Stuck with Mr. Popular ( COMPLETED)

chapter-16

The next morning as I was contemplating how capricious my life had become in the past month, my gaze fell upon my study table.

Fuck!

I had forgotten to work on our project and today I had a presentation with Raymond! Amidst the chaos of my thoughts yesterday, I completely forgot about the project.

"He isn't good enough for you", Dany's words rang in my ear. 

I quickly reviewed my project once and made some preparations for the presentation. Satisfied with my progress, I went to take a shower. I decided to wear a light green dress adorned with white and pink floral prints, ending at my mid-thighs. It was accompanied by a slim brown belt. I left my hair down and slipped into a pair of white boots, not too tall. Thanking Lavy, who had taught me a bit about applying eyeliner, I delicately lined my eyes and added a coat of lip gloss on my lips. Once I was ready, I grabbed my bag and stuffed the notes into it.

Downstairs, I found Dany already conversing with my mom, their smiles filling the room.

"Dany", I said questioning his unannounced presence at my house.  Mom faced me, her eyes serene, and complimented, "Oh my God, Soaf. You look beautiful."

"Thanks, Mom," I replied. Dany turned towards me, his eyes widening at the sight of me, his mouth slightly agape before he swallowed.

"Yeah, I thought I could give you a ride to school", Dany said with a weak smile.

"Just like old times", my mom chirped in clutching her hands together while a sweet smile played on her lips. 

"Yeah, he used to live next door back then, Mom.", I replied to my mother with an annoyed expression. 

"I don't mind driving here", Dany said.

"I think we should get going," I suggested, heading towards the front door. We were late for school anyway.

"You do look pretty, Kim," Dany whispered in my ear as I took a seat in his car, his breath tickling my neck. A faint blush graced my cheeks and my lips stretched in a smile.

We parked in front of the school building, and Dany hurriedly exited the car, rushing to open my door. Before I could even open it myself, he had already taken the initiative, standing there with a wide grin. I responded with a warm smile as I stepped out of the car. As we walked into the building, many eyes fixated on me. Whispers filled the air, faint murmurs reaching my ears. Being scopophobic, I preferred solitude, a trait that had developed during my parents' divorce. I hated drawing attention to myself.

Feeling overwhelmed, I clung tightly to Dany's shirt as we navigated the corridor. His hand rested on my shoulder, attempting to offer solace until we finally reached my locker.

People in the hallway continued to gaze at me, as if I had committed some crime. What was wrong with everyone today?

As I placed my books in the locker, sound of someone's laughter filled the hallway. I shifted my gaze slightly to see who was laughing and my eyes landed on Ellen. She stood across the corridor, donning a short skirt and a stunning crop top. Her angelic laughter travelling through the hallway with her beautiful look which she wore, tall and elegant. She was taller than me, her beauty was captivating. She resembled a supermodel in every aspect.

 Then, I noticed her tugging at someone's arm. I redirected my gaze and discovered that it was Raymond. My heart started racing, my breath caught in my chest. It felt as though I couldn't breathe. Raymond had an undeniable effect on me. 

But what hurt the most was that Ellen was pulling on his arm, seductively caressing his biceps.

I felt a pang of hurt. A thousand questions flooded my mind. I felt lost. Ellen glanced at me and offered a sympathetic smile, as if someone had stabbed me in the heart. It was as if I wanted to breathe, but the air escaped me. It felt as though someone was pushing me down, while I struggled to rise.  Not only by what I witnessed, but also by the fact that Raymond did nothing about it. He stood there calmly, as if nothing was amiss. 

And I stood right across from them. My heart weighed heavy, my body numb. I was choked, unable to speak. It felt as though I was trapped in a movie scene, everything unfolding in slow motion. I watched Ellen say something to Raymond, standing intimately close to him, and he responded with a grin before...

They kissed.

Raymond didn't even see me. How could he do this to me? I stood right there in the corridor, and he hadn't even noticed me. His eyes remained fixed on one person—Ellen.

And they kissed. As if the entire world had disappeared, leaving only the two of them. Perhaps I was mistaken. Maybe I meant nothing to him. Maybe I was just another girl to him. Just another fling.

He didn't even spare a glance in my direction. He was definitely aware of my presence, yet he chose not to acknowledge it.

My mind screamed a thousand words. I wanted to shout "Look at me, Ray! Doesn't yesterday mean anything to you?".

I wanted to tell him to stop doing this because it hurts. I don't know why it hurt so bad but it does. 

It hurts so damn much, Raymond. I knew he didn't love me. Love holds a deeper meaning. I had no idea what this is between us. Maybe just a liking? But I was sure it was something and I was sure he felt it too. 

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my waist, with a tight grip. I turned my head and saw Dany standing beside me. "Are you alright, Kim?", he asked. 

"Yeah, I am fine.", I replied as I finally exhaled. "My first class is Calculus", I told Dany trying to keep my thoughts from running haywire. I could handle this. I couldn't let Raymond fuck up my semester. I had better things to do than think about what new fling he has been chasing. I cannot let one guy ruin my chances at getting scholarship. I needed it. I needed that scholarship the most.