only if

Reputation... reputation. What will you do for reputation?

There was a type of brain-numbing silence that swept over the cabin as our flight took off. People began slouching back into their chairs and pulling eye masks over their faces, settling into place for the five hour flight ahead. Several of them looked like frequent travelers- with leather neck pillows that were creased from years of use and hands folded over their chests in a pseudo "do not disturb me" sort of way. 

My companion, however, seemed to want to strike up conversation. 

"Back from summer holiday?" he said, turning slightly towards me as we burst through the cloud barrier and ascended into the sky. 

"Well, I'm not sure if you can call it that," I answered playfully. After all, visions of summer holiday aren't usually full of fighting, screaming, and lengthy legal wars. 

"I'm actually going to my new school this year," I continued. "Claremont International... don't know if you've heard of it." 

Next to me, Charles eyes glimmered with a hint of recognition at the words, and he turned his head to look at me straight on. I felt his eyes scan my face, as if he was seeing me for the first time. Before, I was just the girl on the plane, unmemorable and temporary, a quick stop on the way to real people in his life. Now, I was more permanent, and by the way he scanned over my features, digesting what I looked like, I knew he knew it too. 

"So this is the girl people have been talking about," he said, as he smirked. "Ms. Williams, is it?" 

I recoiled for a second.  How did he know my last name? And what did he mean about people talking about me at school? I hadn't even set foot into the building yet, and yet here I was, being the juicy subject of the latest gossip. 

"People are talking about me?" I asked quietly. 

"Talking, hardly. It might be classified as screaming at this point," he said. "When the heir to the Williams Banking fortune enrolls at our school, people find out... and quick." 

I cringed. Great. Just what I needed- my dirty laundry being aired out for the entire school to see, and before I even had gotten the chance to defend myself. What else did they know about? My reputation, my record... I stopped thinking about it before I lost track of myself. 

"Ah, that." 

"Not happy about it?" he laughed. His pale blue eyes seemed to sparkle at he said the words, as if he had known me for years. But, as I thought about it, I realized that it was completely possible for him to already know who I was- or at least who I was reflected by my track record. Would it be possible that when I walked through the front doors of that school, people would already know me as the promiscuous, rebellious girl that I had tried so hard to leave behind in New York? So much for redefining myself. 

"Well, I haven't even gotten the chance to properly introduce myself to everyone yet," I replied. 

Charles laughed again, and let his hand rest on mine, which I had placed on the armrest between us. At his touch, something in me pulled back. His hand was warm, which was comforting in the chilling air of the plane cabin, but it felt unfamiliar and unnecessary. Almost... too intimate. 

I looked up at him in response, and was surprised to see him already staring at me, his lips drawn back in a playful grin to reveal dazzling white teeth. I met his gaze, gasping at how blue his eyes were, staring into its different hues that swirled like a lagoon. 

"It's okay," he said. "You can count on me to show you around." 

I didn't know what to say to the offer. I hardly knew this guy, and here he was, offering me help, touching me... as if wanted something more.