"Ivory, do you even have any clothes to wear? Only two bags, and that's all your luggage?" Brittany grimaced as she picked up my bag.

I didn't carry anything extra in my bags. Most of my clothes were comfy and casual that could be worn anywhere. Apart from this, I brought a bundle of books which I loved to read in my spare time. I knew whatever was in my bags was trash in Brittany's eyes because if it was her bag it would be stuffed with all kinds of lingerie, expensive clothes and a lot of makeup products.

"Wh--What is this place?" I caught my breath and stared at the jaw-dropping sight of the bungalow standing before me. "I don't think I'd be able to pay rent to live in this place, even if I think about living in the bathroom here."

"Well, I don't think you'll have to spend a dime as long as I am with you." She winked at me.

"No, that's not how it works. I've told you we'll share the rent. But how did you manage to get---" she interrupted me, pulling me by the hand and leading me inside.

"Let's go inside first. I'll explain everything to you."

A slope was made outside for the car parking in the basement. The building was simple and beautiful from the inside. The ground floor was nothing more than a spacious hall with a few rooms, kitchen, washroom and a store room in the corner. The room was fully furnished with a large black sofa set in the middle, beautiful vintage paintings adorning the walls and all the necessities.

We walked to the second floor which was quite an unexpected view. It looked like a boy's locker room---disordered and dirty. Bottles and clothes littered the floor like an afterparty chaos. The small living room was followed by a narrow passageway with rooms on either side.

"What is this place? Who lives here?" I looked at Brittany, who looked like she was struggling to suppress a laugh.

"Don't mind. This is where boys live. Sometimes girls do too." She finally cracked up.

"What does that mean?"

"Let me show you our room first then I'll explain everything to you." She started walking as if she had not heard me.

'Explain everything to you'? Now I was scared.

"I don't think it's hard to speak while walking." I muttered.

She turned around and made that puppy face. "Hard? It is very hard, Ivory. You have no idea."

Ugh!

As soon as we reached the third-floor, I could not take my eyes off it. It looked like an expensive hotel room to me. However, this section had such a warm feel as if normal people lived here unlike the monsters living downstairs.

The space was bathed in natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, and had fine teak detailing combined with white and golds. The floor plan was open and relaxed, with wooden floors giving warmth to cream furniture.

Brittany placed my bag before a door. She bowed to me and trailed me into the room. I opened the door and not to my surprise, it was well un-managed and beautifully disorganized, just how she liked it.

"What is this junkyard?" I scowled at her.

"No, not anymore, because here we have you now." She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned.

Heck, no!

"The fuck, I'm not cleaning this mess." I said while picking up a wired bra that was tangled together with other bras like they were having group sex.

"Trust me, you will." She nodded at me, smiling confidently.

Yeah, sure, why not.

"Because as far as I know you, my friend," she jumped inside, tapped on my shoulder lightly and hopped on the bed. "You loathe chaos and dirt like anything." She screamed before dancing on the bed like a rockstar.

Didn't I tell you how much she loved dancing on the bed whenever she was happy or excited? I think I have already mentioned it before.

"Well, what can I say to you? Is this the first time I'd be cleaning up your mess?" I shrugged at her, putting down the bag I was holding.

"Nope."

I sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. "As long as you help me stay away from that pervy friend of yours, I'm down for anything."

A prolonged and general silence followed before she finally whispered, "Um... Ivory, I don't think that would be possible."

I looked back at her, her face curled up in an awkward smile. "What? Why?" I asked, jumping to my feet.

She didn't move; for a long moment, she convinced herself she was a statuem Before I turned her to ashes with the burning fire of my speech, she spoke, "Well, because we are basically living in his house so---"

"What?" My voice was so loud, it echoed in the room. "But why are we, you, living in his house to begin with?" I exclaimed.

"Let me explain it to you, honey." She finally got down from the bed and walked towards me with folded hands as if apologizing to me.

I rubbed my face, my anxiety only growing higher. "Please do." I waited for her explanation while crossing my arms around my chest.

"Can we please at least sit first?" She tried to touch my shoulders, but when she saw the red in my eyes, she immediately backed off her hands. "No? Sure, we don't have to sit. Who sits in bed these days anyway, right?"

