𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 ||The Girl Behind The Act||

Chapter 5

Ariana

As I drove to school the following morning, an idea suddenly struck me – a new strategy that would undoubtedly catch Tristan's attention, and I was ready to bet on it.

I decided to throw a party at my place on Friday and planned to give him the invite today. As for the rest of the students, they were all invited to my party – I really didn't care who showed up and who didn't.

After parking in my usual spot, I stepped out of my car, and immediately, wolf whistles and cat calls filled the air. My outfit for the day consisted of a short black mini skirt and a long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder white cropped top.

I playfully waved my fingers at the group of basketball players by their cars. They responded with winks and blown kisses.

"Hey Shay, hey Jo!" I greeted my two best friends, who had arrived at the same time as me.

"Hey Ari, love the outfit!" Jo complimented, but her attention quickly shifted to the approaching black Mercedes pulling into the parking lot.

I exchanged a knowing wink with Shay as we both observed Joanna fussing with her hair, even though it was already perfect.

The things we do for guys.

Josh and Tristan stepped out of the car. My breath caught in my throat as soon as I laid eyes on Tristan. He wore black cargo jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged his upper body snugly, showing off his broad shoulders and well-built muscles.

His slightly disheveled hair only added to his appeal, and a simple silver crucifix earring adorned his left ear. His entire image screamed "Bad Boy" to everyone present.

The bell for homeroom snapped me out of my trance. We all gathered and headed toward the school.

"Damn, he's so hot," Shay gushed while staring ahead at Tristan and Josh.

"Hot enough to be your type, Shay, or are you just saying unnecessary things today?" I asked with a smirk, and they both shot me a look.

"Okay, we all know you're interested in him, Ari. So, we're stepping back. The question is, how are you going to win him over?" Joanna raised an eyebrow, her tone playful.

"Just watch and learn. This one's going to be an easy catch," I replied, and they chuckled as we reached the school entrance, dispersing to our respective classes.

***

Lunchtime came around, and I began my quest to find Tristan Fontanillia. His surname sounded foreign, which made sense considering he was half Filipino. I liked its uniqueness; it suited him well.

I started by dropping off my books in my locker, then grabbed my red chapstick from my makeup bag for a quick touch-up on my lips.

Nearby, a familiar voice and laughter reached my ears. I glanced up and spotted Tristan conversing with a few football players.

Time to execute the plan.

I tossed the chapstick back into my locker, not overly concerned if it landed neatly in my makeup bag or not. With a hair flip, I walked toward the group of guys, wearing a friendly smile. When I arrived, the other guys seemed surprised, checking me out. Tristan, however, appeared focused on his conversation, seemingly oblivious to me or perhaps deliberately ignoring me.

"Hey, Tristan," I greeted in my sweet tone, and he glanced at me with an air of boredom.

"Oh, hey, um...Alexa?" I restrained a gasp.

Did he really just forget my name?

The other guys exchanged surprised glances. My name was easy to remember – it was like remembering Ariana Grande, but in my case, it was just Ariana Blake.

Everyone knew that.

Whether he did it on purpose or genuinely couldn't remember, I decided to let it slide, just this once. I forced a laugh to cover the awkward moment.

"You're funny. It's actually Ariana," I emphasized, dragging out my name a bit.

The other guys excused themselves, and Tristan let out a sigh before giving me an annoyed look.

"What do you want?" he asked, irritation in his tone. I raised an eyebrow.

Whoa, okay.

So far, this guy is starting to become an uneasy challenge. In my history of flirting, I'd never encountered someone who forgot my name so easily or played hard to get.

Usually, guys practically fell at my feet, and most of them wanted to talk to me every day. It was rare for me to approach guys myself.

There was something about Tristan that compelled me to pursue him. Even though I knew he might take a few weeks to catch on, I couldn't help but chase after him.

"I'm throwing a party at my place this Friday night. You should come," I suggested, smiling. However, he stood there, seemingly uninterested in any of the hints I was dropping to show my interest.

"No thanks. I've got plans," he replied with a shrug, then walked away, leaving me stunned.

Did he just brush me off and reject my invitation?

What a jerk!

Frustrated, I sighed and stormed off to the cafeteria. I wasn't giving up on Tristan easily. Despite his dismissive attitude, I was determined to teach him a lesson. I had plans to make him fall for me, only to break up in front of everyone. That would be my payback for playing hard to get.

Our usual table was occupied by the cheerleading squad and a few football players. Shay and Joanna were engrossed in explaining things to the new cheerleaders I'd recruited earlier.

"Clear out, everyone," I ordered as I reached the table and sat down in front of my friends.

Instantly, the table emptied, leaving just the three of us. Shay and Joanna leaned in, knowing that something was up if I requested privacy.

"Tristan completely blew me off when I invited him to my party this Friday," I complained in disbelief.

"No way," they exclaimed, exchanging a gasp before looking at each other.

"It seems you were wrong about him being an easy catch. What's plan B, then?" Joanna inquired, arms crossed.

Leaning back, I regarded her with determination.

"I'll do whatever it takes to win him over. Just make sure no one gets in the way, no matter who it is. He's testing me, but he doesn't realize who he's up against," I replied coldly. They both nodded in agreement.

I wasn't backing down. Sooner or later, Tristan Fontanillia would be mine, and I was ready to make it happen.

***