Hello Carlo

Chapter 1

Scarlett

Ruffling through a bunch of high school teenagers wasn't the best after the stress of the day had brought out not the best odours. Something of sweat mixed with excessive perfumes and the one time I had a soccer player walk next to me, it pretty much ruined everything. My little above average body size had pushed through basically everything and everyone till I found the beaming afternoon light from the exit.

Relief is underestimated to describe the feeling of getting out and still seeing a peek of the curly dark hair boy, my alleged partner. I'd hoped to see him before the end of the class but as fate would have it, it didn't work out and he didn't read or respond to the notes I sent to him. Not that I expected him to but a single nod would do.

He'd gotten into the drivers seat when I ran my last few steps to reach him and in victory, got him to notice my presence. My hand on the window and fast breaths preventing a single word from spewing out, he looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed and removed the earbuds he had on.

"Hello Carlo, I'm Scarlett Sky, your biology partner"

"I noticed" First time hearing his voice in a long time and it shows puberty did quite the job. I would've flinched if I didn't know it was him who spoke.

"Yeah so, I live not so far away from you. Don't know if you know but we're in the same estate, probably a few houses away from each other. We could meet up to discuss_"

"I'll have it done and submitted before Friday."

I was taken my surprise to say the least. Not just because he had agreed to do everything that required two heads for perfection but also because he zoomed off immediately while I remained standing in the parking lot. Not the best impression for one I just met and it's just hard to see how I'll survive with this for two weeks.

A few giggles in the corner and my eyes met the familiar figure of the Edward twins, Whitney and Maya, just one of the most popular in the entire school. They were walking over to their car and had seen the whole event take place but I wouldn't worry much cause they weren't that bad. Besides, he's my partner for an assignment, no one's going to call me a whore for that.

"Don't worry Scarlett, you're the luckiest to have him as your partner" Whitney said before he sister added "He'll do everything perfectly"

"Is he always like this?"

"Is that a question?"

The twins drove off too after giving me the best reassurance know to man and while I stood waiting to see my sister's car pull up, I thought of a way around it. I wouldn't let one person carry all the work even if he's a straight A student, I cared a little too much about getting into college than to let anything put a speck of dust on it. I guess it's an advantage we lived close to each other and I could always go talk to him but if he couldn't tolerate my presence here in school, he definitely wouldn't in his house. I'd be lucky if I get out in one shape.

The familiar black car stopped in front of me and there she was in all her glory, Kiara Sky, the luckiest being in the world. My sister was my world to me, since she took full custody of me from my parents and the reason she was the luckiest is how she found her way with a very popular rich Magazine dude, or so she called him. It didn't start well and the story is kind of blurry to me but now she has a ring on her finger and he'd spent enough on her to take care of her next generations. She got a big house in the same estate as my parents, only that their house was on the other end of it and it was that way because I chose not to leave the neighborhood and she also wants to prove to them she's richer.

My needs were well catered for, I had all I needed and all could've been perfect but she wasn't always at home. Her fiancee isn't the kind to stay in one city for one week straight and she went around with him so most times, the house was empty and I didn't have a problem with it.

"Come on Scar, you still have this dress since sophomore year?"

I looked down at the floral printed knee length dress. It truly had been with me a while but it was incomparable. Very comfortable and it had my favourite colors "What? I love it"

Her car smelled of her fiancee when I stepped in and that could only mean one thing "Is he_"

"Yes, in fact he's waiting to see you right now"

"Me?"

"Yeah, we have news and you're his soon to be sister in law"

I'd seen Mr Russell many times, many of which he had gotten expensive gifts for me, something like what Whitney and Maya would wear and I'd gotten quite the attention from wearing them to school every once in a while. Whatever the news was I didn't know but I could bet my life on the glittery shopping bag waiting for me on the counter top.

"I'm curious, is it another big trip?"

"We can go anywhere in the world baby, that isn't a surprise. Are you okay with that though? I've been trying to make myself more available but getting into this world of business and tech hasn't been easy on me"

"I understand, everything's for me to have the best life"

"And get into the best school and have the best type of friends, not these stinky ass Barbies in this neighborhood"

"I'll ignore you said that and getting into the best school has always been my dream. I'll probably have the time to go on one or two trips with you before resuming college"

"And I can't wait"

The goofy smile remained on my face as we drove all the way home. It wasn't a long journey, probably fifteen to twenty minutes on foot and I never minded the walk home or a ride on my bicycle but ever since Kiara saw the Whitney twins had a big car, she always thought I'd feel inferior. I couldn't drive, didn't know a thing about the steering wheel and I didn't want a driver so on days Kiara wasn't around, I rode in my bike and on days like this, the journey home would be filled with smiles and laughter.

We got home  in a few minutes time and Kiara's giddy self hoped off the vehicle before me. We'd scurried in like a kid in a candy store and I could just see how this news, whatever it may be meant so much to her. If it means this much to her then I guess it did to me too.

Mr Russell, her fiance sat by the counter, looking as professional as ever. He always did. The aura was always around him like thick mist and it didn't matter the amount of times we've seen each other, he always preferred to be this way. It wasn't the same for my sister, however, he was a different being with her and I may not know what love is but that's enough to prove it. Kiara did tell me that he spoke to me more than he would to an average person.

"Hello Mr Russell"

"Scarlett" He smiled and handed over a small shiny purple bag, as I expected "Here, your sister said you like watches"

"Thank you Mr Russell" I peeked into the bag and sitting in it was a deep blue casing and that'll make it probably the third of it this year "Kiara says you have a news"

My sister jumped in front of me grinning from ear to ear. If I didn't know better, I would say the news would only be good to them. They never did anything to cause me any discomfort so a part of me was certain this news wouldn't affect me.

"We've gotten the date for the wedding"

"Aww, when is it?" Something about it made my voice sound like something from a girly product advertisement "Have you chosen a place?"

"It'll be early next month and I'll speak to your school to grant you a week or two"

"A wedding is one day, isn't it?"

"Not this wedding, we know too many people Scarr and were putting everything into consideration. We're hosting it in Hawaii and you'll fly over a week before for preparations"

"I've never been on a plane before"

"Don't worry, you'll come with the Martinez family, I heard you're friends with their son"

"Acquaintances, we're acquaintances. You can put it that way"

"Then it's settled"