It's game night.

Rachel and I walk to the sidelines. I lug a tray of cola, while Rachel's hands are full of popcorn. She insisted we paint our cheeks in favor of our team, and so I have the violet and white letters of the NYU Violets splattered across mine.

I opted for shorts and a crop top, and a violet NYU cap. Rachel's more sensible, I think. Jonah's jacket hangs off her shoulders, and she looks enthusiastic.

Two days after the cafeteria fiasco, Jonah asked her to be his girlfriend. And she said yes. She confessed that she wasn't sure they loved each other, but she wanted to give her first relationship a try. So did Jonah.

Supposedly.

It was me who insisted about Rachel pursuing some healthy relationships, but just like Jared, I had a bad feeling about Jonah. The guy was good looking and all, but he wasn't the type of guy one would trust. I hated him from the moment I lay my eyes on him, but that isn't new – I hate all people I ever meet, I hate Jared, I hate Rachel, I hate Christian.

I hate people.

Full stop.

'Hey, Jonah!'

We push through the locker room, where our team is decked up and ready. Jonah spots us at the door, and he runs towards us, specifically towards Rachel, before lifting her up in a hug.

'Hey, babe.'

Jonah tips his head towards me, in acknowledgment. 'Hi, Coral.'

'Hey.' I lift up my tray. 'Cola?'

'Thanks.' Jonah grabs one with his left hand, his right firmly around Rachel's waist. 'You mind if we move to a corner there?'

'No prob,' I grin. Jonah's cool otherwise, though I found him a little grabby. 'Where's Christian?'

'He's back out there,' Jonah points to the back of the room. 'Are you two together?'

'Yeah. He's my boyfriend.'

Jonah gives me a look of disbelief. 'Wow. You must be good to snag him down.' His eyes rake over my body and I turn away from him, repulsed. I try to not let it show on my face. For someone who is apparently too good at faking emotions, I feel it hard.

I shrug, before waving him off and walking towards the other end, pushing through the other pounds of muscle. I repeat 'Cola! Cola!' like a street vendor, blatantly thinking how quickly my life changed, and my tray is three-fourths empty by the time I reach Christian.

'Hey.' I look around to see almost all of the team looking at us.

'Are you nervous?'

I want to smack myself. Christian doesn't look nervous, if at all, he looks confident. He is the star quarterback and the captain for a reason. He's a player, in the grounds and apparently in life.

If I was on the Hate List of Leigh and the Bitches&Co. before, now I am the enemy of the entire female population. Christian has been hanging out with me, his half-a-ton arm always on my shoulder, for almost over a week now, and I have been getting hate messages left and right. There hasn't been much verbal attack or physical harm, though –mostly because Christian had been shadowing me throughout the campus.

'No.' Christian chuckles, his eyes on the others too. 'Guys, I'll let you know when we are going to have PDA. Don't appear too eager.'

They all turn away.

'Aren't you a charmer?' I roll my eyes.

'You got what you wanted.' He grabs a cola, opens it. 'I completed your essay. We can turn it in on Monday.'

I tuck a few loose strands into my pony, balancing the tray against my hip.

'Okay.'

Christian looks at me. He crushes the can, before leaning forward and pulling the band off my hair.

'What the -!' I protest, my hands moving to my hair. 'I spent a lot of time on that ponytail.'

Christian tilts his head and regards me, pulling at a few strands so that it covers my ears.

'I like your hair open.'

He leaves it at that.

'Where's Jared?' I find it hard to breathe. Why?

'Changing. He'll be here anytime now. Rach?'

'With Jonah.' I point. Christian stretches and yells, 'Rach!'

'Yup?!'

Rach appears through the meat chunks, her hair a mess, her lips swollen. There is no sign of Jonah.

'All the best for the game, man!'She fists a palm and hits Christian on the shoulder. 'I want you to win, get it?'

'Yeah.' Christian smiles. His lips lift up in a genuine smile, and it is so unlike the smirks he gives me and the cocky grins he gives to the swooning girls. He cares about Rachel, and I find myself thinking of the guys.

