9 Chapter eight

"We're going to have breakfast, do you want something?"

Question Cora from the bathroom as I see her reflected in the mirror fumbling with the hair straightener. Yesterday she had the strange idea of ​​straightening her hair, Cass and I spent the whole evening trying to smooth those indomitable curls, but the final result was really satisfying and this morning she is putting the finishing touches.

He's decided to drive Mike crazy, I think his personal way of punishing him for abusing his trust

"No, thanks anyway ... I'll come and get a donut later"

I invent on the spot, she shrugs with an "okay" as she sprays half a can of hairspray on her head.

She looks really good, although honestly I prefer her curly ...

Cora's hair is her strong point, and seeing her smooth I find that something that distinguishes her is missing, but obviously I keep this thought to myself. I leaf through the page of the literature book, resuming to review for today's test.

I woke up early this morning, yesterday because of everything that happened, I couldn't study well and so now I'm trying to make up for lost time.

"Which one is better, skirt...Or pants?"

I look up from the book to see Cora with her arms outstretched like a hanger, on the right she holds a soft black skirt with lace at the end, while on the left she holds a pair of whale-colored jeans that have two holes at the knees. Not being a big fan of skirts I point to her jeans and she nods enthusiastically

"I knew you would make the right choice, you have good taste girl ... Even if it doesn't seem like it"

She makes a pained grimace as he reviews the powder pink sweater and light gray jeans I'm wearing

"Hey I'm offended"

I say with a fake pout, she laughs

"Oh come on...You know I'm just kidding, even if, to be honest, a refresh to your wardrobe wouldn't hurt"

I shake my head with a smile on my lips as I resume reading from where I stopped

"I'm going, see you for lunch".

"Hi Cher, come here"

Monty taps his hand twice on the seat next to him, I smile at him and sit down

"Hey ... How's it going?"

I ask referring to the humanities course

"Well ... I won't lie to you and tell you it's great, but thanks to you I got a B- in the last test and thanks to this grade I managed to catch up with the subjects ... So thank you very much Belle, the credit is all yours"

He gloats with eyes that sparkle euphorically

"Well, it's not all my doing, you learn quickly and you already knew a lot of things, I just gave you a little push, but you did the climb yourself"

I often speak in metaphors, I don't know why, but my maternal grandmother did it very often, in my eyes she always seemed so wise, I think I inherited this habit from her.

The humanities teacher enters and the classroom gradually falls silent until there is only a slight background hum.

Walking across campus to the cafeteria, Monty keeps complaining next to me about the biology teacher's assignment on Wednesday

"Look, complaining won't make you get a better grade"

I remember him giggling, he looks at me grimly and then comes back to moan while I shake my head laughing.

It will seem strange, but hearing him complain about such trivial things reassures me, it almost makes me believe that my life is normal

"I believe instead that you are angry with him not for the task, but because he paired you with that skinny boy, as he was called ... Ah yes, Josh Thunder instead of Goldilocks"

I provoke him by looking at him sideways with a mocking smile on his face. I am referring to the girl with long golden curls who always sits in the front row, she is a little shorter than me and her face is covered with freckles, she doesn't talk much and that's why I don't remember her name, she is one of those people who you do not notice when she is in the room, I see myself a little in her and it makes me tenderness for it.

I tried to talk to her maybe once, for a job in pairs assigned by Professor McCain, but she didn't seem to like my company, she seemed obliged to talk to me and from that time I got the message, she is on her own business, I do mine.

Anyway, I caught Monty multiple times staring at her during the lesson

"Goldilocks?"

He asks bewildered

"Come on, the little blonde who always sits in the front row, in front of that boy with red hair ... I saw you know how you look at her ..."

I continue allusive, his face changes expression in a moment and goes from anxious, to amazed and then again to amused when he replies

"That's not true, I don't look at her in any way ..."

I glance at him with a hint of a sly smile

"Mh mh ..."

