Mia:

Fast forward to childhood, the point where I met him:

We were a family of five.

Dad was never home when he married, flying across the world, golfing with his friends on weekend or shutting himself in the quiet office room for the whole day. He was never satisfied with his goals, chasing one after the other, investing his whole time in his job.

Married at a very young age due to business, my mom, Keira got used to the silence in the big house with no one to talk to. There wasn't much love at first but my dad caved into her innocence. Soon she got pregnant.

My sister, Nyla Castreil Darrow took after my dad's green eyes and over-ambitious mind. She flew off to London, the moment she graduated. Thanks to my mom who put a lot of effort into shaping her personality. She turned out so great that half of our kitchen cabinet showcased her trophies.

When Nyla entered middle school, my mom finessed business with my dad and became a power couple. Being too excited to wear a condom, and surprise surprise, here I am, studying calculus for no reason, They didn't expect me but they loved me all same as my sister except that they never stayed home. I was raised by my maids, expensive toys and Porsche to drive us to school. The kids there would think I have got it all.

Yeah! silly me.

Three years later, my dad had an accident that made him rethink his life decisions seeing me and my sister standing in the hospital hallway, devastated. That's when my brother Thatcher was born, just one year later.

An heir.

Since then, my parents never left home. The business was his second priority and we are his first. It was all fun and games till middle school. High school came with a new set of no dating rules.

That's when Mr Knightley moved in next door, my dad's partner. Along with him came a boy, the package of trouble himself.

It was a young age to be seeing him as a man. But oh boy, he behaved like a gentleman. My mom loved him because of his polished charms although he was from a broken, rich family.

But he was a jerk only to me.

He was seven. I was four and a half.

I still remember him, visiting us at the countryside villa, a big rainbow lollipop in his hand. His brown hair would be fluffed all over the place, last night spaghetti sauce in his t-shirt and his face would always wear a dirty look.

He offered me the lollipop but before I can grab it, he took it back, saying those exact first words, "you are ugly". He looked a the lollipop, "I don't share with ugly people."

That was enough.

I wailed on the floor, my mom picked me up from the floor and consoled me, smiling "boys!" and his dad smacked his head playfully after apologizing to my dad for his behaviour.

That was horrendous. But there is more.

From junior high to senior, he annoyed me every moment. I had enough of seeing him at home, but seeing him at school is so nerve-wracking.

I got piano class for three years only to quit but he had finessed violin in one year. He was the soccer team quarterback while my record-breaking activity is running late to class. I had to stay in the library for hours to get straight As while he would bully his classmates to write homework for him. He would sabotage all my teenage romance even before I live through it while he slept with dozen of girls for entertainment.

All above that, I'm Noah best friend, Half of my girlfriends are with me just to hear stories about him shaving his butthole and goes awww!

What is so interesting about this guy?

"Seriously, what is missing?", Noah asked me, lying on my bedroom floor. "I am perfect, rich as hell, great body, look at my biceps, they have grown an inch. fantastic in bed." He was flexing his arm and insisting to look, "girls go crazy for this!"

Yeah! girls do love him.

oh, this self bragging shithead! 

"A brain, Noah!" I said as I wrote his math homework for him. " And shush! you are loud. Do you want to clean my dad's cars again?"

Noah had been prohibited from our house once he turned into a "man".

I still do not get it. he has a spirit of a three-year-old who gets scared of his own shadow trapped in a body of a Greek god. The man-thing must be a mistake.

But that didn't stop him. We both can see each other's room from the big window and my room is just one tree branch far away from his. He would sneak in at midnight to eat the cookies together and my dad never caught him.

"Ahh! yes. The boring kind you like." his brown eyes illuminated as he went through his phone.

He took after his mom. The brown eyes, the chestnut curly hair, even the birthmark on his back which he hates. His mom left him at a very young age and with his busy dad, he was always under someone's surveillance until my mom came and they became inseparable.

"So, how's with Christopher?" he asked about my boyfriend/friend. "You have been quiet for a while. Do you want me to spice things up?"

"Nope. I'm fine if you never get involved." I said, my eyes glued to the math textbook but my mind was somewhere near Christopher.

Chris isn't my first boyfriend, but he is the one I am serious with. We had been dating for four months now, or I must say I have been dating and he was always busy with quiz and puzzles.

To date him is like to date a google search. Sometimes it was exciting to learn how Jupiter prevent the earth from asteroids but sometimes it's annoying. Last week, we kissed and he taught me a lesson on how to kiss from wikiHow.

step one: keep lips slightly parted

step two: manage the level of salivation?

step three: turn at an angle of 45.

stare into their eyes and...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Noah chuckled, snapping me from my kiss as I stared at him.

"Nothing"

"stop looking like a broken giraffe."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Mia. dinner is ready", the door opened before I could reach it to shut. My mom stood there, "why this rush?"

"Nothing. just coming to dinner." I laughed, wheezing as I scanned the room. No sign of Noah, he must have jumped out.

"Today is steak and pork. We have salmon in the fridge if you want," she scrutinized my weird manner.

"Yeah, great. can I eat in my room-"

"Steak or pork, Noah?"

Noah?

"Noah?", I jumped," he is not here."

We both looked down the bed, his innocent face peeping through the bed stills, waiting to be called down for dinner. He doesn't like eating alone.

"Hi, Mrs Darrow. nice legs. have you been working out?"

"Hi, young man. You know we have a door, you could use that sometime." she laughed at him as he struggled to get up.

"No, Mia had been helping me with homework. you know I hate math."

"Under the bed?"

"Sarcasm, I got it." my mom's eyes twinkled at him as he chuckled and stopped midway,

"Is Mr Darrow downstairs?" his fear took over which was funny to look at.

Why is he scared of my dad?

***