"won't you guys introduce yourselves to me?" I asked politely.
"you've already lost your chance, cute face" the other guy said, and then went upstairs, to his room I guess. "I'm Ethan, and the guy said just left is Jasper, and the other rude one is Liam" the third guy introduced himself and his friends. I smiled at him " I am Barbara, you can call me Barbie" I also gave an introduction. "sure, let me show you to your room" he helped me with my luggages and led the way to my room, he also helped me to place them inside the room. Isn't he a gentleman? "if you need anything I'm just over there" he pointed at the door opposite mine. "sure, and thanks for helping" he smiled and then finally left, while I shut the door. I looked around my room, it was large I wouldn't lie, even though it isn't as large as mine back in LA. I arranged my things and took a shower, because I was feeling sticky. When I was done with taking a shower, I decided to take a little nap. I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing, "ugh!". I then picked my phone from the lamp stand and looked at the caller ID, it was my dad. I answered the call "hey Dad" "hi honey, how are you doing?" he said to me smiling. I smiled back and replied "good, but they roomed me with three boys, so pathetic". He chuckled and then said "really? and you let them? no, no, this isn't my Barbie, what have you done to her? He joked while we both laughed. "there was no other room, well, except I stay in a normal one, so I am only staying here for Harvard" He frowned "really? so you aren't staying for me? it isn't fair, I am your cute dad, and you love Harvard more than me?" he pouted. Awhn! he looks so cute. "stop behaving like a baby, of course I love you too, but not as much as I love Harvard". He pouted "fine, then let Harvard give you allowance, cus I'm cutting you out" "what! no, of course I love you more. Please don't cut me out" now it is my turn to pout. He laughed "now that is my cute baby. Alright I need to go, my PA is here, you know how troublesome he is" "okay, bye!" then he cut the call. This is why I love my dad, he knows how to always lighten my mood. I got up from the bed because I soon started feeling hungry. I wondered if there was anything available to eat in this house. It was 6pm, and I wondered if they would still be at home. I came out of my room and went downstairs, I haven't still noticed anybody. I then went to the kitchen towards the fridge. I opened it hoping to find something that will satisfy my hunger. I found a cake, and just when I was about to grab it I heard someone from behind me "did you put anything in there?" I stopped what I was doing and turned, only to see Liam glaring at me "you should eat your own grocery" "where do you want me to get groceries from? I mean I just got here?" I replied him. " then you can go to the cafeteria and get something to eat until you can get yours" he replied me rudely, while I glared at him. "can't you try to be nice? I mean it isn't so hard?" Ethan said to Liam while grabbing an apple from the counter. "nice? how can I be nice to a person that was rude to us when she got here?" Liam snapped at Ethan angrily. Well I wouldn't drag, he was right though. "I'm sorry for expecting you to be nice, I mean how can you be when you were never taught to be nice?" Ethan snapped back at him. Liam was furious, I could tell so, cus his ears were smoking, well not physically but I could tell. "at least my parents are still with me, where are yours?" Woh, woh, I think this is personal, now I know that Liam is a jerk. I mean why mock someone about their family, it's just not right. "boys, don't you think that you shouldn't be fighting because of her?" They both just glared at themselves after what Jasper said. "Luke is throwing an opening party, so rather than argue, why don't we just go attend it?" Ethan removed his eyes from Liam's own and said "sure, I mean I am in for fun" "what about you Liam, you coming? Julie would be there to keep you company?" Jasper said winking at Liam. Liam glared at Jasper but replied "I'm only going cus I want to be away from this bitch here" he said referring to me. "hey you better watch it" I glared at him. I mean how dare he call me a bitch? I hate him completely. Jerk, a**hole, he should go and f**k himself.Chapter 68 – "What He Saw" Barbie’s POV Have you ever noticed that the world always feels quieter after something you didn’t want to happen… happens. Like it wants you to feel guilty for what you have done. That silence crept in slowly as I walked home from the boardwalk after my meeting with Jasper. My fingers still trembled from the way his lips had touched mine—soft, familiar, but completely wrong. It wasn’t the kiss that haunted me. It was the fact that I hadn’t stopped it fast enough. It made it look like I wanted it to happen, like I wanted to kiss him. I pulled away though. I had even said no. But for a second, just a second, I’d frozen. That second was all it had taken for guilt to seep in, like a crack forming in everything I’d been trying to hold together. I hate guilt. The wind tugged at my coat. The sky was a dull, heavy gray, like it, also knew that someone walking under it was breaking-me. When I got to the apartment, the lights were off. Liam wasn’t home yet. I