I miss them.

I haven't seen them since last week, and I miss them. My palms itch to break Sean's nose, I desperately want Jay to reprimand me. I want to smell the nicotine on Zach's breath, and I want to see Blade in action.

La famiglia è la patria del cuore.

Family is where heart is.

I want to go home.

Christian probably sees the miserable look on my face, because he smirks. 'Problem?'

'No.'

He frowns. 'Hm. It's going to be chilly.' He regards my shorts and top, his eyes gliding down my legs. It surprises me, because, unlike Jonah, I don't feel repulsed, nor do I turn away.

'Nice cap. Where did you get the paint from?' he touches his cheek.

I smirk. 'I have my sources.'

Rachel giggles. Christian looks impressed.

'You know what? I don't think the outfit is complete.'

He turns to his locker and pulls out a jacket, the one that had his name emblazoned on it, and then proceeds to drape it around my shoulders.

'There. Now everyone knows you are mine.'

It would've been romantic if I was his actual girlfriend. It would've been like those sappy rom-com movies, and I would have looked up into his eyes and see them sparkle with love, and find myself leaning towards him, breathing in his musky scent, closing my eyes as our lips met, hearing the explosions of a thousand fireworks that would light up the night sky, when our hearts beat in synchronicity, and I would have known that I was in love.

But I don't believe in love and Beneventi wasn't my boyfriend.

Instead, I push my arms through the sleeves and wrap it around my body. 'At least it would keep me warm.'

Christian scoffs. 'Believe me, that's the last thing it would do.'

Turns out that he was right. The jacket caught the attention of all of the NYU that it was impossible for both me and Rachel to get through the bleachers.

'It that Christian's new hoe?'

'Rachel's snagged Jonah?'

'What the hell are those dudes thinking?'

'Thank Lords Jared's still single and ready to mingle.'

Rachel flinches at that, but she conceals it by cheering loud for Jonah.

'Rachel's tolerable. Look at the other bitch, she's downright the devil.'

Ha. She got that one right.

'Wonder how Christian even noticed her!'

I turned smoothly, before smirking at a blonde bimbo. 'Christian's got eyes, you know?'

She scowls at me, before turning to gossip to her friends.

'Do you think Nathan heard about Rachel and Jonah?'

'It's going to be fun when he does.'

'Rachel's gonna be the gum sticking to his boot.'

'Maybe that new girl can join too. What's her name? Fig shell? Nutcrack?'

'Something in the sea.'

'Fish?'

I clap my hands. 'You've nailed it, bro.'

Rachel thrusts popcorn into her mouth. 'I hate gossiping Barbies. Seriously.'

'Nathan?'

Rachel sighs and thrusts even more popcorn into her mouth.

'The bully I told you about? That's him. Nathaniel. He was born to make my life a living hell.'

'Wait a minute. He still bullies you?'

Rachel stares at the ground, looking at the match but not really seeing it.

'Yep.'

'That's what Jared was saying that day. They still look after you?'

'Uh, yeah. Whenever they know about it.'

I narrow my eyes. I had a feeling she was not telling me everything.

'What do you mean?'

'Cor, the thing is, uh, Nathan has been targeting me more since I started seeing Jonah.'

'Targeting?'

'Yeah. I bruised a rib two days back.'

I could not hide my shock. 'What the hell, Rachel?'

Rachel closes her eyes. 'Don't tell Christian. Or Jared.'

'Oh come on. This isn't high school, Rachel. Whoever he is, he can't bully you. That's violence.'

I pause as my words sink into my brain. Who am I to preach about violence? Me, a murderer?

I love the scent of blood. What kind of a person does that make me?

Someone definitely worse than Nathan.

Rachel doesn't say anything more, and for once I am grateful. I am swamped by a volley of thoughts I had never had the reason to think before.

My movements are mechanical. I clap when others clap, I cheer when others cheer. I yell, when others yell.

'Chris. Chris. Chris.'

