Stacy and Daphne are perched over Stacy's bed, both wide eyed and completely immersed as I recollect last night's details. Meanwhile, I'm currently hugging my knees, peering at them from behind my legs. 

"You kissed him?" Daphne's face is one of pure shock while Stacy looks like she's enjoying every minute of this. Her smile is absolutely devilish. 

I put my hands out in front of me, shoulders slumped and gaze helpless. "I had no choice. He was going to walk into my room and then he would see my wall and everything would be over." 

"That wall is pretty incriminating," Daphne nods, ruminating to herself silently.

"Danielle Nio, you definitely had a choice," Stacy picks up a pillow and throws it at me, making me glare at her. "There are so many other ways to distract someone but then again maybe you wanted it. Maybe Zander's finally getting to you."

Now it's my turn to send the pillow flying in her direction, to which she avoids expertly. 

"That's absurd and you know it. I hate the guy." 

"Do you really?" She eyes me suspiciously. 

"Of course. Was there ever a doubt?" I stare daggers at her. 

"But did you enjoy it?" Both girls lean forward, eager to devour more information. When I shake my head they fall back and Daphne stares at her computer distractedly. 

"I didn't feel anything, which is good. Because this is about revenge for Elizabeth, remember?" I don't tell them that that was my first kiss ever because then the two of them would only freak out further. 

Also, there's that lingering disappointment in the pit of my stomach, ever since last night. Movies always portray the first kiss being something so magical, with imaginary fireworks going off in the background. I never expected it to be so...normal. 

A small part of me wonders what it would have felt like if I had kissed Luke instead. 

"Do you know that you're currently the most talked about person on campus?" Daphne leans forward and shows me her phone screen. Numerous threads have been created, most of them discussing the way Zander had approached me with flowers after his winning streak. 

I read through a few of them, some saying I was Daltech's lucky charm during the match, others calling me a bitch and boyfriend stealer. 

Stacy grunts, lying on her back with one shoulder propping her up. "Try the state. The match was televised, remember?" 

I groan loudly and bury my face in my hands. "I just want to disappear." 

"Speaking of disappearing," Stacy says. "Did Liz watch the match? It must have been a shocker to her." 

Her words cause of shiver of fear to run down my spine and I shake it away, wondering why I felt it to begin with. After all I am doing this for her. 

"She's been banned from television and all things Daltech related." Is it wrong that I feel relief saying those words. She can't know about my plans now, not when I haven't broken Zander's heart yet.

My phone buzzes and I immediately grab it only to see my father calling for the fifth time today. The first call was a drunk one, full of empty threats. The second one was about how he was so proud to have a daughter who made it on television but then he went off on a tangent about how I can 'pay him back' since I've become so called 'rich and famous'.

First of all, I don't owe him anything and secondly, receiving flowers on live television would hardly make anyone 'rich and famous.'

I don't know about the third and fourth call because I've been ignoring him ever since. The man is so out of touch with reality that it's scary. I know I should probably pay a visit home sometime soon just to check on my mother but I've been delaying it for as long as I can. 

I hate leaving my mother alone to be subjected to that life but then that anger always surfaces when I realise she chose to stay with him throughout it all. There were social workers who tried to help, hospital staff who tried to intervene but you can't help someone who doesn't want a helping hand. You can't make a case on domestic abuse when the victim lies through her teeth about being fine. 

Right now all I can do is study hard and graduate and then maybe she will finally decide to leave him when we move somewhere else. 

"Do you think she'll be mad if she finds out?" Daphne suddenly asks, breaking me from my line of thought. It takes a moment to realise she is talking about Elizabeth and not my mother.

"No, why would she?" I answer defensively. 

"I don't know," Stacy shrugs her bony shoulders. "I think I would be pretty pissed if my ex boyfriend dated me secretly and then dumped me, only to propose to my best friend in front of the entire Daltech stadium on television." 

Her tank top is loose and her collar bones stick out when she puts her arms behind her. Her bronze skin is glowing and her highlighted hair is a beautiful mess falling all over her shoulders. How does one look so effortlessly perfect in the morning? 

Her statement makes my stomach feel heavy. When I started this quest for revenge, I never paused to consider that part of it. 

"It's fine. She doesn't know and that's all that matters. Once I break his heart, she'll thank me for it." I give them the widest smile I can muster. "She'll thank US for it. Because we're a team, right?" 

"You have been doing our laundry diligently, so yeah I guess we are still a team," Daphne agrees. "But if Liz finds out and she doesn't like what we're doing, I'm out." 

