I'm off to school mom, catch ya later." Rhea called out loudly as she raced down the stairs.
"But you haven't even had breakfast."
"I packed lunch."
"Oh dear! You stayed up too late last night, you sure you'd cope?"
"Mom?" Rhea slurred stomping to the staircase to meet her mother.
She didn't want to be late but her mom will always delay. It's her thing!
I have a test." She protests.
"The more reason you gotta eat sweetie."
"Not again."
"What did you say?" Alexa asked her daughter with settled contempt.
Rhea's a naughty girl, she dares not mess with her...
"I'll just have breakfast mom." Rhea replies and strode to the dinning table, Alexa following right behind her.
"What'd you make?"
"Pancakes."
"Oh!" Rhea opens the plate with a disappointed sigh.
When she thinks she's got a break from omelette abuse, Pancakes showed up.
How sweet?
She was set to eat without washing her hands but her mom was there. It's an uh-uh for her.
She dives to the sink to get a clean hands before proceeding...
"Mmm! You make such delicious food mom."
"Really?"
"Mhmm."
"Well I've never tasted what you prepared, I'd have said same."
There she goes again.
Rhea never does chores. Never!
She rather eat broccolis for a whole week.
Peep peep!
"You hear that mom? My ride is here."
"B..but you've barely touched your food."
"I packed lunch mom. Worry less."
Rhea said grabbing her bagpack.
"Ivan came to pick you up again?" Alexa questions casually as she pulled a chair to sit.
Rhea turns to look at her.
"Is there a problem with that?"
"Uh.."
Rhea's shoulder dropped amist sigh.
"Really mom? You want me to explain myself again?"
"That's if your explaination is a solid one."
"Mom Ivan is my best friend! I trust him, dad trust him, you should too."
Alexa smirked.
"Dumb explaination."
"Now I know where I got my noodle brain." Rhea's mumbles to herself.
Mrs McMan's humour is a two over ten. That's if... she intends to joke around.
"Come here mom." The eighteen years old rasped and gave her a hug...
It was just yesterday Alexandria gave birth to her little beautiful angel, she's becoming a woman today.
It's quite hard for her to take at times.
Just a few more years, she'll be outgrown to fit into those old arms. A fear that's slowly coming to reality.
"You take care okay?"
She blurts when they broke away from each other.
Rhea gave a gummy smile;
"You too mom."
She strapped her bagpack to her back and drank the last of her milk before dashing towards the door.
"Love you Rh_"
Rhea was out of the house before Alexa completes those words.
She shook her head in disbelief and stood to clear the table. Maybe she didn't have to set it in the first place....
***********************
Ivan was about to punch the car horn again when he saw Rhea coming out of the lawn in her usual hurried steps.
"She didn't make me wait this time."
He opens the front door and rests his hands on the steering wheel.
Rhea jumped in five seconds later.
"Hey."
"Sup Rhea." He asks.
His voice was calm compared to Rhea's loud vocal.
It's the first contrast between those two.
"You just saved me from haunting pancakes dude."
"Oh wow! You had pancakes today. You should be grateful."
"Both are made of eggs Ivan and they haunt me every single day. And you know what?! I can't tell no one cause my mom made it with so much love."
"Oh really?"
He asked and raises his brows on feigned surprise.
Rhea gets the message and rolled her eyes.
"When I said no one. I was referring to you. Don't look at me that way. Even I know your mom washes your undies at times."
He laughed.
He wasn't in a good mood before she arrived but there he was grinning widely cause of a mere pancake situation....
Rhea lights up every room she enters.
No matter how dark it was, her little ray of sunshine makes the best of it. She creates happy memories for other without even knowing it.
That's just who she was.
"How was your night?" She asks him.
"Cool. Trust yours went... well."
"Kinda!"
"Great. So I guess you're ready?"
"For what?"
"To go to school dummy. We have a test by 9:30."
"Yeah I.." She sighed and shut the door.
"Let's go honey."
He turned to her.
"What.. did you say?"
"Let's go honey." She repeats, consciously.
He smiled and turned the key in the ignition.
Rhea's unbelievable.
She says anything without knowing it's effect.
She called him 'honey' It might just be a handy name that came to her lips, it might mean nothing to others but to him... It's another stamp.
He'll think of it the whole day.
"Start the car Ivan. I'm running late."
He did.
"Fasten you seatbe_"
"Nah! I don't want to." Who wears seatbelts these days." She scoffed halfway.
He shrugs and pull the gear which accelerated the car wheels.
Minutes later, he was driving in the busy streets of North Carolina, New York City.
"..Mr Bieber's test is not a kid game Rhea. I once got a C in his course.""
"Wish I get a C like you Ivan. I'm tired of taking makeup tests every now and then."
