6

"Mila Nikolaev report to the principal's office. Mila Nikolaev report to the principal's office."

My chin lifted to the intercom in the corner of the room. The one that butchered Mila's name.

Get your shit together Brenda.

Unlucky for me, Mila wasn't in any of my classes except art, and she refused to cross paths with me since our little incident outside the drama block. School was set to become even more of a drag.

I wondered why she was being called to Mrs Burrows' office, it's not like she was the type to misbehave. I imagined she was a straight A student, filling her time with extracurricular activities - I already knew she was part of the drama club.

Maybe one of her family members had died, that's the only other reason I could think of.

Looks like I was going to be the one to console her.

I put my hand up, a mischievous grin plastered across my face, and waited for Mr Henderson to notice me.

"What is it Jungkook?" he muttered, lifting his glasses to see me better.

"Sir, you're an ugly, fat pervert."

It would have been funnier if he'd gotten angry, but he just sighed and pointed to the door. "Principal's office. Now."

Always worked a charm.

I skipped out of the room and down the corridor, pushing through into the reception area with an almighty bang.

"Morning Brenda!" I sang, pulling up a chair next to her. "Got any tasty treats?"

"Give me a second, sweetheart, I'm on the phone."

My chin met the desk. I was bored out of my mind waiting for Mila to leave the office so I could corner her again. It probably wasn't the best way to win her over, but it was better than Taehyung bringing her a bottle of water and dry-ass oats. Like, what even was that?

She would eventually give in, even if it was just to get rid of me.

The door to the office opened and standing there as fresh as a daisy was my Mila, followed by Mrs Burrows with a huge smile slapped across her wrinkly face.

Dammit. No dead relatives, I guess.

I bounced out of my seat, rolled up the sleeves of my flannel, and approached them.

"Jungkook?" Mrs Burrows questioned my appearance like I was merely shit smeared on the bottom of her shoe. I couldn't blame her, the last time I was sent to her office was because I was found fingering a girl in the maths supply closet. "What did you do now?"

Mila was standing with her plump lips pressed together, waiting to be dismissed.

"Oh nothing much, I just called Mr Henderson an ugly, fat pervert again."

I know Mila wanted to laugh, her cheeks filled with air and she was turning a shade of red so dark I swore she was about to burst like a tomato.

Come on, let me hear that gorgeous sound.

Mrs Burrows massaged her fingers into her temples, trying to come up with a suitable punishment, I'm sure. "Follow me." She eventually pointed to the chair in her office, but I shook my head.

"No can do, Ang... Actually, would you give us a minute?" I grabbed Mila's hand, enjoying the terrified look on her face thoroughly, and made a break for the exit.

She squealed as we ran down the corridor hand in hand, her cowboy boots clinking along the floor and that massive fuck-off bag smacking against her body with every stride.

"Where are you taking me?" she yelled, running out of breath. "You're such an ass! I hate running!"

"You can't have legs like that and hate running." Mila's legs were long. Longer than her body. They were the legs of an athlete - golden and toned and fucking divine in cowboy boots.

Fuck, I loved cowboy boots.

Eventually, I dragged her into the sports equipment shed, and she had a full on meltdown.

"I am not sleeping with you in a fucking hut!"

"I didn't bring you here to sleep with you." I rolled my eyes. "But now that we're on the subject, where would you like to sleep with me?" I wiggled my eyebrows and bit down on my lip, fully preparing for her to slap me around the face.

She didn't. She looked sort of amused. That was until her eyes dropped down to our hands still intertwined and she freaked out again, pulling away.

We stood there for a few seconds; her just blessing me with her disapproving glare and me smiling from ear to ear.

"You're in trouble."

"That's hot." I almost drooled as she said it.

"Not with me," she snapped, "with Mrs Burrows."

Massive boner killer.

"You'll be surprised what you can get away with when you're cute." I innocently batted my lashes.

Mila crossed her arms, trying so hard not to match my smile. She liked me, no matter how badly she tried to disguise it. She found me insufferable, yes, but if there was one thing she admired it was perseverance.

And I had tons of it.

She turned and walked around the shed, pulling a tennis ball from a bag and began tossing it in the air.

"You have two minutes to say what you need to say."

"What? That's not enough-"

"One minute, fifty-five."

"Pushy much?"

Honestly, I don't know why I brought her there. I think it's because it was the only private place in school that I hadn't shagged someone. Not that she'd believe me if I told her that.

"Get those words wording, Jeon!"

I took a deep breath, getting increasingly agitated by her insolence.

"Why did you agree to go to prom with him?"

Disgusting. I literally cringed myself out. I didn't want her to know that Taehyung's little proposal instilled a pure rage in me that ended with Yoongi and I smoking two grams of weed in one sitting.

Mila studied my face and then sighed. "Because no one else asked me."

"Well, do you want to go with him?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because he'll want to sleep with you afterwards."

"What's so bad about that?"