He opens his mouth ready to reply, then closes it as if to think about it and when he opens it again he just says

"I'll give you five seconds if you leave now"

I understand that he is about to launch in pursuit and laughing I slowly backtrack remaining turned towards him. He stamps his foot on the ground pretending to give himself the momentum to run, I back up faster and faster and I start to turn around ready to run away when I hit a wall ... Damn, how did I not notice it

"Generally you should walk and watch where you go"

Two strong hands hold me firmly by the arms and a Cole with a raised eyebrow and a sidelong smile looks at me from the top of his mind and eighty-five, in a concentration of beauty, arrogance and indifference, lightly rubs his thumb on the fabric of mine sweater and then frowning gently squeezing my slender arms, he stares into my eyes bewildered and lets go as if he were burned. I don't understand the reason for his sudden change of mood, but I don't have time to think about it because I realize that my hands are still resting on his mighty chest, I retract them instantly

"S-sorry I was ... I was ..."

I stammer again trying to explain the situation to him,

'Ahh ... Is it possible that you can't say a meaningful sentence without stammering when you talk to him?'

My inner voice teases me. I turn and glance at Monty who is a few meters from us with a strange expression, then I turn my gaze again to Cole who has now put his hands on his hips and I know he is holding back a laugh

"Do you always stutter or only when you talk to me?"

He asks confidently, I feel the blood rushing in and I already know my cheeks are on fire

"I d-don't stammer"

He nods unconvinced and then leans towards me to whisper something in my ear. I feel the heartbeat stop for a few moments, my nostrils are intoxicated by the scent of his cologne mixed with the smell of smoke, an extremely exciting mix, but which calms me at the same time, I can't explain it, but at this distance I can even perceive the heat emanating from his body and I remain motionless with the fear of ruining something even if I don't even know what

"If you wanted an excuse to get your hands on me ... Just ask"

He walks away just to watch me blush like a tomato, as he winks with a smile that shows off a dimple on his left cheek. Did he always have that dimple or did I just notice it now?

Stop it Belle, he's not for you, you can't like him, he represents everything you've always tried to escape from.

It reminds me of the me in my head, and it's true, Cole represents everything I've always tried to avoid, yet ... Yet there is something in him, in his gaze, in his attitude, that draws me incredibly, it's like if his eyes, those few times I have been able to observe them reflected the image of something that I myself feel inside me:

the survival instinct.

"What's up?"

I ask knowing the thoughts of Monty, who in the meantime has reached me and in this moment is looking at me sideways with one of those smiles of those who know a lot

"Nothing..."

He pretends while continuing to walk, I pretend nothing in the hope that he does not ask for more

"Is cute"

Here, in fact, I turn to him bewildered, but he is not looking at me, he keeps his gaze fixed in front of us while reducing his lips to a thin line holding back a laugh

"Monty! Please, I don't even know him, and besides ... He's not my type"

I say stopping a second too long to think

"Why not? I saw how he looked at you, you know? He was undressing you with his eyes ... And judging by sudden change of "color " of your face I deduce that he too is not indifferent to you"

He concludes his career psychologist theory by hinting at my suddenly red cheeks

"I already told you I don't care"

I say in a sigh

"It will be ... But you are a bad liar Belle, look, there is nothing wrong, even if, honestly ... You could have chosen one with a little less problems ..."

I frown at his words

"A little less trouble? What do you mean?"

He nods, scratching the back of his neck

"Yeah well, don't you know? Cole Standall lost both parents and brother in a car accident when he was only thirteen ... It's a tragic story, but he never mentioned it to anyone, the ones who wandering through the corridors are simple gossip spread by people ... Too curious "

I remain motionless in shock, while in my mind the image of a crying child kneeling in front of the tombstones of his loved ones takes shape while the world goes on unaware of who, in a few hours, has lost everything.

That's why those eyes looked so familiar to me, those were my own eyes.

The eyes of a survivor.

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Hi everyone,

I hope my story is interesting you, just wanna say, if you wanna read the Italian version of these story, you can go on my Wattpad account which is called 19ste77 and search Deep Blue. There you can also find a lot of other stories I intend to publish also here in English obv, when I'll have a little more time. I leave you the link here.

https://my.w.tt/AxbF64bT99