Christian runs with the ball, weaving his way through the lumbering defenders, tackling around limbs, kicking the ball right into the goalpost with a wave of exultant brilliance. The violet side cheers louder; the Violets have won the game. It was quick, too quick, the other team didn't even put up a fight.

In the field, Christian falls to his knees, his arms stretched to the skies, a look of pure satisfaction on his face. He opens his eyes and they scan the bleachers, his eyes moving on from person to person.

'Christian. Christian. Christian.' The crowd chants louder, and my ears hurt. I want to get away from here. It's Saturday, and I want to go home.

Christian's eyes home in on me. He breaks into a grin. His smile is contagious, and I give him another of my fake grins, and raise my palm in the air. Everyone is watching. The team, the blonde bimbo, Leigh. Christian raises his fingers to his lips, and throws me a kiss.

People swoon.

'That was so romantic.'

'So hot.'

'She's so lucky.'

'This has never happened before.'

If only they knew. If only they knew.

////

'I am tired, Christian.' My head is under the faucet of the sink, and I am washing my hair, trying to get the glittery mess Christian dumped on me, minutes after the game was done.

'No shit, Sherlock. Get dressed. I am not missing this party for the world.'

I sigh, my head still bent over, so I know it must sound like a dying whale's breath. My voice is warbled with the water, and I have given up on life.

'Seriously? I still can't get this stuff out of my hair!'

Christian leans on the door frame of the bathroom. He's already dressed up in a plain green shirt that brings out the color of his eyes.

'Your problem.'

I turn off the faucet and stand, grabbing a towel. 'It's your problem if your girlfriend decided not to show up to the after party, boo.'

'I am sorry, okay? I couldn't resist.'

I raise my arms to the ceiling. 'I had no idea that you were going to keep up the whole prank thing!'

The door bangs open.

'Tone it down, will you? It's like you guys are already married.'

Rachel throws open her dresser, rummaging for dresses. She pulls out a pair of cute jeans and a short top.

'What about you, Cor?'

Christian answers. 'She's not coming.'

'Have you looked at my hair, you loser?' I yell, pulling at my hair still covered in glittery stuff. 'Just look at this! I need to get a haircut. Asap.'

Seriously, I was at my wits end. All this acting and sassing and pranking have been making me a wreck. If I didn't get a chance to be my old self again, I was seriously going to lose it. And it won't be pretty.

'You are going to shave your head?'

I fix Christian with a glare that should've burned a hole through his chest. He looks unfazed.

'Sembrerai un uovo.'

He is the only one who dares to call me an egg.

It is his voice. Sinful. Mio Dio, the accent. Italian rolls off his tongue so elegantly that I want to reply in the same language.

I bite my tongue. I have to go home. The stress is taking its toll on me.

'Whatever that means, I take it that it wasn't nice. I'll come to the party with you, but then, Zach's picking me up.'

Christian shrugs, his eyes cold at the very mention of Zach. 'Whatever.'

'I'm going with Jonah, after the party.' Rach says, looking at me. 'I'll help you get ready.'

Christian nods. 'I have to get to Boston tomorrow, so I'll be the DD.'

'Jared?' Rachel asks, going back to her dresser to pull out more outfits.

'All of us are leaving in twenty.'

////

Lame. Boring. Repeat.

I pop open my soda can and watch Christian being showered with praises. He's being lifted up off the ground, being raised on someone's shoulders.

Rachel and Jonah disappeared a long time back. Jared wasn't talkative in the car, just giving me a high five and a one-armed hug. He took off with some blonde the moment we entered.

All the ladies have been giving me the dark eye, so I guess they all saw me coming in with Christian. I have practically no one to talk to, but hey, I'm not complaining. I pull out my phone and dial.

'Don't tell me you miss me. Again.'

Relief. It's the only emotion that pulses through me.

'Hello to you too, Jay.'

Jay groans, and I hear the creak of his bedsprings.

'Were you sleeping?' I check my watch. It's eleven.

'Not yet.' I can almost see him rub the sleep put of his eyes. 'Is this Coral? You sound too nice to be Alex.'