Mila, Mila, Mila. She used to infuriate me.

I let out a puff of air and turned around so I didn't have to look at her. My hands met the closest shelf in disbelief. "What's so bad about that?" I repeated sardonically. "What's so bad about that?" I had to laugh. "You only just met him."

Mila was standing there, hands on her hips.

"Why is it any of your business what I do? You let Lucia dry hump you in front of the entire library yesterday!" She really was jealous. "Why don't you want me to go with him? Do you know of anyone else willing to take me? I'd love to know." Her voice softened towards the end of that sentence - her insecurities were showing.

Did she seriously not see that the whole school was obsessed with her?

Dammit, I couldn't do it. I couldn't let her go to prom without a date, even though the idea of her and Taehyung sickened me.

I have no idea where my sudden conscience came from, but I hated it.

"I don't want you to go to prom with him because I want to fuck you first and I don't want his sloppy seconds." We were going straight back to square one.

God, I was such an idiot.

Mila flinched at my words and then her eyes met her shoes, letting her sandy hair cover her face. Was she disappointed? Did she expect any less from me? Mila always saw the good in people, I could only hope that she saw straight through me.

"I can't have sex with you, we just met."

Ugh, she was using my own logic against me. She really was amazing.

Picking her bag up off the floor, she flung it over her shoulder and stormed off. I couldn't blame her for wanting to leave, I would leave me too.

"Are you going to Lucia's party later?" I stopped her as she opened the door.

"Are you going to be there?" She replied, trying so hard to keep her cold edge.

"Nope," I lied.

"Then yes." Mila slammed the door after her and all I could hear were her boots stomping down the path. Then her footsteps reappeared and the door flung open again. "I forgot to say fuck you."

I looked down at the tennis ball still in her hand and braced myself. Damn, did it hurt. She sure did have a mean pitch.

I smacked my forehead against the wall, wanting so badly for it to knock me out, or at least some sense into me. Why couldn't I just leave well enough alone?

She was the perfect rose, planted directly in the face of the sun. She was beautiful, thriving, happy and healthy, and then I came along with my pliers, clipping at her petals. If I wasn't careful, I would end up ripping her from her soil and stomping her into the ground.

It's what I did with everyone else. I used to destroy girls, thinking they were replaceable. It took me so long to see that every flower was worthy of life; of care. It took me almost crushing Mila to see that.

I had one last chance and so help me if I fucked it up again.

***

Girls always put in so much effort for parties.

I could already tell Lucia and her posse were scattered around her bedroom, mirrors in hands and makeup applied to perfection. Their bodies were on show, not for anyone but themselves, that's where us boys were always wrong.

Girls dress for confidence; sometimes not even with the faintest care of the boy they want to impress in mind.

It was so much easier for us guys. We'd either keep on whatever we were originally wearing that day, or in my case, chuck on any old thing so I wasn't butt naked.

I liked walking around nude at home. I had an entire floor to myself; it would be a waste not to.

Of course, I put in a little bit more effort because Mila was going to be there, but something told me she liked me as is. I sprayed some cologne and put on my father's watch that he thought the lost, but I stole.

I looked good. Somebody was definitely getting laid tonight.

Yoongi was leaning against the final lamppost in my gated community with a beer in one hand and another held out to me.

"Are you already drunk?" I frowned as he toppled forward.

"I may have had a few shots... and a bit of weed," he said with the proudest smile. "I had to! It's the only way I'm going to get through this shit you're dragging me to."

My lip popped out, taking a swig from my bottle. "Fair play."

Lucia's house wasn't far from mine, but by the time we arrived Yoongi was already shit-faced.

He stared up at her mansion, his eyes wide and mouth agape. She had a nice place, not as nice as mine but then we probably had the largest house in town. That was the only perk of my father being mayor.

LED lights were flashing onto the street below and the music was blasting our eardrums even with all the windows closed. Basically, I was being reminded why I hated high-school parties. They're too loud.

We stepped over the unconscious bodies occupying her front lawn and cringed before ringing the doorbell. Why was it so embarrassing waiting for someone to answer the door? Did everyone feel like this?

"You came!" Lucia gasped, immediately reaching forward and grabbing my t-shirt. It was as if she was standing by the door waiting for me to arrive.

I was dragged through the sea of sweat-soaked bodies rubbing up and down each other to the bar. There was hardly any drink left except her father's expensive whiskey that nobody was allowed to touch. Which made it ten times more appealing to me.

"One second!" Lucia giggled, running over to her friends sitting on the footballer's laps. She picked up a funnel and brought it back over like I was going anywhere near that germ infested shit. "You're late, everyone's already drunk. That means you have a lot of catching up to do, mister."

If there was one thing Lucia was good at, it was persuading people to do what she wanted. I, however, couldn't think of anything worse. She made a good point, but I was never going to stoop as low as the football 'lads', who were bound to throw up in her mother's plant pots at the end of the night.

"Nah, I'm good."

