to be made fun of, and that was exactly the reason why I always did it. I tried to play it cool.

"What did you just say?" She held a pen and acted as if she was about to stab me anytime. She bit her lower lip with anger.

"Don't shout." I exhaled half a laugh.

"Why? Are you insulted by your behavior?" I asked her back. I raised my eyebrow, waited for her answer.

"You know what, I am trying to understand that maybe you are just going through something, but now, you turn it down." She uttered. I cracked a grin as she hit my head using the notebook in her hand. I just furrowed my eyebrows.

"What's your problem? Does your school didn't teach you that hitting someone is considered bullying?" I gave her an inquisitive look.

"Does your school didn't teach you that having good manners and right conduct cannot kill a human being?" She asked me back. I just smirked in response.

"I'll ask Miss Leif in her class later if she will be able to tackle that, 'cause you think that this school is not able to teach their students about good manners and right conduct, right?" I decided to play it cool. She rolled her eyes out of irritation.

"Whatever!" She irritatedly responded.

I started to answer the other pages. Is she serious about these countless papers? I sighed loudly.

"Why? Anyway, can you just clear things up to your girl?"

"What do you mean?" I gave her an inquisitive look.

"I got it. Don't tell me, you like me? I'm sorry, Horizon, but you're not my type." I tried my best to annoy her. She hit me with the notes that she was holding. Thick strands of her hair fell on her forehead. She blew a puff of air at the thick strand of her bangs, those were blocking her vision.

"You wish, Thorn. But I am serious, secure her. Tell her that she's the one." She said.

"For what?" I asked.

"Just don't blame me whatever happens. I'm just trying to help here." She said.

"Are you telling me what I must do?" She rolled her eyes. I shoved my hand in my pocket to get my phone.

"Hello, Mom." I barely saw Horizon in my peripheral vision as she looked at me.

"No, I'm fine. I just wanna tell you that you're the one." A smile etched on my face as I heard mom's pleasant voice.

"Yeah, I just miss you. See you later." I hung up the phone.

"Satisfy?" I asked her. She crumpled a paper and threw it at me.

"What's your problem?" I laughed and waited for her answer.

"I am not referring to your mom, I mean, your girl. I'm just worried since, in her state, there's a possibility that she bullied a lot of girls just because she was obsessed with you." She said.

"My girl? Who?" I gave her an inquisitive look. I did not have an idea of what she was talking about.

"I didn't know that you weren't just a bad-tempered guy, you are also a womanizer. Well, boys will always be boys." She hissed.

"You talked a lot." I snorted.

"Oh don't tell me you have a lot?" She continued.

"That topic was badly debated, Horizon. Too many girls are claiming that they owned me." I gave gee a smug grin.

"Arrogant!" She mumbled.

"Just for the record, I am not a timer." I gave her another paper. She rolled her eyes before accepting it.

"After class, we should meet to distribute the topics. Don't be late otherwise, I'll kill you." She demanded.

"What if you're the one who's late? Should I kill you?" I raised my eyebrows.

"If you can." A smug grin etched on her face.

"Of course not. I am not a monster like you," I uttered half a laugh.

"Whatever, Thorn!" She rolled her eyes.

Her phone suddenly rang. She looked at her screen and immediately turned her attention back at me.

"I just answer this call." I simply nodded without showing any affection. She carefully stood up, holding her skirt due to the wind. I looked away.

"Hey!" I barely heard their conversation.

"I am busy meeting the deadlines of our activities. Besides, you can treat me next time. Don't miss us too much." She laughed. I took a glance at her. She has long-light-brown hair. She clumped her hair to the other side.

"I'll tell Jaim. Just a friendly advice, don't cut classes." She hangs up the call. I looked back on what I was doing.

"I'm sorry, my friend just called." I looked at her. I think that was the guy who talked to her yesterday in the hallway.

She got the paper that I handed over to her. I immediately felt her presence next to me. I saw her white nail polish that emphasized her fair skin color on the screen of my laptop, looking for the formula that I used to get my answer.

"How do you get that?" She was still browsing on my screen. I smelled her scent.

"See, how ironic that you advise your friend, not to cut classes while you were sleeping in our class yesterday." I saw her signature stare. I shook my head with a scoff. Her face was distorted with rage. I liked seeing her irritated, it was like a "good job, Thorn."

I showed her the formula that I used. As I took a glance at her, I saw her gawking after me, I looked away, and rubbed my lower lip.

"Look, Horizon you're drooling." I gave her a smug grin. She laughed, fueled with sarcasm, and immediately rolled her eyes.

"Just a bro tip, don't fall for me."  I smugly said to her.

"Dream on, Thorn!" She uttered.

"It is for your own sake. You know?" I uttered half a laugh

"Let me tell you this, I know you, so your usual tactics and moves would not work with me. Sorry." Her phone rang.

"Our class is about to start." She said and headed to the classroom.

"Hey, Horizon! Bring this stuff." She waved without looking back. I hissed.

"That monster," I mumbled. I went back to the class and put all the papers on her table. I saw a curve on her pink-and-orange shade of lips.

"Happy?" I sarcastically asked as she smiled.

"Super." Her eyes were full of excitement. I snorted. Yzack tapped my shoulder as I reached my seat.

"Take it easy, bro." I shook my head.

"She's crazy," I said. He just laughed.