"You'll pass this time, just hope."
She grins and twitched her fingers.
"You've had breakfast right?"
"Course not. I didn't. I ranted bout pancakes for no reason."
Sarcasm! He understood it.
"A simple yes would have been more polite."
"Duhh!"
That's what he gets for tryna correct the miss know-all. A 'duhh' in your face.
"Should I turn on the stereo?"
"If you_"
She turned it on without letting him drop.
"Ah! I love this song. Mandy said it topped the chart this week."
"Flowers" by Miley Cyrus.
Ivan didn't find it catchy and he didn't add it to his playlist either.
Ethan, his cousin did.
It doesn't make sense.
There was no way a person could buy his or herself flowers. Absolutely no way.
Rhea ghosted him as she sang along with her beautiful loud alto.
Onlookers were wondering what was wrong with this weird teenager so early in morning, Ivan noticed.
But he wasn't going to stop her.
He loves seeing her happy. And having her sit in his car, oozing of positivity is just the best thing. He'd trade that feeling for nothing...
*************************
"Good morning sir."
"Bring in a cup of coffee Kris."
"Right away sir."
Simon's relationship with his staff is a blunt one. As a renowned hotelier at 35, he knows his boundaries with these middle class fellows and he's always loved to put himself above them...
His husky grey eyes ran through his schedules for the day. It's nothing less than hectic.
Nothing new though! That's what he has to go through every day to make money.
Lots of money!
"Your coffee sir."
Kristin Evan, his brunette petite p.A says when she enters with a ceramic sauce and cup in her hand. He beckons on her to place it on the table.
She did and made to scurry out quickly.
"Kristin?"
She turned.
"Yes sir."
Her voice was shaky with terror.
She hasn't gotten over the scoldings she got from him yesterday.
She was at fault.
She didn't fix the meeting and he lost a potential client but she apologized.
He's unforgiving, vile, cold hearted... That's what everyone thinks.
"I'll pay for lunch today." He stresses casually.
Kris wasn't impressed.
Sure. He's her boss but she deserves a sorry from him.
He embarrassed her in front of everybody like she was nothing. Now this?!
"You're not saying anything."
"Uh.. that'll be great sir." She grins.
He nods and swivels his car.
"You had a great night huh?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright. Fix all the documents needed for my meeting with Mr Cruz and send it to me."
"Sure."
She leaves the office and shuts the door.
Simon sighed and boots his laptop.
He was trying to play off the ugly experience he had with his wife last night.
He didn't show up for Andonis' basketball game and she took out all her frustration on him.
She tells him how bad of a father he is and how she regrets getting married to him.
It hurts.
Sometimes he doubts if he is man enough to own a family caused the only thing he's ever put above everything is his earnings.
Work! Work! Work!
His telephone rang. He picked it up almost abruptly.
"Tell me Kris."
"Mrs Lourdés asked to see you sir."
"Let her in."
Yolonda Lourdés. Classmate, ex-girlfriend, colleague.. she's always have an attachment to him.
He looks up at her when catwalks in.
She was dressed in a sizzly blue suit wear, her shiny blond bob was on point and that charming look on her face... A man could be easily seduced by it.
Simon almost was.
"May I sit?"
"Of course. Please do."
She sits and crossed her legs.
"Uh.." Simon stuttered.
He fought so hard not to be distracted by her bare cleavages.
She notices and tossed a file on the table.
"I got the deal. Sign it."
That's no way to talk to a millionaire boss but guess what! She's the wealthier one.
Simon's success story is nothing close to hers.
After they broke up in college, she travelled to the UK to get a degree in international relationship.
At the age of twenty two, she was married to billionaire oil tycoon, Malik Mahmud.
Soon after they got divorced, she was given seven hundred million dollar for settlement which she used to start up her own airway.
Now she's married to a doctor, has three kids with him and lives in Beverly hills.
There he was trying to get a fixed life like hers.
"Go on Si."
He took his time to read all pages before he signed it.
Echo Hotels in partnership with Lour Airways would fetch him alot of opportunities. Alot.
"Here you go."
He hands the file back to her.
She was supposed to leave but she went ahead to ask;
"How's family?"
He silently deliberated on the best reply to give.
Its possible she's trying to mock his incapability or maybe not.
"I don't talk family in my office Yolanda." He replies nonetheless.
Yolanda's ego was pricked but she forces a smile to ward it off.
Simon Merchasa is an intelligent man, playing the game of mind with him would be a total waste of time. She gave up trying...
***********************
Rhea bit the cover of her pen as she read the last question in her test script.
She didn't know what to make out of it.
Mr Rivera is so good at setting destructive questions.
Even an A list student like Ivan warned her beforehand.
She didn't study. She never studies.
Only a miracle will save her from another carryover...
