Chapter 1: Tristan

Jakirah

I am currently walking on the large, empty hallway of Villa Academy, engrossed thinking about the plot of my story. I am beating myself up to think for the rest of the chapters because I am now a first-year college student, and I know it'll be hard for me to write since I'm going to get busy with my studies. In addition, I also need to really excel in class since I am a scholar in this prestigious academy. I am not like those girls who are born with a golden spoon in their mouths. I'm just a lucky girl that happens to study here, like an unwanted one.

My thoughts are consuming me, desperately coming up with a plot when I suddenly bumped into the stone-cold wall right in front of me. I felt my cheeks burned from the stupid experience I had since the cold wall is the first thing that has stolen my first kiss. I pursed my lips, trying to act cool about it when I heard a low, sexy voice spoke.

"Is it good kissing a wall?" His mocking voice said that made my head wanted to leave the face of the Earth. This is too embarrassing! A guy actually saw my dilemma!

I can feel how hot my cheeks are right now by just looking at his handsome, smirking face. His back's leaning on the railings while his chocolate brown eyes are looking intently at me. Damn! He looks like one of the action stars in my favorite movie. That made me blush even more while I can't help but to explore his face. His perfectly sculpted dark eyebrows, perfect upturned nose, red, plump lips, and most of all his beautiful, expressive chocolate brown eyes sent me to heaven. And it's not that all. His outfit screams bad kind of guy. He's wearing a black leather jacket and ripped denim jeans with a hole on the knees. His hair is a bit disheveled but made him more gorgeous and attractive to look at. His black piercing on his left ear looks gold in the light of the sun. I can't feel thousands of butterflies dancing in my stomach while looking at him. I can't believe that a person could look so perfect. I wonder what it feels like to be God's favorite.

"So, how I look? Do I look drop-dead gorgeous in your eyes, miss?" he said playfully that made my whole face turns red. I tried to push away all those compliments that my mind was saying and just looked at him irritatingly.

Wow. This man is one hell of an arrogant! He's so full of himself, huh! Well, I admit that he made my jaw dropped because he looks too good to be true in front of me but I didn't expect him to be this arrogant and so full of himself.

"Do you want to get dropped in here and be dead?" I said. Frustration is so evident in my voice and face. I even gave him my signature glare.

One thing that I hate about humans is being too confident and entitled. I mean, what is the good of that? Ego-boost?

I saw how his perfectly-sculpted eyebrows crossed in annoyance but remained to smirk at me. His lips are so wonderfully attractive but annoying too!

"Don't you know me?" he said, full of entitlement. I nearly burst out laughing while watching him put his hands inside his leather jacket.

I tried to look away because he is dashingly hot while his back is leaning on the railings and looking at me. His hair is gently dancing with the wind and I can't look away because of his magnetic, brown eyes.

Damn. He's really drop-dead gorgeous regardless of his attitude. But still, he is the type of guy that should be avoided. He's too dangerous to hold.

"Why? Do I need to know you?" I roughly said to him. He's so full of air! So it means I need to know him just because he's hot and wealthy?

"You don't know who you're bumping into, lady," he coldly said, I can hear the magnificent accent on his voice. I rolled my eyes while watching him turned his back on me.

"It is the wall I am bumping into, stupid!" I frustratingly told him while he's walking away. Shit! He just ruined my day, gosh! I even complimented his looks in my mind but his attitude wants me to puke. If he's just kind, I would have a crush on him.

"Pray that our paths won't cross again," he loudly said before finally vanishing on the long, empty hallway. I rolled my eyes and just decided to go to the classroom when a group of frantic girls caught my attention. My eyes got bigger while watching them running and approaching towards my direction.

I immediately pushed myself on the railings that are near me because if I don't I would get crushed by them! They look like hungry wolves hunting for their prey! Jesus.

"Dammit! Was that Red?" I heard one of them hysterically said. She looks like a model, wearing a 3-inches wrapped heels. I frowned while watching them run towards the direction of that hot yet arrogant guy.

"Yes! Red has finally come back!" screamed that petite girl with curly dark hair.

"Let's go and hunt him!" they said with full of vigor then took their heels off and started running fast. I weirdly looked at them and waited until they finally vanished out of thin air.

"Wooh! Finally, they're gone!" I immediately looked at the guy who suddenly appeared outside the near and empty classroom. My eyebrows furrowed while looking at his clean-shaved face intently. He looks somewhat familiar.

He's tall and has fair skin. He looks really clean and neat because of his clean-cut, dark hair. His round eyes also stand out to me, they look so innocent. He has an upturned nose and reddish thin lips. He looks sweet yet so handsome. I watched him intently while he's trying to take off some small dirt on his clean, white uniform. He really looks familiar...like I saw him from somewhere that I've forgotten.

