chapter five

Nearly hooking up with the mysterious boy of Ad Astra was not on my do-to list before coming here.

To be fair, it's not like I even wanted to be here in the first place. I can't blame myself for letting things play out naturally.

However, I've come to a point in the day where I can't just let things flow anymore. I should start putting my foot down, and aiming for some goals while being here. Might as well make it enjoyable, and not ruin my reputation on the first day.

I'm walking through the busy cafeteria of Astra, my eyes darting every which way searching for Rin. It was our lunchtime now, and everything still feels unreal. Like I've just woken up from a dream—not even a full day here, and I've already made out with a boy—an odd one who claims he's in love with me—, got invited to some sketchy camping trip, and befriended easily one the prettiest, yet kind, girls in the school.

It doesn't sound too bad when I say it directly. I think to myself, stopping to look around the cafeteria. My eyes land on Rin, she's sitting with a group of girls. Everything is still nerve-wracking, nonetheless.

"First day, jitters. Yeah... That's all it is." I mumble to myself, finally making my way over to the table.

I stop when I was behind Rin, a nervous smile on my face. I was about to cut in, and grab her attention, when a girl across from Rin spoke, catching my gaze.

"Rinaaa. Poznáš ju? Vyzerá nové?"

"Hm?" Rin hums, before turning around. Her gaze lands on me, all as I awkwardly stand there. I bend my knees, not knowing what to do. The whole group was speaking in a language I could barely process. Was it Russian? No. Some kind of Slavic language though.

"Hi—"

"Rosie!" Rin beams at me, scooting over to grab a chair from a nearby table, she pulls it close to her. "Sit with us, I've been waiting for you."

Rin turns back to her group of friends, "Je to nové dievča, je super milá. Že Theo chlapec je s ňou pohltený, musí byť očarujúca."

The friends all gasp, looking at me as I sat in the chair. I nervously looked around, "Im Rose... Thank you for letting me sit here—"

"English guys." One of them cuts me off. Her hair is straight, short too, a dark black color. "So... It's you, huh? Rin has been hyping you up all lunch..."

"Ida! Was I wrong though? Isn't she pretty?"

Ida hums, letting her chin rest on her palm as she looks at me. I grow even more awkward, it feels like I'm being judged. "You're right, actually. Honestly, I could see Theo being into girls like her."

"What?" I laugh awkwardly. "What does that mean—" I cut myself off as I fully process her words.

Theo being into girls like me?

Had it already gotten out? How we fooled around a little—

"No. No. You just seem mellow, shy, and calm. Totally his type—"

Now it's me who cuts her off, leaning into the edge of the table with a worried look. "W-wait, what? What do you mean? How do you know Theo likes me? Wait—fuck—he likes me?" I try to brush away my concerned attitude by horribly pretending that I had no clue.

Another girl cuts in. She was very pretty, green eyes, her cheeks were splattered with freckles too. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail, and the pretty, red ends curled nicely. "It's just obvious. Everyone saw you two walking around, some say he was smiling like a dog in love the whole time."

"Leya! I can confirm it too!" Rin cuts in, jumping in her seat. They spoke about it as if they were talking about some legend. "You guys should have seen how protective he got after I called her 'My Rosie'...His expression dropped, and I swore his eyes started glowing. He grumbled in a low, and rage-induced voice, 'Dont humor me' AND THEN—!"

I place my hand over her chest and force her to sit back down, giving her a cringe. "Okay. That is not what happened."

Leya and Ida snorted in unison at my reaction, Ida turning her head away to hide her giggles. They seemed really intrigued now. "Ive been dying to know what really happened. Cmon, don't hold back, tell us everything." Leya says, her eyes oozing with curiosity.

The pressure. Oh. I feel as if I could pass out right about now.

I began poking at my food nervously, "I don't know... There's a lot—"

"Tells ussss!" Rin grabbed my shoulder and shook me vigorously. I fake whined as my body swayed with her movements.

"Fine! Fine..." I sighed in a defeated manner. Rin stopped her shaking, and I could only gaze at the food below me with an anxious look.

I suddenly gave them a heavy look. It was solemn. "Im being dead serious though. If you guys tell anybody these things, I will actually consider murdering you."

The three all looked at each other, nodding slightly, before directing their attention back onto me.

"You have our word." Ida said.

"Plus... We're not really the kind of group to gossip about each other." Leya added with a soft smile.

Rin nudged my shoulder with a sly smile. "You've got us now. Don't worry about being judged by these pretentious assholes."

I smile at them all softly. For the first time today, I didn't feel wrong about my choices. These girls looked badass... To be entirely fair. I wouldn't oppose to being on their good side, even as far as being considered their friends.

"He volunteered to tour me. That's where it all kind of started."

Leya's eyebrow raised at my words, "So he's been the one all over you?"

"I mean... Yeah. But Ive been, kind of, entertaining it... So it really spiraled out of control towards the end."

Rin was super interested now. "I haven't heard anything since you two last took off... Dont tell..." She gasps, and her eyes go wide. "You two fuck—"

I hurriedly slap my hand over her mouth. Shushing her with a worried expression. "Gosh, no! Don't blurt out those kinds of things!"

"Wait, what happened though?" Ida catches both mine and Rins attention. I pull away from Rin with a small glare.

"Basically..." I let my fork drop onto my tray. "He was being really sweet, saying the things he knew I wanted to hear..." I make sure not to mention the specifics of our shared words. "But after a while of his shameless flirting, I totally spaced out and... Just forgot that I didn't even know the guy. It's my first day here, after all..."

