"The fuck are you talking about the seat is taken? There's no one here."

"Excuse me." An unfamiliar female voice said from behind.

Turning around with my face scrunched up from a voice that I never heard before, I finally saw her face. she was known as one of the cheerleaders at our high school.

she had jet-black hair and red lipstick that made her lips pop. She had multiple piercings all throughout, like her lips, eyebrows, and nose. Her small perky boobs were pushed up against her black croptop.

I can feel my eyebrows furrowing as I stare back at her, trying to figure out what she wants.

"Sorry are you trying to get past the aisle?" I asked

"No, just trying to sit down next to my boyfriend."

"I'm sorry— but boyfriend?" I side-eyed Rick who was avoiding eye contact.

Rick sighs as he places one earbud into his ear.

"What's your name!?"

"It's Mia, Who the fuck are you?" she glared

Who is me?..

"Im—

"Oh that's Celine, she lives with Rick and his family," Kennedy shouted down from the aisle.

Yeah.

"What?" Mia said confused as she goggles her eyes between Rick and me.

"And why am I just now knowing about this, that another bitch was living in your home?"

"It's not even fucking like that, I don't like her— she's just living with me because she doesn't have a home."

"Yeah right." Mia scoffed

"Her fucking mother died." Rick said with a little bit of Attitude.

Mia's eyes darted back and forth between Rick and me, her expression a mixture of surprise and intrigue.

"Foreal?" She stared at me

No asshole.

"Yes." I said

"I would never talk to her or cheat on you with her, she's just a somebody that lives in my fucking home apparently." He said plugging his airbuds back in.

"Damn, I didn't know that, I'm sorry— uh.."

"It's Celine."

"Right, I'm sorry— uh you can sit by Rick if you feel comfortable." Mia said

"No, please— I'm fine,"

"I'll just go sit somewhere else." I said
—————————————————

I nestled in my seat on the bus, my eyes heavy with fatigue as I prepared to doze off. However, the relentless noise of the random male seated beside me chewing his gum and smacking it noisily prevented me from fully drifting off into sleep. I peeked at his phone screen to see that he was watching anime, the bright screen adding to my struggle to relax.

I observed the boy sitting beside me on the bus, taking notice of his glasses, and it dawned on me that we shared a class in English together. Despite being in the same class, we had never spoken prior to this moment.

With a polite tone, I turned towards the boy and requested, "Can you please quiet down the chewing?"

He paused his show and shot me an intense glare, maintaining eye contact for what felt like an eternity. For a moment, I wondered if I had been bothersome, interrupting his viewing experience.

"Being on the floor also sounds like a good seat." He finally spoken.

ok fuck you.

The constant disrespect and insensitivity from those around me was becoming a familiar pattern. It wore on my patience and left me feeling bewildered, as I couldn't understand why people were treating me this way. However, the sting of Rick's behavior cut deep, causing a more profound sense of hurt and disappointment. The realization that someone so close to me could act so callously weighed heavily on my heart.

The desire for a meaningful friendship with Rick was a constant ache within me. As roommates, we shared the same living space, and the close proximity of our daily lives should have encouraged a friendship to blossom. Yet, the reality was quite different from my hopes and expectations.

—————————————————

The long bus journey came to an end as it pulled up to the college campus, marking the end of our transportation. One by one, the students disembarked from the bus, stepping off onto the campus grounds.

"Everyone meet Mr. Samuel, he will be our tour guide on campus." Our teacher introduced.

I surveyed our college tour guide, taking in his appearance. He was a tall man with black hair, donning a pair of black-rimmed glasses. His ensemble consisted of a collar shirt and a pair of tacky, giving him a polished yet slightly unconventional appearance.

"Not going to lie but he's hot." Kennedy said from beside me.

"I don't know— I just don't find him attractive." I replied

"Because you're boring." Kennedy joked

"Since the campus is huge I will be putting y'all in groups of two." The teacher said 

Fuck.

Kennedy crossed her fingers beside her, "I hope we're partnered up." She said

As the teacher announced the pairs for the college tour, my expression fell in disappointment when my name was called alongside with someone other than Kennedy. A pang of irritation hit me.

I was paired with the devil himself..

Rick hale.

I internally groaned as I realized I was paired with Rick for the college tour. This pairing had the potential to turn the rest of my day into a complete disaster.

I stole a glance at Rick, who was standing next to his supposed girlfriend. Despite my initial fear that he might be angry, he seemed somewhat indifferent, his expression neutral and somewhat unbothered. He noticed me looking at him and let out a small sigh.

Mr. Samuel, our college tour guide, wore a bright and cheerful smile on his face, exuding an air of enthusiasm. I stood next to Rick, maintaining a moderate distance between us but still keeping close enough to follow his lead.

The silence between me and Rick was deafening. He walked ahead of me without uttering a single word, leaving me behind to follow in his footsteps. My anxiety and nervousness grew with every step, my thoughts swirling anxiously within myself.

Striding behind Rick, I struggled to keep sight of the other students, his tall height obstructing my view. In an effort to keep up, I quickened my pace and moved closer to walk alongside him. He noticed my innocent attempt to match his pace and shot me a sidelong glance.

Rick's unexpected action took me by surprise as he grabbed my wrists, not with enough force to cause pain but just enough to guide me into matching his brisk pace. It was evident that he was frustrated with my slower walking speed and wanted me to keep up with him.

"Thank you?—

"don't say a word," he says obviously annoyed.