Chapter 4

There was something wrong with the world today. So many people greeted her today as she entered the college gates, and most of them she didn’t even recognise. Apparently she was wrong when she thought that everyone worshipped his lordship Andrew Blake. All of that aside, two guys asked her out on a date. Sure they weren’t one of the whole popular people but they were still male and they at last acknowledged the fact that she was a girl, albeit a fat one.

As she was heading to her locker- trying hard to keep the smile off her face- she kept a lookout for her best friend and although she would never admit it, her other two new friends. She was deep in thought replaying yesterdays episode of what happened and how that affected the students’ perspective of her. It seems that when you stand up for yourself people actually respect you for it. She keeps all this information locked up inside her for safe keeping and analyzing later; it builds her personality and helps her become a more successful business woman.

She was on auto-pilot where you put the destination in your computer and then lose focus, in other words you get there without remembering how you got there. She stepped out of her deep thoughts when she bumped into someone.

“Erm...sorry!” She apologised without looking up.

“No, no it’s ok.” A deep voice answered her. She looked up into a stubbly chin, which made her realise that she’s too close to the guy. She stood back and saw that she just crushed into one of the very popular guys in the school. One of his mates.

She smiled a quick, fake smile and turned around, ready to carry on to her locker which was only a few meters away. Some feet away from her locker she felt a large hand that could not be any of her 3 girlfriends hands, thinking it was that ass Blake she whirled around to give him another piece of her mind about touching her.

“Blake! Get your filthy hand off- oh!” She faltered in her rant when she saw it wasn’t actually Andrew, but his good looking friend who she doesn’t know the name of. She blushed a little but still kept her defense up. What does he want with her?

“God, I said I’m sorry wh-” He cut her out before she finished.

“I know, I was just wondering if it really was the Sophie Dean, and sure looks like it to me.” He gave her a gorgeous smile to go with it that made her stomach flutter despite of herself. Now what does he want?

“Aaand you want me too.” She replied with a sarcastic tone instead of making it sound questioning to what he wants with her.

“Whoa, I might be Andrew’s friend but I’m not going to treat you like him.” He didn’t look offended, in fact he was grinning like he knew something she didn’t. She could feel the colour rising to her face again because of his comment, but she ignored it.

“Ok, sorry, so why are you being nice to me and what do you want with me?” But before he could reply she carried on, this was one of her bad habits. She tended to go off on a tangent when she was with a good looking guy.

“I mean he is your leader kind of thing, and everyone knows he hates my guts, so there must be something going on if you’re being all smiley with me.” She only looked up when she was finished, and the look on his face was not what she expected.

She expected him to still be grinning like earlier, or at least looking at her in a weird what are you talking about kind of look. He was looking at her weirdly, but in the way that said ‘I understand everything your saying, but don’t know where you’re getting this logic from’.

“Andrew might be my friend, but I do have my own personality, he runs he’s own life, and if as you say, does actually hate you, that’s his problem not mine, I on the other hand wish to court you my lady.” He said the last line with an exaggerated bow, and an old, posh, English accent that made her smile no matter how much she tried not to.

Then the words hit home. The smile faded altogether.

“What do you mean?” She asked cautiously, in case he was joking, which was what made sense to her.

He grinned again in that way of his which makes her think that he knows what she’s thinking.

“I mean I’m asking you out. Is that hard to believe.” He said this very slowly and deliberately.

No duh! She thought bitterly.

All of a sudden like the other two guys who asked her out, she couldn’t look directly at his face anymore.

“Uh, err… listen I don’t even know your name,” He opened his mouth to talk, so she pressed on quickly.

“Anyway this isn’t the time for this. I have a lesson now and I’m going to be late for it…” She was struggling for a reason to say no, so instead she just let it be neutral, not a no or a yes. Hopefully he will forget all about it. She gave him one more genuine smile, turning around before he could say anything else.

Turning to face her locker she was shocked to see the last person she wanted to see. Andrew was standing there, leaning against her locker with one of the most frightening expressions on his face. His eyes mirrored extreme anger, for what she had no idea, but it made her feel really guilty, and for no reason she could fathom.

