Steal my Heart.

2

Beautiful cover by @HoneyClumsyFudge_x
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Presidency Convent. My school stood regal and royal, sheltered by tall trees as the sun shines on the brown roof. The gate is wide and it opens to a grassy, vast ground. There are three floors and the school has a beautiful, brown structure. At the back, there is a swimming pool, tennis court and the library. On the side there are the basketball and football courts. The cafe is on the other side along with the staffroom. It's an imposing building and I love the feel of it.

I park my scooter in the parking lot and walk upstairs. I'm an awkward mess but I try to appear confident as I walk past the people. I don't know any of them personally, they are just passing faces. Ones you see everyday, but never actually talk to.

"Gracie!" A familiar female voice shrieks and I turn behind to see Melissa running towards me. My best friend is a bomb of energy. She's wearing denim shorts and a crop top accompanied with boots and she has a wide grin on her face. Her red streaked hair flies behind her and she jumps on me as soon as she is near me.

"Oh my god Grace, I've missed you so freaking much!" She says loudly and I laugh.
"I've missed you too Mel. How was London?" I ask her about her trip.
"Amazing! It was wonderful. The place is stunning, the people are beautiful and the boys, whoa, gorgeous!" She says animatedly and I laugh.

Until last year, Mel belonged to a clique, the one known as the popular group. She was the queen bitch, not caring about anyone and stamping anyone who came within her way. She was a raucous party goer and completely wild, until she met Albert. He was her Chemistry partner and they soon bonded over test tubes and beakers. Staying with Albert taught Mel about simplicity and that life is better enjoyed being sober. They fell head over heels in love with each other and started going out. They were very different from each other and they did look mismatched, with Mel's red streaked hair and Albert's specs. Since Albert came under the 'nerd' department, Mel's friends had disowned her. We first started talking in the library and I liked her as well. We started hanging out and now she is my best friend. Melissa has been through a lot of shit in life and has come out very strong through all of this. She deserves the best and I'm so glad that she found Albert as her anchor.

We reach the office and collect our schedules from the lady there.
"Gracie Hyde?" She scrutinizes me from above her glasses and I nod.
"Here is your schedule. Your classroom is 305." She says and I take the paper from her.

I have Biology, Math, English Literature, American History and Creative Writing. Mel's schedule is completely different from mine, just like our personalities.

We stand outside the office and talk when my gaze falls upon a group of boys walking by, or in fact, one particular guy.

Alastair Kerr.

Blondish brown hair tousled perfectly with a sharp face structure, Alastair is very handsome. A well set jaw along with a hint of stubble, accompanied with a killer body, made him the hottest of Presidency. His eyes, however, betrayed his happy body posture. His eyes were sad, like they're looking for some answers. They were tired, they were searching for happiness.

And then he laughed. His laughter is a deep, ringing noise, which reaches till the bottom of my spine. Without even sparing a glance at me, his group turns along the corridor, leaving me staring after him.

For some unknown reason, I've always felt very attracted to Alastair. I've never talked to him and I don't even know if he knows I exist. But I clear my thoughts. That guy is nothing but trouble. He is a bad boy. And I'm not one of those girls who like bad boys. With their smirks and bikes, they might seem attractive, but that's all what they are. In the long run, you can't marry a guy who has no ambition.

In fact, I like good guys. There's a phase in every girl's life where she wants the bad boy and waits for him to notice her. Then follows an affair, then heartbreak, some bet he made with his friends comes spilling out and then some hot sex, eventually leading to the ultimate heartbreak. It doesn't last. Nice guys, however, care for you and respect you. They might not make you scream their name all night or take you on adventures, but your heart is safe with them. And that's all that matters in the end, someone who respects you and treasures you.

But love, it is just not for me. I'm eighteen already and I haven't even been asked out. I am socially awkward but I'm not ugly. I might say I'm okay looking and pretty when I apply make up. I don't get why no guy asks me out then. Not that I am desperate, but when girls your age have boys chasing them, you tend to question what flaws you have.

I anyways console myself saying that I don't need a guy. I don't need anyone to complete me, I'm pretty much happy in my independence. I don't loathe love and I would someday definitely want to have my own pretty house with kids and a loving husband, but it all starts with a guy looking at you. Maybe someday there will be someone. Prince Charming doesn't always need to come on a horse with a cloak around the neck. Somehow it might be a young boy in a polo shirt.

"Doesn't look like he misses her." Mel's voice from behind startles me and I jump.
"You need to stop shouting in my ear like that." I say and she smacks my arm.

"I'm talking about Alastair." She whisper-shouts in my ear.
"Whom does he miss?" I ask, completely confused, pushing the strap of my bag up on my shoulder.

"Oops sorry, I forget you stay in Gracieland. Never mind." Mel mutters sarcastically and I roll my eyes, interested in the gossip though I am by no means one of the news reporters of the social strata of this school.

"I'm talking about Audrey Cabot. The girl who passed away last year." She says as we starts walking.
"Audrey Cabot from Pattinson High?" I say and she nods earnestly.
"The thing is, Audrey and Alastair were dating when she died in a drunk driving accident." Mel says as if it is the news of the decade.

I gasp. I did know about Audrey Cabot. Apparently, she was the most popular girl of our neighbouring school, Pattinson High. Rumours had circulated around that she and Alastair were dating, but no one had ever seen them together. And then the news had come that she had driven drunk late night and rammed the car into a divider. It was all over the news the month it happened.

"Wait, I see Albert." Mel pipes up and I look in the direction she's pointing.
"Okay Grace, bye, I'll meet you in the break." She says and goes running towards Albert who scoops her into his arms.

I wave to them and head towards my own class. Alastair doesn't look like he misses Audrey, but the sadness in his eyes is unmistakable. Maybe he did love her. How would it have felt to lose her like that? My heart coils at the thought. The thought of Alastair loving Audrey or losing her, I don't know.