12 dates of Christmas [Completed]

Chapter 1

Cora

I hate when I have to transfer in the middle of the school year, but Dad got a new job again; this time in Manhattan. And of course he had found this "perfect" private school not far from our new house.

I sigh as I walk to the Administration Office to collect my schedule and as I pass through the door this boy is walking out of it. He looks like the school's bad boy with black clothes and a fohawk, his tawny skin shimmers under the florescent lights. And brown eyes with a stroke of chocolate in them that peer at me and I'm guessing it's because I look like I don't belong here.

"And Mr. DiLego I don't want to see you in here again", a baritone voice says inside the office.

It is lunchtime and I'm sitting at a table in the corner. I'm trying not to draw attention to myself, but I can feel all the glances I'm getting probably because I'm the new girl. As I lift my eyes to take a bite out of my lunch I notice the guy from before looking my way. He is sitting at a table where all the kids have designer brands on their clothes so I'm guessing it is the popular one. I look away but not fast enough, I notice a slight smile play on his lips. Another guy at the table turns his head to look as well. Trying to ignore them, I focus on my book.

Mateo

The new girl from this morning is sitting by herself in the lunch room. I'm looking at her because she's in my line of sight, that's the only reason. She looks up and our eyes connect. My nemesis Zino turns his head to look.

"Oh a new girl", he smirks and then peers at me.

"Seems like it."

"I bet I can get her to fall in love with me in six dates", Zino says in a cocky tone of voice.

"Not if I beat you to it", I say with a smirk.

"You're on DiLego!"

"So what are we betting on this time?" I ask.

"I want my car back", Zino makes known, I should have figured as much.

We shake hands as we agree to the terms of this bet. The first of us to get a kiss from the new girl is the winner. And I'll be damned if I lose the Maserati.

Zino

On our way out of the lunch room I set my sights on the new girl. I catch up to her as she reaches her locker.

"Hi, and welcome to Presidential High", I greet her with a 100 watt smile. All the girls like it so I know what I'm doing.

She turns her bright green eyes my way, they remind me of a green pine forest from my childhood. She's pretty but so are a lot of girls at this school. I know because I've been with most of them.

"Okay, thank you", she says and shoves her book away.

"So have you got the tour of the premises?"

"It's a school, I guess it looks like other schools", she says in a bored voice.

I ignore the fact that she doesn't seem to want to talk to me.

"So what is your name?"

"Cora, Cora Appleton. What's yours?"

"Zino Mazzoni"

"Okay, well I have class."

"Let me walk you", I offer and put on my winning smile again.

Cora's eyes flicker while she decides.

"Okay"

I see Mateo at his locker as we walk through the corridor. He gives me a WTF-look. I smirk at him, making sure Cora doesn't see.

Cora

When I come home after school our maids have started to decorate the house for Christmas. I go up to my room, it's twice as big as my last one. I have a couch and a flat screen in one corner, my king-size bed and a desk with the latest computer. But my favorite part is the walk in closet filled with designer clothes. Dad really went all out this time, probably because he feels guilty for uprooting me again.

Only one person came up to me today and that was a guy named Zino. I get tongue tied around boys who looks like him. Because he is a really hot looking Italian with his dark blue eyes, olive skin, dark hair and muscular build.

Mateo

As I drive home, I try to come up with a plan on how to approach the new girl. Zino already made contact and that frustrates me, I hate losing to him. I park outside our mansion, I walk to my room and sit down at my computer to find out who the girl is.

After some searching on the school website I find her. She's a transfer student and her name is Cora Appleton. She already has her own user profile. I decide to send her a private message.

Mateo: Hello and welcome to Presidential High.

I push send and within a couple of minutes my inbox pings.

Cora: Hi and thanx. Are all the boys at Presidential High this friendly?

That makes me laugh out loud. If she thinks Zino is being friendly with her without any ulterior motive she is wrong. He is a player, much worse than I am if I do say so myself.

Mateo: It depends, want to go on a date to find out?

Cora

That is the quickest anyone has asked me out. I click on Mateo's profile only to find out it's the guy that smiled at me at lunch. I look at his pictures. He is good looking and well what do I have to lose? I ponder if I should say yes or not? It's just one date and I've been dying to go to the ice rink in Central Park ever since we moved here from Washington D.C.

Cora: Okay but only if we can go into the city to ice-skate.

Mateo: Tomorrow after school.

Cora: It's a date.