I forgot about lunch. I forgot about Jules. I even forgot about my trouble with Pierce. The only thing that replayed in my head again and again was the kiss Matteo Sterling had just given me.

That was my first kiss. I just had my first kiss with Matteo Sterling! There were so many questions in my head right now it made me dizzy. I realized though that everything Pierce said must be true. Matteo was into me. There's no way he would've done that otherwise. And that's why he was acting all protective of me... What do I do with this information? More importantly, what do I do after getting kissed by the golden boy prince?

I eventually returned to class, sort of in a daze. My stomach growled but I didn't really notice it. What did hit me was the complete lack of interest in me—no one seemed to be gossiping about me. Thank goodness for that. I guess Pierce really did get Iris and Caroline to drop those pictures. Wonder how he did that. They did give me strange looks though. It's not like they could unsee me and Pierce standing so intimately like that. But even that seemed pale in comparison to Matteo's kiss. I would've passed out if that had to go around school!

Jules found me last period as we were supposed to get ready for gym. She was full of questions about where I disappeared to during lunch.

"Jules, I don't feel up to gym. Let's ditch class," I said quietly. Her eyes nearly popped out in shock.

"Really? You mean it, D? Huzzah! Thea Gardener is finally bunking a class!" she rejoiced. But then her face fell the next moment.

"Oh, Thea, I forgot! I can't ditch class—Coach wants me to start practicing a new cheer routine." She looked utterly downhearted at the fact. I forced a smile.

"That's alright then, Jules, go ahead. I'll be fine," I reassured her.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Absolutely. Go knock 'em dead, for me. Show up Karen, bust out the best moves you got."

"Thanks, D! I'll meet you after practice."

"No, actually I'm leaving at three—Mom needs me to babysit Amber today."

"Oh, then I promise I'll call you at six. Later D!" She gave me a hug and ran off. At least one of us made it into the squad, I was glad it was Jules. She pulled off the cheer outfit fabulously enough for the both of us.

I didn't bother to change into my gym clothes as I was ditching so I got my bag and left. The other girls would come along to dress up for cheer practice any minute and I didn't want to run into them.

I was halfway down the hallway when I heard a loud, piercing, rather rage-filled scream behind me. I spun around. What was that? The girls' locker room door slammed open and Karen stormed out.

"Who did this?!" Karen screeched holding up her cheer uniform. Even from afar, I could see it was soaked in something suspiciously brown—was that maple syrup?

Karen's eyes suddenly fell on me and she glowered red as a volcano.

"YOU!" She screamed and started running towards me.

"Wait, I didn't—" I tried to explain, still rooted to the spot.

"I'm going to get you for this, Thea Gardener!" She shrieked again. Something in her maniacal expression made me turn and flee. I ran, desperate to avoid her. Who knows what she might do if she caught me! Pummel me, or pull my hair out, probably!

"I didn't do it!" I yelled back, hoping in vain she would listen.

"This outfit was custom-made, Thea Gardener, I'm going to kill you for this!" she shrieked after me. Oh boy, I had to get away! I ran with all my might, almost stumbling around corners, praying I wouldn't bump into anyone or be stopped. By the time I reached the back of the school, I was tired, red-faced, and out of breath.

"Please let her stop!" I gasped out. I turned quickly to see if she was catching up to me—and in doing so, I didn't see two figures in front of me.

WHAM!

I collided with them. I almost fell backwards from the impact but a hand shot out and caught me.

"Whoa, slow down whirlwind, what's the rush?" It was Pierce! And Shane! Oh, crap!

"Yeah sugar, you could've gotten hurt!" Shane said, looking concerned. I breathlessly tried to escape them, but Pierce held onto my arm.

"I—have—to get away!" I panted out in desperation. Karen finally caught up and came to a stop when she saw me with the boys.

"You little beotch! You think you can get away with this?" She blared out. Pierce frowned and stepped forward, shielding me.

"Watch your tongue, Kensington. What's your problem?" He asked.

"Don't stick up for that beotch, Pierce Hartman! She's gonna get into big trouble when I get my hands on her for ruining my uniform!" Karen roared, holding up her uniform. "Better yet, I'm taking this to the principal!"

"Do you have any proof that Thea did that?" Shane asked unexpectedly.

"I don't need proof! I know that beotch did it!" Karen rejoined shrilly. More girls came running behind her and paused to watch the drama unfold. Pierce studied Karen's furious face thoughtfully as he leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets.

"Is that so?" He asked her nonchalantly. "Well then, if you insist on taking this to the principal, I'm coming along. I'm sure Miss Mortimer would also like to hear how you greased the rope in the gym and almost caused Thea a serious accident." Gasps and murmurs rose from the crowd. Karen looked a little taken aback, but she quickly straightened her face.