Chapter 67 – "Not Like This" Barbie’s POV It had been three days since Liam confirmed he was going to Paris. The news had settled in like a soft fog around our apartment. There was no fighting. No tension. Just this gentle, aching space between us where all the plans used to live. I didn’t blame him. Why would I, it's just life, some people would always leave. In fact, some small part of me admired his courage. But that didn’t make it easier to breathe when I watched him sketch silently across the room or when I reached for him in the middle of the night and felt the weight of everything we weren’t saying. I spent more time at the library, more time with Lucy and Dolly. I started avoiding the apartment for longer stretches, afraid I might break into pieces if I sat still long enough. That’s how I ended up with Jasper. Again. We hadn’t talked much since he got back from London, but he’d been trying. He texted often—soft, careful check-ins. Occasionally flirtatious, but mostly
Chapter 66 — “What If I’m Not Enough?” Barbie’s POV The days were blurring now. Liam had officially accepted the offer in Paris. His excitement was palpable, buzzing through our apartment like static electricity. He’d started learning basic French phrases, printing out articles about the artist he’d be shadowing, and talking about the art scene in Montmartre like it was already his second home. And I was happy for him. Truly, deeply happy. But something inside me was slipping. I was supposed to be thrilled for my boyfriend chasing his dream. I was supposed to be proud. Supportive. But instead, I was scared. Not of losing him, surprisingly. Of losing myself. Again. It started one rainy afternoon in the studio. I was alone, trying to work on my portfolio. My fingers hovered over the sketchpad, pencil poised. Nothing came. Not a single line felt right. I stared at the blank page for what felt like hours. I could still hear my mom’s voice echoing in my head from her last cal
Chapter 65 — “Stay True to You” Barbie’s POVI woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating against the nightstand. The screen glowed in the dim room—Mom.A knot formed in my stomach. It was too early for a casual chat and too late for good news. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, sat up, and answered.“Hello?” I croaked.“Barbie,” my mom’s voice came through, calm but sharp. “You sound tired. Did I wake you?”“Kind of,” I mumbled, stretching. “Is everything okay?”“Yes, don’t worry. Your father and I just wanted to check in.”I glanced at the time. 6:57 a.m. Not even my alarm had gone off yet.“Check in?” I repeated, already feeling the conversation tightening around me.“You’ve been... distracted lately. Every time we talk, you’re either talking about Liam or you sound like you’re somewhere else entirely.”I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’ve just been busy, Mom. School’s a lot.”“And Liam,” she added.I swallowed hard. “Yes, and Liam.”There was a pause on the other end, long and point
Barbie’s POV The moment Liam said, “I’m going,” the world shifted. I knew it was coming. He’d hinted, danced around the idea for days, and I tried to pretend I didn’t notice. But now that he’d said the words out loud, the weight of them crushed the air from my lungs. “To Paris?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. Liam sat across from me in our living room, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers clasped together tightly. He nodded. “Yeah. I called them back this morning. I told them I’m accepting the mentorship.” My hands trembled in my lap, hidden by the throw blanket draped over my legs. I kept my face composed—supportive. That was what love meant, right? Being happy for him, even when every part of me wanted to ask him to stay. I didn’t know it would hurt like this, it really did. “That’s amazing,” I said, managing a small smile. “You’re going to be working with Elias René. That’s everything you’ve wanted.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s only for three
Chapter 63 - Liam's POVI received a letter from my artist role model, I haven't opened it yet, I feel like I would like what was in it, and at the same time hate it.I opened it later and read it again an again, then placed it back on my table. The letter sat on the edge of my desk like a loaded weapon. I read it again for the fifth time, though the words hadn’t changed: You have been selected to join Master Renaud Laurent for a six-month artist residency in Paris, France. Paris. Six months. With my role model. My dream. So why did my stomach churn with something more than nerves? I glanced at the window. The sky outside our apartment was a dull gray, with streaks of early spring rain. The soft patter on the glass was normally calming, but today it felt like a ticking clock. Each drop was a second slipping by, a countdown. Barbie was at school. I knew she’d be home soon. I turned to the canvas I’d been working on—a portrait that had Barbie written all over it, even if I hadn’t