"Pfft! Riri?!"
Rhea rolled her eyes on hearing Amaka's voice.
Nobody in Hillsburg Highschool refers to her as 'Riri' except that chubby Nigerian kid.
She didn't bother to turn, she didn't want to be penalized.
"Hey Rhea." Kiki calls again..in whispers.
This time, Rhea turned to look.
"What?!"
"Catch." She tossed a small folded paper to her.
It was abrupt. She almost didn't see it coming...
"What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Read it nau."
Ugh! Another Nigerian slang.
She bents her head on her desk and unfolds the paper.
A huge smile lit her lips on recognizing Ivan's handwriting.
It says;
"Look downwards."
She did.
A filled up piece of paper was lying there waiting for a pick-up.
She gets hold of it swiftly and hid it underneath her skirt.
"You've only got ten minutes guys. Prepare to round off!" Mr Rivera announces from the fore of the large lecture hall.
With quick glances, she reads through.
It was the answers to the questions in her slip.
Her eyes darted around to find Ivan, it spots him sitting at the extreme end.
He was tackling his paper like everyone else, nobody suspects a thing.
"Smooth criminal." Rhea mumbles and began duplicating Ivan's answer script...
Ivan sees her writing, alas.
It was an ease knowing he was helping her without getting caught.
The only thing he wants is for her to pass the test by all means...
***********************
"Alright students. It's a wrap. Hands on deck. I'll take your papers now."
Being a fast writer...or copier rather stands as an advantage to Rhea.
She finished right in time.
Even before the last ten minutes elaspsed.
"...You guys laugh alot during lectures now's my turn to laugh at your asses. Haha..."
Is she gonna be laughed at again? She doesn't think so. Even in the tensed arena, she was smiling with utter satisfaction.
She is finally going to get an A and it'll be the easiest one ever.
"Ain't you the most lucky girl Rhea Noelle? Ain't you?" She giggled to herself.
"Mcman?!"
She froze at instant on hearing her name.
"Quit the hallucinations and get your dumb self up." Rivera said to her again, sternly..
"Me?" She asked with her eyes wide open in surprise.
"Is there any one dumber than you are?" He asks back.
It's definitely her.
She stood slowly and looked around.
A whole lot of eyes were on her.
She wondered where she went wrong again.
"Y..yes mr Rivera?"
"You're a smart kid ain't you?"
"Huh?"
"Hand over your mini script."
"B..but sir I_"
"And you get an F!"
"Why?!"
"Oh! She's become brave y'all. She has the guts to ask why." He laughed. Majority of the class joins him.
"How bout' I get you expelled for cheating and confiscation of foreign materials then, you can ask the Dean why."
"Mr Rivera, I do... I don't know what you're..."
Rhea knows she's busted and she's doesn't know how to tell a lie to cover up.
She walked up to Rivera and handed her script.
"I'm sorry sir."
"The mini script?"
"I ate it."
The class bursted out in deafening laughter.
"You eat paper too?"
She nods.
Fact. She's a dummy but Ivan's not.
She's isn't gonna get him in trouble for being helpful.
She rather take the shame.
"You're not only dumb Mcman, you're crazy too. Please leave the class." Rivera demands pointing the large door way.
"Would I... would I take a makeup test?"
"No! You get an F. Its final."
Her eyes welled up.
"Please mr Rivera. I promise it'd be the last."
"No more test for you Rhea. Go home to your momma." Valerie, the popular gingered hair bully jeered out from the backrow.
"Crybaby!" Damien added.
Then, there came more comments.
Rhea couldn't help it. She ran out of the hall...
The students took to mumbling.
"Enough students! Enough!"
Rivera yelled.
They weren't going to calm down anytime soon. The uproar deafened instead.
Meanwhile Ivan battled with his conscience in his seat. He couldnt just sit there and do nothing.
It's his fault Rhea got an bunked in front of everyone, he's got to pay too...
He took his script to Mr Rivera who ran a quick survey on it.
With the smile on his face, Ivan's sure he's got an A but not when his Rhea gets an F.
"That's the mini script sir." He blurts, confidently.
"What?"
The class went pin drop silent.
"This is Rheas mini script." He rephrased.
"Do you know the implication of what_"
"I know. That's why I brought it to you." He cuts in, coldly.
"B..But this is your script Ivan. Do you want to get an f?"
"Won't you gimme one? Cause I'm Ivan?"
Rivera was silent.
"With all due respect sir, this is a class. Not a court! You have no right whatsoever to call a student dumb. And you see this favoritic act of yours? It's outta vogue."
He threw his script on the floor.
"I know a person dumber than Rhea mister Rivera. He's standing in front of me."
Valerie laughed loudly.