"You have no proof I did that!" She screeched. Pierce smiled lazily.

"Oh yeah? Because I found some very interesting bottles in your locker, Kensington. Bottles that once contained maple syrup. How's that for proof?" He asked. Karen's color drained from her face and she looked horrified now.

"Ooh, burn!" Shane said, looking smug and slapping his knee.

"You—you couldn't have!" Karen stammered.

"Want to bet on it?" Pierce asked. I glanced at Pierce. That's right, Pierce was a master lock-picker (apart from being a troublemaker) and had no problems breaking into lockers! Moreover, Karen had my old locker next to Matteo's! He must have snuck a look inside!

"But—I—no—Argh!" Karen gave little cries of dismay.

"A harmless act of soaking a uniform in maple syrup might get a detention—but almost causing a student an accident that might have sent her to the hospital might just get you expelled," Pierce said coolly, his tone menacing enough to instill fear. That did it. Karen turned around without another word and began to stalk off.

"Oh, and in case you're wondering, Kensington—I'm the one who soaked your uniform," Pierce called after her. My mouth fell agape. Seriously? Pierce did that?

"So if you wanna take this to the principal's office, you know where to find me," he said craftily. Karen didn't turn around but kept on walking.

"Nothing to see here, disperse people!" Shane said, flapping everyone away. When only the three of us were left, I sighed and sank to the floor for the second time today. My head was pounding from all that panic and I hadn't eaten anything so I felt tired.

"You okay, babycakes?" Pierce asked, kneeling beside me. I stared at him, suddenly blinking back tears.

"Why did you do that to her uniform?" I asked, my voice breaking.

"Because she deserved it and—are you crying?" Pierce asked incredulously. I quickly wiped my eyes. Shane also came down beside me and patted my shoulder.

"Aw, cheer up, Thea! She won't bother you anymore. We've got your back now," he said.

"I don't know why you would do this for me but—thank you," I blubbered out. Pierce gave a little chuckle.

"Hey, we don't like to see innocent girls get grilled," he said. My eyes flitted from both of their faces in wonder. I was repeatedly stunned by the kindness of the golden boys.

I suddenly caught sight of Matteo up ahead and my eyes widened. His kiss came back to my mind and I averted my eyes from his gaze. I shot up and straightened myself.

"I gotta go," I said and fled, no doubt leaving the other two puzzled. I don't know if Matteo would tell them or not, but I certainly didn't want to face him now. And honestly, I didn't want anyone to find out about that kiss. Thankfully, tomorrow was the weekend. I wouldn't have to see him for two days. But what was going to happen on Monday?

~

"Hey honey, you look tired. Why don't you go and rest until dinner?" Was my mom's first statement as soon as I got home.

"Sounds good, Mom," I said in exhaustion.

"I'm going grocery shopping now, I'll be back in a couple hours. I have to restock everything. Dad has a meeting so he'll be home late. Amber's doing homework in her room, if you two get hungry there are cheese pastries in the oven," she said as she put on her shoes.

"Thanks, Mom," I acknowledged and traipsed upstairs. I showered for twenty minutes, went down to shovel in some cheese pastries (I was ravenous) then came and crashed onto my bed. Finally in the safety of my room, I could think.

To recap, I got caught in a scandalous position with Pierce Hartman, kissed by Matteo Sterling, chased by Karen, rescued by the golden boys, and now... my head was spinning. The biggest knockout event of the day was the kiss. I closed and opened my eyes, trying not to think about it. A hopeless endeavor. All I could see in my mind was Matteo's face, an inch from mine, his warm breath on my face, and his big brown eyes melting my heart. I clutched my head and moaned.

"I can't believe I got my first kiss!" I said aloud.

"Holy smokes, Thea, you got freaking kissed?!" Amber's voice jerked me up off the pillow and I saw her standing at the door, her expression tickled pink at what she just heard.

"Crap, Amber, don't sneak up on me like that!" I said, flinging my pillow at her. She blocked it and came and plopped on my bed.

"Language, big sis. OMG, I can't believe my big sister got her first kiss!" She said in a squeal. "So who's the lucky guy?"

"None of your business! And don't even think about telling anyone!" I said, tackling and pinning her down with my weight.

"Ow, ow! You're heavy! Okay, get off, I won't tell! Sister swear! SISTER SWEAR!" She yelped. I nodded in satisfaction.

"Good," I said and got off her. She made a kissy face at me and I swatted her smug face with my pillow.

"Okay, I'll stop if you tell me about it!" She yielded in surrender.

