CHAPTER ONE: Eighteen Years Later

After the car engine wheezed its death cough, the door swung open and the foot of a fair-skin teenager stepped out into the hot Monday morning. The sun shining down on her made her skin look as though they glitter.

The air was dense and stuffy enough; it felt like this entire street was indoors somewhere. She took off her dark sunglasses, glancing around. Her brown eyes glowed in the sunlight as she took in her surroundings.

“Feels great to be back.” she smiled, sounding excited.

“Natasha,” a masculine voice called from inside the car. “Just call me if you need anything.”

“Oh, come on dad, I can handle myself.”

The car engine roared to life. “Have a great day, sweetie”

“Bye Dad!”

“Bye honey.”

She stood still, watching him drive away until he was completely out of sight, then continued towards the school gate with her notepad in hand, which she held close to her chest, and her schoolbag, which hung from her shoulder.

Her long-time classmates and best friends greeted her at the school gate. Natasha walked towards them, bracing herself for a hug. Madelia raced across the school gate and squeezed her in a bone-crushing hug. “So good to see you back in school.”

Barely breathing from the tight hug, Natasha gurgled in a strained voice. “Can’t—breathe!”

“Oh, sorry.” Madelia giggled as she let go of her.

“Ah, what a hug!” Natasha breathed.

Madelia gave Natasha’s shoulder a small shake. “Sorry about that.” she chuckled.

“Good to see you, Tasha.” Dreda calmly said, folding her arms.

She turned to her. “Good to see you too, Dreda.”

Dreda knitted her eyebrow to give her a quick once-over. “Looks like someone’s been adding up during the holiday.” she teased.

“Daddy’s fault… he doesn’t let me do anything.” Tasha scoffed, rolling her eyes. “He wouldn’t even let me cook my own meals.”

“Sounds like you had a glorious holiday.” Dreda chuckled.

“Oh please, don’t give me that.” she threw her backpack across her shoulder and they all walked past the school gate. “My holiday was anything but great. I guess you’ll never know how it feels like to carry out a single chore repeatedly since you are the mayor’s daughter. Your dad lets you do whatever you want.”

Natasha grunted in frustration. “And could you imagine dad didn’t let me leave the house throughout the holiday? And even when he does, he would ask Derik never to leave my side.”

Madelia giggled, “That’s what happens when your Dad is head of a taskforce.”

“I mean, its just so unbearable, and could you believe Derik…” she trailed when her phone rang. She stole a glance at it, sighed, and stifled an eye roll.

“Who’s that?” Madelia asked curiously.

“Speaking of Derik, he’s calling—probably to know if I’m…” Natasha bumped into a guy she didn’t see coming.

“Ha...” she exclaimed as her phone slipped through her fingers and scattered on the earthen floor.

Natasha froze, covering her mouth with both palms.

“Good heavens.” Dreda gasped, holding her chest.

Tasha was positively wonder-struck as she watched the guy walk past without a side glance at them. Shuffling with both hands dipped in his pocket. His face was neutral, giving off no trace of emotion. He appeared unaffected, oblivious.

“Hey!”

He didn’t stop. Kept walking like he didn’t hear her.

Now feeling more agitated, Natasha yelled even louder with a tone of anger in her voice. “Who do you think you are!?”

That didn’t stop him.

She lost it. “I sometimes wonder where dumb ass guys like you were picked from. So rude, ill-mannered, and stupid and---” she stopped talking when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Not knowing what to expect from him, she waited for him to turn—at least to apologise. But he didn’t. He just remain rooted where he stood. In the silence that followed, she yelled. “You just bumped into me and shattered my phone to pieces! The least you could’ve done is---”

Again, she stopped talking when he slowly turned to look at her, and their eyes locked on like a magnet. She gasped as his eyes bored into hers, her mouth agape with wonder as she stared at his perfectly moulded feature.

His curls were dark brown and his eyes were a mesmerizing deep ocean blue, framed by graceful brows. He had a high-bridged nose that was among his two eyes, a prominent cheekbone and a well-defined chin obscured by fuzzy, thin beard.

He stood there, both hands dipped in his pocket, staring blankly at her with sore eyes. Natasha didn’t let his gorgeous looks distract her. She refused to let that happen. Rather, she continued to rant all her frustrations on him.

“I can’t believe God gave such elegance to a brainless knucklehead like...”

“I am sorry,” he mumbled coldly, cutting her off.

Those calm yet sincere words melted the walls of her angry heart. The wind blew gently across her face. She could hear the sadness in his voice, she felt it. And when she looked up at his face, she could see right through him. Could see the pains in his vapid eyes. She was blanketed by silence.

He looked away, turned, and walked on. Natasha stood there—with mixed feelings, eyes fixed on him as he walked away. Wished she could take back those hurtful words.

“Oh my God!” Madelia exclaimed long after he was gone. Her voice held barely contained shock. “What the hell just happened? You did not just do that.”

Natasha stared wordlessly, unsure of what to say. Even she, too, did not believe she’d said all those things.

She watched in silence as Madelia steamrolled right along, tattling. “That’s the new guy everyone on camp is talking about. He’s cute, hot, and he’s handsome. Oh, come on girl, you’ve ruined us all.”

Natasha, unconcerned, turned away. And the alarm on her watch went off, startling her.

She turned to glance at her it. “I got to go now, I’d be late for class.”

“But you’re late already.” Madelia took a quick look at her watch. “… about twenty minutes late.”

“Oh, Gosh!” Tasha quickly bent to pick up what was left of her phone and threw them all in her bag. “I forgot to reset the alarm.”

She ran off in a hurry.

“See you two after class!”

Dreda stood with her arms crossed, watching Natasha speed away. She shook her head.