~♥~Monday, Erudites High ~♥~
The sound of the bell which showed that it time for lunch graced everyone it's gong clanging loudly on its clapper. Patra walked out of class clinging to a few books and some stationery.

"Hey,  Cleopatra wait up", an Indian accent wafted through her ears. She could never mistake that voice even amidst a crowd. It was her best friend since kindergarten, Stella.

"Stel ,I'm sorry. I was engrossed in my project. I had totally forgotten that we came to class together". Stella giggled and pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear. Staring at Patra, she frowned.

"What?", Patra asked, ready to act all defensive.

"How many times do I have to tell you. Loosen up a little. Everyday, your hair seems to  be in the same old lady fashion. You're already identified with it. Come on, life's not that bad. Life's too short to go around living like a slave. Enjoy every moment of it. Grow up, Patra, grow up ". Patra sighed.

"Let's just go to the cafeteria. I need to finish my chemistry and mental math projects", she said as they walked to the school's cafeteria. They both ordered something to eat and Patra had latte as an extra on her tray.

"Hmm, do I smell latte?", a male voice with the same Asian drawl as Patra came from behind Stella.
"It's all yours, Luc. I got it for you, just in case you dropped by", Patra said.

"You thought right", he exclaimed and sat on the empty seat beside Patra. He opened the cup. Double cream, just as he liked it. He nodded in satisfaction as he took a sip.

"This is literally the most refreshing thing I have had today. Thanks love. That's one thing I love about you". Patra's face creased in disgust

"Stop telling me that or else I'll tear you apart with these callused hands of mine".

"Come on, sweetie. Don't be so over dramatic. You deserve to be told. Am I right, Stel?", he asked and Stella shrugged. It was an open secret among the trio that Luc had eyes on Patra and treats her like a goddess. Patra knew.

She just couldn't say yes or anything to him, for the sake of their three years old friendship. She just smiled, a small sweet smile and buried herself in her project work. She paid more attention to her work, leaving Luc and Stella to discuss whatever trivial thing that landed on their table that day.

GRRRIINNGGG! The bell for the end of lunch reverberated around the cafeteria and beyond. Patra stood up, fumbling with her books and stationery. As she walked along side Luc and Stella, still trying to get her colorful Hi-lite highlighters into their set, she felt herself bump into something hard. The stationery fell in different directions.

"Hey! Watch where you're...", she started but stopped short. It was the hot jerk from the bar. He smiled. And she was virtually face to chest with him.

"Hi there, we meet again".

"Perv", she spat, glaring at him. Luc and Stella exchanged glances and wondered where their friend might have met him.

"Can't you be any nicer?", he asked, still keeping his cool, smiling sweetly. For one split second, one could have sworn she fell for it. The next, well...

"Come on, love", Luc said but she stood, unflinching. "Let's go, baby". Patra rolled her eyes and walked away with her friends.

Kendrick was stunned. Hello, I'm trying so fucking hard to strike a conversation here!, he wanted to say but could not get his lips to utter a word. He just stood there transfixed. As if he just snapped out of a trance, anger welled up in him. Who the fuck did she think she is? If she knew who she was dealing with, she wouldn't dare speak to him that way. How could she be so rude? When so many girls would kill to be his side chick for even an hour. He stumped off to his class. He'd show her!

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She settled down in her seat and took out a jotter to doodle on. Obviously lost in thought, she didn't notice that someone passed by her and sat at the far end of the class. Soon, her cell phone rang. It was Stella.

Guess who popped
behind you?

The message reads. Patra rolled her eyes, wondering what her friend was talking about. She looked back and gasped at what she saw. Restaurant perv! Then their eyes locked. He was equally shocked to see her. Then he smirked. Karma's a bitch, he thought, snickering silently.
Just then the history teacher walked in. Mr Alaric peered at everyone then spoke finally.

"Patra, would you like to talk about the history of the civil war?" Patra walked up to the front of the class. Clearing her throat, she talked with so much precision that Kendrick wondered where this brain came from. She was obviously brilliant.

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The bell for the end of the day rang and Kendrick hurried to the parking lot to his red Ferrari and got in, waiting for her. He still had her on his mind since History class and could not help but wonder how he managed not to notice her since the first day in high school. Seeing her walk out of the hall and take a turn to Kingston, he shook off the thought and turned on the ignition, following her closely.

As she walked into the Melrose park, he drove ahead of her. She stopped, squinting to see who it was, for the car had tinted dark red windows. So she continued walking, not knowing the person in the car. He finally wound the car window down and stuck his torso out, slowing down. She rolled her eyes and quickened her pace. After a while, Kendrick caught up with her.

"Can I give you a ride?", he requested without thinking.
"I don't receive rides from strangers", she said through gritted teeth. She was ahead of him again.