"Me too," Stacy mimics, making me roll my eyes internally. What ever happened to sticking to a plan through and through? 

My phone buzzes again and this time I'm ready to turn the damn thing off but then I realise it's Zander calling. He's never called before. 

"Hello?" I answer tentatively.

"Good morning honey buns. Sunshine pill. Baby cakes." 

The cringe I feel is so potent, it makes my toes curl and eyebrows bunch together. "Eww, no to all of the above." 

He laughs on the other end of the line, so airy and light it lifts the corners of my lips. "What are you doing tonight?" 

"I have a paper to finish, so most probably that." I tell him and the girls have now jumped over to my side, the bed creaking under our combined weight as they lean in to listen. 

I push them away and have to stifle a laugh when Daphne loses her balance and crashes into Stacy. The two of them start to bicker and I put a finger to my mouth to silence them. 

"The dreaded mortgage crisis. I can help you with that, you know? Practically grew up on the topic. In fact it might give you more points to quote some real life experiences." Zander yawns on the other end of the line, making me wonder if he just woke up. 

The footballers are usually given the morning off after a big game like yesterday. I'm pretty sure most of them must be nursing hangovers in their rooms today, Luke more than most. I grin, remembering what a clumsy drunk he was. 

"And you expect me to quote a twenty two year old Daltech footballer for my paper that will most definitely affect my mid term grade?" 

"No silly," He's quick to reply and Stacy is smiling by my side when she hears this, which is so distracting. I cast her a look and move away slightly. 

"My father ran Westwood headquarters during the crisis. He was literally in the middle of it." 

My jaw almost goes slack at the statement. "Your dad is the CEO of the Westwood bank conglomerate?"

"Yes," His reply comes out muffled, a little hesitant. 

"His family owns those banks, they don't just run them," Stacy mouths to me and I'm honestly stunned. I knew Zander was rich, I just didn't know his family owned the biggest bank chain in North America. That's more than just rich. 

"Soo..." He drags on the word and I wait impatiently. "My father wasn't there for the game yesterday but he did watch the highlights and the last part of the game, you know when I..."

I close my eyes and will myself to take a deep breath. The part where he handed me those flowers. 

"And?" I ask when he asks me if I'm still on the line. 

"He wants to meet you," He says it so quickly before rambling on about a charity gala tonight. 

"He wants to meet me?" I interrupt. "Why?" 

We're not even together. Isn't that something you do when you've been dating someone seriously for a decent amount of time? I only plan to date him for four months and then it's over.

"Well, I've not exactly been forthcoming with who I've been dating and since this is the first time I've done this so publicly, he suggested that we all meet." He sounds so nervous. I can imagine him pulling at his shirt collar on the other side of the line. "It's not so much a suggestion, more of an instruction."

"He wants to know if I'm media trained or something?" I ask Zander and he snorts. "Does he think I'm going to siphon all of your money or con you?"

Zander chuckles. "I have no money to siphon off, Danielle. It's nothing like that. Just a casual meet up tonight at the gala."

I was going to take a sip of water and thank God I didn't or I would have choked. "You want me to meet him at a charity gala?" It sounds more ridiculous when I say it out loud. 

"Yes, it's either that or he pays a formal visit to the university. I know how you are about attention and figured that would be the last thing you would want. Just think of it as a small outing, we dress up, you meet my father, we say hi and leave. That's it." 

The bed feels like quicksand and I'm slowly sinking into the sheets. This is madness, why the sudden rush? Why does his father want to meet with me so urgently? 

"But..but.. my paper? And I have nothing to wear. And I'm not photogenic and what if I say something stupid?" I get up and pace around the room relentlessly. "I'm not equipped for these kind of events. Zander, I can't!"

"Shhh, relax," He answers in a soothing voice. "I'll come over and help with your paper. And don't worry about the dress, I'll have something sent over by mid afternoon. Also you're extremely beautiful, I find it hard to believe you're not photogenic and trust me, I don't think you have a problem with words at all." 

"So if I say no to tonight, you're father will make an impromptu visit to Daltech just to see me?" I ask him, my voice tethering towards a squeak. 

"I'm so sorry, Danielle." He tells me and I shut my eyes tightly. I was supposed to be sweeping Zander off his feet with my ten steps but it appears to be the opposite. He's constantly catching me off guard, sweeping the ground from under my feet at every turn. 

"You'd better get me an A on that paper." I tell him angrily. "Also you don't know my dress size."

"Trust me, I know," He answers smoothly. "I'll be there in twenty. Get your books ready."