"Amber, you're too young—"

"Don't give me that crud, Thea, I'm old enough to understand love relationships!" she retorted.

"Language!" I said sternly.

"I only said crud! Okay, poop!" She restated, grinning. I grinned too.

"So how did it happen? Does Julie know?" she asked.

"No, you're the only one and I want to keep it that way," I said warily.

"Swee-eet! I have a secret with you that Julie doesn't know!" She was so thrilled at the thought that she pumped her fist backward. "So... who was it? And... how was it?" I sighed.

"Matteo Sterling. And—I sort of mentally passed out when it happened," I said deflatedly. Her eyes opened wide.

"You kissed the golden boy prince of high school Matteo Sterling?!" She asked in amazement. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? I hear you and Julie talking a lot—loud!" She explained, seeing my inquiring look. "So how exactly did it happen?"

"We were sort of arguing... We were alone in the hallway. We threw words back and forth and next thing I knew—he was kissing me."

"Wow. Not the most romantic but okay... so was it tongues too?" Amber asked with keen excitement.

"Amber!" I groaned. "It was nothing like that! He just stood there in front of me with his mouth—you know what, maybe I shouldn't be talking to you."

"Oh come on Thea, spill! I'm your sister. Who else can you trust with this?"

"Fine, but don't ask me for the gory details. Not that there are any."

"So whatcha do after that?" She asked.

"Nothing. He said he was sorry and left, then I left."

"What?! What kind of guy says sorry after a kiss?!" Amber asked indignantly.

"It was completely spontaneous! I guess he thought I might be offended," I reasoned.

"Pff, yeah right. So are you guys dating now?" she asked.

"What? No, no! Not at all! We're not even on a first-name basis!" I said hurriedly.

"Then what are you guys? He must like you, that's why he kissed you, and yet—that's it?" She asked. I gazed out the window Amber's question reverberating in my head. What were we now?

~

That night, I barely got any sleep despite having a rough day. That, and the fact that I didn't tell Jules everything when she called me earlier was making me feel guilty.

I couldn't tell her about the kiss. I didn't have the guts. So when she went on and on about how cheer practice got called off because of Karen's uniform destruction, I listened without interjection. That bit of gossip was all the rage after I left school—how Karen accused me and how Pierce stuck up for me, exposing her for what she did. News about the rope incident also spread quickly thanks to Pierce and Karen was getting a lot of bad publicity, according to Jules. It's a wonder it didn't reach Coach's ears. Karen would've been sacked as head cheerleader otherwise.

After an hour's conversation with Jules, I collapsed in bed, hoping to get some sleep. But with the day's events playing on repeat in my head, I didn't get any sleep till past midnight. And when I finally did, I dreamed of Matteo.

There he was, those big brown eyes fixed on me, a slight smile on his lips. He looked more relaxed in my dream, like all the stress of being a golden boy had washed away from him. He stepped forward toward me, making my heart beat faster.

"I want to kiss you again, Thea," he said. Whoa, for a dream, he could really blow my mind!

"Don't run away from me," he whispered, taking my face in his warm hands. His lips came close to mine, I could almost taste him, feel his breath...

And then I woke up. Crap, what a realistic dream! I sat bolt upright in bed, hugging my knees and taking deep breaths. Yes, I officially have an issue. I'm dreaming lucid amorous dreams about the boy who gave me my first kiss.

~

I slept in late the next morning. When I came down tired and groggy by ten-thirty everyone had already finished breakfast. I contented myself with some buttered toast and coffee—I indulge in caffeine only when I'm cranky.

"You look like grandma after a fight with her cats," Amber said, joining me at the kitchen table for a pear. I grunted and scrunched my nose at her. True, my appearance was deplorable in the mornings—my usually perfectly combed hair was a knotted hornet's nest and I was still in my shabby shorts and tattered t-shirt. My wrinkled night robe hung loosely around my shoulders. Amber snorted.

"Man, if Matteo Sterling could see you now, he'd think twice about kissing—" I slapped my hand over her mouth just as Mom came into the kitchen.

"Morno, Mommy! It's a great day for doing chores, isn't it?" I said cheerfully to cover up Amber's words.

"Yes it is, and your father is finally cleaning out the basement and getting rid of all the junk he's bought for the last twenty years, so I don't want either of you to disturb him," Mom said, sounding relieved. "Thea honey, you can do whatever you want today, I'm going to meet with some clients so I'll be out for lunch. Casserole is in the oven. Amber dear, I want your room cleaned and decluttered and your homework done by the time I get back. Don't leave it till tomorrow night." She pecked a kiss on both our heads and left. Amber gave me a peeved look.

