CHAPTER FOUR: TANKINI

~ Looking at myself in the mirror is such a confidence booster ~

POV: GABRIELLA BROOKS

If anyone had told me I would be back in front of my neighbor's house ringing his doorbell, i would have called them a liar. But here I was ringing his doorbell because he was playing loud music again, I had an assignment due the next day and I couldn't concentrate with how loud the song was playing.

Did I really have to deal with all this shit? Why weren't the walls fucking sound proof?

I took in a deep breath as I pressed the door bell again, i wondered why I didn't ring the door bell the last time I was here, making me knock the door with my precious hands. I had small hope in my heart that he was going to turn off the music this time around, because he was a bit nice the last time I saw him, he fucking told me his name.

The door abruptly opened and what welcomed me was a half naked Kai. He looked sweaty like he had been working out and my eyes couldn't help but wander. His body was so.... I didn't even know the word because I couldn't take my eyes off his well defined six pack abs. He had this lean but at the same time large physique, my hands were itching to touch his well chiseled abs and I couldn't believe myself. And the way his jogger pants hung low on his waistline leaving almost nothing to imagination.....

"What are you doing here?" He asked startling me.

I was filled with embarrassment as I suddenly remembered what I actually came here for, I cleared my throat and tried to look up at him.

"Oh...it's your music, it's too loud." I said and I couldn't even recognize my voice, why was it so small?

"What's your name?" He asked instead of addressing the matter at hand.

"Briella." I breathed out.

Why did he want to know my name? Was he.....

"Briella, do you like me or something? Because if my music is really too loud, you can go study in a library. I heard there is one down the road not too far from here, go over there and stop looking for excuses to knock on my door. It's giving obsession vibes, really." Kai said with a smirk on his face.

Wow....here I was thinking he was starting to be nice but a scumbag was always going to be a scumbag.

"Me? Obsessed with you? That must be the joke of the century. Who do you even think you are? You must really think you are all that, Hardin Scott wanna be" I hissed and his smirk dropped real fast.

"Hardin Scott what? Who even is that? I wouldn't have you....

"Bro shut up, go and do your findings. I better not hear your music again or I'm gonna call the landlord and report you for assault. Because yes, your music is assaulting my ears." I snapped at him and walked away fast before he said anything else.

Fucking Bastard.

I got into my apartment and locked the door before sliding to the floor in shock, what the hell did I just do? Did i just tell him to shut up? Since when did I had the guts to talk to anybody like that? It was all his fault, yes, it was. If only he had said something along the lines of "oh I'm so sorry, I will turn off my music", but no, he decided to accuse me of being obsessed with him.

Like seriously, how did he even come up with that? Yes he had a nice body but there was no way I would even be obsessed with him. What was there to be obsessed about? His nasty personality or arrogant aura? Scumbag.

I do hope he didn't notice me checking him out earlier though, because that would be so embarrassing. I can't even comprehend how I was so shamelessly looking at his abs, it was my first time seeing a man's body so up close and damn, I wanted to feel it under my hands. But he just had to ruin it with his nasty mouth, serves him right that I told him to shut the trash he called a mouth.

I stood up from the floor with the resolution that I had done the right thing, I went into my room and decided to finish up my assignment. Kai actually didn't turn his music back on so it was quite peaceful. I spent the next hour doing my assignment till I got a phone call, I checked the caller ID and it was my cousin who also attended UCLA.

"Hey boo" I smiled as soon as I placed the phone on my ear.

"Hey B, hope you settled in fine? I came to your apartment the other day but you weren't around. I even tried calling but you didn't return my calls." Collins said and I felt guilty.

The day I told him to visit was the same day I went on a shopping spree and got my first tattoo. Getting that tattoo was the best decision of my life and i was planning to get another one on my waistline soon, the present tattoo above my right breast was such a confidence booster. I mean I spend hours looking at myself in the mirror these days.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't call you back since then, I went shopping with a new friend."

"New friend? Wow... my Gabriella is finally making friends, my baby is such a grown up" Collins cooed from the other side of the phone.

"It's not wow, do your findings. And please, I'm not your baby, this bitch right here is eighteen and ready to mingle. Clock it." I said sassily and he burst into fits of laughter.

"Ready to what? Oh my God! You are even using cuss words, who is this and what have you done to my cousin?"

"It's still me boo, don't be dramatic." I chuckled.

"There was something I really wanted address, the amount of boys I saw coming out of your next door neighbor's flat is alarming, are you safe over there?" He sounded really concerned.

Did Kai invite his friends over? Well, I wouldn't be surprised if they came off as alarming to Collins, Kai alone looked like someone you wouldn't want to cross on a normal day.

"I didn't even know my neighbor had friends, he is usually so stuck up and minds his business. Well, apart from the loud music he plays, he is pretty much harmless, even though he doesn't look it" I explained.

"So you know him that well, huh?"

"What? No." I quickly said causing him to laugh.

"Okay B, you don't know him. I just want to be sure that you are safe. And you may be right about your neighbor being stuck up, the last time i went over to your place, I asked about your whereabouts and he looked at me like I committed a crime by even trying to talk to him."

"Sounds just like Kai" I scoffed. "Enough about him, I'll be attending a fresher's party this weekend and you are invited."

"Oh yes, the beach party, I heard about it. Don't worry, I'll come, I know you can't survive without me"

"Cocky much? I'll see you there then, I have an assignment to get back to"

"Okay then, stay safe"

"I will" I smiled and hanged up.

That was my cousin from my mother's side, he was one of the few people who understood me and was like a best friend to me. I was really grateful for having him by my side all these years, he was my 911 whenever my parents suffocated me with what they thought was love, and still think is love.

My phone rang again but this time it was Sage, I quickly answered because Sage always calls me for all the good reasons.

"Do you have a bikini for the beach party on Saturday?" She asked immediately.

No Hi or Hello, straight to the point, I see.

"No I don't and there is no way I'm wearing a bikini so that hormonal young adults boys have the time of their life looking at my hot body, no thanks." I declined immediately.

"Oh come on, that's what everyone is going to be wearing. You can't look different, you are just going to bring unnecessary attention to yourself if you are fully clothed."

"And who said anything about being fully clothed? Girl, I'm going to wear a tankini" I shrugged.

"Briella you are nuts, but a good kind of nuts" Sage chuckled. "I think I'll be wearing a tankini too, let's go shopping tomorrow and see what statement tankinis we can get."

Did I just influence her? Oh my God, I think I should start being an influencer on social media.

"Okay...we'll just go after class tomorrow" I concluded.

"Yeah perfect, bye."

I put my phone down and imagined how the party on Saturday was going to be, my first ever party, I can't wait.