Lia's POV:

"It's your first time eating Mom's chicken pasta?" Max asks rubbing his hands excitedly.

I nod, holding back a smile at how he looks like an excited 4-year old.

"Lia, you are in for a ride. The pasta tastes soo good" Max gushes. I could see his chin dripping with drool. Yuck.

Thing is that, my mother got in early today, and she offered to make dinner. We normally get take-outs for dinner. Max has been jumping around the house saying he will lick all the plates and spoons. He is that excited.

"Alright, who's hungry" mom walks into the dining room with a huge pan. Max immediately pushes his plate forward beaming at her. She generously scoops the cheesy pasta, filling his plate. She then serves me. I mutter a thank you and start eating.

The pasta was delicious. But I could not help notice that, I did not get any chicken. Max's plate was flooded with chicken. I knew better than to get upset, so just like every time I brush it off. She included me for dinner, that's what matters.

After dinner I am washing the dishes, while Max is cleaning the kitchen and table.

"Max, come here. June is calling!" my mom yells from the living room. Max happily drops everything and rushes to her. Aunt June is mom's sister. I think I met her once when I was 5, but I barely remember her. I hear her happy exclaimations, 'Maximus you've grown', 'you look so handsome' etc. I continue washing dishes trying not to feel bothered by the fact, my mom does not even want to introduce me to her sister.

I finish cleaning the kitchen too. I know I don't have to but I do it anyways. I hate myself for trying to get mom to like me. I feel pathetic. I quietly walk out of the kitchen towards my room.

"Lia, come here. Where are you going? Say hi to Aunt June" Max says, making me go to the couch where they were sitting. I sit beside mom as she was holding the phone. It's a video call. I see Aunt June, brunette but silver-eyed like Max and my mom. I have my father's features mostly.

"Umm, hello Natalia" she awkwardly says, stealing glances at my mom, as if gauging her reaction.

"Hi, Aunt June. Please call me Lia" I smile. I noticed my mother grip tighten on phone as I say Aunt June.

"Well then Lia-" she smiles "-how have you been? Liking this new place?"

"Yeah, it's pretty great. School is good and-"

"She is loving everything" my mom cuts me off hurriedly. My smile falters a bit.

"By the way, did you know Max.." she continues putting an arm around Max. I sit there stiffly as I watch the three of them joking and laughing. Max tried to include me in the conversation, but every time mom cunningly diverted everyone.

"I'm tired. I think I will just go.." I awkwardly break their story-telling. Max smiles understandingly, while mom just keeps a blank face.

"Goodnight Aunt June. It was nice meeting you" I say into the camera. She smiles telling me to get good rest. I make my way upstairs. My heart painfully clenches as I hear Max's booming laughter along with my mom's playful whining asking both of them to stop teasing her. I am in my house, yet I feel like an outsider.

Tears form in my eyes but again I force them to go down. I remember all of a sudden that I have seen Aunt June before. At Nana's funeral. She had quietly come, placed some flowers and left. No eulogy, tears, nothing. Nana had told me that both her daughters are angry with her about some estate business, but I never expected this much bitterness.

With everything going on, I miss Nana even more. If she was alive I would have ran back to her instead of living here and hurting myself everyday. But now, I literally have nowhere to go. And I feel all alone in this world.

My phone beeps. I see a message from Julian asking me if I wanted to watch a movie together. I smile a little, feeling better already.

I am comfortably watching 'Mission: Impossible-Fallout' in my bed with Julian on the phone. We both are barely paying attention to the plot, focusing only on Henry Cavill. We are crazily fangirling over him, pausing and replaying all his scenes.

"Lia? Are you asleep?" Max pokes his head in my room.

I pause the movie and put Julian on hold. Max comes and sits on my bed.

"It will get better" he mumbles. I look at him confused.

"The family thing. I know you must be feeling left out, but its only because you've been away for so long. Give them time, and you will meet everybody and soon you will feel like family" Max smiles sympathetically.

I return a watery smile. I know my mom would never let it happen, but I am glad that at least Max cared. He gets up kissing my forehead.

I return back to the movie with Julian screaming that he wants Henry Cavill to sit on his..

You get it..

.......................................

"I was not able to sleep last night. I kept thinking about him!" Julian sniffs.

"Yeah, me too" I sniff.

"Thinking about who?" Ian asks suspiciously. Max, Alex, Dylan and Luke are looking at us curiously. First period is about to start as students hurriedly scramble in the corridors.

"The one and only. Henry Cavill" Julian admits. I let out a dreamy sigh.

"Seriously?" Dylan eyes us weirdly.

"Of course. And as a matter of fact I know Lia has changed her phone's wallpaper to a shirtless picture of Mr. Cavill" Julian smirks. On cue, my ears redden.

"I-I did not" I lie. Everybody chuckles at my flustered form as Julian opens my phone and proves everybody that he was not wrong.

I snatch my phone glaring at Julian, keeping it back in my pocket but not before admiring my wallpaper again, fondly rubbing off imaginary dirt from my screen.

...............................

"I am going to get another sandwich" Julian gets up.

I nod taking out my phone to check my messages. We are on our usual table eating lunch.

"Yikes!" I shriek dropping my phone. I immediately pick it up checking for any cracks.

"I thought I saw a spider" I answer to all the questioning looks I got. Thank God Julian was not there to point out I was lying. Everybody nods in understanding getting back to what they were doing.

I shot a vicious glare to Luke who innocently took a bite from his sandwich, his eyes glinting mischievously. The damn boy, had changed my wallpaper from shirtless Cavill to dorky Luke.

Fine.

It was sexy Luke.

But still!