I glared at her.

"So, basically, earlier I was living in a small and dreadful place where I would start my day with a wonderful view of a cementery. With unhygienic kids as my neighbors and a landlord with gastric issues, my life was going abso-fucking-lutely great. Infact I was even---"

"Will you please come to the fucking point?" I shouted. Why did she have to be so dramatic all the time?

"Evan asked me to move in with him when we started dating. I was so eager to get rid of that horrible place that I agreed, without giving it a second thought. I didn't know this was Ken's place until I saw him fucking a girl next to this very room, the store, I mean. And who would have thought that in this entire universe you would have a fight with him and only him? Besides, if you both try to sort this thing out, I can bet y'all be good. He isn't as bad as you may think of him, Ivory." She made it sound like it wasn't a big deal that I was staying at

"You were not kissed without the concent so you won't understand it, Brittany, and sorting out with him? My foot. And he is a good guy? My second foot," I huffed out of annoyance, "I can't believe I have to see his face everyday." I kicked off a skirt lying on the floor.

"Well, here's the good news, it is his place but he doesn't live here. I mean, besides coming here to fuck his chicks once in a while, you won't see him."

"Wow, what a relief!" I clapped my hands in sarcasm.

"Anyways, that's the last thing you should be worrying about right now because," she stepped forward and held me in a tight hug as she whispered, "You have a whole room to clean, my dearest."

"Never would I have imagined a better welcome from you." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Pleasure is all mine." She smirked.

"You sure, you don't want to be a part of his happiness, my dearest?" Brittany asked me the same question for the sixteenth time.

I glared at her exactly for the sixteenth time.

"Okay, okay. As you wish. I won't put pressure on you now."

Yes, you will not because you have done that many times already.

"Okay, I'm leaving. Looking good?" She questioned, posing like a model.

She was looking smacking hot in the tight red dress that she was wearing which covered her lean body like her second skin. She looked like one of those Project Runaway models that she used to binge watch and now she had become like one. That's called Law of Attraction.

"Good enough." I giggled.

"Have fun, Ivory. Toodles." She waved her hand in the air as she left the room.

I listened to the clacking of her heels on the floor, the unnatural rhythm jarring with the low thrum of the music.

Apparently, Kendrick had become the new football captain and to celebrate it, his friends threw an extravagant party for him at his house--which was the same place where I was currently living. The place was buzzing with music, not letting me focus on my book. Even though I was on the third floor, I could still hear every damn song that was playing downstairs.

I was sitting in my bed in a brown woolen fleece pajama and top. Books were scattered around me while the rest of the room looked sick clean. That was my four hours of hard work.

I practiced math questions for two hours without blinking my eyes. Now, I needed a snack to sit and study for two more hours. Therefore, I jumped off of my bed. Slipping in my crocs, I walked out.

This section of the building was pretty barren. Although the living room was well furnished, the rest of the space was empty. The store room next to us was actually bigger than our room. No wonder, how he managed to fuck someone there. The thought made me cringe.

I walked down the stairs to see the small living area crammed with people--half naked, kissing and doing so much more. I felt like I could not move. I was stuck somehow. I didn't want anyone to notice me standing there and witnessing their wicked little activities. Ugh! Dear lord, help me.

I tiptoed across the room, my eyes on the narrow corridor. Some guys glanced at me but I think they were too drunk to remember me the next day. Girls, however, passed me a disgusted look when they noticed my appearance. I could not blame it on them. I didn't really fit into that environment.

"Where the heck is this kitchen?" I mumbled to myself.

The rooms alongside the corridor were closed, but the sound of moaning and grunting coming out of them made perfect sense what was going on behind those doors. I ran to the end of the corridor.

To the left, I finally found a kitchen. The moment I stepped inside, big hands gripped my arms and pulled me back towards the corner.

"Kendrick." I whispered looking at his face in the dim light, "What the heck are you--"

"Ssssh.." He placed his hand over my mouth, silencing me. "You were about to ruin my plan."

I brought my hand over his hand and tore it off my mouth. "What is this? Another prank of yours?" I muttered under my heavy breath.

