Little Big Problems

Chapter 11: We Meet Again

I am lying on my bed, tired from today's shopping spree with Areum and the boys, and scrolling through social media when someone knocks on the door. Salma, who is getting ready for a movie night with her friends, gets the door expecting her friends.

"Who are you?" I hear her asking the visitor.

"I am here for Harper," a very familiar voice says and I jolt up from my bed.

"What are you doing here?!" I ask Trent, his smiling face greeting me as I reach the door. Salma looks at both of us confused.

"I came to pick you up. Didn't I tell you to get ready by eight," he says, eyeing my over-sized t-shirt and pajamas. 

"It's eight thirty now," I tell him, "and I thought you weren't serious about picking me up."

"Oh, I was. It took me some time to get ready. And seeing you aren't ready either I guess it will take us some more time."

"You can't just barge in my dorm room and tell me to go a party with you," I protest.

"I didn't barge, I knocked. And I already told you I was coming to get you."

I purse my lips. 

"Is he giving you trouble?" Salma inquires me, sizing him up. He's twice her size but his wide grin makes him the least threatening of the two.    

"No, he's a friend." I sigh. I just wanted a quiet night in my bed and binge watch on Netflix. Not deal with this. 

Salma's phone chimes and she goes to the dresser to get it. "My friends are waiting for me downstairs. I am going," she tells me, giving me a look to know whether I want her to leave or not.

I nod and she collects her things before leaving, dressed in skinny jeans and a cute floral-print tube top. With a wave and a loud 'Take care', she rounds the hallway.

"If you have the confidence you can go like this, but I won't mind waiting if you want to change," Trent says when I turn back to him.

"What if I say I'm not interested in going to the party?"

"Then I say you're missing out on lots of fun," he answers, a smirk curving on his lips, "I also say I already told Mashika I'm bringing you. She's expecting her talented stylist."

I groan, moving aside to let him in. "You're no different than your devil friend."

"Oh come on Harper, I'm so much better than Adrien." He steps inside and makes himself comfortable on my bed. "I'm a way better choice." He throws me a lopsided grin. "Don't tell Adrien I said that to you, I don't want a fight."   

"You know what? You're better than him," I say, picking out a dress and earrings from the cupboard, "You don't bully, just stand aside and watch it. Way better," I bite out and that's enough to shut him. Well, he deserves it.

I stomp to the washroom to change. I picked out a black skater dress with puffy sleeves reaching till my elbows. The dress reaches my mid-thigh. It's simple but I think it looks good on me. I then put on the American diamond studs I bought a year ago and it's the only jewelry I am wearing for tonight.

When I come out Trent looks up at me. "You dress nice," he comments.

"Thanks," I reply curtly, moving to the dresser to apply makeup. I'm still annoyed at him for showing up unannounced and wrecking my plans of a Netflix night. Not to mention that he is best friends with the guy who torments me, which adds to my annoyance.

I hear him sigh. "Look Harper, I don't like it either when Adrien says mean stuff to you." I look at him through the mirror while applying my fuchsia pink lipstick. "I tried to stop him, but he doesn't listen. In fact, it makes him angrier and he goes harder on you. Sometimes he's passive-aggressive like that. The best option is to remain quiet and to not let things escalate."

I frown. "But he listens to Logan." I put my lipstick back and search for the mascara.

"Logan and him have a history. They both went to same high school. I don't know the nitty-gritty but I think Logan helped Adrien back then with some issues. He looks up to that guy, that's why he listens to him."

"Good for him then," I say nonchalantly, applying strokes of mascara on my eyelashes, even though on the inside I'm curious to know about Adrien's history.

"He's not all bad Harper." Trent rubs his neck, unsure of his own words. "Maybe with you. Normally, he's an okay guy, sometimes rough, but okay." He shakes his head. "It's like just a sight of you sets him in frenzy. If I didn't know any better I'd say he's crazy about you." I detect teasing in his tone. My cheeks color for some reason. Well at least there's no need for the blush.

"I'm done," I announce, marking the end of conversation. Even though I want to know everything about Adrien, I don't want to talk about him. Just a mention of him sets me in frenzy too.

I grab the Lita boots that I got the other day from my cupboard and hastily wear them. I again stand before the mirror for a final once over.

"You look really... good," Trent says, standing behind me and fixing his hair.

"You look... very good yourself," I compliment him back. I decide to go soft on Trent since he shared his side of story, not that I'm happy with it. But I know how difficult Adrien is. I can't put the whole blame on Trent for not stopping him when I myself can't do a damn thing. 

"Thanks." Trent grins. He does look handsome in a long-sleeved maroon t-shirt and brown cotton trousers. His normally curly hair is slicked back with some kind of hair product and it gives him a different but good look. The guy has put effort and it shows. I wonder if he's trying to impress Mashika.

"Let's go."

I grab my clutch and tuck my phone, cards and some cash inside it. After locking the door, we leave. The walk to VineWood isn't long and with Trent's company it becomes even smaller. He's a talker but I don't mind. If only he had better taste in friends, or rather just one friend.  

*******

Jeffrey's apartment isn't small, but filled with so many people it comes off as such. I thought it was going to be a small gathering, but the crowd here tells me otherwise. The lights are dimmed and the smell of alcohol, cigarettes and sweat hangs in the air. Some EDM music is playing loudly. There's a makeshift dance floor in the middle of living room and people there are swaying to the music, or more like grinding against each other. 

It's been so long since I last came to a college party, and now coming back it all feels a little overwhelming.

"I'm going to find the guys," Trent says, "you wanna join?"

"You go. I'll look for Mashika and others." Like hell I was going to join Adrien.

Trent nods, understandingly, and leaves to search for his friends.

I decide to get myself a drink before looking for Mashika. If I knew so many people will be here and it wasn't a last minute plan to come here, I would invite Jenny too. She's always up for party scenes. But it's way past nine now and she lives far. I doubt if Mashika was really expecting me with so many others already here. 

As I'm moving toward the kitchen, I feel a gaze on the side of my head. Even though I know who it is, I can't stop myself from looking back.

Adrien is standing at the other side of room with some guys and girls. He's wearing a white shirt with top buttons undone and sleeves folded till his elbows, paired with dark blue jeans. Simple but definitely sexy. Some strands of his raven hair fall over his eyebrows, giving him a dangerous look.

His dark eyes are trained on me, drinking in my whole figure, ignoring the others around him. Goosebumps rise all over my skin wherever his gaze strikes on my body and my face flushes. I feel conscious with the way he's looking at me. His eyes follow me as I'm walking through the crowd. I can't seem to look away either.

I crash into someone, making my eyes tear away from him.  

"Harper Young, we meet again," a voice with thick accent says. I look up to find ocean blues eyes staring back at me.

"Raphael."

*******