Alyssa Brandy has never been a run-of-the-mill type of girl. She's a diva and knows how to get her way. But even the strongest people can be broken.
In high school, she was hurt by the guy she thought she could trust. Now, in college, she's built...
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POV: Eden
Loud music plays from Alyssa's room. I know it's because she wants to annoy me. I'm trying to study and she knows it's the best way to piss me off. I know we have this little agreement to deal with each other, but this is just madness. How is anyone supposed to deal with this?
I groan and throw my pencil down against my notebook. I throw open my door and bang on her door. "If I have to listen to another Arianna Grande song again I will slam my head against a brick wall!" I shout into the door. No answer comes. "Fine, I'm coming in!" I twist the knob and bust into her room.
My jaw drops when I see her with noise-canceling headphones on and earmuffs for extra silence. She writes down something vigorously and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth.
She can't hear the music she's playing so, another confirmation that she's playing loud music to push my buttons. I walk closer to her and pull the earmuff and headphones off of her. She looks up at me in shock.
"Hey!" She says swatting at me, trying to get them out of my hand. I hold them out of reach.
"Turn that shit off, Alyssa," I order. She pauses the music on her phone. "Enough of that shit. You're going to make us get a noise complaint. And you know who's going to deal with that? You." I point at her. I grab her speaker off her vanity. "And I'm taking this." I wave the speaker around and storm out of her room.
Later I make myself dinner. Chicken Alfredo. I would say I'm a pretty good cook. I've made my own dinner for almost my whole life. Someone had to feed me and my little sister Edith, and that someone was me.
I add the creamy sauce to the pasta. A door clicks open. "What smells so damn good?" She asks. I add the grilled chicken to the pan and wipe my hands on my apron.
I turn to face her. "Chicken Alfredo," I say, eyeing her. She looks at the food and licks her lips. I smirk, "Do you want some?"
She raises a suspicious eyebrow. "Is it poisoned?" She asks and I grin.
I hum. "Maybe you should try it and find out," I suggest. She scopes me up and down, trying to pinpoint whether I'm trustworthy or not. I guess she decided to take a chance because she takes the plate from my hand and has a seat on the bar stool. She raises a noodle to her mouth slowly and takes a bite.
Her eyebrows raise. "This is actually not so bad," she says covering her mouth.
I give her a sarcastic smile. "You didn't die did you?" I ask, tilting my head.
She narrows her eyes at me. "Maybe I'm a ghost," she says.
"I don't think so. Aren't they supposed to be friendly like Casper? If so, you don't fit the criteria." I say smugly and dish myself some food as well. I don't miss the middle finger she tries to do behind my back.
"I'm going to my room. Don't choke. Or maybe do," I say smirking with my back turned. I hear a small laugh that makes me freeze momentarily.
"Thank you," she says quietly. So quiet I might have missed it if I wasn't tuned on to her laugh. My hands become sweaty as I hold my plate and power on into my room.
I close the door behind me and take a deep breath. A genuine smile makes its way to my face. Alyssa may hate me, but we have a connection with each other that's undeniable. A connection that can only be seen with a microscope.
Every day for the rest of the week and the following the committee met up to work on the dance for next Saturday. Alyssa and I were butting heads like no other—unable to find a compromise.
We had to rock paper scissors everything. Alyssa won most of the time. Eventually, we came to a solution. I dealt with the budgeting while she picked out the decorations. It worked best that way.
We did some of the work in class and some at the dorm. Now, all we have to do is wait for our huge order to arrive and set them up on the day of the dance. By the time we're done, my brain hurts and my stomach is eating itself.
Alyssa sighs and shuts her laptop. Her icy blue eyes meet mine. "Who are you bringing to the dance?"
I shrug my shoulders. "I haven't thought about it," I say honestly. With all the planning that we've been doing, finding a date hasn't crossed my mind. "Who are you bringing?" I ask.
She shrugs. "I don't know yet either."
A smirk grows on my lips. "Don't think about asking me. I'm not interested," I say as a scowl appears on her face.
"Wasn't planning on it. It's funny you thought you would even have the honor," she rebuttals. She stands and places her hands on her hips. Her blue eyes pierce mine. "Maybe you should take Ella-Mae." She says mockingly.
My eyebrows furrow. "Maybe I will." I look back at her and match the intensity brewing. "Would it be wrong if I did?" I ask.
She snickers. "Nope, not at all." She bites her lip like she's holding something back.
She stands over me. My back rests against the couch. I cock my head back to stare her down. "Say it."
"Say what?" She asks sarcastically. A devilish grin appears on her face.
"I know you want to say something. So just say it," I continue to probe her for information.
She shakes her head and turns on her heels. I try to keep my eyes above her waistline. Her door closes and I'm left alone. I let a deep breath escape me. My shoulder sag and I snicker. Haughty lady.
***
On Monday, I attend my first class, English. Ella-Mae greets me outside of the classroom. I give her a friendly smile. "Hey, Eden." She holds the strap of her bag and batts her eyelashes.
"Ella," I nod my head at her. I enter the classroom and Ella-Mae follows closely behind me. I take a seat in the middle and she slides into the desk beside me. My eyes wash over her and I wonder what Alyssa wanted to say the other night. Why did Alyssa bring up Ella-Mae?
Her mouth moves but I don't catch what she said. "What?" I ask.
She laughs and shakes her head. "I said, do you want to ask me something?" Ella-Mae restates her question.
I give her a puzzled look. "I don't think so. Why?" I ask.
"Because you're staring at me like you have something to say," she giggles.
I shake my head. "I don't have anything to say." She purses her lips and nods her head. I shrug and face front as well.
After English, I head to my next class. Ace slips into the seat next to me. "Bro guess what I heard?" He asks with a mischievous grin plastered on.
"I don't want to hear about another girl you're banging," I say rolling my eyes.
He laughs and pats my shoulder. "It's not about that this time. It's about you." This perks my interest. I raise a brow at him. "And a girl," he adds.
"What girl?" I ask curiously.
"Ella-Mae bro," my excitement deflates and my shoulders sag.
"What about her?" I ask plainly.
"A little birdy told me that she wants you to take her to the dance." His smile is so wide, but my lips form a grim line.
"I'll have to think about it," I say brushing my hands through my hair. I'm not sure if I want to take her. She's all for me and the feelings aren't reciprocated.