"What?" I asked.

"Got out of that one, didn't you?" She said sarcastically. I smirked.

"Hm-mm," I hummed, making her groan. Looks like Amber had a full plate today while I got off scot-free. Being the good big sister had its perks, Amber usually bore the brunt of being the mischief-maker. I turned on the kitchen stereo, playing some classical music.

"Aren't you gonna change?" Amber asked me.

"It's Saturday. I'm entitled to live in my PJs today," I said smoothly. Amber rolled her eyes.

"What a catch," she said with heavy sarcasm.

"Don't you have a room to clean?" I asked pointedly. She got off the kitchen stool.

"Someday, you're gonna get caught by a boy in your PJs and that will be the day you regret not taking my advice and dressing up," she said touchily. I blew her a raspberry.

"Real mature!" She retorted and jumped out of the way as I raised my hand to swat her. The doorbell rang just that moment.

"Be a good little girl and see who's at the door while I finish my coffee," I said smugly. She shook her head and went out. I heard the door open and shut and Amber came back in a minute.

"Who was it?" I asked, sipping the last of my coffee. Amber looked confused.

"Er, some boy named Pierce Hartman is here to see you." At her words, I spat the coffee out of my mouth in shock, spraying it all over the kitchen counter. Gosh, I was as bad as Jules.

"Thea! You're so gross!" Amber exclaimed in disgust. I stumbled off the stool down to the floor, hiding behind the counter.

"This cannot be happening!" I hissed in dismay. Pierce Hartman just showed up at my house while I look like a groggy zombie?! Hello, panicking! Amber came down behind the counter beside me.

"Why? Who is he?" She asked.

"Never mind that! Did he say why he was here?" I asked urgently. Amber nodded.

"Yeah, something about a psychology assignment..." I groaned. I know we took psychology together but I didn't know there was any assignment!

"Amber, you have to help me! I cannot be seen like this!" I pleaded with her. A grinchy smile spread on her face.

"To think I warned you about this just five minutes ago!" She said, chuckling wickedly. "Who told you so? I told you so! Uh-huh, oh yeah, who's right? Yeah, I'm right..." She proceeded to do her victory dance, popping her fists in circles.

"Amber, please! I need your help!"

"Hmm... this will cost ya," she said smugly.

"Oooh! Fine! I'll clean your room for you!" I replied irritably.

"And?" She was asking for more, the little imp!

"And I won't tell Mom I did it for you!" I said turning the tables on her. A look of cautiousness came to her face.

"Fair enough. What do I do?" She asked.

"Get him to sit on the couch backing the staircase and keep him occupied while I sneak upstairs and change," I said.

"Well..." She hesitated on purpose to infuriate me, I knew.

"AMBER!"

"Okay, I'll do it! Don't back out of the deal!" She said, scampering off. I waited, sighing at the fact that I had an imp for a sister. That little mischief maker dared to blackmail me?! Unbelievable.

I waited a minute before getting up. I tiptoed to the hallway and peeked into the living room. Amber saw me looking and nodded vigorously while talking to Pierce.

"Yeah, I'll be entering Bellfort Academy next year, I can't wait!" She said to Pierce with feigned gusto. I quietly moved towards the stairs.

"Cool. So where is Thea?" I heard Pierce ask. To my horror, he craned his neck around and would have seen me if I hadn't ducked behind the couch.

"Er, she'll be down soon. She takes forever to get ready. Makeup, clothes, hair... especially her hair," Amber said with exaggeration. I gritted my teeth. Little imp!

I darted towards the stairs and climbed up quietly as a cat. Once in my room, I exhaled. I had just a few minutes to put together a decent outfit!

That's when I remembered—Saturday was laundry day! Everything decent I had to wear was in the wash! Crap!

Okay, Thea, don't panic. What were my options? An unwashed jeans and T-shirt or—the dresses my aunt gave me that I've never worn because they're too girlish and flirty. I usually hated such clothes and never wore them but I didn't have a choice now. It was either that or dirty clothes which was not an option. I pulled out one of the revolting floral ensembles from the depths of my wardrobe—this should save the day. Ugh, I looked like a desperate attention-seeker in it though.

I got dressed, battled with my unruly hair running my brush through the knots while clamping my jaws shut at the pain, slid a hairband up my head to keep the mess out of my eyes, and, with a final look in the mirror, declared myself presentable.

"Okay," I said to myself, " it's showtime."

🌹

Dang Skippy, didn't know I wrote such long chapters back then too!😂 Are my girls rooting for the golden boys? Or should I say, a golden boy?😏 You ready for some time with Pierce or do you have another favorite?