Today, Declan and I were officially college students. All morning, I wrecked my room like a manic searching for the perfect outfit for school. Maybe wearing uniforms every day wasn't such a bad idea.

Once I realized how late it was, I settled on a casual white babydoll dress adorned with flower prints and a matching pink cardigan in case I get cold. By the time I was finished, Declan's mother hurried us into the car and drove us to SilverLake University.

My jaw dropped open when I saw the size of our new school. It looked like one of those ancient brick castles princesses would live in. A wrong turn and you would end up on another planet from how massive this school was. My goal was to ring the huge church bell in the middle of school for enjoyment,

When Mrs. Novak parked the car, Declan got out first and I followed behind his tall shadow, hoping we were in the same building. Maybe picking Netflix over my school's tour wasn't such a bright idea. But it seemed like a fantastic idea at the time.

There were countless tables, and benches scattered around the courtyard with maleficent trees sprouting from dirt. Can't forget to mention the beanbag chairs chilling on the fresh, clean lawn. Oh my god, they have vending machines too! With unhealthy snacks! Where am I? Gosh, Declan's black slacks fit so nicely on his butt; it's like a juicy caramel apple. How dare he wear a suit, not thinking about how much this affected my health.

Don't even get me started on his gelled comb-over hairdo.

"How long are you going to follow me?" Declan asked, slightly craning his neck to look back at me. "Are you going to the science and engineering department too?

My eyes bulged from their sockets as I noticed the massive building Declan was referring to... Maybe I should've been searching for the literature department.

"Oh, yeah. I'm supposed to look for the literature department." I laughed.

Declan continued on his path down the courtyard, not sneaking any glances in my direction.

"Goodbye! Have a great first day!" I cheered, frantically waving my hand only to be completely ignored by him. 

My heart yearned for his presence once again, and my smile slowly sagged down into a frown. Our classes were no longer separated by rooms, but with buildings instead. Wake me up when courses are over.

So, I might've sneaked a peek at Declan's schedule when it arrived home last week. The angel on my shoulder told me to only open my letter, but the devil persuaded me to go against my better judgment and open his. Call me a stalker, but I wanted to make sure he was safe and sound.

Thankfully, my courses ended earlier than Declan's, and here I was waiting on a bench for my crush to exit those front doors. Cata and Meadow being the outstanding friends, they accompanied little old me on my Declan search. Cautiously, I used the wooden backseat to hopefully disguise myself enough to keep him from noticing me. 

"So you dragged us from Math class all the way to the science and engineering department to spy on Declan?" Meadow asked while munching on the apple.

"You haven't made any progress since high school, have you?" Catalina asked, adjusting her short grey pencil skirt.

My lips formed a straight line as I pushed back a stray strand behind my ear. "I didn't ask for your judgment. I just wanted moral support," I muttered.

"The quality of Lana never changes." Meadow sighed, resting her hand on the top of my head and gently ruffling it up.

"On a good note, it seems like only men are in this department. It looks like you don't have to worry about a girl stealing Declan from under your nose," Catalina mentioned, causing my lips to curl up into a massive grin.

"You are safe, Lana," Meadow consoled, placing her hands on my shoulder as support.

Perfect! One of my biggest worries was having another girl fighting over Declan's affection. But seeing the men surrounding this department caused the uneasy feeling to disappear from my belly.

"Lana! Look by the stairs! It's a girl!" Catalina yelled, rudely pointing in the building's direction.

The second I saw her elegantly waiting at the top of the stairs, my grin instantly evaporated into thin air and was replaced by my jaw-dropping all the way to the pavement. My eyes bulged from their sockets as they quickly raked over her body. She's the most beautiful girl I have ever seen!

Holy Christmas balls! This can't be happening!

The amount of energy radiating off of her was insane! She demanded to be stared at, and every guy strolling past the courtyard eyed her with hungry eyes. The girl swiftly flipped her honey-brown hair in slow motion, like in those movies. Her curvaceous figure levitated in her creamy long sleeve lace dress complimented with a Gucci brand cardigan. 

The dress wasn't too much, but definitely piqued the interest of the men in her department. Notably, her cleavage area was accompanied by a sweetheart neckline and her massive boobs brought mine to shame. It was like the sun was lighting her up as if she was on stage and had the spotlight on her. Scratch that, she was the Sun!

Dammnit, the uneasy sensation was coming back.

"W-W-hho is that gorgeous girl?" I asked, rubbing my eyes aggressively.

