Chapter 5

Damon King

I fucking can't get over the fact that she ignored me.

Come on Damon, you were practically being a git to her yesterday outta blue then you expect her to spare you a glance?

Are you seriously in your mind? my brain spat angrily.

I was sitting outside the pool with water dripping from my body. I had been swimming for almost 1 hour and 30 minutes to fade my frustration, nevertheless it was shooting up. Albeit knowing what I am doing is not what I supposedly am doing, my mind played it badly with me. I could not take the ignorance of Aria Reynolds for crying out loud.

 It was actually true. I didn't know why I behaved like a prick to her that cost me my sleep. It was her innocent face that can drive anybody to the brink of sanity. The scrunched up look of hurt on her face wasn't helping as it was hitting the back of my mind in boomerangs. Being an impulsive guy with arrogance has always been one of my traits. With her it feels different and it's shocking because I absolutely hate the way I behaved with her. Weird sensation of restlessness spread throughout my chest that made me feel sick with unwanted emotions. I wanted to do nothing with the emotions that had been constantly running inside my head but I was helpless to get rid of them. A rough sigh escaped my lips as I ran my hands through my thick wet locks.

Why was her messed up expression messing with my system?

I couldn't believe myself as the great Damon King was feeling sick just because of a girl's hurt expression.

She wasn't any girl Damon. She was the first girl to mess up your system," said my heart.

Damn it ! I can't even deny it.  

I expected her to fight me back today, not twist her face rudely from me. The all time feisty side of her's wasn't at the show instead she swapped it with her obliviousness. The fiery doe orbs weren't shooting their daggers like they usually do. I adorned the hot look of her throwing her cute innocent glares but I felt empty without them.

And trust me it was fucking driving me to nuts that her one smile made me act like a retard last evening. Yelled at her for no valid reason. And this morning her one look of ignorance is making me pull my hairs out of their roots in frustration. This was the effect she had on me which I absolutely spurned. My phone blared off, breaking my thoughts as I raised on my feet to fetch my phone from my bag.

It was a call from Noah.

" Where are you man?"

" In the private pool."

" Are you kidding me Damon?"

" What?" I growled.

" Don't tell me you are crazy enough to ditch your important morning lectures of Mr. Dawson," Noah complained, annoyed.

" Stop sucking my brain for Pete's sake Noah. I'll be back in two," saying that I ended the call and threw my phone on the lounge chair. I went to the dressing room to get changed. Tucking up my Armani black crisp collar shirt inside my burgundy pants I looked myself ahead of my mirror. Picking up my phone I made my way towards my class with my head engrossed in her thoughts. Classes would help me forget her.

Time skip

I was indulged in a conversation with Levi and Noah. We were moving towards the cafe after our classes. On our way back I saw Bethany, uni's playgirl shooting me one of her seductive looks. Albeit it did nothing to me, I passed her my sexy smirk, that for sure I knew would blow her off. Like I said, she made her way towards me twirling the tip of her dangling hair on her temple. Tilting her head down she batted her fake lashes before speaking," Would you be my date for tonight's party."

" I would think about it," I said nonchalantly, stuffing my hands inside my pocket. I wasn't in the mood to have a date. I need to get someone off my system and it definitely will not work if I am with a girl. Cause I know it would be her face that I would compare with my night stand.

" Why? You enjoy my company. Don't you? Let's have some fun for now then I will be all yours tonight after the party," she said shamelessly, making me roll my eyes at her. She was just one among the girls who I played with yet she had been clinging onto me for weeks.

I took a step close to her and leant close to her ears and whispered huskily," Enjoying is different from using. And you are the latter." With that being said I straigheted my posture and left her standing with embarrassment. I had too many to think about than her ashmaed form who stood screeching to her minions.

My steps halted and my eyes grew dark at the sight of Ria talking to a guy with her beautiful smile.

Did I just call her beautiful? I fucking need help!

She wasn't even bothered about my words and standing happily, chatting with a guy while the simp of a person I am, brooding over my harsh words towards her.

