PROLOGUE:

Lea Wilson and River Parker don't mix; they don't like the same things, their lives are majorly different. But, what if these two people who are least expected to spend time with each other are doing exactly that? And, not only at school but at home as well.

After Lea's house falls apart due to a termite infestation, the Wilson's are invited to stay at an old family friend's mansion of a house.

The family friend also happens to be River's father. I'll give you time to digest that information. Yes, you're right.

The sarcastic nerd and the egotistical heart-throb live under the same roof and encounter a series of events that make the two do something they didn't think would happen.

They grow closer, and closer, and closer, until...well, you'll have to find that out for yourself. Follow them through their adventures of falling in love, getting their hearts broken, and learning lessons that explain there is more to life than they have ever imagined.




EPISODE 1:

Lea

Don't ask why I'm standing on the cold, dark street with my parents either side of me, staring at my collapsed house. All three of us, wrapped in our sleeping robes with our arms crossed over our chests to shoo away the bitter air, frown at our house – or what is left of it.




"Bloody house mites." Mutters my dad under his breath, his eyebrows are creased downwards, creating dents in the skin between his eyes and his forehead.

"What are we going to do?" My mother sighs, hopelessly.




Peculiarly, on the coldest night we've had in a long time, she decides to wear her silk pyjamas today - what a bad idea mum.

I jump in a spot, hoping to cling onto any ounce of warmth in my body, unfortunately failing when I feel goosebumps crawl onto every inch of my skin, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight. Great.




For another fifteen minutes, we stare unwillingly at the ruin we once called our home, while firemen make sure no one else is in the house. The roof has completely fallen, leaving no shelter for the upstairs bedrooms and crushing the furniture beneath it, it's like our house has been turned into a sandwich. Each and every downstairs window has cracked due to the excelling pressure from the sudden collapse. As if it wasn't already blatantly obvious, a fireman had to come and tell us that it's 'no longer inhabitable'. Brilliant.




At least we're alive and okay.

Our neighbors soon gather around to watch the scene, pointing at the concrete and brinks sprawled all over our front yard. Some approach my parents and give them their apologies while their children snicker under their breath.




Well, that's even greater. Thanks to termites, we've just lost our home, and people are laughing.

I want to curse, but I don't say anything aloud.




Instead, I think of every repulsive word that comes to mind and pronounce it under my breath, making no sound. Only a few hours ago we were we tucked up in bed and ready for a goodnights sleep, when BAM , the roof falls down. Luckily, we all managed to escape but taking nothing with us.




Shoot, my laptop.

I stand on my tiptoes and talk to my dad. "Where are we going to stay tonight?" I ask, trying not to let the irritation shine through in my tone.




"I guess we'll have to stay at a hotel for the time being. I'll work something out love." He pats me on my head like I'm a puppy and I stand down from my tiptoes.




I'm cold, hungry, tired, and I think I have PMS. I do not want to spend any more time on this street, feeling humiliated.




Hesitantly, I look around as I see our fellow nosy residents have formed a semi-circle around our house, my family being situated right in the middle.




Fan-bloody-tastic.




If you haven't already realized, I hate being the center of attention. So, this situation isn't helping.

Oh damn, my makeup is in there.




Focus Lea. Your makeup isn't important...Well, maybe it is a little.




My frown doesn't disappear, but it eases a little when I hear Marissa's calls over the noise of the crowd forming around us. I twist my head in her direction.




"Lea!" Marissa calls my name again as she wriggles and weaves through the gaps in the crowd and starts towards me.




"Lea! Are you okay? Holy crap, is that your house?" My mother glares at Marissa for her 'filthy' language.

"I meant crackers, holy crackers..."




Marissa adjusts her words to satisfy my mum, but even she looks confused at herself for making that adjustment.

I can't help but smile.




"Hey Ris, I'm fine. And yes, that's my house." I point and nod tiredly towards it.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God!" Oh great, she's started her mantra again.




Please don't say 'oh my god' again, Marissa, please. "Oh my God! How?" She asks, eyes wide.




I sigh, "termites."

"Eugh," She sticks her tongue out, replused. "Those little sh-" She stops speaking before spitting the nasty swear word that my mother will definitely disapprove of.

"I know," I mutter, a shiver wriggles its way down my spine.




"Oh my God!" She whispers harshly; it's her favourite phrase.

"What is it?" I inquire, rolling my eyes. She's always been overdramatic, but that's why we're friends, we're the complete opposite of each other.

"Look." She whispers into my ear as her eyes stare past me, into the crowd of neighbours.




I turn my body only slightly to peek at the audience gathered; in the huddle of bodies stand three familiar figures, easily spotted in any type of crowd. Not only are they much taller than everyone stood beside them, however, it's the aura that seems to radiate from them which differentiates them. I don't know how to describe it, but some people are just like that, able to turn heads when they enter a room even if no one knows who they are. In this case, though, I'm pretty sure everyone knows who they are - River, Jake and Ky.




They're incredibly attractive, from the confidence that they ooze and the way they hold themselves, to their flawless facial features and muscular physiques. Not only are they pretty popular in school, but their families are quite influential in this town with the wealth to show for it, contrasting to my family's working class status. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, but sometimes I do wonder how different life could be for my father if he didn't have to slave away at a job he resented, trying to make ends meet.

To add to the 'oh my God' effect, River looks straight at me.




Instantly, I twist my head away from them, embarrassed that he caught me staring. You would think that I wouldn't look back again, but no, I'm Lea and despite my impressive school grades, I can be pretty dim. Stupidly, I glance over my shoulder to find that all three of them are looking back in my direction. Jake, has a small smirk on his face - rude . However, Ky, is looking rather bored, meeting my gaze for only a moment before turning to the ground. River, on the other hand, continues to stare at me, forcing me to be the one to look away again.

"Why does this have to happen?" I cringe, snapping my eyes shut to avoid looking at the ruins of my house.

"They're all staring at you,"




Marissa states the obvious.

"Well no shit Sherlock," I say in a stupid voice, quietly so that my mother doesn't overhear.




"Excuse me, excuse me," I hear a man from behind me call.

I turn to face the middle-aged man who's walking hurriedly towards my father, calling his name.




Surprised, my dad turns from examining the state of his house and greats the man, hugging him for a moment before pulling away and telling him what happened.




"I don't want to go to school tomorrow," I say to Marissa. "Everyone's gonna be looking at me funny," I groan.

"Well, River's already looking at you funny,"




Marissa states, peeking a glance backward.

I playfully hit her arm. She's only saying it how it is, but still.




"Hey!" She rubs at where I practically only tapped her. I look at her, dumfounded. "Sorry, that was dramatic."




My attention diverges from Marissa to the middle-aged man speaking to my father when he says, "you can stay at our house." I never knew dad had the man as a friend, but I don't care even if he's a complete stranger.

I want to hug the man.

"Thank you, Malcolm, but I can't accept," my dad tells him.




Ah, his name is Malcolm and...wait, what? Is my dad high?




Did he just decline an offer to spend a night at someone's cozy, warm house for free? Come again?

"No, I insist." Replies Malcolm.

Yes! Go Malcolm, go!

"I don't know, it's too much to ask."




My father says.

"Only for one night, then I'll help you relocate tomorrow."

Dad pauses for a moment of consideration. "What do you say, Lea?"




By this time, I'm smiling foolishly at Malcolm as he continues to convince my dad, not realising that my father's question is aimed at me. I look up at him and snap back into reality.




"Uh, yeah, that sounds cool." I try to answer as smoothly as possible.




"Then it's settled, you can spend the night with us." Malcolm smiles.

***




My dad pulls up in Malcolm's driveway, parking his car near the edge of the grass and switching off the engine.




Curiously, I stare out of the window onto the house before us, or should I say mansion. My mouth creates an 'o' shape as I gawk at the large palace-like building in awe.




Gigantic pillars that hold up the second floor sit on the stairs that wind up to the front double doors. In the middle of the great front garden sits a flowing fountain with mermaid and mermen figures carved into its stonewalls. The lights from within the house illuminate from the several large windows, adding a fairytale glow to the nighttime darkness. As I allow my eyes to roam free over the beautiful architecture, both my parents turn to face me in the back seat.




"Malcolm is my old high school friend who I've managed to keep in touch with over the years.




He's a very nice man, and I expect you, Lea, to be on your best behavior." Dad says in his I'm-your-father-so-lets-be-serious tone.




I turn to him and nod my head, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. What am I going to do? Set the house on fire? All I want now is to have a tour of this mansion. Actually, I kind of just want to sleep.

Read Episode 2 Here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-2/

Episode 2

My parents and I climb out of the car, my father locking it as we start towards Malcolm's huge, black BMW. Malcolm had led the way to his house, the journey taking only fifteen minutes, yet the neighborhoods are utterly different.




Around this area of town, monstrously large houses stand detached with enormous gardens separating one from their neighbours. In their driveways stand only the latest and most expensive vehicles, putting our beat up Volkswagon to shame.




Be grateful you're alive, Lea. This materialistic stuff means little.

I look up at the beauty before me, the mansion that belongs to Malcolm and his family. Does he have any children?




"Well, this is my house," He says, climbing out of his car. "How about I get you all inside." He smiles at the three of us.




I realise I'm still in my pajamas; short shorts and a crop top. Not that I had any time to change unless I wanted to get swatted by my bedroom ceiling, but it's still embarrassing.




At least I have my robe, I think to myself while wrapping it even tighter around my shivering body. Today's cold night isn't being kind to us. We trail after Malcolm, making our way up the stairs beyond the pillars and wait in front of the tall main door. Malcolm fiddles in his pocket before pulling out a key that's locked onto a set of keyrings.




One yellow, rectangular keyring, in particular, outshines the others, attracting my attention - it's our school one that parents are handed during parents evening.




Well then, he probably does have a kid. I mentally scan through the possible people in my year that can be related to Malcolm, kind of hard since I don't know his last name.




Finally, Malcolm unlocks the door, pushing it open and gesturing for us to walk in first. Politely, dad nods at him and steps onto the marble floors covering the hallway, followed by my mother, then me. I have to stop my mouth from hanging open in awe of this place.




"Welcome home." He grins at us.

A comforting lukewarm feeling overwhelms me as he smiles at us; what a lovely person he is. I applaud you Malcolm. As soon as I feel the need to clap, which I wouldn't do anyway because that would be weird, we hear the tapping of the heels of slippers hitting the cream-coloured marble floor of this spacious entrance.




"Welcome!" The chirpy voice comes from a brunette woman, who is approximately the same age as Malcolm. "My name is Brenda." She outstretches her hand to shake my father's.




After hugging mum, she shuffles to me and hugs me with the same hospitable, yet painful bear-hug. Squeezing me tightly, I try not to gasp because of the pain caused by her bracelets pressing against my spine. After pulling away, she pinches both my cheeks with her index fingers and thumbs, wiggling my face slightly as if I were a toddler.




"Ah, how adorable, and how beautiful. If only I had a daughter." She sighs, now stroking my cheeks.