She didn’t do anything so she shouldn’t be feeling guilty.

“Can you move please?” She asked icily.

Surprisingly he did as he was told without the usual taunting, but the look he gave her said it all, like she did something to him.

“What’s with the dirty look?” She tried to keep her cool but the guilty feeling was getting the best of her.

“What were you doing with him?” He asked in a low, dangerous voice, his bright eyes intense.

“What’s it to you?” She replied coldly.

“It’s got every damn thing to do with me” He spat in a low voice so that only she can hear him.

She crossed her arms feeling really pissed now that he thinks she has to listen to what he says like he owns her or something. That’s what those Barbie toothpicks are for. Well, he asked for it.

She always secretly dreamt that there would be a guy out there that would pay her attention, not looking at appearances but liking her for her personality. Now that there was a chance- she still didn’t know what that guy was up to, but thanks to Andrews reaction, it seems he’s for real!- she was scared to take it.

She was still fuming and thinking of a good comeback that would piss him off nicely when the same large hand as earlier settled on her lower back. That made her uncomfortable because he could feel her embarrassing love handles, so she looked up at him in a warning look which he ignored with a disarming smile, then she subtly put some space between her and his hand.

“Steve? What are you doing? Get your hand of her.” He growled half surprised.

So that was his name. Suites his short spiky hair, stubbly chin, hazel eyes and hawk-like nose.

“Hey man,” he said in a voice that didn’t give anything away, but his eyes were slightly narrowed. Andrew seemed even angrier that he ignored his questions.

“I said what do you want with her.” Again he growled in a low voice.

“Well she’s single, I’m single, so I asked her out, hope you don’t have a problem with that.” He more like stated than asked, not very much concerned if he has a problem or not.

“And what did you say?” If possible he’s eyes seemed ablaze.

She looked up again at Steve’s mocha eyes, he smiled down at her, her stomach doing another flip at how handsome he looked, and she thought she might give this whole dating business a try. Especially when it’s the beauty asking the beast out willingly.

She felt a rush of adrenaline that made her feel reckless and happy, that she literally felt on the high.

“I said I’d love to go out with him” She said with a happy note in her voice.

She wanted to tell him that just because he thought she was this fat, ugly cow, not everyone viewed her in the same sense. There were nice people out there that looked at other things other than appearance. In her opinion she wasn’t downright ugly, and she didn’t kid herself thinking she was a beauty queen. To be fair to herself and in her eyes she looked pretty to a level if she tried to look it. Though that was between her and herself, no one ever saw her with make-up, dresses, or any other thing considered too girly.

For some reason, even if Andrew’s opinion of her doesn’t count to her, she still felt a hurtful pang in her chest that made her eyes collect tears.

Get a grip girl! Since when did you care what that ass thinks of you.

Andrew’s P.O.V

“I said I’d love to go out with him.” Was her happy reply.

Sophie’s face was the type that had a hostile look on it when natural; only people that know her well would know that it’s just how her face is drawn out and not a permanent scowl. So when she beamed at Steve in that rare way he saw do to her best friend Amy, he knew she was actually happy. Going out with another guy, the jealousy he was feeling at the moment was unbelievable! He would have loved to pound Steve’s face in till it was unrecognisable.

“You can’t go out with her, her dad wont allow it.” He knew he was grasping at straws and entering the borders of lying. That’s how desperate he was. He knew he was being selfish but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get rid of the feeling.

He was aiming this at Steve but Sophie beat him to it. Even though he was occupied with his own thoughts and plans, he couldn’t help admire how fiery she was when angered. It made something excited light up inside him.

“And why not? Who do you think you are? You don’t even know anything about me or my dad! So keep out of other peoples business! Or is it because one of your pretty puppets is going for ugly me and you wont have that?!” She said all of this in one breath and he was staring at her like she just grew another head. He should have taken advantage of that pause but again she started talking in a more raised voice.