"Come on, it's my party. You have to do as I say."

"Nah."

"Please!"

I was about to give in just so she would fuck off.

"He'll pass on that one, love." Yoongi interrupted us, and I could have kissed him.

Lucia screwed her face up at him and then lifted herself on her tiptoes so that her lips brushed my ear. "Find me later, I have a surprise for you," she whispered, pulling away with her feline eyes soft and suggestive.

She walked off, swaying her ass in the way most boys love. I used to love it too, especially when they wore those matching neon sets. Lucia's olive skin glowed beneath her orange miniskirt, and frankly, it was hard not to fall to my knees at the sight of her cleavage poking out of her corset. However, as soon as Yoongi tapped my shoulder and pointed to the corner of the room where two girls stood, the thought of Lucia repulsed me.

Mila.

She was cackling away to Nadiya; holding onto her shoulder in an attempt to keep herself standing. Her legs were crossed in an odd way, and I smirked. She was trying not to piss herself. I could only dream of being the person that made her laugh like that, in fact, I added it to my bucket list then and there.

She had her hair up for once, and I almost wanted to say it was my favourite hairstyle of hers. It may have been back then, but future me knew different. Small blonde strands had fallen from her extremely messy bun and decorated her face and neck. She huffed at least four times during the period I spent staring at her, all because of her fly-aways getting stuck in her lip gloss.

To be fair, that would be annoying.

"Let's say hello!" Yoongi yelled in my ear; beginning to walk over. I grabbed his collar and dragged him back.

"I'm not drunk enough."

Mila was going to tear into me and I needed a minute to prepare.

Lucia's father was not going to be happy when he found his six-hundred-pound bottle of whiskey empty. I downed the entire thing; I don't know what I was thinking. I made stupid decisions sober, so I'm not sure why I thought I would be any better drunk.

When Mila saw me coming, she inevitably tried to run.

Cute.

I caught her hand and pulled her back to her previous position next to Nadiya.

"You said you weren't coming!" she whined, throwing her head back. Actually, she didn't exactly whine, she sort of moaned and it turned me on big time.

"Mm, I do have a nasty habit of lying." I teasingly bit down on my tongue as she started stomping her feet and punching the air.

"Is she drunk?" I turned to Nadiya, who was scowling at me.

"She's fine, now fuck off."

"Do you have a problem?" It took everything in me not to step into Nadiya's personal space. She was so rude and so self-obsessed that I just wanted to humble her... for the second time.

"You know I do."

Alcohol worked one of two ways with me. Either I became a flirtier, hornier version of myself, or I started picturing the people I hated getting mauled by bears... Nadiya was one of those people.

"Do you always dress like a skank?"

"Do you always dress like frat-boy Harry Styles?"

What the fuck. Was that even an insult?

Yoongi scoffed and so did Mila.

My attention was drawn back to her as she started sliding down the wall. Ha, lightweight. She was wearing the same pair of flared jeans as a few days prior, but this time she paired them with a white bell-sleeved crop. No one in school dressed like Mila and there was a reason why every single boy in that rooms eyes were on her.

"You look... really good." I found my eyes rolling back after I saw her gold belly piercing. Holy fuck. that caught me by surprise. I was almost feral.

She frowned as Nadiya began helping her up. She clearly didn't want to like my compliment, but her eyes told me differently.

"Leave me alone, Jungkook."

Ouch. My rose sure did have thorns, and rightfully so.

Mila toppled through the room, most likely regretting her platform flip flops as she knocked someone over on the way. She gasped and apologised and checked them for marks, like Mila always did, and then once she was convinced they were indeed okay, she carried on her journey to slump on the couch beside Taehyung.

Not again. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to control myself.

Nadiya landed next to me with her hands on her hips, cautiously eyeing Mila.

"I know you think I'm just being a bitch, but that girl over there is one of the good ones. I've never met anyone so-" It's like she couldn't explain Mila, which made perfect sense because neither could I. "She's just great. I'm scared that you'll hurt her, that's all."

Nadiya and I had history. It wasn't serious, nothing ever was with me, but I did do some pretty terrible things. I played with the mean girl's heart, wanting to know if I could melt. I only made it crystallise.

"Being nice doesn't suit you." I glanced over at her just in time to see the corner of her lip pull into a slight smile.

"Don't get used to it, I still hate you."

"Wouldn't expect any less."

My eyes followed Nadiya over to the bar, feeling a twinge of regret for how how I treated her, but that all quickly disappeared once I realised Mila had vanished in the split second that I looked away.

That's when I realised it was going to be one hell of a night.

***

A/N

I'm hoping everything plays out well. But I'm planning for this book to be sort of split in half. Part 1 as 15 chapters and part 2 very similar. I just have a feeling part one is going to be longer than I think.

Here we have Mila's style. I suppose it's similar to mine. I thought I would make a collage to help you understand what I'm writing about if you're unfamiliar with bohemian!