"Come on, I won't bite". He drove ahead now. "Did you get my note? ", he asked.

"I'm afraid, I didn't", she fibbed.

"I didn't get your name. Or was it love, the one that guy with the weird hair called you?". Patra grimaced.

"It's Cleopatra__ Cleopatra Gullieno", she replied, controlling  herself from gnashing her teeth, clenching her fists and punching this jerk's eyes out of their sockets for calling her friend such a name. She pushed her fake glasses up the rim of her nose.

"Woah! It actually suits you. You do look Egyptian. It's Egyptian, right?".

"It's Italian. Although we picked French cause we moved to Paris and stayed there for some years. Gosh, what am I saying", she muttered, growing tired from not only his talk but also walking. Kendrick noticed it.

"Come on, get in the car. You look spent", he offered.

"Sorry. I can't. I told you".

"Too bad, I don't take no for an answer", he replied. After much persuasion, bouts of hesitation, she finally got in.

"It's my restaurant. You know it, don't you?", she asked. But he was already driving to her restaurant without a word.

When they got to the back of the restaurant, she sighed.

"Thank you so much. I  really don't know how to thank you enough ", she said gratefully.

"It was nothing", he let his voice trail off, his eyes wandered to her lips. Those pink kissable lips. It was then  that he realized that he was closing in on her lips and tried to control himself but his body acted as though it hot a mind of its own. Not until he heard the door slam on his face that he realized that he had almost kissed her

God, you are so stupid! He berated himself and mentally hit himself in the head. He revved up the engine once more and drove off to the office.

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"Whose car did I see you coming out from?", Curtis asked when she entered the kitchen. She ignored him.

"Good morning, Fred", she greeted his uncle instead. Curtis' uncle, Fred was a man in his late fifties, his balding head buried in his hairnet. He was kind and usually said, "In Kabul, love is for everyone else".

"Oh, so you want to digress from the subject matter", he said over a flambe and a deep fry. She tsked and glared at Curtis.

"He's a friend of mine. Happy?", she said, cringing inwardly as she said it but smiling through her teeth. Curtis frowned and  Cleopatra sighed in frustration. Convincing someone like Curtis was so hard.

"Don't worry. I believe you. Now get into your apron. I need you here for you take over the deep fryer. Shit!", he exclaimed and turned off the gas cooker, then smiled shyly. He looked across the room for Patra whose lips mouthed three unspoken words. I hate you. She was smiling

"Well, the feeling is mutual", he replied, and she laughed, going to the changing room.

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He stepped into the office building, Stones Aphrodite, his family business on precious stones dealings. The receptionist, a flirty lady that flirts with virtually all the men that walked through that door, stood up and smiled as he approached her table.

"Good afternoon, Mr Stones", she said flirtatiously.

"Fix an appointment with Chris for me, will you?", he said, receiving his i-phone from his Personal Secretary who trailed behind him. He walked into where his father, Chris and his business partner were seated.

"Good afternoon dad. Chris, Devon".

"Sit down son". Kendrick rolled his eyes, sitting down and placing his legs on the table. His father sighed in disgust.

"The business is in jeopardy. We're going bankrupt", Devon started. Chris looked up.

"And?__".

"Sørensen's Silver is the jackpot. But that comes with a price", he dropped his legs and sat upright.

"I'm all ears".

"He offered thirty million dollars.        And we don't have that amount. So we've decided to make a bigger offer", his father took over.

"Which is?__".

"Sørensen has a daughter, Alexandra", his father replied, sure that he had his son's attention. Kendrick held back an eye roll. "I want to offer a partnership with him, with Alex's hand in marriage". There was a brief silence that seemed as though it stretched on for  hours. Finally, Kendrick spoke.

"Chris, leave us"

"But__".

"I said, you should leave us". Chris sighed and left the office. Kendrick cleared his throat. "Remember Saturday? Yet it seems you still don't understand. Why? Why do you want to use me as bait for your selfish desires?"

"I know but I want you to be happy", his father appeased.

"Happy? Do you think that marrying me off will make me happy?". He turned to his partner and friend. "And you. I trusted you more than this. In the next fucking ten years, you'll be probably happily married and I will be in a loveless marriage. You both disgust me", he said and sighed. Silence so stiff, it could choke a psycho reigned.

"I need to think. I'd like you to leave. NOW!", he growled. His father and his partner stood up to go. "And tell Donna to send in a cup of coffee.

When he was left in sheer silence he held his chest like his heart would explode out of its ribcage. He went to the toilet and ran water over his face. He needed to think. He opened the cupboard and took out a pill container. Sticking out his tongue, he forced two pills into his mouth and swallowed. Sighing, he came out of the restroom, grabbed his jacket and his now cold cup of coffee and left the office.