Still the idea of her being friendly with a guy didn't go well into my head, so that made me decide to teach the guy a lesson. Taking a few steps closer to the canteen entry I stopped my plans of my special punching lesson I wanted to teach the guy, when I saw the guy to be Theodare talking to Ria. Theodore? Why was he talking to Ria?

Puzzled, we sat on our side of the canteen. The canteen was as big as a football ground partitioned for the seniors and juniors. It was through the glass wall I saw them. With my curious eyes fixed on their form I was pondering the reasons for Theodore talking to her. He came back after 2 mins 37 seconds and sat ahead of us with a smile.

I had my poker face. Nobody noticed my expression nor that I never touched my food as they were too engrossed in their own world of gossip. It was never as worse as the girls but more of games and cars.

" What were you talking to Ria?" How would this sound? But if I ask this out they would know that I'm actually breaking my head thinking about the conversation he had with Ria. And Levi would for sure make a fuss about that.

" Was the girl Ria you were talking too?" How about this one?

Never in a million years.

And what the crap with your nick name? Do you actually see it Damon, it is actually a nick name. She is Arianna, and calling your rival with nicknames isn't cute. She isn't your girlfriend for you to address her with one," my brain snided at me.

It was supposedly right. Why the crap am I calling her Ria? She is Arianna. God please save me from this brat's spell. She is consuming me even without trying. Just like God heard my silent cries I heard Levi ask, " What were you doing with Arianna?"

"I invited her today for my birthday party," he said, taking a bite of his chicken sandwich.

She is coming for the party? Wow! At Least then I could make her talk to me and...

Tell me Damon.

I would--

Spill it already man, yelled my heart.

I might convey my apologies to her.

That's great!

I took a bite of my chicken nugget, smiling to myself that I would meet Ria at the party. Ria again?

Give me a break. Think about how you would make the fiery tiger talk to you, not with my cute nickname for her, chided my heart.

Time skip

I was waiting for Ria to come. We all were dressed formally for the party because it was held in Theodare's parents mansion. It fed me with the answer for Ria accepting the party proposal. Selective persons were only invited for the party as Theodare didn't want his parents to disown him. Mr. Reids is very strict about parties and get-togethers. Taking consideration upon our special request he allowed us to set a small private party with limited drinks. I was in my white shirt with my blazer hanging on my shoulder. Music was blaring off but my mind was lost. Nothing about the surroundings got into my head as I was nervous about meeting her and the cherry on top was my apology. How do you apologise to a girl to whom you were a douche?

"As a matter of fact, being a douche to girls was your trait,"mocked my brain.

I was a douche to the bitches out there not to someone like her," my heart replied.

Someone like her? In that sense?" My brain queried again.

She is innocent, my heart replied beating wildly.

Which means you should keep your distance from her, said my mind. And trust me, that almost made my heart stop.

Keeping a distance from her is what I have been trying to do but it doesn't work when she enters my sight. All my self control and the theories I frame for avoiding her vanish into thin air. When ever she walks she just pulls me into her. Damn! I cursed under my breath. I turned around to get a shot. Gulping down the drink I let the burning sensation deep down my throat. Placing my hands on the bar counter I took deep breaths. The back ground song seemed familiar but I wasn't sure of what that song was. The air around me took a shift, that made my divert my head automatically towards the entrance. My curious eyes sparkled with surprise when I saw Ria entering the party, whining beside Anna who was dragging her in.

Just as in cue the song's high notes hit, " I knew you were trouble when you walked in, shame on me now - ow."

Our eyes met and for a second I felt the world stop. She seemed surprised when I stood stunned to my core looking at her walking into my head. It felt like destiny was giving me hints. She was not only trouble but she put me to shame because she broke our eye contact minutes ago while I was unable to tear away my gaze from her. I smirked when I saw her complaining to Anna. Of course she would have cursed about me looking at her like a caveman. Because I saw Anna esping me through Ria's shoulder.

"Let's play truth or dare," we heard a girl yell from the crowd.

I smirked before replying," I'm in."