If they don't have a daughter, then...

Ah, crap.




You know Lea, you're pretty dumb for a straight 'A' student. Boys got your school too.




"But I'm sure you'll get along with my son just fine, he seems to take an interest in pretty girls." She giggles, saying the last part a little lower so I'm pretty sure my parents didn't catch it.




Great, they do have a son. And I can't believe she just said that.

"Shall we?" Malcolm points towards the open living room door and we follow his lead into the room.




Obviously, their house is huge, you can tell that from a mile away. The hallway is probably the size of our whole ground floor put together. In the middle stands a golden, spiral staircase, which I bet will be fun to slide down – not that I was thinking of sliding down it or anything.




The living room is double the size of the hallway, with three cream sofas surrounding a fireplace and a rectangular chestnut table in the centre. I take a seat with my parents on one of the sofas, as Brenda and Malcolm sit directly opposite us.




"What's your name sweetie?" Asks Brenda, her expression friendly and warm.




"Lea." I smile.

Dramatically, she sighs again




"Lea..." She repeats. "Such a beautiful name." She compliments, and I can't help but grin like a fool.

What? It's not every day that I get this many compliments in a matter of five minutes.




My father and Malcolm do most of the chatting for a while, laughing about the memories they shared together when they were both at school. After a few minutes, we all turn our heads to the door of the living room when we're interrupted by a clicking sound of a closing door. Then, we hear footsteps. I wait for Brenda or Malcolm to explain who it is.




"Ah, that must be our son," Malcolm reveals.




"Honey!" Brenda calls. "We've got visitors!"




I'm not entirely sure why, but my nerves start to appear. I lace my fingers together and pray, please don't be hot, please don't be hot, please don't be hot.




The footsteps become louder, they echo against the walls of this massive house.




Don't be nervous; he's just a boy, act cool.




I turn away from the door just as I see a shadow appear on the marble flooring in the hallway that isn't covered by the rug.




"Hi."




Oh my God.

I'm getting into the same habit as Marissa.




Okay, look. You might think I'm weird, but his voice is so...good. It's husky and deep and very, very sexy. I assume that his overly attractive voice only belongs to an extra-overly attractive face.




Why am I so anxious? He's just a boy. Just a boy.




Even though the urge is killing me, I don't dare to look up to match a face to the beautiful voice. Maybe the roof crushed me after all, and I died in my house, maybe this is heaven and this stranger of a boy is an angel.




Seriously, Lea? Chill out.

As I stare at my shoes, I can tell his feet are pacing along the living room floor, before he eventually places himself onto the free sofa. However, I still don't look up.

Look up god dammit! He'll think your weird!




"Andrew, Katie, Lea, we'd like to introduce you to our son, River," Malcolm speaks formally as he introduces his son.




No. No. No. Nah-uh. No way. River is a very unique name, and I only know one boy in my life called River and it can't be him, no bloody way. My head twists to look up at the gorgeous boy sat a few meters away from me, my assumptions correct.




It's River f-cking Parker!!




Although he looks a little tired, his weary expression does little to dampen his beauty. I know, I just called him beautiful, and I usually wouldn't describe a guy in that way, but he is, I'll be an idiot to deny it.




His soft-looking lips are tugged upwards to form a small smile, just enough to create a couple creases around his eyelids. He sits with his back against the cushion and one arm rested on the armrest.




His ruffled hair paired with a shadow of stubble peeking out on his chin and jaw line gives him a messy yet hot look. I know I sound like a teenage fan girl right now, however, it's hard to ignore, he looks mesmerising.

Read Episode 3 Here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-3/

Episode 3

Lea

After greeting everyone in the room, he then looks towards me. Almonst instantly, his smile weakens a little as a look of slight confusion surfaces on his curious face.

It looks like he's trying to work something out. After a moment of contemplation, I get it, as if a light bulb has suddenly been switched on in my brain.

He's probably trying to put a name to your face and can't remember, even though he shares the same English class as you.

I know I'm not popular, but I didn't realise that I'm literally that invisible.

As he eyes me for a few seconds too long, I can feel the warming of my cheeks under his gaze. It's a bad reflex of mine, it doesn't take much to make me blush the shade of a tomato and I'm so peeved because I can't help it. Thankfully, his eyes turn away to my parents.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he nods respectfully towards them.

"But I'm kind of tired, so I'm going to bed, have a lovely night," He says, to my relief. At least if he isn't in the room, I won't be so tense.

River pushes himself off of the cream couch, which bounces back to its original shape. As he walks towards the living room door, he pushes a few stray strands of hair back from his forehead to rejoin his thick head of hair, the shade of which can only be described as a dark melted gold.

Part of me is glad that he's leaving, the other part is pretty bummed. I can't come to terms with how one person could be as gorgeous as he is.

"River, could you please take Lea to the guestroom on your way?" Brenda calls after him, halting him in his steps.

Oh, crap.

My eyes quickly find Brenda, hoping that she can read through them how much I really don't want him to take me to the guestroom. But, instead of catching the sight my pleading eyes, she's expectantly looking at River for his response.

"Sure," he says, to my dismay, averting his gaze to meet mine.

Okay, Lea, think of him naked.

Wait, what slowpoke came up with the idea that believing someone is naked will calm your nerves? I shake the thought from my head – I definitely do not want to see River naked.

With an anxious laugh, I push myself off of the sofa too.
With a 'goodnight' aimed at my parents and the Parker's, I walk towards River.

Yet, of course, you should know, that it's not me if something stupid doesn't happen. The poor, typical Lea trips over the edge of the rug and dives forward in a way that may be mistaken as a
Superman act.

One arm outstretched in front of me, and one behind, in a weak hope of steadying myself. Luckily, I manage to stop myself just in time from crashing into River's chest; our bodies now only separated by a few centimeters.

I can't breathe.

What the hell, Lea?

I glance at River with an apologetic expression, yet all he does in return is flash his self-esteem-crushing smirk.

"Are you okay, love?" Brenda says, almost getting up from her seat to try to catch me.

Can this be anymore embarrassing?

"Yes, sorry, lost my balance..." I say, turning to face River, giving him a cold glare in return to his smirk.
It doesn't phase him though since he turns on his heel and strides out of the room with an amused expression. Rude. I scrunch my face in embarrassment at his back.

"Are you going, honey?" Mum says.

"Yes, have a good night everyone," I say again, speaking as confidently as possible in an attempt to conceal the fact that I'm an idiot who always manages to embarrass herself.

I make my way out of the room, kicking myself internally for being such a pathetic loser and notice that River is halfway up the spiral staircase, not bothering to wait for me. So, I pace hurriedly towards the stairs, taking a huge lunge to miss a step as I climb and catch up to him.

I place my hand on the glistening banister of the staircase, letting it glide across the cool material beneath. Glancing up in River's direction, I think back to the times I've seen him wondering around school. Obviously, he's always with Ky and Jake, with a desperate-looking Georgia trailing after him.

Everyone knows that he comes from a wealthy family. From the conversation that my father and Malcolm had only a few minutes ago, it's evident where their riches come from. Malcolm is the founder and CEO of Parker Designs, England's biggest architectural firm.

Their services are specialised for elite celebrities and personalities, nationwide and internationally. No wonder their house looks like it's fit for a royal family to live in.

After I admire his broad back for a few moments, he turns his head in my direction.

"You're so clumsy, try not to trip again." He snickers, stepping onto the second-floor landing.

If it weren't for his irritating statement, I would be admiring the beauty that is the second floor. Instead, I glare at the back of his head, wishing I could disperse into thin air.

"Ha-ha, so funny." I reply sarcastically. "I'm sorry if I was too close to breaking one of your precious nails."

He swiftly spins to face me, a daring stare present in his chocolate eyes. I notice the subtle clenching of his teeth, which sharpens his jaw line, making the contours of his face even more defined, his expression is entirely amused.

"Oh, don't worry, I get my manicure done tomorrow, so it shouldn't have been a problem if you did break them." He speaks so seriously that if it wasn't for his crooked smile to give his joking away, I would consider his words true.

"I won't be surprised if you do have a manicure, I've always thought there would be a feminine side to you." I cross my arms over my chest, proud of my comeback.

Lea, what are you doing? Dig yourself a bigger hole why don't you.

"Are you calling me a girl?" He inquires.

"Yes."

Oh god, Lea, you're officially awarded the prize of the craziest muhflecker.

"Have you seen these muscles?" He asks, looking down to each of his biceps in turn.

And now is the perfect moment for me to roll my eyes. "Wow, your ego is huge, and girls have muscles too you know."

He takes a few steps closer to me until his six-foot-tall body is hovering over my five-foot-two figure. I'm pretty sure I look like an elf compared to him.

His hand rises to rub at the light stubble on his jaw.

"My ego is huge?"

"Yep," I say, shuffling slightly backwards, trying to keep my cool about his close proximity.

"You're not as quiet as I thought you would be," he smirks.

"And you're as vain, if not more than I thought you were." A smile tugs up at my lips.

I take another step backward, realising that he's coming slightly closer and closer. But, there's a problem, my shuffling feet are stopped by the bannister behind me.

"You're a little too confident for your own good."

"Says the arrogant one."

You better say goodbye, Lea, because you're sheesh kabab.
River takes one more step towards me, trapping me against the banister of the stairs.

Our faces so close together that his warm breath tickles the tip of my nose, which makes nuclear bombs explode inside of me. My palms are sweaty, my robe feels extremely tight and my pulse rate soars. He peels his eyes from mine, only to let them wander slowly down my body and then back up to lock with my gaze again.

How f-cking rude and indecent.
Suddenly, I feel extremely self-conscious of my very revealing crop top that isn't covered by my robe. I try to straighten my posture, hoping to prove that his 'look' hasn't affected me.

That's it! He should learn what the phrase 'personal space' means.
Inhaling deeply, I smirk venomously at him before pushing my hands against his chest and attempting to shove him away, however, the only person who gets pushed is me. My spine arcs way too far backwards as it hits the bannister behind me.

If it bent any further, I'm afraid I could've tumbled ten meters to the ground floor to meet my bleak ending. At the sudden pain stabbing at my back, my jaw drops and I try not to wince from the pain.

Unbelievable! He doesn't move an inch.

In a matter of seconds, the second floor is trafficked with River's fits of laughter. He hobbles backward, away from me, to give himself enough room to bend forwards and clutch his stomach as he laughs even louder.

You made the jerk laugh at you, Lea. You deserve a massive round of applause.

"I tell you what, clumsy..." He breathes between his hysterics. "I needed that laugh."

And when I think he's finished, he laughs more. This time, he brings himself up to his full towering height and throws his head backward. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone downstairs heard him.

"Are we on nickname terms now?" I snap, trying not to pay attention to his laugh as best I can. And trying not to laugh myself.

"Oh, you mean 'clumsy'?" He straightens himself a little but doesn't quit with the laughing. "I think it suits you, don't you?"

"Don't you think 'dickhead' suits you?" I bite back.

