2 I

One more look on the mirror before she tugs some strands of hair behind her ear. She picks her phone on the table and puts it in her bag then, she goes out from her room. The wall clock says six forty-five in the morning, yet her dorm mate seems to be still sleeping. She has no choice, but to wake her up. They are in the same class and she doesn't want someone blubbering on her.

"Esther!" She makes her voice loud, intentionally.

"Oh, my gosh! Wait, wait, wait," Esther answers and she can imagine how she moves inside in a panic mode. She chooses to lean on the wall near Esther's room when the door opens. "Let's go," Esther said and walked passing her. She frowns at the sight of her and didn't move as she told.

"You sure going to school with those stuffs?" She asks making Esther to stop and look back. Esther even checks herself.

"Ah, yes. I'm wearing my school uniform, completely. Come on. We're going late."

"And your hair?"

"Huh?" Esther touches her hair only to remember her curling things still on it. "Oh, no! Ella?" She looks like a puppy asking for food and before she could say anything, Esther already ran back to her room.

"Make it fast," she shouts.

It was past seven when they arrived at school and the consequence, they missed one subject in the morning.

"A! What do we do now?" Esther asks as they are walking away from their classroom.

There is nothing that they can do. Once the class started, the door is closed and anyone who would be late will not have any excuse for the punishment. She hates punishment.

"Nothing." She turns right on the next stop and Esther follows. They are going to the campus' open field where there are benches.

"Are we gonna jog around?"

"Nope. We're gonna pick who's hot and not."

"E!" Esther reacts, fastly. Why would she not if Ella just said the thing that doesn't really get her interest. Well, it is really Esther's thing. Watching boys come around and measuring their features. "I couldn't imagine how'd you do that. I don't even see you flirting with anyone aside from me."

"Flirting is nothing if you couldn't get the guy fully. And I never flirted with you. I'm as straight as your natural hair."

There are some students playing volleyball and tennis. Others are doing some stretching and they are wearing basketball shirts and shorts.

"Why are those guys always doing their stretching thing here if the basketball court is inside the building?" Esther comments pertaining to the guys in basketball shirts.

"Why? Don't you like the view?"

"Ya! You're mean." She always get this reaction from Esther whenever she caught her off guard. "They're hot, but jerks." Ella smiles controlling herself from laughing. Esther is really cute when she tries to defend herself.

They find a bench where a tree is shedding it. Ella walks, fast leaving Esther some steps behind. The latter catches up with her and is the first to sit. Esther even pulls her to sit.

She sighs and looks up at the sky. She likes the feeling of dreaming about soaring above. She would connect and make illusionary images out of clouds. Her life is such a boring one if not just because of this girl who used to talk and nag her any time. She is thankful that there is an Esther who drives her to do things which are sometimes not really her.

"Ella." Esther pokes her using her elbow. She looks at her then, Esther points someone. He is sitting in proper posture on the same bench they are. A guy who is wearing nerdy glasses but, it didn't hide his face's masculinity. He is holding a book and seems to be serious on what he is reading. She didn't notice when he came. "What do you think of him?" Esther whispers. Here they go again. It may be weird, but Esther sees her like a guy specialist.

Sean Aiden Lancaster. He may look like just an ordinary student and a nerd-typed guy, but he is more than just those description. He is a Lancaster and they are known, widely for owning a lot of companies inside and outside the city. She doesn't know why he chose to be alone and this kind of looks. His brothers and other relatives are more than like celebrities when it comes to popularity. They are all proud, but he seemed to be the exemption. Only a few knew who he is and she is one of them. Even here in the academy, no one notices him as a Lancaster, but just a hot nerd.

"Aww!"

Esther pinches her on the cheeks.

"What was that for?" She complains, irritably.

"Are you trying to murder him inside your head? You're staring at him like he is a savory meat," Esther whispers again.

But what did she say? Her jaw drops. She didn't stare, but how long did she look at him?

"Oh."

Esther's eyes widen, suddenly and she gives her a mischievous smile. She throws her a warning look, but Esther giggles.

"You should have told me. I'm gonna help you." She smirks.

Ella rolls her eyes. If only she knew who this guy she is having fun right now, she doubts she would still move.

"Want to know his name?" This time, she didn't whisper.

"He is Sean Aiden Lancaster," she whispers to Esther which shuts the girl's system for a moment.

Esther looks at her and blinks multiple times. She does know the name, but not how Sean looks like. They have seen him multiple times around the campus, but Esther never had an idea that he is one of the Lancasters.

"We're not dying, right?" Esther whispers in a softer voice, careful a fly might smell her words. She even pushes her body beside her.

She laughs, absentmindedly at the sudden reaction of Esther. She couldn't blame Esther for her words. Lancasters are also known as family of mafias and getting near them is like coming down right your own hell. She stops when Esther hugs her tight and just to notice that she got Sean's attention and is now wearing his plain expression at them. She gives him her lightest smile which shocks him— slightly?

"Hello, Aiden." She even got a nerve to greet him that surprised both Esther and Sean.

He looks at her, scrutinizing who she is.

"Hey, have you forgotten we're gonna borrow a book?" She tells Esther, suddenly who became clueless. She stands up then pulls her up and were about to leave when her eyes spotted the other Lancasters. They seem to be really enjoying when they are seeing someone in pain. They may be the richest kids here, but their attitudes are below five percent. Her face becomes dull not on what is at sight, but of who are the persons.

"If you don't like the view, better not watch," Sean tells them. He just speaks to them!

"You like the view?"

He stands up and face them, but didn't say a thing. He only walks away leaving them behind. That was his answer.

"Ella! Why asked him like that? Don't you love your life? We were so near our death."

"You asked me, how do I think about him. Well, he's far too cool than the others."

Esther didn't give a comment, but her face's reaction is telling her to stop whatever is the cool thing she is thinking. Sean Aiden is a Lancaster and it doesn't give him an exemption for being like a Lancaster. He may act behave, but still, everyone has their own hidden demons. He is still dangerous for Esther, contrary to what Ella is thinking. Ella looks at where Sean walks then, to the other Lancasters. There is something big she could see and it's like she could feel the barrier between the Lancasters.

[I'm gonna find it out, Aiden.]

"And what's with your face?" Esther asks. "Ella!"

Esther keeps on staring at Ella who is now focused doing her homework. She is confused of how Ella has managed earlier in front of a Lancaster. She knew that Lancasters are the most hard to deal with in the whole city. They always put themselves as superiors as they own almost all the businesses here. They can do whatever they wanted to. They can get what they want any time it would please them. And stumbling on their path is like diving into your ready made grave. Even she has been with Ella for three months, she truly cares for her like a real sister. She is the only family she can call, right now. Her parents are both in abroad and just once in a blue moon when they would remember they have a daughter being left alone.

Ella can feel Esther staring at her. She could feel that she wanted to say something, but she is keeping it to herself. She knew it is about what happened earlier in school.

"You don't have to over think about it, Esther. It happened," she tells her.

"Ha? But—

"What is it that worry you so much? We don't need to believe all words that were used to spread about the Lancasters. You don't have to look at Sean the way his family is being described by people."

"You sounded like defending for him?" Esther would think that Ella has a thing for Sean.

"He shouldn't be judged just by how his family behaves. Besides, he is not doing anything to harm anyone."

"Hey, Ella—

"We have to finish our homework. It's getting late."

"Do you know things I actually have no idea?" Esther insists.

Ella looks at her. "Yes."