My phone wallpaper was now a selfie in which Luke sassily raised one eyebrow. I open my gallery and sure enough I find many selfies, one in which he was showing off his biceps.

These will come handy during night.. my subconscious muses.

"Na na, size doesn't matter."

I turn my attention to Alex who is firmly stressing his point.

"Yeah, size sure doesn't matter" Julian joins the conversation.

"Not that moron. We are talking about boobs" Alex explains. Julian backs away laughing and raising his hands. I look up to heaven as the boys start bickering over preferences.

"Well, big boobs are a must" Max states.

"Jesus! Max! I am right here" I give him a disgusted look.

"Crap.. I keep forgetting your ugly face was here" Max laughs nervously. I roll my eyes. I can't exactly ask them to shut up because me and Julian discuss disturbing details about actors and models all the time.

"But small ones are so much hotter" Ian pouts.

"It's depends on the girl you assholes" Alex mutters

"Luke, what about you?" Ian turns to Luke getting irritated with Alex. My ears perk up.

"I prefer small ones" he says nonchalantly, sipping his orange juice.

I look down at the two melons hanging from my chest. Definitely not small. I look up catching his eye. I look down, making his eyes travel down. His lips twitch.

"Am I a joke to you?" I mouth at him.

Luke chokes on his drink, coughing and wheezing. Once he is okay, he starts laughing. Like full on belly laugh in the middle of the cafeteria. Nearly everybody looks at the guy obviously surprised, since Luke is like a living mannequin.

Luke gets up and goes out of the cafeteria still laughing to himself.

"What happened to him?" Dylan asks.

"Yeah, he's been like that lately. The other day I caught him silently laughing with someone over chats" Ian whispers, like he was saying something which can't happen. I ignore the need to smack these boys on their head and get up.

"I'll go check on Lukey boy. Anyone wants to join?" I ask, hoping everyone will say no.

Everybody shakes their head saying they are not missing food just because Luke got exchanged with Luke's look-alike from another dimension. 

Don't ask me. These are their actual theories..

I rush out and find Luke rummaging through his locker. I clear my throat getting his attention. His lips tremble with laughter on seeing me.

"Don't you dare laugh" I threaten. He bites his lips nodding. I take his hand and lead him to an empty classroom.

I face him as he stands there with his hands in his pocket. He looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak. But I really don't know what to say. In the end I sigh defeatedly saying, "Just go" and open the door.

A hand appears over my head shutting the door. I turn around leaning on the door to see Luke smiling down at me.

"You are so cute" Luke kisses my nose. I wrinkle it, shaking my face.

"Natalia, it does not matter what I say. I was not even paying much attention to what they were saying" he admits truthfully.

"Really?"

"Naah, I still prefer small boobs" Luke shrugs.

"Alright-" I say "-Wait what?!" I snap my head up.

"Uh-oh, you look angry" Luke takes a step back barely holding back his amusement.

"Come here. I'll change your preferences" I growl playfully, lunging at him.

.....................................

I didn't bother to change while leaving the building. We were taking pictures for some office catalogue, so I was still  dressed in a black and grey sheath dress, underneath my trench coat. I still have lots of makeup on, with red pumps which match my bright red lipstick. I look and feel like a 25 year old.

It was getting pretty dark, so my main concern was to get out of the creepy building with perverted cameras. Max and the boys were out for movie so everything was under control.

I shut the door to the house wiping off the drizzle which were causing my newly straightened hair to frizz.

"Lia?"

I turn to face Alex savagely chewing a burger.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the movies?" I puzzle.

"Boring movie. So left early" he answers swallowing.

"Alex" Dylan hollers from the kitchen.

"C'mon" Alex grabs my hand leading me to the brightly lit kitchen, before I could even protest.

Shit, I am screwed..

Ian lets out a wolf whistle on seeing me. Luke opens his mouth to say something, but then opts for silence.

"Chica, you get hotter by the day" Ian muses. I wink at him.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Max asks.

"That?" I raise a brow.

"Yes. Like a 25-year old executive" Max nods.

"I was out with some girls. We played dress-up" I say casually.

"Lia, you don't know any girls here and you said it yourself that the girls in school make your ears bleed" Max points out.

"Well, I have friends from outside school" I reply irritated. Max scoffs.

"She was on a date" Alex snaps his fingers.

I blink.

"Wait what? No!" I exclaim.

"It's ok. I get it. Don't worry, we'll manage Max. Now up you go and rest lady" Alex pushes me out of the kitchen. I feel so tired that I just go to my room and change into comfy clothes.

................................

For the second time today I wipe the drizzle from my hair. I reach the park where Luke said he wanted to meet.

It was a dark night and the park's light added a gloomy vibe. I see Luke silhouette standing near the swings staring at the night sky.

"Hey" I chirp. He slowly turns around.

My smile fades away as I register his fuming expression. Oh, boy..

Yep, I am officially fucked, in a bad bad way..

...................................

I have been watching YouTube videos about girls asking guys questions everybody was too afraid to ask and all that. Watching those videos gave me the idea to include the whole 'preferences' thing. Even before these videos, my guy friends have conducted these discussions. They are actually hilarious and I get to know that guys can be really really weird, with screwed up logics.

Anyways, my exams are coming and like always I am unprepared. I keep writing little bits here and there when I get time. Sorry for the lazy update. I'll try and make the coming chapters better ;-)

(PS: Girl's have even more twisted brains. So boys it's not just you, I swear.)

PPS: Yes, I am obsessed with Henry Cavill. And I will admit I watched Mission: Impossible-Fallout just for this guy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go stalk Mr. Cavill. Have a good day.