"Ooh, the girl swears." He finishes laughing, staring me right in the eye with a mocking grin that never disappears from his lips.

"Where's the guestroom?" I inquire, frustrated.

The sooner I can get away from this douche, the better.

"Down there, first door to the right." He points down the mesmerising hallway, still with the amused look glued to his face.

Once I spot the door that he's pointing at, I dart away from him, pleading for my legs to pick up their pace and walk faster.

"You might want to slow down, otherwise you can trip and fall." He calls after me, just a few seconds before I can shut the guestroom door and block out his laughter.
Eugh, that was nasty. Everything about today has been nasty.

My house is ruined, I think I've lost all of my possessions, yet for a while I was happy, knowing that we were to stay at Malcolm's house tonight.

Unfortunately, little did I know that I'm an idiot and am able to make a fool out of myself and that they have a son who will happily embarrass me further. I sigh exasperatedly, leaning against the sturdy door while my eyes seel shut.
.
It's funny how your life can change so instantly in only a matter of hours.

Everyone's going to find out that I live with River Parker.

Everyone is going to be talking about what happened to my house.
Great, this is fantastic - this is totally how I planned my first year of sixth-form*.

After hearing a nearby door close, which I assume is River's, I open my eyes. Once I've taken in the elegance of my surroundings, undoubtedly I have an eyegasm.

With my mouth slightly open, I stare unblinkingly at the room displayed in front of my eyes.
Well, shit. It's pretty fucking amazing.

The guestroom is around the same size as the living room, with cream curtains and bed covers to match. There's a great chandelier hanging from the ceiling with glistening crystals dangling like daggers, threatening to pierce the loveseat at the foot of the bed that they hover over.

I smile stupidly at the California king bed ahead of me and compare it to my tiny single bed at home. To my right is the brightly lit bathroom, with the same colour scheme as the bedroom; gold, cream and black. Everything that my eyes scroll across seems to be expensive, and I feel too clumsy to touch anything.

Just as I want to leap onto the lengthy bed, I'm stopped in my tracks by a series of three knocks on the door. Anxiously, I pause, and I pray.

Please don't be him, please don't be him, please don't be him.

Read Episode 4 Here>>

https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-4/

Lea is a crazy but funny girl

Thanks for the update Lipstick

Crestaria:
Lea is a crazy but funny girl

Thanks for the update Lipstick

Indeed she is 😂
You're welcome

Episode 4

Lea

Slowly, the doorknob turns and the door creaks open while I stand statue-still. My father peaks his head into the room, scanning it with the same surprise that I must have worn on my face when I first came in.




"Hey dad," I wave awkwardly at him.

He pushes the door open wider, "woah, this is something, isn't it?"




He speaks, still enticed by the magnificence of the room.




"Yeah," I agree, looking up and only now realising the leafy patterns grooved into the ceiling. I wonder if that was hand-grooved?




"Have you managed to settle in?"




He asks, now looking at me. He takes a few strides forwards to take a seat on the chair belonging to the dresser that is standing against the wall.




"We're only staying a night, dad. I don't think I need to settle in."




"Mhm..." I hear the sound of his grunt succeeded with an uneasy silence. My father and I have never been able to hold up a conversation for long.




"About that..." He continues, clearing his throat. "Your mother and I have decided that it'll be best to stay here while finding a new place."




"Sorry?" I lean closer to make sure I've heard correctly.




"We thought it'll be best if we stayed here until we find another house." He repeats.




I'm not sure whether I should feel ecstatic that I will be living in this mansion for longer, or concerned that I'll be living with River Parker.




Don't get me wrong, the family are very kind for letting up their home for us to live with them, but their son is a bit of a dick. Just a bit.




"How long do you think we'll stay here?" I ask, pushing the thoughts of River's remarks earlier to the back of my head.




"As long as it takes, a couple of weeks, or maybe a couple of months."

Oh no.




A couple of months. Under the same roof as the dickhead. This will be interesting.




"Well, what about the house? What's going to happen to our things?" I inquire but wish I didn't after I see the pained expression that my father pulls at the thought of the wreckage.




"I'll speak with the insurance company tomorrow, nothing for you to worry about though. Just focus on school." He replies, itching the back of his neck as he does when he's stressed out.




Of course, that's his response to most things. Just focus on school. Don't let it affect your school work. Get the top grades.




I appreciate having parents that are so adamant on my academic success, but when it get's in the way of actual parenting, like the things that are more important than school, that's their downfall. I don't blame them, though. They've had it rough and so they don't want me making the same mistake.




"Don't stress out too much," I tell him. It's what I've been telling him ever since I can remember.

***




That night, I slept like a baby. With my knee's curled to my chest, cheek on the pillow and bum stuck up as high as possible, and it's the best sleep I've had in my life. The softness of the mattress cushioned my body heavenly as if I was sleeping on air.




The duck feather duvet wasn't too heavy, nor too light, just perfect. I've never been happier to wake up at seven in the morning before, however, the moment of happiness instantly drains from my mind.




School's a bih.




I push the duvet cover from me, exposing my bare arms and legs to the rays of sunshine pouring in through three large windows and the balcony of the wall to my left. I sigh, a bittersweet sigh.




Bitter, because I have school in an hour, and even though I love the subjects, most of the pupils that I have to share a classroom with are just not my type of crowd. Sweet, because I feel like I'm in heaven and I'm loving every minute of it.




Swinging my legs off of the bed and balancing on the soles of my feet when they meet the rug below, I jump up from the mattress and make my way over to the balcony, smiling in anticipation - I've never been on a balcony before.




After unlocking the door with the key that is hanging from the lock, I turn the handle and inhale the fresh air that whips around my face and hair as soon as the door slides open.




Steadily, I step out onto the tiled balcony floor, hopping because of the coldness under my toes as I reach for the railing. Leaning my head forward, my eyes try to take in all the acres of blinding greenery below me.




I am gob-smacked.




If I had a view like this to wake up to every morning, I would be a morning person.




Green, bushy trees scattered across the large plots of freshly cut grass, decorated with a vegetable patch at the far left-hand side.




Beside it sits a rectangular greenhouse, its glass walls glinting in the morning sunshine. Situated right in the middle of the garden is a swimming pool, its blue water looks like a thousand sparkling diamonds from where I'm looking. I don't usually feel envious of things like this, knowing that if I have a roof over my head, I'm probably more well-off than some people in this world.




Nonetheless, seeing a view like this in real life, not just on television, does make me wonder what it's like to be rich.




"Liking the view?" Says a familiar voice a couple of meters to my right.




Reluctantly, my eyes are turned away from the view to look in River's direction, and my happiness is slightly killed.




"I was ," a small smug smile tugs at my lips.




"Ouch, that hurts. Right here." He says mockingly while patting the left side of his chest.




He's just gotten out of bed, his hair is messy and his eyes aren't even fully open, but he still looks damn good, damn it. Why can't genes like his be shared amongst the population, not just given to one person? Despite my efforts, it's hard for me to ignore his bulging arms that aren't covered by his white vest. He does have some nice muscles...




What? No! Shush Lea. Eugh. Gross. Quit it, stupid girl!




"Awh, sorry, is your ego hurt?" I tease. Honest to God, I try to ignore his physique, but my eyes seem to be enjoying his view more than they enjoyed the view of the garden.

No! I said quit! Stupid girl. I swear, when River leaves, I'm going to slap myself in the face.




"A little," He smirks before turning to walk back into his bedroom. He stops in his balcony doorway and twists to face me again. "Breakfast is in ten minutes, hurry up." Then, he disappears.




"Wait!" I call after him, jumping to the edge of my balcony just so that I can get that little bit closer to his.




His head reappears, and then his whole body comes back into my craving sight...Uh oh. My craving sight? There is definitely something wrong with me. He waits for me to speak with his arms crossed over his sturdy-looking chest and a bored expression plastered on his face.




I swallow, "I don't have anything to wear to school." I state. "All my clothes are in my house." My house? More like my pile of bricks and concrete that can hardly be proven to have once been a house.




"So? Go in your pyjama's." He points to my current outfit, then spins around to head back inside.




"River!" I squeal. "I'm not going in my pyjama's!"




His eyes meet mine once again, yet his look is really intense. Although he's stood quite far away from me, I can make out their warm colour and the thick eyelashes that protect them. At this angle when the sunlight is shining directly into them, they're the colour of a burning fire. "Why not? You look cute." He debates, eyeing me.




I suddenly feel extremely self-conscious.




River Parker just said I looked cute.

Wait...




He just...




After exploring my legs, my mid-riff, my breasts and arms, his eyes finally meet mine again, but they're a much darker shade of brown this time. Maybe they change colour when he get's turned on?




Oh my God, Lea, you need counseling. Sorry to break it to you, but I think you'd be the last person River will be interested in.




"River! Are you checking me out? You pervert!" I step away from the side of the balcony, away from River, that way he wouldn't see my flaming cheeks.




"River! Are you checking me out? You pervert!" He repeats exactly what I've said, only in a high pitched 'girl-voice' that sounds more like a strangled cat or a dying seal.

"You're so mature,"




"Say's the girl who thinks I was checking her out," He hits back, and I'm not sure why, but his comment hurts, just a little bit.




See, I told you! You'd be the last person River will be interested in.

The goddam voice in my head is always right.




"So? Do you have anything I can wear?" I ask, returning to the original subject.




"Yeah, plenty, that's if you wanna look like a dude," He snorts.

I sigh, "River, please. I have nothing, absolutely nothing, can't you just help me out this one time?" I'm serious now, he too can sense it by the way the smile fades from his face.




It's true what I've said, I've lost

everything, and all my possessions are gone.




"One second." He gives in, rolling his eyes at me as if I'm a nuisance.




Okay, good, we're making progress.




Maybe he's not as bad as I thought he would be. However, after a good ten minutes of leaning patiently against the concrete balcony wall, I start to doubt whether he's helping me or ditching me. I lean over my balcony railing again, ready to yell at him for being a dickhead, before a knock on my door interrupts me.




I enter back into my room, running towards the door and turning the handle before whoever is on the other side can knock again. A slight gasp escapes my lips when I see River standing in the hallway, holding a pile of folded clothes in his hands.




"Look, I know I'm good looking, but you don't have to make your feelings for me that obvious." The dickhead smirks.




Was my gasp that loud?




"Well, you must like me since you went through the trouble of getting me those clothes," I say slyly, nodding towards the garments in his hands.




He raises one eyebrow, "did I mention these clothes are my

girlfriend's ?"




Girlfriend?




River Parker has a girlfriend?

Of course he has a girlfriend, dimwit. Why on earth wouldn't he?




"Thank your girlfriend for me then," I say.




"Will do," he replies, handing me the clothes before turning and walking away, down the corridor.

Read Episode 5 Here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-5/

Love story loading

Well done dear

Crestaria:
Love story loading

Well done dear

Yess yess yess

Episode 5
Lea

After having a fast shower and brushing my teeth with the toothbrush and paste that Brenda left for me in the bathroom yesterday night, I tip-toe back to the bed where the clothes lie, trying not to get the floor wet.




