Rachel ^^^

I love nerd glasses, gives off a sexy vibe.

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Rachel has gotten rid of her mobile phone when I catch her for lunch. Her head is bent over a big textbook, her glasses large on her face, all alone at a corner table. I spot her easily, and I move towards her.

'Hey,' I say, throwing my backpack on the table. 'What's up?'

Rachel raises her eyes skywards. 'Ceiling?'

'Seriously?' I frown. 'That's your best?'

Rachel yawns and shuts her book closed.

'Principles of Biotechnology.' I read off the cover. 'Sounds boring.'

'Not entirely. Biotech is fascinating.' Something, that I could only logically explain as nerdish-mania enters her eyes and she sits upright. 'I mean, there is a lot of scope in recombinant DNA technologies. It's boring learning about vectors and selectable markers but the whole process is fascinating. You know, we can genetically modify organisms to get a desired product. For example, you can recombine insect resistivity of one plant and high yield of another to create a perfect plant that is both insect resistant and high yielding. Isn't that cool?'

I blink. 'Yeah. Cool.'

Rachel rolls her eyes. I wonder whether Jay feels the same when I roll my eyes: irritated.

'Cor. How's your head?'

I decide to tell her that it's better.

'Leigh's a total wacko. I hate her.'

'Does she have a history with Christian?'

Rachel snorts. 'Is there a woman in NYU that doesn't have a history with Christian or Jared? Both of them are womanizer machines. Leigh just happens to be the annoying piece of gum that just keeps sticking. She's obsessed with Chris. She just won't believe that she doesn't have a frigging future with him. The same goes with her sidekicks. By the way, how are your parents?'

'My mom is fine.' I didn't even see her yesterday. 'She's still struggling at work, it's hard, the increased workload and all.'

'You mom's a CA, right? Which firm?'

'Delby's.'

'That's cool. Delby's pay real good.'

I don't know. Never hear of them. 'Yeah.'

'Your Dad?'

'Uh. Dad. He died.' He was killed. 'Car accident.' Your best friend's father killed him.

Rachel's immediately sympathetic. 'I am so sorry, Cor. I shouldn't have asked.'

'It's all right.' I wave my hand, ignorantly. 'It was so long back. When I was young. I don't even remember him.' I do. I do remember him, so much it hurts.

'You have any siblings?'

'No.' Yes. My brother. My Daniele.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

'And Zachary? That was his name, wasn't it?'

'Zach's my only best friend.' There are three others. 'He loves me, just like you and... Christian.'

The said guy falls into a seat beside Rachel.

'Rach, baby! Did you miss your buddy?'

'Nope,' Rach pops the p. 'Was doing fine without you butting in. If you haven't noticed, I have a girlfriend now.'

'You wound me.' Christian grabs his chest in mock agony. 'I can't believe you ditched me for your new friend.'

'Go to your latest conquest Beneventi.' Rachel slips the glasses off her face. 'Heard you winked at the next bitch on your hit list. Seriously, Chris? Winking to get a girl? That's so lame.'

I clear my throat. Christian smirks. Rachel looks at me, amused.

'What's wrong, Cor?'

'I think I am the next bitch on his hit list.'

'Wait. What?'

'Unfortunately,' Christian drawls lazily. 'It has happened. I found that I just couldn't resist her charm, and I need to have her.'

I gesture to myself. 'You ain't getting any of this, darling.'

His eyes challenge me. 'We'll see soon enough, gorgeous.'

'I wouldn't be so sure of that, handsome.'

'Just wait, beautiful. You'll be begging for a piece of me.'

'In your dreams, hot shot.'

Rachel eyes us both, her eyeballs darting between us, as if watching an interesting tennis match she can't decipher.

Finally she leans back, crossing her hands over her chest.

'Okay. Now it's downright awkward.'

I glare daggers at Christian. I feel awkward whenever he calls me something that isn't plain offensive, however cool I play it through.

Christian lifts his lips in his characteristic smirk, as if he knows how much he gets on my nerves.

'It's worked.'

It had. Word had gotten around real quick about Christian's latest play toy. By lunch time, a million bets were already placed, almost all of it about whether I will give in quickly or not. I even heard a guy bet a 100 grand that I wouldn't last till tomorrow.

I groan. 'Classic stunt. Now I have people out for my blood.'

'Makes my work easy, then.'

'Great, just great.'

Christian sidles up to me, tucking me under his arm. He grins so huge, that he's practically got stars in his eyes.

'Rach, we are getting married.'

'Say WHAT?'

I groan and pull myself away. 'Engaged. Just engaged.'

Rachel's eyes fall to the ring on my finger. 'I must be dreaming.'

I shake my head. 'It's a nightmare, honest.'

'Is it? I'll be your prince, then, and I'll fight off the demons.'

'Not if you are the demon.'

Rachel wears a satisfied smile. 'At least he hasn't charmed the pants off you.'

'Yet,' Christian interjects. 'Don't forget that it is all a matter of time.'

'In your wildest dreams.' I roll my eyes.