"Am I the only one who sees sparkles surrounding her?" Meadow gulped.

Suddenly, Declan exited the building, causing my heart rate to instantly pick up. With his leather briefcase glued to his hand, he stepped out with such confidence; any girl would swoon over him in a second.

"Declan." The random girl called out.

This was when my heart dropped to the pits of my stomach and I furiously nibbled on my nails like a manic as I watched everything in front of me. Meadow gasped, slapping the living hell out of my shoulder, leaving me with extreme aching pain.

"Oh, no, you're fucked," Meadow stated, her eyes the size of a steering wheel.

"Geez, thanks!" I mumbled. Currently, I was the cartoon that had a gloomy cloud hovering over me.

"Have you chosen a partner for our first project?" she asked, walking in tune with my man.

"No, I haven't," he replied, his gaze kept straight ahead. "You have any suggestions?"

They kept walking in rhythm together, and I watched with the biggest scowl on my face. This random girl could have any boy she wanted, and she chose my Declan? Why? How am I supposed to compete with a stunning woman like her? My body looked like a ten-year-old boy compared to her's! Oh god, they're getting closer! I need to hide.

"Make your move, Lana!" Catalina insisted, punching my shoulder.

Without a single notice, Meadow used her grand strength to shove me off the bench and I plummeted to the ground right in front of Declan and Mrs. Noname. Goddammit! Hopefully, my dress didn't deceive me and expose my undergarments.

"I'm going to get you guys later!" I gritted my teeth as Cata and Meadow quickly ran away, leaving me alone in this helpless situation.

Using my hands, I hoisted myself back up and dusted any rock particles from my dress. Taking a deep breath, I fixed my headband and brightly smiled in front of the pair.

"Do you need something?" Declan asked.

"I was wondering what kind of desks are used in your department? We have the swirly ones," I half-lied, nervously laughing, hoping it was convincing.

The elegant girl raised her eyebrows with suspension and amusement, with a small smile tugging at her lips. She smirked as she scanned me from my head all the way down to my pink flats. Her high cheekbones became more prominent when her tongue ran over her pearly white.

"Is she your girlfriend?" she asked, eyeing the both of us.

My heart fluttered at the sound of being Declan's girlfriend. I mean, we kissed so we aren't just friends anymore, right? What would be considered than-- secret lovers? Smiling proudly, I flipped my hair with so much confidence to only have it flush down the drain.

"As if," he replied, bruising my ego once again.

Two-hundred and fifty points for Declan

Zero for little old Lana.

The mystery girl admired my whole outfit-- or maybe she was making fun of me? It's hard to tell I can't read people's faces. She twirled my hair around her manicured finger and gosh was I doomed! Her face was even prettier up close.

"Nice hair," she commented, before running after my dream man. "Declan!"

As if. Even after sharing an intimate moment together and our night on the Ferris wheel, it's still-- as if!

"That was tragic to watch." Meadow scared the living daylight out of me.

"I thought you guys ran off." I clenched my fists and punched them both in the shoulder.

"You see that tree over there." Cata pointed at the tree literally only three feet away from the whole scene. "We hid there."

"How dare you guys do that to me?" I groaned, wishing I could disappear off the face of the earth.

Cata shrugged. "We were just trying to help," she stated, with a nervous smile.

"Yeah, you guys sure helped embarrassing me," I uttered.

"Let's divert our attention to something else. Specifically, prom, did we mention Ambrose serenaded you with a love poem and song," Meadow revealed.

"No, I don't remember this," I said.

"Obviously not. It happened when Declan took you outside of the room," Catalina explained. "What happened out there, anyway?"

"Oh, yeah..." I drawed out. "Declan might've... sort of... Ummm... kissed me," I blurted, closing my eyes in response.

"He kissed you!" They shouted in unison, causing a few heads to glance in our direction.

"You guys are being too loud!" I shushed.

"How can we be quiet after hearing this tremendous secret you conveniently forgot to tell us!" Meadow yelled, aggressively shaking my shoulders.

"The Declan we just saw kissed you?" Meadow asked again, with a hint of disbelief laced in her voice.

"Because from what we just witnessed, it didn't seem like it." Catalina's face contorted in concern.

"I know..." I sighed, glancing down at the pebbles. "I can't understand what Declan is thinking at all."

How hopeless am I? Was the kiss just a way to mess with my head? Or did it have a deeper meaning to it? All these questions gnawed at my mind every time I try to sleep. I don't mean to complain... In a way, I'm one of the lucky girls who managed to get their crushes to smooch them. But why put me in this dilemma. 