Unfortunately, I leave a trail of water droplets that fall from the tips of my waist-length blonde hair. When it's wet, it turns a dark shade of brown and the strands stick together to make me look like a drowned rat.




Yet when it's dry, the wavy strands present a mixture of chestnut brown hues with blonde highlights. I run my fingers through the wet fringe, pushing it away from my face to get a clear view of the clothes.




River's girlfriend has expensive taste in fashion.




The white top is from Chanel , probably costing her a fortune despite its averageness.




The skinny denim jeans seem newly bought from

Armani and match the off-white trainers perfectly. As cringe-worthy as it is, seeing as I don't have any underwear of my own, my mother had to borrow a few pairs from Brenda, who reassured her they were brand new.




Sighing at the situation, at how embarrassing it is to borrow underwear from someone else, I drop the towel from around my body and start to get dressed. Once I've finished, I look in the mirror of the dressing table and smile in satisfaction.




Everything fits just fine and the clothes look quite nice.




Quickly, taking into account the time that I read from the clock hanging above the bed, I tidy the guest room, neatly folding my clothes and placing them in the wardrobe, hanging the towel back in the bathroom and making the bed to how it was yesterday.




Heading towards the door, I take a deep breath, turn the golden handle, open the door, and walk across the landing towards the stairs.




Climbing down, I think of what to tell Marissa about this situation.




Yesterday, she knew that I would spend the night at Malcolm's house, however, she doesn't know whose dad he is.




Should I tell her?




When I reach the downstairs hallway, I stand a little lost in the spacious entrance, eyeing each door and corridor that trails away to another part of the house.




Well, there are ten doors and three corridors. Which one leads to the kitchen or dining room? I have no idea.




"This way, clumsy." I only realise now that River has been walking behind me on the stairs, his steps completely silent.




He strides past me, walking through the corridor directly behind the stairs and I hurry to keep up with his fast pace.




Now that he's dressed in tailored grey trousers and a blue-stripped shirt that clings to his upper body, my eyes can't help but glue to his back, watching the way his muscles contract and relax antagonistically as he walks towards an open-plan dining room.




It's the backs, boys' backs are my weakness I swear.




Stop staring at his back, Lea. Creep.

"Good morning," I smile, unwillingly tearing my eyes away from River and towards Malcolm, Brenda and my parents.




"Morning, did you sleep well?" Brenda asks through a smile that exposes her polished, white teeth.




"Yes, thank you," I was about to mention how I slept like a baby, but with River in the same room, I gather as little information as possible would be better. I don't want to get teased by him anymore.




Especially now since I know he has a girlfriend.




Who is she? I wonder.




River takes a seat at the dining table, closer to his parents, and I take the last available seat beside him, closer to mine.




As we simultaneously sit down, our arms brush against each other. It shouldn't be a big deal, but the stupid butterflies are setting of miniature pieces of dynamite in my stomach.




I glance towards the variety of foods in the middle of the table in order to distract myself. Cereals, bread, butter, marmite, jam, orange juice, apples, bananas, and the lists go on.




Untangling my intertwined fingers in my lap, I reach my hand out for an apple, only to freeze immediately when River's does the same thing. I move my hand back onto my lap instantly, sensing a heat wave overwhelming my cheeks.




To my surprise, River still grabs an apple only to place it on the empty plate in front of me, before getting one for himself.




Well isn't that adorable?

Instantaneously, my heart beats a tiny bit faster.




He takes a large bite into his apple as mine is still standing on my plate - I don't even want to touch it, afraid that it'll disappear when I do and the whole gesture would just be a pigment of my imagination.




However, my stomach grumbles, as if on cue to my thoughts. Cautiously, I lift my hand and wrap my fingers around the red skin of the apple, holding it up to my mouth. I take a bite, finally convinced that the apple is real.




Thanks dickhead, the apple tastes great.

***




"I better get going, I'll see you later." He nods at both his parents and mine, before placing the core of the apple on his plate, pushing himself off of the chair and tucking it back under the table.




"River, you are taking Lea with you, aren't you?" Malcolm questions, raising both his eyebrows expectantly.




No, please, God no. I don't want to. No!




I imagine how awkward and heavy the silence would be around us his car; I wouldn't be able to handle that. So, I shake my head at Malcolm.




"Oh no. It's fine, seriously. I'd prefer to walk." I say hesitantly.




"Don't be silly, dear, you don't know the way from our house." Brenda dives in.




Ah, crap.




I am squeezing my hands together so tightly that I'm pretty sure the circulation to my fingers is cutting off. Please, I do not want to go.




"Yeah, I'll take her." River declares as if it's no big deal to him.




It isn't a big deal, Lea, you're just a drama queen. Chill.




It's just a simple ride to school, it'll be fine.




"I'll be in the car." He tells me as he walks away from the dining room and through the corridor.




I watch him until he rounds the corner before turning to my parents and the Parker's.




"Have a lovely day, thank you for breakfast," I force a smile.




While they throw their goodbyes at me, I stand from my seat, leaving my half eaten apple on the white, clean plate, and push my chair back into its original place - tucked under the table. Brushing a ringlet of hair behind my ear, I follow the same suit as River.




Just as I'm about to head out the open front door , I catch a glimpse of myself in a large, round mirror hanging on one of the walls in the hallway, situated just before it.




Running my fingers through my damp hair that still makes me resemble a drowned rat, I frown at how unattractive I look.




Then, I shake my head and laugh at myself in disbelief. I've never cared about how I've looked before, never. I know I've inspected myself in the past to see my appearance, but never have I ever

cared.




***




The traffic lights ahead of us turn from green to orange, and finally red. River presses the breaks of his Mercedes convertible and the car immediately jerks to a stop, causing my body to heave forward but luckily it's caught by the seat belt.




"Would you slow down? You were going seventy miles per hour on a forty road," I say, glaring at his face that's focusing directly forward at the car in front of him. One hand grips the steering wheel whilst the other is rested on the hand break, ready to press it down when the lights turn green.




"Is the good girl scared of a little fast driving?" He teases, pouting his lips in a mocking manner.




"Yes, I'm scared. But you're not going to think I'm a good girl in a minute if you keep driving like a maniac!"




"Is that a threat?" He raises his eyebrows, facing me this time.

"Well done, Einstein." I scorn.




"What are you going to do about it?" He asks smugly, never believing for a moment that I'll do anything to him. "Are you going to hit me?" He leans a little closer to me. "Or maybe you're going to do something that only a bad girl does." He smirks.




I'm quite sure the butterfly's in my stomach have taken ecstasy by the way there are fluttering.




"Pervert!" I shout, moving away from his capturing eyes. "Now move, the light's green!"




He chuckles, "it's a joke, chill out."




His head turns back onto the road and he presses down on the gas and the car zooms through the streets so fast that the world outside the windows is blurred. I grasp the edges of my seat as the speedometer rises to seventy miles per hour, seventy-five, eighty.




"Okay, stop! Pull over! Now!" I yell, really pissed off.




The car slows and smoothly comes to halt beside the sidewalk and I undo my seat belt frantically.




"You're a dickhead!" I say angrily, trying not to scream. I hate fasting driving, I don't even want to think about the accidents that can happen because of it.




"You're really that scared?" He asks.

"No, I'm just a damn good actress. What do you think?" I pull the handle of the passenger door, but it's locked. "Open the door, River." My words aren't loud but are vexed.

"I'll stop driving fast, you don't need to get out." He says, but I shake my head.




"I'll prefer to walk. Please, open the door." I tell him, sternly.




"One thing before you leave," he fidgets in his seat until most of his upper body is facing mine. "You tell nobody about staying at my house. Okay?" He speaks patronisingly.




I wasn't planning on saying anything, but when he says it like that, it sort of hurts. I don't know why, but it hurts.




"I wasn't planning on telling a soul." And with that, I get out of his car and close the door behind me.

Read Episode 6 here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-6/

But they will eventually know

Well done Lipstick

Episode 6

Lea

After hiking the streets for ten minutes, I eventually arrive at school just before the bell rings. I rush towards the senior corridors that are trafficked with students huddling around their lockers, getting books out for the day of lessons to come.

Thankfully, the girl I need the most is waiting patiently by my tall, blue locker, looking down at her phone as I approach her.

"Hey Marissa," I call, slightly out breath from the number of stairs I've had to climb.

Her head shoots up to face mine and she looks at me with inquisitive eyes, probably wondering what happened to me yesterday after she left. Entering the code into my lock, the locker clicks open. Inside sit most of my books and my pencil case, which I luckily didn't take home last night.

What catches my eye, however, is a small folded note in the corner; it was probably threaded through the gaps of the locker door.

"Hey, how are you?" She asks, concerned.

"Well, apart from being homeless, I'm okay," I offer her my best forced smile as I reach for the note.

She leans back onto the locker behind her, "I know, I'm so sorry, it must suck. If you need anything though, I'm here."

My forced smile turns genuine, "naw, don't get all mushy on me. It's fine, don't worry about me." I wave dismissively as if it's not a big deal, but the issue is constantly circling in my mind.

Where are we going to live after we've outdone our stay at the Parker's? Where are we going to get money from? How long is it going to take before some sort of normalcy comes back into our lives? Jabbing those questions to the back of my mind, I look down to inspect the contents of this small piece of crumpled paper.

In messy handwriting is a message, which reads:
Hey, Lea. Come to my party tonight? Starts at 8pm.

16, Widow Drive, Brentary.
You can invite as many friends as you like
- Nick Convey

Well then, these past twenty-four hours have been strange, but I didn't think it would reach this amount of strange. The only way I could describe Nick Convey is the all around golden boy - he has the looks, along with the charisma, and is very athletic. I don't think there's a single succesful sports team in this school that doesn't brag of having him on board.

What is strange about this situation is that I don't really know him. If I remember correctly, a few years ago we were lab partners for a semester, but he didn't speak much and I definitely didn't open any conversation that wasn't chemistry-related. So why would he all of a sudden invite me?

"Ris, read this," I hand her the note.
After hastily reading it, her confused expression matches mine.
"Since when have you been friends with Nick?" She asks, still staring at the writing.

I shrug, "like, never, really."
"Well," her eyes slide up to meet mine again, and she's wearing a quizzical look on her face. "You going?"

"Ha. No way in hell would my dad let me, you know how he is." I reply, taking the paper from her and tossing it back into my locker.

"Mhm," she hums, most likely weary of my father's strictness.
Checking my planner for the lessons I have, being Math's, Biology, Chemistry and finally English, I take hold of all the folders I need. When I look upon my yellow English one though, I remember that River is in the same class.

"But," She pauses until she's gained my full attention. "You can always use the 'I'm staying at Marissa's house' excuse, eh?" Her eyebrow arches, making me laugh.

"Would you come with?"

"Any excuse to get out of the house," she responds, to which I laugh even more.

"If I lived in a house like yours, I would happily stay in."

She says something back, but I catch something out of the corner of my eye that distracts me. Of course it's River, and of course, I would spot him out of a bunch of people in the crowd. He's walking with his friends, namely Ky and Jake.

