Several days had passed by, and the weather seemed to have improved dramatically. The sunny days replaced the cold, whether that happened in less than a week couldn't hide the reason behind my nervous, heated body.

Friday was finally here, most girls would be excited to spend extra time with their crushes, but my situation was different. My mind kept wondering about different situations on how tonight would end up. I changed for the fifth time, then surrendered to my misery.

I mastered the courage to call Victoria, who had become my friend four days ago. It shocked me at first, but as we began chatting and hanging out, two days felt less than fourteen hours. Although she seemed unreasonably friendlier toward me, her personally slowly drew me in.

Within seconds of dialling, a soft, sleepy voice hummed and whispered. "Hey, pretty." I could hear the huskiness of her voice before she coughed.

"Accept the video call." I blurted, still amused by how comfortable I was around her.

"Hmm? But, I look horrible." As Victoria lowered her tone, I imagined her pouting her lips.

"I need your help with... a night out." My eyes slightly shut whilst a smile crossed my face.

"A night out!" She screamed, then accepted the then pending video connection.

Victoria looked different from her usual style. Her temporary altered, light-brown eyes widened at the sudden lamp light. I watched her pull the white duvet over the pink, satin night dress while her messy dark brown hair rested on her shoulders.

"Quit looking at me like that." She playfully hit the screen, "your date might wait the whole night."

"It's not a... date." I whispered as she stared questionably at me.

"I have said that before."

"Okay! Help a girl out." It took a while for her to give up on the topic. Every after suggesting an outfit, she would ask about my date. Despite her persistence, I managed to diverge the topic continuously with 'it's a secret affair.' After half an hour of selections, I was fully dressed for the night.

I rushed down the stairs – beaming happily and fixing the strands of hair that escaped the loosely curled braids. My eyes scanned my body at every turn until I opened the door. Immediately, the night breeze sent a shiver through my body as I tightly hugged myself.

The loud message alert on my phone caused me to flinch, then relax upon seeing the contact. "Five minutes." That's what Noel's message read. As he predicted, the dark blue car stopped at the entrance when the clock hit 6pm. Excited and nervous, I boarded the car and relaxed upon inhaling his scent.

"Are you nervous?" Noel's tone was calm, at the same time, he informed the driver to start off. My gaze was fixed on his evening attire. Luckily, it put me at ease about my casual outfit. "We are not going to a fancy place."

"How did you know that's what I was thinking about?"

"It's either that or you can't get your eyes off me." His relaxed smile was so contagious that I couldn't hold mine back. Noel quickly held his hair up, then put a black cap on. The loose strands of hair caressed his neck and brought my attention to his pierced ears.

"You – you have piercings?" I blurted out, then covered my mouth. "I thought- I – Ugh!"

"You are overreacting, it's only two in each ear." He frowned as he stared out the window. "It was a year ago for a certain brand and it paid well. I took this type of haircut that day too." I was dumbfounded by his sudden openness. Noel had always been secretive and inexpressive.

"They look good, can I touch it?"

"... Sure." I moved closer and trailed my finger down his earlobe. The soft skin brushed against mine, which caused my cheeks to heat up. Noel cleared his throat, then whispered. "Please stop pinching my ear."

"I'm sorry." I hurriedly moved away and pressed my shivering hands below my thighs. "So, where are we going?"

"Hmm, I have no plans. Let the night lead us."

When Noel said that cheesy line, I assumed we were going to a secret place that only he knew or the common rich guy – poor lifestyle experience around town date. That's what happened in all his fans' fan fictions and romances that I read. But, how would I have imagined that we would jump five stages so quickly?

Not only was I underdressed and improper, but I was stuck in his house – in his room, and on his bed as I waited for the movie night to begin. Apparently, his sister went to prepare snacks in the kitchen whilst the little brother sat beside me. 

"Are you Noel's girlfriend?" The eight-year-old moved closer and smiled. "Hmm, do you know that he wets his bed?" A cocky, mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"I'm not his girlfriend." I smiled, then Noel entered the room.

"But, Noel bribed us to watch – ouch!" He suddenly stared at Noel, who happened to smile at him. "This movie is so good."

The lights in the room became dim when the screen lighted up. The movie began shortly after Leticia quietly entered the room. Leticia and I had exchanged plain greetings when I arrived. Thereafter, she had not spoken a word to me, which I clearly understood based on her status.

It wasn't halfway through the movie when she stood up and claimed to be sleepy. I noticed her hint towards the already bored kid, who happily stood and faked a yawn. "Good night, I have dance lessons tomorrow." He said, then followed Leticia.

Despite the room being dark, I noticed an irritated expression on Noel's face. It was a certain level of uncertainty and worry, which he clearly masked with the calm demeanour. Terrible as it might have been, the two siblings had played us from the start.

Noel sat beside me while the loud voices of the actors echoed in the room. The moonlight was visible from the framed, glass door that led to a balcony. Interesting enough, my mind focused on the sound of my heartbeat and body movements.

When the couple in the movie got intoxicated by their desires and crashed their lips in a unified motion – I felt my lips dry in anticipation. The room was silent and as the sound of breaking glasses echoed, the tension between us became unbearable.

It seemed that I wasn't the only one drawn by the display that heightened my emotions. Calmly, I felt Noel's fingers rest on my right hand. His figure moved carefully and gently towards me until our gazes met in that moonlighted area. His scent became stronger and more demanding as we closed up the distance. Our lips barely touched when the loud scream from the movie caused both of us to flinch and withdraw.

"Hmm." Noel closed his eyes for several seconds, then walked towards the light switch. My eyes squinted at the bright light and my attention was directed to the figure in front of me. "It's late, my driver will drop you off."

I had not been given a minute to respond when he helped me pick up my stuff and was directed out of the room. "The driver is downstairs." The door was closed while I gasped.

I was annoyed and confused by his sudden dismissal of me. But, I quietly walked downstairs and was greeted by a younger man dressed in a black suit. Without hesitation, I followed him out of the quiet mansion. The ride back home was filled with songs played by the driver and random questions about directions. I wouldn't be shocked if the driver assumed that I was a rude person because my tone definitely gave off my mood.

Luckily, It was half past eight in the evening and father would be in his study. Consciously, I opened the door and tiptoed into the dark living room. When I managed to reach the stairs, I heard laughter from the corner of the room.

"I didn't know that I raised a thief." Dad's deep voice echoed in the space.

"Oh, hello papa." I faked the brightest, innocent smile that I could master. "I was out with my friend and I didn't notice the time."

"Is that so? That scent on you is also your friend's pheromone?"

"Well, yes. She is an alpha." I rubbed my shivering hands, and took a step downwards.

"I'll meet your friend next week, dependably. Goodnight." His final decision caused me to stand, stiffened by the fear of my lies. Moreover, I had Victoria to help me find a similar female replacement. With that, I rushed toward my room, then closed my door.

I was about to doze off when my phone buzzed with two messages from Victoria and Noel. Victoria asked about the progress of my night, whilst Noel did something that shocked me.

"Congratulations, you have received an exclusive (plus 1) ticket to the regional youth camp. Click the blue icon to receive the gift, or the red icon to withdraw the purchasing fee."

Did Noel send me a gift? I quickly pressed the blue icon and smiled. After the ticket scanning code was downloaded, I sent a quick 'thanks and goodnight.' Finally, step 1 was done. Thanks to the scandal, I managed to befriend him.

Step 2, "Make him fall for me."

🦋
Thanks for reading this chapter, support the story by commenting or upvoting.