Author's POV

Theodore was true to his words. The party was nothing Arianna expected it to be. Since parties or get-togethers weren't her cuppa tea she wasn't very sure about attending Theodare's party. There wasn't much of the crowd she expected it to be. She recognised some familiar faces from her college of their senior batches. Anna was talking with them while Aria was having a peaceful talk with Theodare's parents. Anna told her about the private party and pestered Aria to join her. Dragging an almost whining Aria she finally got her into the party. Theodare waved his hands at his sister while Arianna's eyes were locked with the jerk she didn't expect to see. His eyes held a weird emotion that scraped the high walls of her heart. Just then the background song balred off," I knew you were trouble when you walked in, shame on me now -ow." making her break off the eye contact. Even after her breaking the eye contact minutes ago she felt dizzy with his continuous unguarded stare.

" Why the crap is he here?" she asked Anna who was completely unaware of her friend's ruined mood.

"Who?"

" Damon King?"

" He is Theo's best -- I mean he is also in Theo's cricket team," she said laughing nervously mentally praying Aria should not go into her investigation mode.

When Aria was about to query her further they heard a girl yell, " Let's play truth or dare."

" I am definitely not coming," Aria said, shaking her head to a no.

" It would be fun. Don't be a spoil sport," Anna tried to make her give in but Aria was beyond stubborn.

" The crowd don't deserve to know my truths nor watch me do something just to prove them that I am brave." Aria replied calmly, glancing at the spoiled crowd. You could never make her do anything that she doesn't want to. She was always too stubborn about her decisions and never backing up from her thoughts.

" It won't end well if I am involved so you carry on. Lemme get some fresh air," said Arianna, smiling softly. Anna nodded at her, agreeing with her.

Unwanted questions and stupid dares drives Arianna to the brink and you can't expect them to play decent. Her shell was too hard and very closed to peek at her thoughts and her heart. And she prefers it that way. Not being read by anyone.

Jason's mood turned sour when he saw Ria nowhere near the crowd but his heart eased when he heard the dares. The very first dare was to Kiss someone for 3 minutes. Nobody wants their secrets to be out, which is why they chose dare. And for sure he would have snapped the guy's neck if they gave anything weird to Ria. He was about to back off silently and look out for her but shunned his actions when the bottle stopped facing him. It pointed at Jane, another playgirl in the university of their class

"Truth or dare?" she asked in a husky tone raising on her feet. She wore a pink tight dress that barely covered her ass.

Damon read her intentions and said," Truth," nonchalantly. He didn't want Ria to witness him kissing and making out with a girl when he wanted to talk with her. Not after hearing her call him STD. The answer made her roll her eyes as she sat back huffing on her seat.

An evil plan invaded her head. Giving a sick smile to him she asked," If you were to ever date a girl, who would it be." She had a strong feeling that he would say it was her because she was the daughter of his mother's best friend. Being really close to his family, especially his mother, she thought of trapping Damon into her ways but he never gave way for that. He always put her in check and today she was trying to win over. His mother once said that if he would ever choose a girl friend for himself she wishes it would be Jane but man, she was terribly wrong. Damon knew she was an infamous slut who sugarcoated his mother just for his looks. He knew she was anything but innocent.

" It would be Ria. I mean Arianna," he said, giving her back a smirk that made her eyes pop out of her sockets.

"What? You mean Ms. Attitude? Uh.. I mean Arianna Reynolds? Your arch nemesis?" she screeched, acting like she was hurt hearing him.

"Drama queen," he muttered under her breath.

" Why?"

" Your turn got over," with that being said he rose on his feet taking his blazer  from the couch.

Turning on his back he heard her." I know you are lying baby. You just want to make me jealous by telling me that you wanna date your arch nemesis. Stop playing hard to get Damon," she spoke with furious eyes with a fake smile plastered on her plastic face.

He turned around laughing. " I am telling this for anything but your lame reply.

 Lemme remind you Jane, you are a bitch.  If I ever were to get myself a serious relationship all I expect is true love and loyalty. Bitches can't love and stay loyal. Once a cheater always a cheater," he said taunting her blatantly.

"And trust me when I say the only girl who can ever fill in the place of my girlfriend is Arianna Reynolds. The only girl who always had my eyes on her," he said softly this time. A small smile peeked his lips that made his lads gobsmacked. Sipping on his drink he went out the crowd while Anna sat with shocked expression.