Her laughter multiplied by ten, then twenty, the whole class was laughing at their supposed 'lecturer'
"Ivan?!" Rivera calls with utter furiousity.
Ivan ignores him and walked back to Rhea's desk to get her backpack.
"You'll be suspended from attending any of my lectures till further notice and I'll make sure your parents hears about it... Ivan I'm talking to you!"
Ivan leaves the class ignoring his loud rantings..
*************
"Rhea?! Rhea wait!"
Ivan calls loudly when he saw Rhea walking down the hallway.
She stops and waits for him to catch up.
He ran to meet her.
"Is the class over?"
"Yeah I... Are you okay?" He asks staring at every angle of her face with concern.
She nods and her eyes welled up again.
"I got another F!" She manages to say in a shaky voice.
"Fuck Mr Rivera's test Rhea. You're doing well in other subjects."
"I also wanted to do well in his test like you Ivan. You've never gotten an F."
"C'mon Rhea? It's just a grade, it doesn't define you."
"Stop tryna make me feel better. I know you're disappointed in me too. I couldn't even cheat properly. There's no use!"
A roll of tear fell from her eyes, she brushed it off quickly.
"Maybe I should just quit school and get a life." She finalized with a shrug.
Ivan sighed.
He hates seeing her sad and at this point he felt there was nothing else he could do.
"Stop looking at me like that. You know I'll never quit school. Fuck Mr Rivera's test! We die here in Hillsburg."
She says and punches his his shoulder lightly.
He couldn't help but smile.
How'd she even manage to stay goofy after a depressing experience of that sort?
He's always known she's an amazing girl from the first day he met her. She could handle anything...
"Oh! You got my backpack?"
"I thought I'd bring it to you since you left the class."
"Awwnn! That's sweet of you."
Ivan's almost blushed. Almost! But he dared not. He's a guy. Guys don't do those stuff.
"Here you go."
"Thank you." She collects it from him and perked his left cheek.
Ivan's heart flutters in response.
He's never being so close to a girl.
So close to smell her hair and feel her lips...
"Yo! Stop acting so coy. I know alot of girls have kissed you too. I mean...who could resist a cutie like you?"
"You think I'm cute?"
"Oh c'mon Ivan. I don't lie."
It dawned on him that he's speaking with the most beautiful girl in Hillsburg.
Her hazel doe eyes, small pouty lips and brownish red hair looked even more radiant when she's so close to her. He could just grab her waist, stick his hands into her thick curls and kiss her so badly. But he doesn't know how to.
Those deeds are for dirty guys.
He's a clean Israeli kid.
And even if he musters the courage to, she's just a friend. Nothing more.
"Hey Ivan, are you listening?"
Her voice pulled him back to reality.
"Uh..yeah.. Thank you." He stammered.
Rhea smirked.
"For what? Gimme my bag!"
"Oh! Your bag. Here."
He hands it to her.
He was daydreaming all those while and she's being looking at him like he's gone insane.
What could be more embarrassing than that?
"I'll just use the restroom."
"Uh.. okay."
"Excuse me." She smiled and walked away.
The school beg rang for break and students began exiting their classes.
Ivan stood there reminiscing on the feel he had earlier.
Could it be that he's developing a soft spot for his best friend?
"Nahh! That'll be so gross."
******************
Simon sees Adonis with his nanny Pearla immediately he walks into his big house.
His visar was quick to take his briefcase.
"Good evening sir." He greeted.
Simon nods at him and headed straight to Adonis who was too engrossed playing with his toys.
The little boy brightened up when he saw his father. He quickly runs to him.
"Daddy!"
"My boy!"
Simon stooped to embrace him.
"I was waiting for you all day. What took you so long?"
"I had to work."
"B..but you work everyday."
"Cause you go to school everyday."
"Oh! That's true." Adonis blurts and grins.
Adonis has a striking resemblance with his father; Simon.
Grey eyes, sharp facial features and black hair. He's a five years old kid but could be mistaken to be older because of his manly features which Bella has taken advantage of in her business; modeling.
At his age he has a swooping net worth of a million dollars, ain't he one lucky kid?
"Tell me Ado, how was your day?"
"My day went super duper dad! I and mom went to see the monkeys at the park. Then, we went shopping."
"Oh really?"
"Hold on_" He runs to Pearla and who gave him his superman toy.
He runs back to Simon to show him.
"Wow Adonis. You got a superman?!"
"Yeah. Isn't it great?"
Simon rubs his hair and smiled.
"It is my boy. It is."
"Guess what daddy?"
"What?"
"Mummy has a surprise for you upstairs."
"Oh really?" Simon asked with arched brows.
Adonis nodded.
"How bout I check it out?"
"I'll come_"
"...alone.
Adonis face dropped to a frown.
He always would follow him around all night but not today...