They're laughing about something, oblivious of the girls who are staring in their direction. Just as I'm about to look away, River's eyes meet mine.

They are outlined with a few creases caused from the contageous grin he wears.

I'm the first one to look away, still pissed off with what he said in the car this morning, it was rude and uncalled for. It'll be best if I stay away as far away from him as possible.

Although I have to live with him for now, those gorgeous eyes aren't going to bother me, or that chiselled jaw, or that muscular and Dorito -shaped back...stop!
***

The school day passes by faster than I thought it would, and before I know it, the bell for the last lesson rings. Pacing through the school, I head to the languages department. Upon opening the door to Mr. Sepriars English room, I am reminded that River is in the same class by his marked presence. He's the first person I spot, sat in the far left-hand corner at the back of the room with Ky in front and Jake beside him.

His arms are folded and rested on his desk as he looks out of the window to his left, overseeing the football fields in the distance where the lower year are currently practicing.

I look down to the ground, trying to avoid eye-contact with anyone, as I do normally. Walking around a few desks, I reach my allocated seat, which is right in the middle of the room, and drop my bag near the leg of the table.

Lowering myself onto the seat, I sense a pair of eyes on the back of my head. So, in a sneaky attempt to see whose eyes they are, I lean down towards my bag to unzip it, only to quickly glance backward. River is staring right back me.

Immediately, I look back to my bag, grabbing a few items while trying to ignore the subtle increase in my pulse.

Taking a black pen out of my pencil case and opening my planner to the first clean sheet of lined paper, I start scribbling random lines to pass the time until Mr. Sepriars finally arrives. He pushes through the door with difficulty, holding a dozen folders in one hand and clutching his briefcase with the other.

Placing the folders and briefcase onto the table, he claps his hands together to silence the mummers sounding throughout the class.

"Quiet please!" He calls and a hush settles over the classroom.
English, the only subject that makes sense to me. It's a shame that today, although I hate to admit it, River's presence behind me is awfully distracting.

"Please turn to where we left off in Romeo and Juliet yesterday," He instructs us while rubbing black pen marks off the whiteboard with a whiteboard rubber.

I open my folder and empty my Romeo and Juliet novel from the plastic wallet in the front, turning to the appropriate page before resting my chin in my palm. I have a weird urge to glance back over my shoulder at River again, but I don't.

"Right, Angela, you start us off." Mr. Sepriars orders the girl in front of me to start reading, and so she does.

Although I find the language of Romeo and Juliet impossible to follow, and I have no clue as to what the hell is going on half the time, it depresses me how tragic the ending it.

If only I could find my Romeo, but instead of dying because of poor communication, we'll live happily ever after.
Lea, focus!

"Thank you, Angela," Mr. Sepriars stops the girl from reading any further, and I've only realised that I've been zoned out and missed a whole two pages just lost in my thoughts.

The teacher searches the room for another reader before his eyes land on someone behind me. "River, you read next please."

Absolutely every head in the class – including mine - turns towards him, watching him straighten in his chair and clearing his throat. Just for one second, our eyes meet, but he turns his head to the book in his hands.

"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night, like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear; beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, as yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.

The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, and, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.

Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

Right, I'm sure in the past there have been times where I've admired him from afar, simply due to his good looks, but now having actually been introduced to and spoken to him, his voice sounds so much more intriguing, making me want him to continue reading more. His voice, although quite deep, possess a husky softness that is more than pleasing to the ears.

"Thank you, River." Mr. Sepriars stops him before he can speak any further, much to my dismay.

You will hate me, yet I can't help it. I glance over my shoulder once more and catch his eyes. He's looking at me, and it makes my heart beat just that little bit faster.

Read Episode 7 Here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-7/

Thanks for the update
Romeo and Juliet

Episode 7

Lea

After a couple volunteers finish reading a few pages of Romeo and Juliet, there is a class discussion as to whether or not Juliet should have agreed to marry Romeo.

Unlike in my previous lessons, I sit quietly at my desk, staring at nothing but the whiteboard a few meters in front, and do not contribute to the class discussion.

Mr. Sepriars – sensing my lack of enthusiasm – throws a few questions my way, but I answer them as quickly as possible before returning to my silence. I'm not usually like this, actually, I'm never like this.

However, everything that's happened in the past day has been surreal. I'm still in disbelief that I don't have my own home to go to tonight.

Fidgeting in my seat, I accidentally knock over my pen, which lands on the floor with a quiet 'ping'. A few faces turn in my direction to see what has happened as if I've accidentally dropped a nuclear bomb.

Oh come on people, it's a pen, stop looking at me like I'm a criminal; it's not my fault I'm clumsy.
Clumsy...

My thoughts go back to yesterday night when River was teasing me for my misfortunate trip in the Parkers' living room.

"Right, class, homework!" Mr. Sepriars claps his hands together excitedly, and I resist the urge to groan as I retrieve my pen.

I don't want homework right now. I need some food and some sleep. That is all.

I turn to the first page of my planner. Underneath the lines that I've randomly scribbled on, I reluctantly write ' Friday – English Homework' and wait for Mr. Sepriars to continue talking.
"Since we're on the topic of romance, I would like you to compose a poem with the title 'What love is'.

The poem should be at least three stanza's long and should be completed without any assistance. Overall, it should be under the genre of romance." Well, duh.

He pauses his speech as the bell rings to alert us it's the end of school. "You're dismissed." He finishes.

I start to pack up, returning my stationary to my pencil case and sliding Romeo and Juliet back into the plastic wallet in my folder.

Burying everything into a bag that Marissa kindly allowed me to borrow, I push myself off the seat and walk into the aisle between the desks, only to freeze in my place.

River's foot is touching mine, our arms are side-by-side, we're squished between the desks either side of us, and I don't dare move.

***

River
Busy in conversation with Ky behind me, I feel someone oddly close to me to my left. Twisting my head, I see Lea's petite figure beside me, of course; I knew I would bump into her at school eventually. I sense my leg against hers, my fingers only inches from hers, our arms smothered together; we're both trapped in the aisle.

Stepping backward to allow her to move further down the aisle ahead, she offers me a quick apology before walking out of the room.

"What was that all about, mate?" My eyes turn to meet Ky's who is standing beside to me.

"Oh, nothing. Just some kid who helped me out at the library." I reply, unbothered.

"Dude, you go to the library?" Jake asks from behind me, sounding shocked that I would do something like that.

Jake and Ky couldn't care less about education or what grades they get in their end of year exams. It's sad actually, because they're pretty clever.

This is mainly because both their families are loaded, so, they don't feel the need to work if they've got all the money they could ever want.

But, that's what makes me different to them, I like working, I like getting good grades. Deep, deep, deep down, I'm a nerd.

I guess that's something Lea and I have in common. Well, I'm guessing she's a nerd anyway.

"Yeah, I needed a new book." I wave my Romeo and Juliet copy in their faces.

I'm not lying. I did go to the library yesterday after school to get a new copy of the book, since I lost the other one. However, I obviously didn't meet Lea there, I just looked for the book, checked it out, and went home.

"Whatever man. Are you going to the party tonight?" Jake asks.

Instead of looking at me, his eyes are fused to Rachel Darey's backside as she leaves the classroom, I have to snap my fingers three times in order to bring him back to reality.

Meet Jake, the player who's probably slept around with more girls than those who have befriended me on Facebook, and that's a lot of girls.

Then, there is quiet and innocent Ky, who is most definitely the complete opposite of Jake. He has only loved one person before in his life, and I don't think he's over it.

"Who's party is it?" I ask.

Just as Jake is about to open his mouth to speak, his lips seal shut straight away. My eyes narrow at him in curiosity, then turn to look at Ky.

"Who's party is it?" I question again, this time hoping for Ky to answer me.

"Nick's," He says, an icy feel to the way he says it.

My fists clench in angst at just the sound of his name.

"No, I'm not going," I grit my teeth.

"And why the heck are you going?" I aim the question at Jake, regretting it instantly. My problems aren't his problems, he can go wherever he wants.

"To get free drinks and trash his house," Jake replies.

My fists unclench at his response. I shouldn't be angry at him, he doesn't feel it the way I feel it. And he doesn't hate Nick the way I hate Nick.

As soon as we walk out of the classroom, Georgia skips towards us, through the crowds of students in the corridor, and wraps her arm around mine when she reaches me.

Tugging at my hand, she pulls me lower while standing on her tiptoes and plants a rushed kiss on my cheek. Great, I've got strawberry scented lip gloss stuck to my cheek.

"How was English, babe?" She questions as we begin to walk at a faster pace through the corridor. A few students move aside to allow us to pass.

"Okay," I answer through a yawn.
It takes a certain mood to keep up with Georgia, and right now I'm not in that mood. These days, I don't really want anyone's company apart from Jake and Ky's, and more often than not I just want to be alone.

"Did you hear?" She begins her regular gossip session that the boys and I have grown accustomed to. Sometimes it's alright listening to the latest news of our school, but like I said, I'm not in the mood. "Nick has personally invited some girl to his party, I think he likes her."

Just the mention of his name makes my mood dive even lower.
"Who?" Jake asks.

"I'm not sure of her name," Georgia shakes her head and shrugs.

I hope whoever this girl is, she's clever enough to stay away from him.

I place my books into my locker, only leaving my planner in my school bag, and gently close the door shut. I'm suddenly curious to find out whom Nick's 'girl' is, and whether all this gossip is actually worth all the attention, especially from a curious Georgia.

"Why'd you care so much, you afraid she's gonna take your spotlight?" I ask her, teasingly.

"I don't care. I just..." Her unfinished sentence trails off her tongue and I lose her attention to something else in the corridor. My eyes follow the same direction that hers are glued, but I don't get what she's staring at.

"There she is," her eyes are fixated on whoever she's talking about.
Maybe not a curious Georgia, but a some-what jealous one.

"Where?" I ask.

"There," She points discreetly towards the opposite side of the corridor, towards a girl who's busily rummaging through her locker, a girl that is...Lea!

She's pointing to Lea! Innocently standing at her locker, placing the necessary books into the metal cabinet and then shutting it with as little sound as possible, Lea is completely oblivious to the fact that we're talking about her.

"You mean, Lea?" I ask surprised, turning to Georgia to make sure she has pointed at the correct person.

"Yeah, you know her?" Georgia nods.

"She helped him out at the library," Jake answers Georgia before I can.
Lea now turns away from her locker and starts to stride down the corridor, carefully dodging around people who get in her way.

I watch her back intensely until she eventually disappears from my view. I feel the need to advise her not to go to the party; Nick's intentions are never good.

He's just going to use her, that's all he's ever done. He uses people, and doesn't take responsibility for his actions.

I think you should tell her not to go.
"I need to run, see you later," I call towards the boys and Georgia, before following after Lea.

***
Lea
As soon as I reach the car park, I spot Marissa leaning against her red

Ford that's parked on the front row, her phone that settles in her hand is pressed up against her ear and she's in deep conversation with whoever is on the other end. When she spots me, she waves for me to come over. Once I'm close enough, I can hear her speak through the phone.