"Don't be such a wimp!" Cata yelled, snapping me from my thoughts. "You gave your precious first kiss to him."

"She's right! You have to fight through this little hiccup, you can't give up! We are freshmen in college," Meadow encouraged, pulling me into a tightly needed hug from my amazing best friend. "If you just sit around and do nothing, that beautiful girl is going to steal him away."

Anxiety advanced through my veins with only a single thought; imagine if it came true. There's no way I could handle the pain that came along with it. I have to do everything in my power to respectfully win Declan heart.

When Declan's mother picked us up after school, she mentioned my father closing his restaurant early to privately serve a family dinner. It was one of the many ways my father paid back the imaginary debt lingering over his head from the Novaks. They always assured my father it wasn't a grand deal, but he still felt huge pounds of guilt.

His restaurant is considered majorly luxurious. Once I visited my father in sweatpants while he was working and had everyone judging me silently. The floors were black marble, which I personally thought matched perfectly with the massive chandelier above us. The ceiling and walls are inlaid with large sapphire blue tiles that twinkled in the warm, low lighting.

"Welcome." My father bowed, looking clean and fresh in his grey-colored suit.

"Thank you for inviting us," Mr. Novak beamed, rubbing his beer belly. "I haven't eaten all day!"

"Work been busy?" My father asked, with a concerned stare.

"Extremely! I'm in need of an amazing dinner with my family," Mr. Novak replied, placing a kiss on his wife's cheek.

"Great! We can even celebrate our children's first day as college students!" My father cheered. "Please take a seat." He pointed at the lightly dim area with a huge booth waiting for us.

Usually, when having a crush naturally, you would want to sit next to them, but I had a different preference. I loved admiring Declan's profile while we ate, so I always preferred to sit across from him whenever I got the chance. If he sat next to me, it would be too blatantly obvious I was staring. With him across from me, I could be more discrete.

"I love the food here," Mrs. Novak stated. "It's one of the best restaurants we have ever eaten."

"That's a huge compliment." My father blushed.

In a weird way, I'm glad our house burned down. If it happened to be his restaurant that took the fall, I knew he wouldn't be able to recover. This restaurant was like his second child; he poured years of blood, sweat, and tears to make a name. I really have one of the best dads anyone could ask for.

"The menu so appealing," Mrs. Novak commented, flipping over the emerald-green-colored menu used for important customers.

"I feel so special! Only elites used these menus," Sam concurred.

Declan intently listened to the surrounding chatter with his chin in the palm of his hands. Ugh... His hair still looked perfect even with the harsh wind from earlier causing it to fall upon his forehead. My heart fluttered when he softly chuckled at a joke his little brother made. I think my favorite thing was when his eyebrows scrunched up and created a cute crease on hi-

Stop it, Lana. Think about food. Food never did you dirty.

"Welcome." A familiar voice settled a tray down on the table and started handing out cups of water to everyone.

I did a double-take and realized Ambrose was wearing the busboy's uniform. My mouth parted in shock; since when has he been working here? The little white hat looked adorable on him, especially when he shyly smiled when I spotted his presence.

"Oh, wow, you look so different." Mrs. Novak giggled, covering her mouth using her palm. "I almost didn't recognize you. You look charming in your uniform."

"Thank you, Mrs." He bowed, his cheeks could resemble apples.

Declan scoffed and took a sip from his water.

"How long have you been working here?" I asked.

"Your father took me on as his apprentice and to eventually work up to a professional chef," he explained, a smile reaching all the way up to his ears.

"You were always great at cooking." I laughed, smiling so hard my cheeks were hurting oddly I felt a piercing gaze coming from across the table. From my peripheral vision, I saw Declan's smoldering eyes shifting between Ambrose and me. I must have food on my face, that's the only logical reason he would be staring. "I'm glad you found something you're good at."

"Compared to a professional chef's food, my food is horrible, but I will work hard and become a better chef than your father. And eventually the best chef in the city!" Ambrose declared. "I won't lose against you." He glared in Declan's direction.

"After my long journey of becoming a professional chef and making a lot of money, I'll come and get you. Be prepared to lose your chance," he taunted, raising his voice towards the end when he went closer to Declan.

"Ambrose? How long does it take to drop off some waters?" his employer called out.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, quickly handing the rest of the waters over before rushing back to the front.

