chapter 10

Jessica's POV. 

"May I have some of what you're having?" A deep voice called behind me causing me to turn a little just to view what was going on but to my surprising 

Roosevelt Apollo, the captain of the other hockey team, smiled at me as though we were long time friends.

Of all the things that are expected this wasn't one of them and I wondered why exactly he was making such a move.

Had I suddenly worn a sign on my forehead attracting these males to me who had never pretended to even learn of my presence in a long time.

"You look like you are seeing a ghost and I wonder why." He laughed, before reaching for my cup of cappuccino, and sipping from it.

"Ah, this is refreshing!" He said with so much excitement that had me rolling my eyes. 

This was an unusual way of asking permission from someone especially when we wanted to take their drink. 

"That's not polite." I chided him..

He raised his eyebrows as though he had never expected me to challenge his shenanigans and I wondered what manner of audacity he possessed to think that way. 

Was I supposed to be excited that he considered me worthy to drink from my cup? 

"I mean, aren't you the girl that walks around as though she cannot even breathe around the guy and here you are speaking to me?" He smiled but there was nothing funny about his words. 

They rubbed off wrongly on me, causing me to raise my eyebrows at those stupid words. 

I had more than enough reason not to worry about many things but I was holding back just so that I could not go away from the possibilities of losing my mind. 

There were many things that I would have wanted to do but I stopped halfway because none of them would give me the fulfillment that I truly desired. 

It was going to be a waste of time and I wasn't going to allow myself to be sucked into this drama. 

"You are very sweet, a lot of people have commended your presence and I think it's wonderful." He continued. 

I heaved a sigh, yet refused to be rude by walking away because that was going to attract unnecessary attention to myself and that was the last thing I needed. 

"I would like to order another cup of coffee." I told the waiter, who looked away. 

"Are you deliberately avoiding me darling? A lot of people do not get away with this. I don't want you to be caught in the web of my anger." Roosevelt kept laughing as though he was telling the joke of the century." 

*

My arrival home wasn't a pleasant one because I marched up to my room in readiness to go ahead and find out another way of helping myself out of this dilemma. 

It wasn't going to take a long time before I got annoyed, but I was also willing to take as much time as I could get so that I didn't make any unusual mistakes. 

Mr Simpson's order was to submit the projects next week so I better hop on it before I lose the chance. 

The sound of the door opening behind me had me turn around and I remained rooted in my position when I saw Nate walk in. 

This wasn't close to what I was expecting but at the same time I hoped that I would be able to handle it correctly. 

"Fancy running into you at this time of the day. Aren't you attending practice?" I whispered in a conversational tone hoping that this didn't rub off wrongly on him. 

His gaze remained actively on mine as he looked as though I had undergone some metamorphosis and the gum under his shoe was speaking. 

"You were speaking to that boy earlier today. What was he telling you?" 

Now this was the most abrupt thing that he could have ever said to me but I was not even worried about it, instead I was staring a little bit confused as to why he would believe that he had a right to speak to me whatever way he pleased. 

"Oh, is that so, now?" 

My responses were short but I wasn't going to subdue and subject myself to such rubidical from someone who didn't even know the slightest thing about mingling with others. 

"I don't see why this is any of your business. I have not come to complain to you about him, have I?" 

He shoved his hands into his pockets, striking a GQ pose. 

His attractiveness was off The charts and I kept wondering how fate decided to play a first one on me by making him my step brother instead of a love interest. 

" That boy is bad news. Stay away from him."

Was that it? 

I was expecting a more ground shaking explanation about why he wanted me to stay away from someone whom I had no affiliations with and had even gotten on my nerves for the very first time we spoke. 

"Is this what you go around doing? Ordering girls to stay away from people who you think are better than you are?" I flung the insult at him without hesitation. 

He had dug the hole, it was my duty to ensure that he regretted his actions. 

His jaw set into a thin line, his eyes wandering over my body and then returning to a rigid pose. 

"When the consequences come knocking I hope you are able to handle it." 

He headed straight into his room and I looked away for a minute. 

There was a disastrous thing blooming between both of us but since he wanted to pretend like it didn't exist, I would love to show him that I was a master at the art and nobody came close whether sooner or later. 

The door opened and Seth walked in, "I need to have a word with you."