"Yeah, she's right here," Marissa speaks, outstretching her arm to hand me the phone.

"Who is it?" I mouth towards her.

"Your mum." She mouths back, and I take the phone from her clasp.

"Hey, mum." I greet through the phone.

"Hi sweetie, so are you sure you want to stay at Marissa's house tonight?" She questions.

At lunch, both Marissa and I agreed that she'll convince my mother to let me stay at her house for the night, since my parents would never let me go out to a party, ever. Marissa's parents are both doctors working the night shift today, meaning we'll have the whole night to enjoy.

"Yeah, I'm sure, don't worry." I feel a little guilty for lying to her, but sometimes what they won't know won't hurt.

"Okay, well, I'm sorry if this sudden move has put you off a little. It's only temporary until we find a permanent house." She sympathises.

"Mum, it's fine. Don't worry. I have to go now, but I'll talk to you later." I quickly change the subject before she gets into the flow of her 'parenting lectures'.

As I listen to her shed her goodbyes, and a list of precautions I should be aware of to make sure I don't get killed or kidnapped tonight, I sense someone behind me.

I look up to see Marissa's surprised expression as she stares uncertainly at whoever is hoisted very close to my back. I twist around to face whoever it is. Bad idea...

They are far too close behind me, so when I do turn around, I end up smacking my head against their chest and tripping over my feet, landing butt first on the pavement. Straight after slapping not only my butt but also my palms against the solid, rough ground, I wince in pain and embarrassment.

"Oh, fnck me." I cry, still sat unmoving on the pavement, rubbing the dirt off my hands and onto my trousers.

Well, they technically not your trousers.

"Language!" I hear my mother shout through the phone that is now sprawled on the ground beside me. My eyes widen, remembering she's still on the phone. I quickly reach to press the end call button.

"No thank you, clumsy."

Uh oh. I know it, I just know it's him.

The embarrasment is revealing itself as a bright blush on my face. Mortified, I don't look up, but out of the corner of my eye I see his hand outstretching towards me. My eyes dart to his to see whether he's being serious, or playing an annoying trick on me.

However, I'm terribly surprised; he's smiling, his expression angelic as he holds his hand out patiently to accept mine.

Read Episode 8 here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-8/

Lea sorry oo

Crestaria:
Lea sorry oo

The girl just dey fall like dollar

Episode 8

LEA

You shouldn't blame me for being a tad confused here. Wasn't he the one who told me to keep my mouth shut in that car this morning? And now he's here? Maybe I'm being petty but it's not every day that River comes to talk to me.

Obviously, Marissa is going to think something is up. I skeptically eye his hand, making his grin brighten.

"Oh, so now you're playing hard to get and won't let me help you up?" He chuckles, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not playing anything, dickhead." I bite back, taking his hand in my attempt of getting up from the floor.
Lesson number one Lea: never trust a boy.

His grip on my hand loosens for a fraction of a second, causing me to suffer a mini heart attack when I almost fall back to the ground.

He instantly bursts into laughter, probably from the expression of shock that passes over my face when I realise his cruel trick. Luckily, his grip tightens just before I land for the second time on my coccyx, and this time he pulls me until I'm upright and standing on both feet.

"Remind me to never let you help me again," I narrow my eyes at him, but he's still too busy laughing.
"Wait..." Marissa's voice inputs behind us, making me turn to her. "Did you just offer your hand to help Lea..." She points at River, her eyes now focused on a certain area on the ground in front of her as she thinks of what to say next.

"And did you just call him a dickhead ?" She points at me, furrowing her eyebrows. It's safe to say that she's very, very confused right now.

"Yes." River and I reply simultaneously.

We glance at each other, a look of disgrace on my face and a look of amusement on his, and then turn back to Marissa who is still trying to figure something out in her head.

"I'm sorry, I might be completely stupid, but am I missing something?" She waves her hands around in the air as she speaks;
now looking at both of us in turn.

"Because, the last time I checked, I don't think you guys exactly..." She pauses to find a good explanation, "know each other."

"You haven't told her?" He turns to me.

"You told me not to, remember?" I reply sharply.

"But, I didn't realize you were going to listen to me."

"Hello?" Marissa calls, now shaking her hands vigorously in the air.

I sigh, turning to Marissa.

"Remember that guy, Malcolm, yesterday night?" I ask her and continue speaking when she nods in remembrance. "Well, he's River's dad..." Once I reveal the 'big secret' to her, her jaw drops.

Her index finger is straightened and pointed directly at me. "So you're...living with him." The finger hesitantly moves towards River.
River and I both nod.

In a matter of seconds, her hands clamp against her mouth in shock and amazement. There goes her dramatic reaction, why in the world did she drop theatre class last year?

"Yeah, big hoo ha. Now lets go." I tell Marissa whilst rounding the bonnet of the car and opening the passenger door.

"Wait!" River calls, following me around the car bonnet.

By the time he reaches me, I'm already comfortably sat in the passenger seat, about to shut the car door, but he pulls it open before I can close it.

My eyes spot his toned biceps through the reasonably tight shirt he's wearing, and a shiver runs through me.

River, why'd you have to be eye candy when I'm supposed to be annoyed with you?

"Wait." He repeats, Marissa is watching him suspiciously, still confused.

He leans down until his face and mine are at the same level, only a foot away from each other, one of his hands rests on the car roof whilst the other is holding onto the inside of the door.

"What do you want?" I ask, adjusting my seatbelt.

"Where are you going?"

"What's it to you." My eyes narrow at him in annoyance.

"Stop playing hard to get, Lea." A smug smirk overtakes his expression.

"Oh, for fcks sake. Not everybody wants to blow you, River." I yell exasperatedly.

He chuckles. "No, I'm being serious." His face straightens. "Where are you going?"

"To Marissa's, where do you think." I rest my head against the seat, looking ahead, through the windshield at Marissa whose hands lean against the car bonnet. She's studying both of us intensely.

"Are you going just to Marissa's? No where else?" River questions as if this is a police interrogation.

"Jeez, why so nosy. Back off." I push at his chest, but I should know better because, like the first time I pushed him, he doesn't move an inch.

"Lea, I just want to know." He's entirely serious now, ther smirk having vanished.

"Why do you want to know?"
"I just...In case my parents ask where you are."

"You're such a bad liar." I retort, a small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. "Your parents already know that I'm staying over at Marissa's, and that's all I'm going to do tonight." I lie back.

I reach for the car handle as River backs away and then close the passenger door.

Marissa opens the driver's door and climbs in, after securing her seatbelt in place; she starts the engine and reverses out of her parking space. I know River is still standing on the side walk, looking at us as Marissa drives, but I try my hardest to keep my eyes focused on my fingers that are nestled in my lap.

Obviously, I fail.

Just as Marissa is about to drive out of River's view, I look up at him; he's staring straight at me, conveying a blank expression.

Maybe my lie didn't convince him... I don't know why I felt the need to leave out the fact that I was going to Nick's party tonight, I just did. I watch as Georgia Blakeman from our year comes to join him, threading her arm around his.

Her presence seems to take his attention off of me and I watch as they begin to walk back inside.
I'm guessing she's his girlfriend.
Why do I care so much?
***

"Oh my God," Marissa slowly pronounces every letter of the phrase as she admires me. "You look hot."

Thanks to Marissa's makeup and wardrobe, I've managed to fix up quite well. Matching a pair of short denim shorts over black tights and a plain white t-shirt, the outfit is casual yet with the addition of flawless makeup, it looks effortlessly cool.

If only I had the time to make myself up like this every day. Letting the waves of my dirty blonde hair hang down past my waist, I can tell why she's looking at me with wide eyes.

"Nick is going to be all over you!" She exclaims.

An uncomfortable feeling swells in the pit of my stomach as she says that.

"Ew, no," I reply, still staring at my reflection, sort of in awe and quite impressed with the way I look. "Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes and makeup though, you're the best."

"Do I sense sarcasm?" She chuckles, bending to get closer to the mirror as she continues applying mascara.

"No seriously, you're the best,"

"Stop, you'd do the same for me." She waves her free hand as she speaks; she does that a lot to express herself. "Oh, and I've put some clothes for you in the bag on the bed, you can keep them, I have far too many."

My hands fall from fixing my hair to swing by my sides as I take her in. She's so, so nice.

"See, you're the best. Thank you."
"Oh my God we're being too mushy today," her signature phrase takes a laugh from me.

After a small pause, she speaks again. "Do you think River will be there? He seemed quite interested in where you were going tonight."

Her words take me back to the parking lot earlier, "eugh, don't remind me, I fell straight on my ass in front of him." I shake my head in a poor attempt to bury the memory. "And I have no idea."

"I bet you hope he's going to be there," she turns to arch an eyebrow at me, returning the mascara to her makeup collection - just seeing it makes me miss mine.

"Psht, no," I reply, a little too quickly, and not too convincingly either.
She offers me a fat grin, "you do, don't you."

Fighting the urge to return her smile, I turn back to my reflection and run my hands through my hair, "I couldn't care less."

"Ha." She blurts, spinning away from me to grab her glass of water. "You carry on telling yourself that, hun," she finishes, lifting both her eyebrows as she takes a sip.
***

It only takes fifteen minutes before Marissa squeezes her car into the only available parking spot on the entire road. My heart wobbles in my chest; not just from the nerves that are starting to emerge, but from the blasting music of the house to our right.

By the extravagance that I'm guessing is Nick's house, I'm starting to feel as if everyone who attends my school is rich, apart from me.

Marissa and I get out of the car; not sharing a thought because it's evident we're thinking the exact same things. Fck, this isn't my scene.

We start towards the welcomingly open front door. There are few people that I recognise from school standing around outside on the porch that winds around the house.

Some are smoking what my innocent mind assumes is cigarettes while others just seem to be enjoying the cool breeze as they swig from whatever is in their cups.

"Oh my God," I need to sit down with her one day and have a serious conversation as to why she feels the need to say that phrase so many times. Wait...why is she saying it anyway?

"What is it?" I ask, cautiously stepping over an empty beer can, we've almost made it to the front porch.

"Look," She whispers discreetly, glancing forwards.

My eyes avert from her face to the front doorway of Nick's house that was free just moments ago, and there I find him, the party man himself.

When my eyes capture his deep blue ones that can drown you if you're not careful, he offers me a gleeful smile.

We're almost there, be cool.

"Hey, you made it." Nick greets me, calling over the loud music as a smile tugs at his mouth to reveal his white teeth.

"Yep, in the flesh," oh no, why did I say that? Resisting the urge to bring my hand up to face, I return his smile.

"I see you brought a friend?" Nick turns to Marissa.
'Uh, yeah. This is, uh..." I forget my friends name for a second, dazed by his adorable smile. Oh, yeah, it's Marissa.

Way to be cool, Lea.

"Marissa, right?" He says through a small laugh, probably wondering why on earth he invited a stuttering mess to his party. "How have you been?"