"Sadly, no." He grabbed me by my shoulder and while turning me around, he pointed to a boy and a girl who were bickering with each other in the kitchen. "Look at these, they are going to have angry sex in just five minutes."

What?

"And what are you doing here? Watching them?" I looked back at him, his face still gleaming with smugness. "Go home and better watch porn if that's what you are looking for."

"Well, I can't. This is my home." He grinned.

"But you don't live here."

Fuck! I should not have said that.

He eyed me warily. "Wait, wait. How do you know I don't live here?" His smile only widened. "Or should I ask, what are you doing in my house?"

"Um...I am living here." I whispered so softly, it was humanely not possible to hear my voice.

"Pardon me, I didn't hear. What did you just say?" He stifled a laugh. Did he know? Hell, he knew. But--

Brittany!!!!!

"I-I didn't know this was your place otherwise I would have never--" I looked down at the floor, avoiding his gaze. "I would immediately leave--"

"Did I ask you to leave?" He said before waiting for me to lift my face to look at him.

"Anyway, we'll be paying you rent on time, so don't think we're living here for free." I replied, acting confident. I won't live under his obligation for letting me stay at his place.

"Funny, aren't you? If I wanted rent, my friends wouldn't have been living here for free." He stated plainly.

Really?

"Why do you--"

"Yes, fuck---" Hearing to that voice, both of us jerked our heads around and found the boy in the kitchen holding the girl's crotch.

"Um--I think I should go now." I turned away from him quickly - too quickly, and faltered.

He towered over me, the muscles in his arms and shoulders straining against his shirt as he hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans.

"Yes, me too. My work is done here. Let's go." And then he walked away, his shoulders swaying like a pendulum with his stride.

"Wait, I thought you were going to watch them." I followed him behind.

He laughed, "And what made you think that?"

"What? You were literally standing there--eyeing them with interest," I replied with a toss of my head.

"Interest? Is it?" He turned around to glance at me. "Yes, I was interested in getting rid of that girl and that's why I was setting her up with that guy."

"Why would you do that? And who is she?"

He stopped in the middle of the corridor. Turning, he grabbed my shoulder and pushed me lightly against the wall. He leaned forward a few inches from me, hands on either side of my arms and his light brown eyes on my face.

"Now, to me, you look very interested, are you?" He whispered, his breath warm against my cheek.

My eyes landed on his lower lip which had a slight cut; that was my mark. It made those full and plump lips look flawed yet somehow he only appeared more handsome. Was this the way he would trap girls with his charm and later try to get rid of them?

Whatever it was, let me not forget how perverted he was. How he grabbed me and kissed me in front of his friends and laughed about it later. I won't let him take advantage of me a second time. I was not going to fall in his trap --- nor for his smile or his charm.

"No, I am not. I know guys like you pretty well. I was just worried about that girl. You must have taken advantage of that poor girl just like you're trying to take advantage of me right now. Again," I replied tartly. His smug eyes were dark and humorless now.

He waited for a few seconds before he finally spoke, "Is that what you think I am doing right now?" He asked nonchalantly as he looked for a reply in my eyes. When he did not get one, he continued, "Well, you know what? You aren't really my type. Not even my lets-take-her-advantage type of girl. So, you can chill." He scoffed at my face.

He backed away in a second as if he had been electrocuted by me, while in fact it was the other way around. I was hurt by his insulting words even though I shouldn't have been. Well, this was who he was. I could not change him. Brittany was so wrong about him. He was not bad; he was the worst.

I managed to put a straight face, burying the ache of his words inside, I replied, "But then I wonder what forced you to crash your lips on mine like a fucking maniac the other day."

"My friends did." He shrugged carelessly. "They dared me. I did it. Don't think too much about yourself." He smirked.

Was he really given such a dare? Or was he lying? There was no reason for him to lie to me. He knew I could ask Brittany and she would get me the truth by evening. No, he wasn't lying.

But, did that change who he really was? Certainly, not. I might have to get the pervert tag off his head now, but that tag was just one of many. He had a lot of personality traits that helped him to maintain his fuckboy crown. It was not going anywhere for a long time.

"Anyway, see you around. I have to go see another woman who will probably be waiting for me in bed at the moment, ready to have me take her advantage." He grinned sardonically.

Then, he turned around and strode off.