I shake my head, sinking into my chair as the part I dreaded to speak about finally came up. "We got really touchy, caught up in each other's words, and bodies. That's all. We didn't fuck, but we almost did."

"You stopped it though?" Ida cuts in, taking a bite of her lunch. "You're better than me. I would've gone feral for a boy like him. If he gave me that kind of attention, panties would be dropped." She pops her P's, which only makes it funnier alongside her Slavic accent, which I oddly loved. They all seemed to share it.

Leya cuts in, a sly smile drawn to her lips. "Seriously though. Theo's really cold, and secretive. But he's actually pretty well-liked by the ladies."

My jaw mentally slacks at her words. I shake my head in denial. "No way. I don't believe that. Not after how Rin spoke of him."

"Rin is biased, only because Theo constantly degrades her." Ida laughs, a smirk on her face. Rin glares at us both. "And not in the sexy, I want you, kind of way. In the, you're annoying so die, kind of way."

"I guess that's what you get for messing with the coldest boy in school." Leya makes a pouty face towards Rin. I have to cover my mouth with a shameful giggle at their bickering.

"To nie je pravda! Theo sa na mňa najprv posmieval, takže sa muselo niečo urobiť! Je to diabol, suka!" Rin shoots up from her seat, glaring at Leya as she spouts out insults in her mother tongue.

"Uhm... What's she saying." I ask Ida, my gaze stuck on an angered Rin.

"That Theo started it with a scoff one day, hence why she had to prank him..." Ida pauses for a moment. "Hence, where their weird hate for each other started... Bitch?"

My lips form into an O shape. Rin sits down with one last Tch. She crosses her arms across her chest, and sighs.

"My words still stand, Rosie. Stay away from him."

Rin is suddenly hit in the face with a milk box. She yelps while flinching from the sudden hit to the nose.

"Dont be like that, Rin!" Ida scolds. "Rosie. I say entertain him even more. Just figure out his deal, see what his intentions are."

My lips form into a thin line at her words, I can't help but let my gaze wander down to the food below me. "I don't know... I don't want to hurt him."

"You won't." Ida confidently cuts in. "If anything, you need to worry for yourself. Maybe you'll be the one to get hurt."

"Yknow..." Leya leans in close. "I heard he's going on the camping trip tomorrow—"

Bang.

Everyone's attention shot over to Rin, she had hit her head hardly on her chair while sliding down it, fake cries leaving her lips. "No..! Now the whole trip is ruined—"

"Im going too, Rin." I nervously cut in. "I doubt he'll even give you any attention with me there." I pause for a moment, processing my words. "That sounds conceded... But you understand what I mean, right? I'll amuse him so he doesn't bother you, okay..?"

Rin looks at me for a moment, a frown plastered across her face. "Yeah... I guess so." She straightens her posture. "Just keep him away from me. I might spit on him if he tries to talk to me."

Ida nudges Leya's arm. "Thats how you know she wouldn't hesitate. Look at her expression. strašný!"

Leya laughs, picking up a strawberry to eat. "Scary indeed."

Leya seemed much more feminine than Ida, though both of them were still drop-dead gorgeous. Ida had a predator look to her—she looked intense—while Leya gave off a much more softer, prey vibe.

Rin was just both of those things mashed into one.

My hair was long, a dark brown, and some days, I even wore glasses, but only needed them for reading so I pushed off on wearing them. I always made sure to present myself as clean, and put together, may it be by curling my hair, or simply neatly wearing my uniform.

I knew I was somewhat pretty, and wouldn't deny it.

What rests deeper though, below my appearance, seems much more complex than just accepting it as I would my beauty. Maybe because in those hidden parts of me, there is no beauty to be found.

Are these the parts that Theo loves? He's sly, and somehow has already gotten me to expose the locked-away sentiments of my heart. That—

"Rosie?"

I pique up at the call of my name. It's Leya.

"Yeah, what's up? Zoned out a moment, sorry." I give her an awkward smile.

"Lunch is over, but we'll see you tomorrow, right? For the trip?" I give them a slight nod, standing up with my tray in my hands.

"Oh! And let's make a group chat for operation P-Ridge." Leya cuts in as we all made our way to drop off our trays.

"Operation—"

"Operation Theo, soldier." Rin comes up behind me to whisper in my ear. I roll my eyes at her antics.

"Okay..." I nod at them all, my mind racing. "Let's do it."

Shoe shopping without the ss

Rin Rin 🌊 added (unknown number) to the group chat!

Leya 🌸

she's here!! finally

Rin Rin 🌊

let us finally discuss our plans on how to take down p-ridge. ive been waiting for this day to come >:)

Ida 👾 named (unknown number) Rosie 🌻

"Rin this is not an operation to take down Theo." I laughed stupidly as I'm laying on my bed, Rin is on her own from afar.

"To me it is."

"Well... You're biased."

Rin starts to kick her feet under her blanket. "Dont start copying Ida! You're too sweet to become a girl like her..." Rin sinks deeper into her blankets, I can only laugh at her with a low shut-up before directing my attention back onto the phone.

Ida 👾

this isn't an operation takedown theo. it's operation learn his motives.

Rosie 🌻

yeah!!

Rin Rin 🌊

shhhhh, i said nothing

Leya 🌸

alright. then, let's start

Leya 🌸... Is typing.

Leya 🌸

have you ever... seduced a guy, rose?