Hold up, am I missing something here? I didn't think these two knew each other.

"Good, you?" Marissa replies, giving him a friendly smile back. I look at her, trying to keep from showcasing my confusion.

His grin seems to falter a little, but he regains it quickly. "I'm okay, thanks. I'm glad you guys came, the party is just starting."

A lot of girls have spoken poorly of Nick, mainly those who have dated him for a short while and were unexpectantly dumped. However, it's hard to see how a person with a smile that seems as genuine as his could live up to the ill gossip.

Maybe he just didn't like them, and that's okay. Better to end a relationship rather than leading it on for too long.

Still be careful Lea, he still could be as bad as the gossip portrays him to be.


Read Episode 9 here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-9/

Episode 9

Lea

River is standing right there, wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a hard look on his face as he glares at Nick behind me. Then, his eyes meet mine, and his tough demeanor softens slightly. Thank goodness for the dim light that is hopefully concealing the redness of my face.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice two more figures stepping out from the throng of people to stand beside River. The first is Jake, who holds his ground with his muscular arms crossed intimidatingly over his broad chest.

Then Ky, who comes to stand beside him, glances from Nick to me, then to Marissa; his eyes linger on hers for a moment before turning to the crowd surrounding us.

"Shows over," Ky says rather effortlessly, yet everyone hears him and most pretend to go back to what they were doing. However, their ears are most definitely still with us.

"Lea, I swear this isn't what you think!" Nick begs from behind me, forcing me to look away from River and twist towards him.

"Save it," River says, calmly yet firmly. Stepping forward, he takes a hold of my wrist and pulls me out of the house through the front door and onto the porch. I want to pull my arm away from his unnecessary grasp but decide against it.

Marissa, Ky, and Jake follow after us like sheep with River as the shepherd until we are all out of the house and stood on the grass of the front garden. River's fingers are still tightly wrapped around my wrist. Although I want to deny it, his touch makes my heart flutter.

River nods towards Marissa, his expression quite agitated. "Did you drive here? Do you have a ride home?" He questions as if Marissa is in some sort of interrogation.
"Excuse me?" I turn at him, surprised at his rude tone of speech. Marissa stares at him in shock.

What aggravates me the most is that he doesn't even turn to face me; he simply leans forward, waiting for Marissa's response. Poor Marissa looks stunned.

"Yes." She answers quietly.
"Good, then you can go home. Ky, go with her and make sure she gets home." River order as if he's our parent.

"What on earth, River are you hearing yourself right now?" My voice is louder this time, and it finally captures his attention. He doesn't have any right to boss her, or anyone around like this.
He turns to face me, his glaring eyes piercing mine. What is wrong with him?

"You said you were going to Marissa's house only. What happened to that?" He inquires, the harshness of his tone still obvious.
"What the heck is it to you?" I bite back, loathing his bossiness.

"I'm sorry, am I missing something? Do you two know each other?" Jake asks, looking at both River and me in turn.

River lips part to reply with, "no, I mean yeah, it's complicated." He finally releases me from his grip.
Stepping closer to Marissa, I give her the let's-get-out-of-here look. "Ky, there's no need to go with Marissa, we're both going." I address him, before looping my arm around Marissa's and starting to walking down the garden path, away from the three of them.

"No you're not, you're coming home." River calls after me. Is it bad that a small shiver rushes through me when he says 'you're coming home'? As if his home is also mine?

Slowing my strides, I glance over my shoulder at him, eyebrows raised in a daring manner. "Or what?"

"I'm going to call your mummy and daddy." He calls in a patronizing voice, and I halt in my tracks.
Oh no. Not mum and dad.

If they find out I went to a party full of drugs and alcohol without their permission, I will not hear the end of their parenting lectures. Plus, I'll be grounded for life.

I spin around frantically and pace back towards River with the most venomous stare. "Parker, if you dare call them, I will cut your dick off and feed it to you."

He devilish smirk tugs at the corners of his mouth. "Babe, I'm dialing my mother's number right now, I'm sure she can pass me on to speak with your mum."

I'm taken aback by the word 'babe', yet try to hide it by narrowing my eyes at him.

"Please, explain why her mum will be with your mum?" Ky asks, extremely confused. He and Jake look like Tweedledum and Tweedledee together, it's funny, to me at least.

Lea, focus, you're meant to be angry, or worried, take your pick .
"Shh..." River places his index finger against his lips as he presses his phone to his ear.

"Lea, it's fine. Just go with River, I'll be fine." Marissa insists from behind me.

"Hi, is Lea's mum with you?" River speaks into the phone as I feel the blood rush through my veins.

"Fine! I'll go with you!" I exclaim, hoping that he'll hang up the phone. He displays a satisfied smile which irks me even more yet I try to calm myself.

"Oh no, don't worry," he speaks into the phone. "See you later," he says before hanging up.

"Wait, you live at River's house?" Ky asks.

"What the heck dude, explain." Jake pleads.

Neither River nor I can keep the amused smiles off our faces as we look at both Jake and Ky who are now beyond confused.

"We'll explain everything later." River says. "Ky, make sure Marissa gets home, Jake, follow me back to the wood house." River orders. Yep, he's definitely the shepherd figure.

"Wood house? I thought we were going back to your house?" I question unknowingly, following in River and Jake's footsteps after I throw a quick 'goodbye' at Marissa, who is walking with Ky towards her car.

"It is at my house, it's in the woods behind the back garden." River explains.

"It's our little hideout," Jake inputs. Unlocking his Ferrari and reaching for the car handle, the door opens upwards towards the navy sky blanketing us.

"I'll see you in a minute mate," Jake calls to River before climbing in. River nods a farewell in his direction, and we watch as Jake swerves onto the road and drives away out of our view, the sound of his engine overpowering the music that has just been turned back on in Nick's house.

"C'mon." River says with a much calmer tone this time.

Trying to cloak my annoyance, I follow after him as he strides down the sidewalk, passing two more enormous houses that are guarded by large, steel gates.

A breeze hits us, winding its way through River's hair and dishevelling it. It's a small thing, albeit it's enough to keep me subtly admiring him until we reach his Mercedes.

What? He's hot. You would do the same.

Once we're both inside the car and safely strapped in by our seatbelts, River turns the keys in the ignition, and the engine roars to life. As he steers the wheel to move off, a whiff of cologne tickles my nose, and the scent is heavenly.
Why do all boys have to smell so good?

He keeps his eyes on the road as he presses down on the gas and accelerates. However, he isn't speeding, for which I'm grateful.
Is he not driving fast for my sake?
"You never said you were coming to this party." I state whilst examining his features. I'm the first to break the silence in the car that is becoming too awkward.

"Neither did you." He replies, eyes still on the road. His teeth are slightly clenched.

I clear my throat, remembering the conversation I had with him in the school parking lot just a few hours ago. "You didn't need to know."
"Well, you didn't have to lie." His eyes find mine for a moment, before turning back to the windshield.
I don't reply, I don't know how to. To be honest, I don't know why I even lied to him.

"You know Nick just wants to get into your pants, right?" River continues, pressing down the break when the traffic lights turn red.
"What if I want to get into his pants?" I tease.

River chuckles, flinging his head back against the seat's headrest. "I don't think that's possible." He says through his laugh.

He has such a lovely smile, one that bears perfectly aligned white teeth.
"Why not?" I ask, acting overly offended.

"Because, I don't think you're the one for casual sex. I don't get that vibe from you." River explains, tapping his fingers against the black steering wheel.
"What vibe do I give you then?" I inquire, the curiosity in me coming afloat.

"Hm..." He thinks of what to say as his fingers tap on the steering wheel. The lights turn from red to green and the car accelerates. "I think, you're a hard worker and your biggest nightmare is failing an exam."
I smile, so true.

"I don't think you like attention either, but I may be mistaken," he cocks his head to one side.
Again, true.

"And, you put on this hard-to-get persona." River finishes, a mischievous smirk plays at his lips.
The way he says t makes my breath hitch in my throat. Does he think I'm playing hard-to-get with him? Am I? Pushing the feed of questions to the back of my mind, I reply with as much wit as I'm capable of.

"River, I'm not playing hard to get, I am hard to get."
Oh you wish, Lea, you wish.
***
After River parks his car in his house's driveway, we both walk side-by-side towards his back garden and head into the woods. The high moon and the twinkling stars scattered around it illuminate our way.

We push through the branches that seal the woods from the garden and enter the forest-like area. I'm extra cautious of falling over the unsteady wood floor, so I cling onto each passing trees truck, feeling its rough texture beneath the skin of my hand. River's in front of me, leading the way.

Every so often, he peeks over his shoulder at me.
"You okay back there, clumsy?" He asks, holding down a tree branch so that it won't smack me in the face when I walk by it.

"You know, your nickname for me is getting quite boring, I think you should come up with another one, dickhead," I tell him, trying to sound bored of the name but there is no stopping the smile that creeps onto my face.

"I can say the same thing for you. You saying 'dickhead' doesn't suit you, you're too nice." He states, facing back ahead to watch for where he's stepping.

"Me? Too nice? Oh, you haven't seen the ugly side of me yet then, Parker." There's a challenging ring to my voice.

He comes to a hesitant stop, twisting his upper body in my direction to show me his crooked smirk. "Bring it on, Wilson."

Before I can make a sensible justification to what I'm about to do, I just think 'f-ck it, let me do it, the guy deserves it,' and pick up a medium sized stone from the wood floor.

"This is for being rude to Marissa earlier," I say, before throwing the stone at his chest.

What I haven't thought about is River's super rapid reflexes, and how quickly he realizes the stone is spinning towards him. Therefore, before it's even an inch away from his chest, he catches it effortlessly with both hands. Then laughs. While holding his stomach. He looks like he's in pain. That's how funny.

There you go, Lea. You're that pathetic that he's laughing so hard it hurts. Go on, face-palm yourself, you know you deserve it.

"A stone? That's the best you can do?" He chuckles, standing up straight and recovering from his amusement.

"I'm glad I can make you laugh." I deadpan.

Don't blame the guy for laughing at your stupidity.

Both mine and River's heads turn in the direction of the sound of an opening door; I'm able to see through the tree branches the orange glow of artificial lighting and fire mixed together.

"Are you guys going to come in, or what?" Asks a familiar voice that I guess belongs to Jake.

River guides me around a few more tree's until I can see the open door with Jake stood in the middle of its entrance. My eyes squint to try and make out the rest of the house, or at least an outline, and as my eyes adjust to the little light around me, I can see that the house is camouflaged into the trees of the woods.

You can barely see it even exists if you shut the door. No wonder Jake called it their hideout.
"Hey." Calls River as we approach the door of the wood house.

Jake slaps his hand onto River's chest to stop him from walking further into the building.

"Did you tell Georgia about this place?" Jake questions.

"No, why?" River replies, puzzled.
"Why the heck is she here then?" Jake whispers harshly as he indicates with a bob of his head towards the room beyond the door.
Georgia's here, brilliant .

