2 chapter 1– Sabrina Chase

Sabrina Chase.

The girl with golden blonde hair and confidence that makes every person jealous.

She's a typical university student but rather an intriguing one. Loved by the entire staff and hated by half the students.

It's reasonable for them to dislike her, she's known for being the smartest among the school.

That may seem typical but it's not in this case. She's put some people to shame, parents comparing their kids to her and simply walking around with her famously known hair.

Perhaps her legs to.

She only has two friends and they seem loyal than any other person that roams the campus.

See, the thing about her is that she doesn't gloat about how smart she is or how superior she seems to be, unknowingly.

From afar, Hendrik has watched her. Not in an absurd way but out of curiosity. Hendrik used to believe that he was among the people who disliked her but his grown fond of her instead.

"Hi Hendrik."

They talk from time to time but that's it. Greetings and the occasional glances passed around.

"Hi Sabrina."

"You're working tonight?" She tugs a stray golden lock behind her small ears.

"Hm." He can only hum, flustered by her presence.

"See you then." She saunters away, leaving him to breath out the air he had been holding in.

He walks the opposite way, mind clouded about what they will be doing tonight.

Another fact is that they work together, at the cinema.

Farloore Cinema.

They had been working there since the start of the year but the only words that have been exchanged are mumbles of passing the napkin or covering for the other.

The school is in a buzz, jocks occasionally whistling and cat calling. The Glee club singing and the occasional arguments bursting from the vice president, although it's usually something irrelevant to what they are doing.

Angelo Slavtore.

Angelo has known Hendrik for a long time. The cliche statement of knowing him since they were babies is an understatement. Probably before they were born.

"Hendrik boy, you coming to the court right?" Being part of the basketball team had its perks and it's disadvantages.

Although Hendrik couldn't complain, he enjoyed the adrenaline that courses through his body, igniting a fire.

"Yeah, I'll be there." Angelo nods, pat's him on the back and turns to the rest of his friends.

Taking a glance behind, Hendrik notices that Sabrina is gone but her scent lingers in the hallway. A faint rose scent, an enthralling one.

Hendrik continues his walk to his first class, Chemistry. Not only does he dread it but his failing badly, to the point where his basketball career is at threat.

He thinks to himself about how much he needs a tutor.

Upon entering the classroom, there's chaos and disaster plastered all over the room. The boys at the back are hooting at something on Jeff Jackson's cellphone. The snobby cheerleaders sitting in the centre of the classroom, chatting loudly about what party they went to.

And at the very front of the room, sits the nerds of the classroom, sitting in a small circle. Seems like they are comparing their homework and helping each other.

Hendrik goes to the far corner of the room, his usual seat. He doesn't associate himself with the rest of the jocks, he doesn't see himself as one of them. Just a normal boy who's good at playing basketball.

The lesson begins and as Hendrik gazes outside, he wonders what the golden haired girl is doing.

"Hendrik?"

The entire class has their gaze on him, transfixing it solely on him and nothing but him.

"Were you listening?"

Ms. Porter, a young passionate woman, holds his gaze with slight irritation.

"No, sorry." They continue the lesson, Hendrik less distracted and Ms. Porter doing her job, passionately.

"So, I'd like you all to partner up with the person in front of you. Please, don't make any noise."

In front of Hendrik sits Amanda Fisher, friends with Sabrina. His known Amanda since the start of the year. Now, they're in July.

"Hendrik, I'm with you."

"Yeah, me." As awkward as he may be, it's an entirely different reason as to why. His only awkward around Amanda because of an incident that happened a few months back.

Its a normal, cloudy day. Rain had been expected that day but it never did come. In the dead of night, music could be heard from afar, light emitting from that direction. A party.

Hendrik had been invited by Amanda herself, surprising him momentarily but it all faded away once he saw that he got a VIP card.

"Make sure to dress nicely. It's nothing fancy but just for the awards and all."

"Awards?"

"Mh, see you." Just as he was about to ask what's really happening, she's gone as though she hadn't been there.

And so Hendrik set out to look for a suitable suit for the night. He had only been able to get an all black suit with a dark rosy red bow tie. It matches nicely with the suit, something that didn't happen often considering he could barely pull off an outfit.

A masquerade ball. Every corner of the room is filled with both girls and boys of his age group.

He thought he'd see red solo cups and bodies rubbing against each other, bringing the temperature of the room to a higher one.

"Hendrik, you made it."

Amanda's sultry voice reaches Hendrik's ears, miraculously keeping her voice low in such a crowd and being able to do so.

"Well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity of being a VIP at a... masquerade ball?"

"I wanted to change it up a bit this year."

Hendrik nods his head slowly, looking around the room while sipping on a flute of champagne.

"Would you like to dance?" He stepped back, having thought that she had left.

"Of course, m'lady." He stretches his hand out and she tentatively takes it, a small smile lighting up her face.

"After you, m'lord."

That night, something ignited between the two. They danced the night away, swaying in each others arms.

Soft chatter emitting from them. They were swaying like two swans in a pond, their matching choice of colour made them stand out even more in the crowd.

"You look beautiful, Amanda." He pulls back a strand of strawberry blonde hair, tucking it behind her red flamed ear.

"You look handsome, Hendrik." Her voice sounding like music to his ears, her sensual voice enticed him.

He slowly looks down at her rosy lips and back up to her eyes. She does the same. In the spur of moment, he lowers his head while pulling her closer to his body, closing the distance between them. She reaches up, placing her lanky fingers on his shoulders, pulling him in slightly.

Before they could kiss, Hendrik whispers against her lips.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to kiss you."

Before she can reply, he leans in further and kisses her gently. The feel of her lips on his sent him into pure bliss.

Her soft, sweet lips move delicately against his, like a feather brushing against his porcelain skin.

The kiss ends before they could explore each other. A long, awkward pause settles over them, momentarily forgetting what they did seconds ago.

They separate from each other and don't bump into each other after that. The thought of seeing each other again is what scared them from seeing each other.

"Hendrik?"

He looks around and only now does he realise where he is. Still in classroom with Amanda sitting in front of him.

"Are you okay?" He nods and they work silently from there on.

Time flies and they are out of the four beige coloured room.

"Hey Hendrik, can we talk later?"

"Sure." She nods and walks away, leaving a confused Hendrik standing in the hallway, being bumped by the many students that rush to their next class.

"Lets go Hendrik boy, we'll be late for practice."

He glanced back to Angelo, nodding and moving along with the rest of the basketball team.

°•°•°

They day was a drag. Sabrina thought to herself as she sat in her Physics class.

She sits up, looks around the room and notices that most of the student's were either laying their heads or trying to keep them from falling onto the desk.

Mr. Rustica is standing at the front of the classroom, rambling on about something about atoms and their structure.

Sabrina is sure that they learnt about this back in high school. Remembered the night she had to review over the structure, the nucleus and the nuclide notation.

It had been stressful. Remembering the night like it was yesterday.

Books spreading all over the dark purple bed, the little lamp painting the entire room. Soft classical music filling the room, sounding like little fairies playing a harmony.

Sabrina sits perched in her desk, eyes drooping and yawns emitting from her lips. She hummed along with the song, while drumming on the table and her feet moving along with the song.

A summer night filled with soft music, books and the occasional drumming that came from her desk.

A peaceful, quiet evening was what she needed, desperately.

°•°•°