Healing Myself

Pretty girl

Victor's POV

3 golden stars.

Yes.

As I am once again deemed the 'victor' of yet another level of Angry Birds, I get up from the couch in the store that I was sitting on, and make my way towards the counter at the front. "My friend just selected some stuff. I'll be giving the payment." I tell the man standing behind the counter. He looks up from the computer and gives me a once-over before looking directly at me.

His eyes narrow. "The one with all that bling?", he asks. I nod. He pulls out a sheet of paper from under the counter and hands it to me. "Mode of payment?" I am tempted to swipe the premium black card that my parents so generously gave me for anything that I wanted, but Uncle's warning flashes in my mind. The man will beat the crap out of me if I so much as take it out of my wallet. "Would it be alright if I paid some of it in cash and the rest of it by card?"

"It doesn't matter, boy, as long as we're getting our money."

I smile and go along with the routine, happy to be able to help without notifying anyone of it. After filling out the sheet the man gave to me, which was supposed to contain the address of where they'll be sending the furniture at, and telling me that they'll be taking delivery charges, the man was happy to get rid of me.

I get out of the furnishing store and check Gabriel's location before going to the departmental store across the mall. I step into the store and follow the two little dots, one sky blue and the other a neon orange, huddled together in one of the store aisles.

It is when I am navigating through the different aisles that I notice Kota's message that just came in, about a family meeting at Mr. Blackbourne's tonight. I take a turn to the right, where I know Gabe and Luke will be, and without looking up from my phone continue to say, "Hey Gabe, I informed them where to drop the stuff at. Should we leave? Mr.-", I close the chat window after typing and sending my agreement and look up, about to continue, when my voice is snatched away from me.

And I let it.

Because when I look up, it's not just two of my brothers that I see; I see her.

Now, I don't have a vast and elaborate vocabulary like Mr. Blackbourne, and I don't read advanced coursebooks for fun like Kota, so the first word that comes into my mind when I look at her is; pretty.

I'm not going to lie. I have seen a lot of pretty girls before, prettier girls, too, but I don't think I've ever seen a girl who looks pretty without makeup on. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen a girl without makeup on. That's the thing about high society. Little girls are taught to put mascara and lipstick on by their mothers before they can read and write. Looks are everything.

Doing makeup is an art, I've been told this by Gabe a number of times, and I completely understand this. But I also understand that there is a huge difference between applying makeup to enhance your features, and performing plastic surgery with it on your face altogether.

In this moment in time, as I look at this girl, I see that she is real. Her blonde hair isn't in an intricate hairstyle, just clipped up, and it looks good. Her eyes really are green, she's not wearing any contacts. They're like emeralds that shine brightly, even after being cut multiple times with the hardships of life. Her lips are pink, and I have no doubt that if I kiss her, right here, right now, I'll come to know that she isn't wearing any lipstick or whatever girls apply on their lips these days.

She is pretty and she is real.

"Victor, this is Sang. Sang, this is our friend, Victor Morgan."

Luke's voice snaps me out of my inner reverie, and just as I had become relaxed in a second, a second is all it takes for my body to go tense again. Just because this 'Sang'(I think it's a beautiful name) is a pretty girl, and looks genuine, does not mean she actually is genuine. Pessimistic, I know, but being a part of the elite, I have come across enough fakes to last me a lifetime.

I look toward her and try to give a gentle smile, not enough to be open, but not uptight either. I want to know her, but I'd like to be prepared if she's one of those girls. I take a sneak peak towards Gabriel and he seems to be looking at her in.....wonder? I guess I shouldn't be that worried, Gabe definitely knows how to give someone a vibe check, and if he's okay with her, then I should be too. She smiles at me and says,

"Hi, Victor."

3 syllables, the sweet tone of her voice and the kindness in her eyes. She doesn't want anything from me. She doesn't see my money and she doesn't see my fame. I wonder if she even knows who I am, but then I realize that I don't even care. If she isn't aware of my status, there's no way I'm going to make her, not when she's just said my name like she would of any other person. Not when she could think of actually being my friend without knowing who I am.

Maybe this is all an act. Maybe she knows. Maybe I'm making a mistake.

But I let my heart melt a little.

Let my smile glow a little.

Let myself go a little.

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