"I heard my name!" Georgia calls as she skips up to the door behind Jake. Once her eyes land on mine, she pauses dubiously. "Oh, hi," she greets with a surprised tone, glancing from me to River when he speaks.

"Georgia, this is Lea. Lea, this is Georgia, my girlfriend."

Read episode 10 here>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-10/

Let the jealousness begins

Good job dear

Episode 10

River is standing right there, wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a hard look on his face as he glares at Nick behind me. Then, his eyes meet mine, and his tough demeanor softens slightly. Thank goodness for the dim light that is hopefully concealing the redness of my face.




Out of the corner of my eye, I notice two more figures stepping out from the throng of people to stand beside River. The first is Jake, who holds his ground with his muscular arms crossed intimidatingly over his broad chest.




Then Ky, who comes to stand beside him, glances from Nick to me, then to Marissa; his eyes linger on hers for a moment before turning to the crowd surrounding us.




"Shows over," Ky says rather effortlessly, yet everyone hears him and most pretend to go back to what they were doing. However, their ears are most definitely still with us.




"Lea, I swear this isn't what you think!" Nick begs from behind me, forcing me to look away from River and twist towards him.




"Save it," River says, calmly yet firmly. Stepping forward, he takes a hold of my wrist and pulls me out of the house through the front door and onto the porch. I want to pull my arm away from his unnecessary grasp but decide against it.




Marissa, Ky, and Jake follow after us like sheep with River as the shepherd until we are all out of the house and stood on the grass of the front garden. River's fingers are still tightly wrapped around my wrist. Although I want to deny it, his touch makes my heart flutter.




River nods towards Marissa, his expression quite agitated. "Did you drive here? Do you have a ride home?" He questions as if Marissa is in some sort of interrogation.

"Excuse me?" I turn at him, surprised at his rude tone of speech. Marissa stares at him in shock.




What aggravates me the most is that he doesn't even turn to face me; he simply leans forward, waiting for Marissa's response. Poor Marissa looks stunned.




"Yes." She answers quietly.

"Good, then you can go home. Ky, go with her and make sure she gets home." River order as if he's our parent.




"What on earth, River are you hearing yourself right now?" My voice is louder this time, and it finally captures his attention. He doesn't have any right to boss her, or anyone around like this.

He turns to face me, his glaring eyes piercing mine. What is wrong with him?




"You said you were going to Marissa's house only. What happened to that?" He inquires, the harshness of his tone still obvious.

"What the heck is it to you?" I bite back, loathing his bossiness.




"I'm sorry, am I missing something? Do you two know each other?" Jake asks, looking at both River and me in turn.




River lips part to reply with, "no, I mean yeah, it's complicated." He finally releases me from his grip.

Stepping closer to Marissa, I give her the let's-get-out-of-here look. "Ky, there's no need to go with Marissa, we're both going." I address him, before looping my arm around Marissa's and starting to walking down the garden path, away from the three of them.




"No you're not, you're coming home." River calls after me. Is it bad that a small shiver rushes through me when he says 'you're coming home'? As if his home is also mine?




Slowing my strides, I glance over my shoulder at him, eyebrows raised in a daring manner. "Or what?"




"I'm going to call your mummy and daddy." He calls in a patronizing voice, and I halt in my tracks.

Oh no. Not mum and dad.




If they find out I went to a party full of drugs and alcohol without their permission, I will not hear the end of their parenting lectures. Plus, I'll be grounded for life.




I spin around frantically and pace back towards River with the most venomous stare. "Parker, if you dare call them, I will cut your dick off and feed it to you."




He devilish smirk tugs at the corners of his mouth. "Babe, I'm dialing my mother's number right now, I'm sure she can pass me on to speak with your mum."




I'm taken aback by the word 'babe', yet try to hide it by narrowing my eyes at him.




"Please, explain why her mum will be with your mum?" Ky asks, extremely confused. He and Jake look like Tweedledum and Tweedledee together, it's funny, to me at least.




Lea, focus, you're meant to be angry, or worried, take your pick .

"Shh..." River places his index finger against his lips as he presses his phone to his ear.




"Lea, it's fine. Just go with River, I'll be fine." Marissa insists from behind me.




"Hi, is Lea's mum with you?" River speaks into the phone as I feel the blood rush through my veins.




"Fine! I'll go with you!" I exclaim, hoping that he'll hang up the phone. He displays a satisfied smile which irks me even more yet I try to calm myself.




"Oh no, don't worry," he speaks into the phone. "See you later," he says before hanging up.




"Wait, you live at River's house?" Ky asks.




"What the heck dude, explain." Jake pleads.




Neither River nor I can keep the amused smiles off our faces as we look at both Jake and Ky who are now beyond confused.




"We'll explain everything later." River says. "Ky, make sure Marissa gets home, Jake, follow me back to the wood house." River orders. Yep, he's definitely the shepherd figure.




"Wood house? I thought we were going back to your house?" I question unknowingly, following in River and Jake's footsteps after I throw a quick 'goodbye' at Marissa, who is walking with Ky towards her car.




"It is at my house, it's in the woods behind the back garden." River explains.




"It's our little hideout," Jake inputs. Unlocking his Ferrari and reaching for the car handle, the door opens upwards towards the navy sky blanketing us.




"I'll see you in a minute mate," Jake calls to River before climbing in. River nods a farewell in his direction, and we watch as Jake swerves onto the road and drives away out of our view, the sound of his engine overpowering the music that has just been turned back on in Nick's house.




"C'mon." River says with a much calmer tone this time.




Trying to cloak my annoyance, I follow after him as he strides down the sidewalk, passing two more enormous houses that are guarded by large, steel gates.




A breeze hits us, winding its way through River's hair and dishevelling it. It's a small thing, albeit it's enough to keep me subtly admiring him until we reach his Mercedes.




What? He's hot. You would do the same.




Once we're both inside the car and safely strapped in by our seatbelts, River turns the keys in the ignition, and the engine roars to life. As he steers the wheel to move off, a whiff of cologne tickles my nose, and the scent is heavenly.

Why do all boys have to smell so good?




He keeps his eyes on the road as he presses down on the gas and accelerates. However, he isn't speeding, for which I'm grateful.

Is he not driving fast for my sake?

"You never said you were coming to this party." I state whilst examining his features. I'm the first to break the silence in the car that is becoming too awkward.




"Neither did you." He replies, eyes still on the road. His teeth are slightly clenched.




I clear my throat, remembering the conversation I had with him in the school parking lot just a few hours ago. "You didn't need to know."

"Well, you didn't have to lie." His eyes find mine for a moment, before turning back to the windshield.

I don't reply, I don't know how to. To be honest, I don't know why I even lied to him.




"You know Nick just wants to get into your pants, right?" River continues, pressing down the break when the traffic lights turn red.

"What if I want to get into his pants?" I tease.




River chuckles, flinging his head back against the seat's headrest. "I don't think that's possible." He says through his laugh.




He has such a lovely smile, one that bears perfectly aligned white teeth.

"Why not?" I ask, acting overly offended.




"Because, I don't think you're the one for casual sex. I don't get that vibe from you." River explains, tapping his fingers against the black steering wheel.

"What vibe do I give you then?" I inquire, the curiosity in me coming afloat.




"Hm..." He thinks of what to say as his fingers tap on the steering wheel. The lights turn from red to green and the car accelerates. "I think, you're a hard worker and your biggest nightmare is failing an exam."

I smile, so true.




"I don't think you like attention either, but I may be mistaken," he cocks his head to one side.

Again, true.




"And, you put on this hard-to-get persona." River finishes, a mischievous smirk plays at his lips.

The way he says t makes my breath hitch in my throat. Does he think I'm playing hard-to-get with him? Am I? Pushing the feed of questions to the back of my mind, I reply with as much wit as I'm capable of.




"River, I'm not playing hard to get, I am hard to get."

Oh you wish, Lea, you wish.

***

After River parks his car in his house's driveway, we both walk side-by-side towards his back garden and head into the woods. The high moon and the twinkling stars scattered around it illuminate our way.




We push through the branches that seal the woods from the garden and enter the forest-like area. I'm extra cautious of falling over the unsteady wood floor, so I cling onto each passing trees truck, feeling its rough texture beneath the skin of my hand. River's in front of me, leading the way.




Every so often, he peeks over his shoulder at me.

"You okay back there, clumsy?" He asks, holding down a tree branch so that it won't smack me in the face when I walk by it.




"You know, your nickname for me is getting quite boring, I think you should come up with another one, dickhead," I tell him, trying to sound bored of the name but there is no stopping the smile that creeps onto my face.




"I can say the same thing for you. You saying 'dickhead' doesn't suit you, you're too nice." He states, facing back ahead to watch for where he's stepping.




"Me? Too nice? Oh, you haven't seen the ugly side of me yet then, Parker." There's a challenging ring to my voice.




He comes to a hesitant stop, twisting his upper body in my direction to show me his crooked smirk. "Bring it on, Wilson."




Before I can make a sensible justification to what I'm about to do, I just think 'f-ck it, let me do it, the guy deserves it,' and pick up a medium sized stone from the wood floor.




"This is for being rude to Marissa earlier," I say, before throwing the stone at his chest.




What I haven't thought about is River's super rapid reflexes, and how quickly he realizes the stone is spinning towards him. Therefore, before it's even an inch away from his chest, he catches it effortlessly with both hands. Then laughs. While holding his stomach. He looks like he's in pain. That's how funny.




There you go, Lea. You're that pathetic that he's laughing so hard it hurts. Go on, face-palm yourself, you know you deserve it.




"A stone? That's the best you can do?" He chuckles, standing up straight and recovering from his amusement.




"I'm glad I can make you laugh." I deadpan.




Don't blame the guy for laughing at your stupidity.




Both mine and River's heads turn in the direction of the sound of an opening door; I'm able to see through the tree branches the orange glow of artificial lighting and fire mixed together.




"Are you guys going to come in, or what?" Asks a familiar voice that I guess belongs to Jake.




River guides me around a few more tree's until I can see the open door with Jake stood in the middle of its entrance. My eyes squint to try and make out the rest of the house, or at least an outline, and as my eyes adjust to the little light around me, I can see that the house is camouflaged into the trees of the woods.




You can barely see it even exists if you shut the door. No wonder Jake called it their hideout.

"Hey." Calls River as we approach the door of the wood house.




Jake slaps his hand onto River's chest to stop him from walking further into the building.




"Did you tell Georgia about this place?" Jake questions.




"No, why?" River replies, puzzled.

"Why the heck is she here then?" Jake whispers harshly as he indicates with a bob of his head towards the room beyond the door.

Georgia's here, brilliant .




"I heard my name!" Georgia calls as she skips up to the door behind Jake. Once her eyes land on mine, she pauses dubiously. "Oh, hi," she greets with a surprised tone, glancing from me to River when he speaks.




"Georgia, this is Lea. Lea, this is Georgia, my girlfriend."


Read Episode 11 here>>>>
https://beat.com.ng/mr-popular-and-i-episode-11/