“That’s a violation of the dress code!” the teacher declared the second I entered the class room.

In my defense, I had a severe wardrobe crisis in the morning.

I was in a blood-red maroon completely off-shoulder top that I had worn as a boat neck for comfort. It was short too, but I had worn high-waist trousers to make up for it. The top was only a wee-bit inappropriate, unlike half the things in my cupboard. It didn’t entirely flash my cleavage, for once. It only brought out my enhanced features. I hadn’t worked so much on my collarbones to hide them behind three inches of cloth.

If only my collarbone was the only “enhanced” feature of mine that the top brought out.

The teacher was a guy, so he didn’t say much, and to be honest, there wasn’t any actual rule against what I was wearing. The teacher’s eyes dropped a little and I glared at him.

He looked away and I took my seat, but could feel the lingering gaze of his.

The school had all the male teachers in check, but well, that didn’t change the fact that they were men.

Rhys’s and my eyes met and his dropped low too. He shamelessly stared before looking back up at me. It was a battle of dominance and I smirked, calling it off, and looking away.

Okay, I might be a little into gaining Daniel’s attention. Red was my favourite colour, and it made me look beautiful-more than beautiful. My eyes had somewhat of red tint. You could only see it if you were close, but it was a feature I wasn’t compromising. Ever.

Daniel, who was in the class to talk to the teacher, looked at me, smiled, waved, and then looked away. Literally ignoring my outfit. I doubted he would even notice if I showed up naked in front of him.

Rivika chose that moment to enter the class and Daniel’s eyes darted towards her faster than women were killed in those countries for opening their mouths.

I bit my lip, jealous, annoyed and heartbroken at the same time. He gave her a broad grin before actually taking in her appearance. All that when she was in a weird-ass funky yellow top with a blue shirt over it and normal jeans.

Rivika blushed slightly before taking a seat in front of me and turning behind immediately. “How was your weekend?” she chirped. “I am sorry I couldn’t make it to the quiz.”

“I had a lot of fun! Missed you though,” I revealed truthfully. Daniel could love whoever he liked, no way in hell I was going to abandon my friend for him.

The class didn’t go as boring as it should’ve. I was too lost in my head thinking about the quiz, about the fact that I needed to get a grip on my weaknesses if I were to slay the IMDO.

When it ended, the teacher, Mr Creep, asked me to stay behind. Everyone ran out to the halls, everyone, but me and Rhys. The teacher stared irritably at him, waiting for him to leave.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” Rhys apologised when he realized he was getting glares. “You guys continue I accidently spilled the contents of my bag, I might take a while.”

Mr Creep nodded before turning towards me. “I don’t want any more of these outfits in my class,”

“I am not breaking any school rules.”

“Well, I don’t like myself or the other men in the class being distracted.”

“Boys,” I corrected him. “And are you implying that you are sexualizing a female student of your class?”

“I just don’t want any disturbances,”

“Tell your men to keep their eyes to the board. If you have so much trouble with them being distracted, how about you give them meditation classes? That ought to help them focus on the right things,”

Rhys zipped up his bag and I left the class, stomping as hard as I could.

Rhys quickened his pace and came alongside me. “That son of a-”

“I know. Did you drop everything on purpose?”

“I would be dammed if I were to leave you alone in a class with that perv-”

“Thanks for being so caring, Rhys!” he smiled before ruffling my hair. “You guys just love ruining my hair, don’t you?”

“They’re too soft, it’s not really our fault!”

“Hm…someone’s sounding like Mr Creep,” I joked, which earned me a light smack on my back. “See you around?” he nodded before jogging off quickly to his class.

The other teachers chose to ignore my outfit. Nothing significant happened till lunch, when I and Rivika were having a heated discussion about Daniel.

Trying to convince her to get the nerve was pointless…I realized that halfway through the conversation.

But also halfway through the conversation, I felt Daniel’s presence behind me. I knew his perfume well enough to know for certain that it was him.

If Rivika wasn’t going to say it, it was time for me to take the matter in my own hands. “If you’re so in love with Daniel, just ask him out. He’ll say yes!” I yelped, keeping my voice just loud enough for Daniel to hear.

Rivika’s eyes widened. Apart from an author I was also kind of a good enough actor. I slowly turned around as her eyes fixated over my head in horror, and covered my mouth when I came face to face with Daniel.

I pretended I didn’t already know that he was right behind me and that I hadn’t just said all of it cause he was behind me.

But his eyes, they didn’t acknowledge my presence. Filled with shock, they were glued to Rivika. “You like me?” he whispered, asking her softly.

Rivika bit her lip in response. Her body was frozen, and her eyes were filled with terror.