As I enjoyed our appetizers, I watched Ambrose consistently coming in and going from the kitchen. Sweat dripped down his forehead. He must be working so hard. While waiting for our entrees, I decided to go pay Ambrose a little visit upfront.

Thankfully, I caught him in the midst of collecting dirty plates from the front table.

"Ambrose!" I smiled, clasping my hands in front of me. "I can already see it-- Ambrose Bright, the best chef in New York City. Work hard, okay, and good luck!" I laughed, my eyes crinkling.

"Thank you. Good luck with your studying and karate chop your way into the nursing program." He grinned, ruffling my hair as if I was a puppy. "I know you will figure out a way in. Tell Cata and Meadow good luck too!"

"Don't worry, I will," I replied, helping him place the plates into his black bucket.

"Yeah right, you have the mind of a goldfish," he joked, giving my nose a little squeeze.

"I promise! I'll remember," I declared, crossing my heart.

"Go on." He tilted his head towards my table. "Your food just came out, go enjoy it."

"Goodnight," I whispered.

Skipping down the steps, I figured the bathroom should be all clear and was ready for me. Midway, I froze on the stairs when I saw Declan in only his grey sweatpants and I swallowed harshly, as his bicep flexed while drying his chestnut hair. My eyes trailed slowly over his naked torso, noticing droplets of water clinging to his skin.

With plenty of struggle, I finally managed to drag my eyes back to his face. My heartbeat was beating passionately; wouldn't be surprised if I dropped dead any moment now. Gosh, why are his sweats hanging so low on his hips? He's teasing me. I know it!

I immediately broke eye contact in embarrassment and internally kicked myself as I watched him walk past me without a single word.

"You can shower now." He broke the silence.

Would it be too much if I asked him about the mystery girl? It wouldn't hurt, I doubt he would even tell me anything about her but I wanted to know. I needed to know if she was already worming her way into his heart.

"Umm... Declan," I called out.

He sighed and wrapped the towel around his neck. "What?"

"Who was that girl from your engineering department?" I asked, anxiously laughing.

"Oh, Sophia Anderson?" he quickly replied.

"You already know her full name?" I muttered, the jittery feeling surfacing in my stomach once again.

"I won't forget once I hear it," he answered.

His stupid photographic mind! It really isn't fair.

"Is it possible that Sophia likes you?" I asked, nervously nibbling at my bottom lip.

His chocolate irises twinkled with amusement. "Huh? Are you jealous?"

Welp! Was it that obvious?

Hysterical giggles escaped my mouth as I shooed him off using my hands. "Jealous... Psst! Me?" I instantly wanted to punch myself when my voice automatically raised a higher octave.

Declan chuckled, staring off into space as he naturally crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Come to think of it, she's definitely beautiful and has a great body too. Oh, and she's also smart. She mentioned she was one of the top ten students with the highest marks in our state."

My eyes protruded from their sockets as I tried to wrap my small head around how a person could be this perfect. I know 'technically' no one is perfect-- Hannah Montana said it herself-- but damn, she came pretty close. How am I supposed to compete with her?

"Why is a person like her going to our school?" I asked, my eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe she has another purpose."

I frowned, defeat slowly sinking in.

"What's this?" A small smile tugged at his lips as his eyes narrowed in my direction. "I thought you were going to forget all about me in college?"

Caught me there.

My cheeks burned with passion as I realized how obvious I was being this whole time. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Haha... yeah, I did say that. . ." I drawed out.

"Oh, I see," he smirked, his eyes glimmering with enjoyment. Declan trapped me between the railing and his chest, sending a deja vu signal straight to my brain. My body automatically stiffened as the pad of his thumb grazed over my burning cheeks. "We kissed, didn't we? Is that why you can't forget about me?"

Holy Christmas Nut! Holy Christmas Nuts! Holy freaking Christmas nuts! What the heck is happening!

Declan's hot minty breath flowed into my mouth as he leaned towards my lips. I closed my eyes out of fear and puckered my lips. Could this be our second kiss? The moment where Declan admitted to feeling something deeper for me?

Hysterically laughing escaped from his lips. Nothing could prepare me for the mortification that accompanied the realization that I had been tricked. I've been teased--played. Declan really didn't care about the kiss at all.

I love you, Declan, but I freaking hate you for doing this to me.

Ahhh so Sophia finally made her entrance!!! How does everyone feel about her? Also Lana and Declan are officially college kids ;)!! I wonder what can happen!!!

The ending is like my favorite part even tho DEClan teased her

Oops

Can't wait to hear your thoughts and I love you ❤️❤️❤️