He might have noticed me staring at him since he quickly looked up and met my gaze. I saw how his eyes became bigger and how his jaw drops when he saw me.

"Jakirah Reyes?" he uttered while there's an incredible look on his face. My face scowled in confusion.

"You know me?" I said and tried my hardest to rack my brain. I can't remember where in the world I've seen him.

"What? You can't remember this handsome guy that bought you a coffee to make you feel better?" he said while a smile is plastered on his handsome face. He walked straight to me while I am still trying to remember him.

Damn. Even if I try my hardest, I can't remember any single thing about him!

I watched his face turns kinda gloomy when he realized I still can't remember him. He sighed.

"Okay, fine. I gave you a nickname that night---J.R." He said and wriggled his thick eyebrows. That is when my eyes widen because of shock when memories of him came flooding in my mind...

Classes just ended and I was walking home from Sta. Fe National High School. I decided to choose the shortcut route since I didn't want to tire myself out. I needed to help my Auntie on her cafe, Coffee Bean but unfortunately, I needed to attend our group work. I could hear my Auntie's loud voice while scolding me. It was 8 o'clock in the evening and I haven't still come home yet. The streets were dark and the trees are all around me. I actually don't like walking on this shortcut because it is too quiet and near an exclusive subdivision.

"This is a holdup." My body turned cold when I heard that creepy, frightening voice behind me. Three big men were around me.

I tried to fake how strong I was even though, in reality, I almost want to faint here.

"Hold-up? Can't you see that I'm still a student? Are you all blind? What would you take from a student like me? A notebook?" I mockingly said, trying my best to not stutter.

"You bitch!" he said full of remorse. I tried to act cool and simply touch a pocket in my bag where a scissor is there.

"What? Do you want to take something from me? Well, go take my backpack!" I said.

"You're foolish! If you don't have anything to give, then we will just take you!"

I felt the fear creeps inside of me but I tried to fight it. I need to think and escape! I need to distract them.

"So now you're not just a mugger, you're also kidnappers! What is this? All-around?" I said, full of disgust even though they were holding me tight.

"Shut up! Aren't you living in that prestigious subdivision? Why were you walking here?" the bald, creepy guy said while his head was shining in the help of a nearby lamppost.

My eyes glared at them. "Do I look rich? A rich person won't need to walk just to go home! Shit!" I shouted right on their faces. So the reason that this is all happening to me is that they thought I am from that exclusive subdivision! Damn them for mistaking my identity!

They forcibly pushed me so I haven't been able to finally hold my scissor. I wanted to cry my heart out. I don't want to die this young! I still have a lot of dreams to reach! I can't afford to die this miserable right now!

"Hey! What are you guys doing?! Let go of the girl!" We looked in unison to the five armed bodyguards that are running towards us.

Hope surged in my system when I saw them. I thanked God when finally the criminal guys let go of me and eventually run like mad dogs.

"Tss! Cowards!" I shouted at them and looked at the bodyguards of the tall, handsome guy who was beside them. I think he's the same as I. I was a fourteen-year-old girl at that time. He has innocent features and is wearing a basketball jersey.

"Thank you..." I told them and started to walk away from them.

"Wait!" I halted my pace when I heard him and so I looked at his direction.

He ran towards me and that was when I saw how handsome he is. I waited for him to say something but he just stared at my face then slowly looked down and gently held my hand.

"You're trembling..." he slowly uttered and looked at me again.

"Come with me. I'll make you feel better," he said and genuinely flashed his smile that made me smile that night too...

"Tristan?" I said and unbelievingly looked at him. I smiled when he instantly wrapped me around his arms.

"Tsk! You're still as forgetful as ever!" he chuckled and pinched gently my nose.

I laughed and lightly slapped his shoulder.

He is Tristan Ziamond, the guy who helped me and made me feel better that night. If not of him moving away, we should have been best friends by now.

He put his arm on my shoulders while he has that gorgeous smirk on his face.

"And because we haven't met for years, and I missed your silliness, I'm going to treat you a coffee."

My eyes widen and looked up to his handsome face that is being illuminated by the morning sun.

"Are you serious? You shouldn't--" He interrupted my complaint.

"Hush! Just give this to me this time, J.R., please? We haven't met for a long time. It is a good thing that you're studying here," he said and winked at me.

Tristan is handsome even before but right now he is in a different kind of handsomeness. He is much taller and he has changed a lot! Before he had a brace, but now his teeth are perfectly aligned. He can now have a toothpaste commercial for sure!

I smiled widely. I feel like my days here in Villa Academy will be one of the happiest!