“I really don’t care what the hell you think of me, okay! I’m not bothered, don’t give two shits, DON’T. FUCKING. CARE!” She shouted at his face her eyes brimming with unshed tears. He saw her wipe at her eyes furiously as the tears kept on coming. It made him sad to know that just a moment ago looking at another guy she was smiling, and when addressing him, he made her cry.

He didn’t know how to take care of her now when she didn’t want anything to do with him, so he tried quieting her down so that she doesn’t make a scene, knowing she hates the spot light. He would just have to find a good plan to win her over. At this point it looked like it was never going to happen. Especially with this git in the picture. Steve was one of his close friends, and the idiot was very perceptive and not to mention observant, always watching people, and their reaction. Andrew was sure that Steve at least suspects that he has a thing for the girl, and doing this… He shook his head at the thought, his blood boiling again.

“Ok, ok I get the idea, you hate my guts but could you at least be a bit more quite, you’re kind of attracting a crowd”

Wrong thing to say to an upset girl, never mind feisty Sophie you idiot!

Her pink, puffy eyes narrowed to slits. He knew he was taking up all her pages in her hate book in a rapid pace but he didn’t know how to slow down, let alone stop altogether. That’s a far away dream that would never come true if he carries on like this.

As he was thinking he was still waiting for her angry reply but it never came. Instead Steve’s deep drawl answered him.

“Listen man, don’t get pissy at us coz I took a fancy to her and she accepted me. Mate you were slow, if that’s why you’re angry. You have no right to be coz you can’t go around treating her like shit then wanting her to like you. Not even the nicest person would. So get a life and let her enjoy her own.”

That was it; he was beyond angry. He didn’t even know what to say except to at least keep a bit of pride and dignity, because all of what the observant bastards said was true and he couldn’t deny it. It hurt being said out loud, and the fact that Sophie’s eyes were looking at Steve with admiration and agreement.

He did the only thing he could.

“Why would anyone want to date her? I bet you’re just doing it because you know her dad’s a fucking billionaire!” At this point he was shouting, and saying the wrong things, that he knew he would have to face the consequence of not much later. At the moment he didn’t care what he was saying. He just wanted to embarrass this idiot in front of Sophie just as much as he embarrassed him in front of her. Also she has to feel some of the pain that she is inflicting on him.

“You’re not dating her because yore attracted her! You’re doing it for the stupid money she will inherit as a single child! You’re the disgusting guy treating her like shit not me. I’m just looking out for her because her dad assigned me for it, as she can’t be in school with bloody body guards trailing behind her!” He was out of breath by now. The guilt of lying in the last sentence was already sinking in his stomach. He would have to get to her dad before she does or he would be in more trouble than he can imagine with his boss and deceased parents best friend.

Sophie just looked shocked that he said all of that in front of a big crowd, which was buzzing with the new information they found out. They were staring at Sophie trying to see if he, Andrew Blake was saying the truth or just joking around.

In all honesty he was shocked himself but what was done was done. He couldn’t change anything. All he has to worry about is explaining everything to her dad.

They stood there staring at each other for a while, each one lost in their own thoughts, the crowd still whispering excitedly. The crowd then parted for a teacher who shouted for them all to break it off. She gave all three of them warning looks then walked of down the hall, yelling at someone every now and then.

Andrew couldn’t stand the silence and the hurt, sad look on Sophie’s face. Also he had to get to her dad before she did so. The only thing he was regretting not staying for is breaking this guy’s face, it was his entire fault she hated him even more.

Oh well. At least he gets to skip class again.

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A/N: hey people! again I’m ever sooo sorry for this late chapter! Not really happy with it either.

Anyway thanks a lot to LondonLi for your advice about the beta!

Thanks a million to my beta Rane! He is one sick beta on the loose people. He actually puts up with me and my grammar ;p thank you!

By the way college in the UK means 16-18 year olds but you always find 19-20 year olds that keep re-sitting or failing their exams. So they are still amateur students ;P

If there is anything you don’t understand do tell.

Thanks again for all who reviewed!