'I don't know.'

Jay must've heard the desperation in my voice. 'Hey, fun fact. You are kinda famous.'

'What?'

'Not you, actually. Beneventi. The BenCorp stuff is some serious shit. The entire Beneventi family is on the radar now. I think there is even a page on Wikipedia.'

I frown. It takes a lot for a family to erase its existence, taking into account the sheer size of it. And now, Arrigo is willingly letting himself be revealed.

'Do you think...' I let my thought be uncompleted, lest I be overheard.

'I don't know, either. Arrigo is playing a dangerous game, that's for sure. The question is why.'

I breathe. 'He knows.'

Jay is silent for a second. 'I don't think so. You are just a normal girl from Brixton. There's not much mention of you, anyways –just a side shot, and its blurry.'

My thumb goes to my ring finger, gently twisting the ring. 'That's going to change. Christian and I, uh, me and Christian, uh, him and me, uh, we...'

'Oh crap. Just spit it out, Collins.'

'Shut up.' I hiss. 'We are engaged, idiot.'

Silence.

'What the hell did you just say?' Sean.

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. 'Engaged. I am his fiancée now.'

'Oh, fuck!'

'Language.'

'Oh, fondue.'

'That's not Alex. Is that Alex?' That's definitely Blade. 'Alex doesn't marry.'

'Oh, for fuck's sake. I'm not getting married.'

'Language!!' they all yell, and I wince, pulling the phone away from my ear. I look around, and I see Rachel and Jonah, pressed against the wall.

'Where is Zach?'

'Right here!'

'He fainted when you said fiancée.' Sean chuckles and I hear a distinct thump.

'Zach, pick me up when I text you. I want to break Sean's nose.'

Sean's chuckling cuts short.

'Not my nose, no. I'm not letting you go anywhere near my nose.'

'There's a party waiting for me. Bye!'

I kill the call. Someone falls into the empty chair next to mine.

'Zach?'

Jared is so, so wasted. There's lipstick all over his white shirt and his hair is tousled. He reeks of beer, and he almost falls off the chair.

'Yeah. Are you drunk?'

Jared squints across the room. 'No. Not enough.'

I follow his gaze to Rachel and Jonah, heavily making out at a corner. Jared picks up another bottle and raises it to his lips.

'Where's the blondie?'

'Don't know, don't care.'

'How many bottles did you have?'

'One less than Christian.'

'Christian's the DD, tonight, J. He's not drinking. He's going to Boston.'

'Tell that to his drunk ass. He's drunk as an elephant.'

Right on cue, the light on the dance floor shifts to a figure on the bar counter. Christian is slouching on the table, seductively biting his lip as he whipped off his t-shirt.

The girls squeal.

'Oh my god.' I stand up. 'This is not happening.'

But it was. Christian was drunk as hell and he was strip dancing. He pulls out his belt from the loop slowly, and twirls it in the air like a goddamn cowboy.

'There's no stopping him now.' Jared says, eyeing his best friend drunkenly. 'He's going to take off all his clothes and the girls are going to get all of that on camera.'

Ha. I pull out my phone, and snap a picture. That might come in handy.

'I'm going to get him. Then we are going.'

Jared looks back at Rachel. 'Yeah. I want to go too.'

'Stay here,' I tell Jared and I look at the huge ring of mad girls. It honestly looked like a swarm of fangirls at a Justin Bieber concert, and I was honestly scared.

What? Fangirls are more fierce than live cheetahs.

I think of Daniele.

'Only for you, brother.' I mutter as I push through the highly excited ladies. 'Only for you.'

////

Extra looooooong chapter to make up for the extra long delay.

I wish I could see Christian strip dance in person, lol.

Chapter dedicated to a new bestie, Anya. You people have to seriously check out her latest fantasy take, Heirs of Gehran! I'm on chapter two right now, and I can't wait to go read more.

Cheers, Bae! Keep writing and staying fantastic.

See you around in the next chapter, y'all.

And oh. Cakes and cakes :) AngelicSweetie