“Do you want to grab dinner…tonight?” Daniel asked her, taking her answer as a yes, and suddenly, Rivika’s senses kicked it, and she nodded with more energy than required.

And that, people, is how I helped my best friend get the love of my life.

But I wasn’t the only one whose heart broke that day.

Little did I know that just how I was hopelessly in love with Daniel, Rhys was in love with Rivika.

“I hope this doesn’t change your mind about tonight,” I joked, punching Rhys’s shoulder, on finding out that he had hots for Rivika.

He looked at me, confused for a moment before saying, “We are not having sex tonight.”

“I know.” I shrugged before continuing. “But we could,” He slumped his head on the wall and interwinned his fingers with mine.

I hadn’t told him how deeply I felt for Daniel yet. I should’ve, but I didn’t.

Because I looked up at his face and realized that I would lie and hide things only to make him smile.

Because I looked up at his face and realized that there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep him happy.

***

I had a variety of dresses in front of my eyes, and none of them spoke to me.

There was this lace white dress, an illusion-neck black dress, two red dresses: one showed cleavage, the other had two big holes on the sides right below my breasts, and one dress was just weird.

I could go on, but well, I had too many dresses. I was a wee bit of a shopping addict.

#retailtherapysupremacy

Anyways, I finally settled on the red dress (the one with the holes). It fit me well, and matched my figure just perfectly. I might be a shopping addict, but everything in my cupboard matched my every feature, I never compromised.

You can say I was choosy (not when it came to boys, though).

Me and Daniel were never going to happen. It was time for me to set my eyes on someone a little more available…Rhys, perhaps.

Rhys had been my best friend for years but I didn’t want to be his friend any more.

I wanted to be the girl who he imagined sleeping by his side at cold nights. I wanted to be the girl he first thought of when, when reading any cheesy line. I wanted to be the girl he held on to when he lost his light.

I didn’t want to be his friend.

I wanted to be his first love. The kind of love that messed with your brain and make your knees weak.

I wanted to be the blonde boy’s inamorta.

Just like I wasn’t in love with Daniel, Rivika wasn’t Rhys’s first love.

She was his crush, a temporary, silly obsession.

And while dressing up, all I could think about was that if Rhys was to fall in love with me, what of my wreckless love for Daniel? What if it proved to be powerful than time itself, and wrecked my soul and kept it for itself?

The party wasn’t far away. It was only a block away. I knocked at Rhys’s door, who seemed to be running late, fashionably so.

His mother opened the door and called his name, making him run down the stairs with his tee still not adjusted over his body.

He saw me and his eyes paused for a brief moment and wandered over those mischievous holes. They met mine and I bit my lip, trying to ignore how cute he looked in a simple white tee.

I wanted to pull his cheeks and then take him to his room and fall asleep in his arms.

“You look gorgeous, sweetie,” his mom complimented, bringing me out of my fantasies.

Rhys’s steps slowed down and he started straightening his shirt, not meeting my eyes again.

“Thank you, Mrs Cornell,” she smiled softly urged her son to hurry up. “Do you guys want me to take a picture?”

“This isn’t prom, mom, it’s just a silly party,”

“I know, you but you two would look wonderful together!” my cheeks reddened and I had to do my best to not agree with her loudly.

Rhy grabbed my arm and bid off his mom in an attempt to cover up the awkwardness.

He pulled me out of the door, and I don’t know if it was the stars or the fact that moon was just dancing out there, but I felt happy, and totally in love, I just didn’t know with whom.

He took my hand slowly in his, but kept his eyes down on the road, and motioned me towards the direction of the party.

I looked up at him and he chose to look up at the same time.

He had stars in his eyes and the moon on his head. “See, even your mom thinks we would look good together.” I joked, poking his cheek.

“I don’t remember her asking us to bang, though,”

“I mean, we should, you know. It is the best form of cardio,” he laughed, and he let go of my hand.

I was disappointed at the sudden absence of warmth but he didn’t waste any time in wrapping it around my waist.

Right. Over. The. Freaking. Hole of a side.

It wasn’t an indecent touch. It was a cool, friendly touch. But my skin was cold from being exposed for too long and his hand was warm, and it sent literal sparks around my skin.

“You want me to remove my hand?” he asked, his eyes teasing but his voice serious. I shook my head and did my best to get closer to him.

“Do you want to take a short detour? We can go late to the party!” I suggested.

“What do you have in mind?” he asked, turning his face towards me. We were too close. Closer than friends should be.

“Well-”

“I swear to God, if you say sex, I will-”

“Coffee?” I offered, trying to do my best to not make it sound like a date by making it sound like a date.