Begin Again

Chapter 6

The first five days of school weren't as hard as I thought. The notes Talia, Erica and Zenia sent me for the past two and a half years were so helpful! If I didn't have them, I would probably be dying in class right now.

The standard here is way different from back in our town. In a good way.

No one knew I had joined in, of course. It would be so scandalous if anyone found out I had bribed my way into NYU midway even if I had perfect scores. No one has to know. They will just suddenly notice that I exist and not question it.

I did make some new friends like Kevin who is thinking of going into neurosurgery and Gina who is thinking of going into plastic surgery. Ah, just like Lexie Grey and Mark Sloan, a match made in Heaven.

Okay, enough Grey's Anatomy references.

"How's it going?" I asked.

"I've got the decorations. I'm putting them up now. I promise it will look fabulous! Everyone is going to be so amazed by it, adding on top of their amazement of the place you stay at," Erica replied with a thumbs up.

I nodded. "Good. What about the buffet, Zenia? Is the food catering company going to make it by five? What's the company anyway?"

"Sweet Basil Catering. They have five-star reviews," Zenia replied with a smile. "I saw photos of the food they offer. They're so mouth-watering. It's definitely fabulous. Food is the way into people's hearts. Matt—"

"Okay! Talia, what about the invitation list? How many people responded?" I interrupted to divert the attention from Matteo Knight whom they have been teasing me about for the past five days when they heard I walked to school with him.

How did that conversation come up, you may ask? They were wondering how the hell I came to school when I never asked them how to get to school. Apparently, they had forgotten to do so. And I was too stupid to tell them that Google Maps exists.

"Kevin and Gina said yes," she replied. "Ava, Harold and Penny also agreed to come! See, now you have eight people who are coming!"

"Actually, nine people are coming," I blurted.

The three of them immediately turned towards me. "Who?" Erica asked.

"Yeah, who? Please don't tell me you invited Derek!" Zenia hollered.

"No! Of course not!" I shouted back. "He is the last person I ever want to see on the surface of this planet! There is absolutely no way he's invited! I doubt he will even bother to come in the first place, not that he can afford it anyway."

Zenia snickered upon hearing that, "I see. Then, who is it?"

"Uh..." I slurred. I can't possibly tell them it was Matteo Knight, can I? Well, they will find out later anyway. "It's, um, Matteo Knight."

"He agreed to come?" Talia asked, raising an eyebrow. "But he's a studyholic! All he does is study! I've heard stories about him getting invited into parties and, before the person could finish, he rejected him point-blank."

I nodded slowly. "Well, he agreed because he figured he wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway with all the noise. Also, that word doesn't exist."

"Come on, Lexia. Please don't tell me you believed that," Erica teased.

"Firstly, it's Alexia or Lexie," I said firmly. When we first met, they kept calling me Lexia because it's five letters long and ends with an 'A'. "Secondly, go put up your decorations. Thirdly, yes, I did. It makes absolute sense. What other reason can there be?"

"Oh, please, Alexia, it's obvious that he has taken an interest in you," Erica teased once more. Well, at least she got my name right. "He made this special exception for you! He's going to your housewarming party! For you!"