'Hey, was that Taylor Swift?' Jared flops out of nowhere, all sweaty.

'Hey, man.' He bumps his fist with Christian. 'Coach was pissed you skipped practice. Do you have a death wish?'

I see Rachel stiffen, her eyes automatically going to the shut text. She flips it open to a random page, furiously reading up all the words.

'I'll pop in for the next one. Jared, meet my new chick – Coral Collins.'

'I am not a hen.'

Jared cricks his neck as he turns to me. 'Wait, what?'

I snigger, glancing at Rachel. 'You heard him. I'm his new, uh, girlfriend aka fiancée.' I raise my hand to show off the rock.

Jared looks surprised initially, but then he just heaves a sigh, as if he knew how wild Christian can be. 'It was nice meeting you, Sea Rock. Not long now, you'll be just a pile of really hot ashes down the road he just travelled.'

I shrug. 'Or maybe he would end up losing his balls.'

'Ouch.' Christian shifts his weight, draping an arm around my chair.

Jared grins. 'I have never heard him accept anyone as his girlfriend before, so fiancée is a plus. I think you two make quite the couple, don't they Ra – '

He stops abruptly, and Rachel levels him with a glare. The silence around the table grows pregnant with tension, and I see the mirth slip off Christian.

'What's wrong?'

Rachel's phone rings. Without breaking her stare down with Jared, she pulls it out and presses it to her ear.

'Hello, baby.' She looks away, a big smile on her face. 'I've missed you too. How was practice?'

Jonah. It had to be him. Guessing from the way Jared's hands clenched into fists, I had a feeling he knew it too.

'Tonight?' Rachel's voice is too loud, too chirpy, too enthusiastic. 'I'd love it. But wait, what about this. I'm at the cafeteria. Pick me up?'

She listens to the reply for a while and smiles. 'Yup. I know. Thanks, babe. Love you.'

I think the endearment was more of Rachel's way of rubbing salt in the wound – Jared's face is tight with fury as she kills the call.

Christian looks bewildered. 'Who was that?'

Rachel smiles, a sweet sickly smile. 'That was Jonah. You know, he plays with you guys.' She gives Jared a pointed look.

'I didn't know you were going out with Jonah.' Christian frowns, talking mostly to himself.

'He asked me out. I thought I'd give it a try.'

'Why didn't you tell me you were going out with that prick?' Jared demands, his voice monotone.

'First off, Jonah's not a prick.' Rachel thrusts her books into her bag roughly, a sure sign that she is angry. She gathers up her stuff. 'Second, I don't have to tell you anything. You don't tell me who all you are sleeping with and you don't see me asking.'

'What should I do then?' Jared rams a fist on the table. 'Pretend I don't care and let Jonah have his way with you?'

'You can be happy for me, which is what a friend would do. I think you made yourself very clear.'

Jared looks flushed.

'Rach, Jonah is a womanizer. He'll wreck you.'

Rachel lets out a dark laugh. On her face is a look of disbelief. She is not the Rachel I know.

'Do you hear yourself, Jared? He's a womanizer? Are you any different? You know what, I don't care. Jonah asked me out, I said yes. I had no reason not to. I wasn't committed.'

Jared flinches at her words. I exchange a worried glance with Christian.

Rachel shrugs her backpack onto her shoulder. 'I don't want either of you,' she points to Jared and Christian in turn, 'interfering in my love life. I get to live my way, okay?'

Jared grits his teeth. He pulls at his hair, slams his hands on the table. Christian, for once, is at a loss for words.

A rather bulky guy appears at our table. His hair is wet, like he's just out of the shower. His camo pants are a stark contrast to his blood red shirt. He has his brown hair back in a man bun, and his eyes are trained on Rachel.

Jonah.

'Hey, baby, you ready to go?'

'Go where?' Jared growls.

'Hey man,' Jonah gives him a pat on the shoulder. 'Didn't see you there. Was blinded for a moment by her beauty.'

Rachel blushes, and she flips her hair to hide it.

But not well enough. Jared's palms fist again as he notices the blood in her cheeks.

'Come on, darling. We have a long way to go.'

Rachel nods, before chucking me the keys to our room. 'I'll be a little late, 'kay? Open the door for me.'

'Yeah. Okay.'

We watch as she takes Jonah's hand and lean to him as he pulls her out of the cafeteria. I watch Jared's face contort in an emotion I can't place and I find myself turning to look at Christian.

He's looking at me though, and we just stare at each other, willing the other to break the silence.

I arch an eyebrow, and Christian does the same, before I shrug.

'So...' he begins, looking at me, and I nod encouragingly.

I never thought I would be encouraging him with a smile.

'Come on. Let us take you to practice.'

/////

Short chapter, I know.

I was thinking of portraying a little bit of something other than Alex and Christian, and it ended up in Rach and Jared. The usual drama.

Chapter dedicated to all my amazing readers. Thank you for the 400+ reads. For someone who did not even think that her story would have even a single reader, that's a fortune of happiness.

Love you all.