Steal my Heart.

40

They all looked up at me. Ned, Spencer, George, Stuart, Merrie, Judy, Astrid, Paolo and of course, Sassy. Stuart got up and started jumping.
"Yes, my OTP, I knew it! Took you so fucking long." He yells and jumps on Alastair, effectively trapping him in a bear hug.

The rest of them just stare at me. I give them a small smile. Sassy gives Alastair a blank look.
"Seriously Kerr?" She asks deadpanned.
"Deal with it Peale." He says before pulling out a chair for me and sitting down on another one.

"I don't believe this." She mutters under her breathe and goes back to applying nail polish. She doesn't look at me again after that.

"So when did it start?" Merrie asks me and Judy leans in for the gossip.
"Just yesterday." I say and they both smile. They're not all that bad, at least for now. Only Sassy seems to be mean, the rest of them smiled at me. But then, after the Astrid-Paolo incident, no one likes her much.

"Isn't that too fast?" Judy asks and I want to launch into a monologue of what Alastair said to me yesterday, but Merrie effectively cuts in.
"Judy, that's not something you should ask. You jumped into bed with Tyson one day after you two met."

Judy blushes embarassedly. "That was just fun."
Merrie rolls her eyes. "You said you loved him Judes."

So this is what Alastair and Melissa's world is like. Love is lust and lust is love, there's no difference. Dating is more about being with someone of your social 'status', sleeping around is cool and you're stupid if you're waiting for first love. I have doubts in my mind about Alastair but then he starts drawing little circles on my hand with his thumb, even though he is immersed in deep conversation with Stuart and I know, he isn't just fooling around with me.

"You have such lovely hair Grace, I never knew." Merrie perks up, shaking me out of my reverie.
"Stop with the boring talks. Tell me about you and Alastair. What all happened?" Judy asks and I launch into a narrative of how we met and ended up together.

At the end though, they seem disappointed.
"Didn't sleep together yet?" Merrie asks and I shake my head.
"Alastair is a good kisser from what I've heard." Judy says and Merrie smacks her, giving a warning look to her. Whatever, I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

"Why Merrie, let Judy speak. What she is saying is right. I have first hand experience after all." Sassy pipes in between, putting the lid on the nail polish bottle. Judy and Merrie give apologetic smiles to me and push back, clearly wanting to get out of the scene.

I'm taken aback and I want to walk away from here but Alastair's hand in mine squeezes. And it's like there's this sudden surge of courage within me. Because I find myself retorting back. "Haven't you had first hand experience with every boy over here?"

Sassy's mouth drops open and Judy and Merrie stare at me with surprise and awe etched upon their faces. I want to applaud for myself. All my life I got trampled over by people and expected others to stand for me. It's high time I started doing that for myself.

Soon after that, the boys fool amongst themselves while Astrid and Paolo make out. The girls discuss about a TV show and I sit alone. I want to tell Alastair to take me away from here but I don't want to come in between him and his friends.

Thankfully, the bell rings and we get up to go to the ground again. I wave to the others and except for Sassy, all of them bid goodbye to me. As we walk out, Alastair puts a hand around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him.

"You don't like my friends?" He asks, placing a kiss on the side of my head.
"It's not about liking them. I just don't fit in well." I say and he rubs my shoulder.
"I could see that. Anyways, can you teach me World Literature today?" He asks.

"Do you want to learn or is this just some excuse to come over at my house?" I tease him and he shrugs.
"Or maybe I like the girl that lives across your house." He says as we walk head towards the ground.

I hit him. "You cheat!"
"Ow. What's her name though? She's really hot." He fake-swoons and I want to smack him again.

"Anyways, I'll be coming over in the evening. Wait for me." He winks and starts to turn away.
"Alastair?" I call out.
"Yeah?" He turns.
"No girl lives in the house across mine." I smile.

He laughs in the tongue-in-cheek way I so love and walks away.

•••

After the fest day, when I walk inside the house, I see Vanessa waiting for me on the couch. Upon seeing me, she gets up and folds her hands across her chest.

"I got to know." She says in a flat voice.
"I forgot to tell you, I'm sorry. I've been busy. We started dating just yesterday." I say as I head to my room. I'm exhausted. The help-desk work isn't easy, contrary to what I thought.

"It's not that. Don't you know about his reputation?" She asks as she follows me to my room.
"Way to be hypocritical Van. The day he came to our house, you were gushing over him." I say.

"That was different. Not only will this relationship affect your name, it also seems like a game to me."
"Vanessa, people change and we should give a chance to them." She's really annoying me now. Why can't she accept us? The only reason she should be angry should be me not informing her.

"What makes you think he'll change? He's a jerk!" Her voice rises and I turn at her, my temper spiralling out of control.
"Enough." I snap. "I am in love with him, okay? And I'll give him as many chances as he wants, and no one can do anything to change that."

Vanessa seems shocked at my outburst. Taking a step back, she turns around and runs off to her room.

Fuck my great life.