AND JUST LIKE what happens when everything is good, time decides to fuck things up and move way too fast when Laia wants it to stop entirely or maybe pause for a bit.
Laia swore they still had a month before their final exams and yet here they were, just three more days before the examination, and are all currently in Samuel's condominium unit studying and taking turns in asking each other questions to serve as a pre-test of sorts.
"Ugh," Brie groans from the couch, throwing her textbook in the air and catching it swiftly once it dropped a few centimeters from her face. "I just want to go to college already,"
Jake laughs and massaged his girlfriend's temples for Brie's head had been, well, on his lap since they both arrived. "College is way more difficult, Brie,"
"Eh, don't think so," The long-haired girl shrugs after sitting up. "I'll just get a business course and be done after three or four years tops,"
"You're getting a business course?" Shane asks from one of the stools. She had been sitting there since the pizza arrived earlier so she could get the most out of eating the pizza that nobody liked very much because it had more vegetables than meat.
Like who the hell likes a pizza with more vegetables than meat?
"Yup," Brie replies, intentionally popping the 'p'. "I have no choice since that's what my parents want for me, anyway,"
"Ah, same," Vivi laments at the other couch, putting the textbook she was reading down. "My mom's always nagging at me to get a business course instead of my initial plan,"
"What's your initial plan?" Samuel asks, lifting his head from its initial position on the pillow above Laia's lap a bit to see Vivi's reaction to his question. "Are you still going for fashion?"
Laia glances at Vivi. She does have the fashion student vibes.
"Uh-huh," Vivi absentmindedly glances at her fingernails which looked like they were just manicured. "I don't know if I'll settle for a school here or go to Paris, though,"
Ah, Paris. Laia internally sighs sadly at the impossible concept of her going to a school in Paris for it's not like she could just go there or even think of enrolling in a school there in the first place.
Don't even get her started with how much would it cost to live there and have to learn the basics of the French language.
Laia hates memorizing!
"You good?" Samuel asks, immediately taking notice of how the girl's expression on her face was a mixture of melancholy and frustration. "Is your head hurting again?"
Laia shook her head. "Nah, I was just thinking of how great it would be to go to Paris for a vacation or something in the near future or sometime when I finally have enough money to afford it,"
Not that she could afford it, anyway.
The boy spontaneously sat up straight and turned to Laia with a serious look on his annoyingly attractive face. "Do you want to go to Paris before college starts?"
Everyone turned to the two after Samuel's statement. Especially Vivi, who seemed gleeful and excited at the possibility of being in the same flight as the two if they ever do decide to go to Paris or even get to be in the same hotel if ever.
Laia, however, felt the opposite of what Vivi felt. She blinked twice, almost as if she couldn't believe what the boy was implying. "Are you serious?"
He nods without any sort of deception in his blue eyes. "Of course,"
"Are you taking her to Paris for your first date?" Jake teases with a grin.
Brie laughs beside him and then leaned forward in anticipation. "Are you using your private plane?"
"You have a private plane?" Laia turns to the boy with a conflicted expression.
Samuel awkwardly smiles. "Yeah,"
It was Brie's turn to cackle out loud. Laia sometimes envies her ability to be entertained by awkward situations. "Is it the plane Sawyer bought you?"
"I thought it was your dad who got it for you as your eighteenth birthday present," Shane interjects. She looked like she just finished chewing the pizza slice that she was just holding earlier. "Or it wasn't?"
At this point, Laia wouldn't be surprised if she finds out that the boy apparently owns a yacht too. Or maybe even a private island.
Or even a whole ass country. Anything apparently was possible with just the right amount of money.
Samuel didn't share the enthusiasm of their companions who were currently engaged in another conversation tackling his wealth and instead focused his attention on Laia who was still conflicted about what she just learned. "Hey,"
"Hmm?"
"Are you angry?"
Laia shifted her attention from their friends who were still in the middle of a discussion to the boy with a puzzled look. "Why would I be angry?"
"I don't know," He beckons her towards the balcony. Laia follows him despite the curious looks that they received from their companions. "We're gonna get some fresh air,"
"Fresh air or a fresh set of kisses?" Brie teases with another cheeky grin of hers. Vivi and Jake burst into laughter at what Brie was insinuating.
Laia rolled her eyes but doesn't bother responding to her friend, closing the door behind her and turning to Samuel who was leaning at the railing. "Why did you want to talk outside?"
The boy beckoned her closer and she did. He pulls her to his side and once again has the serious look on his face that Laia couldn't get used to so easily. "Do you want to go to Paris?"
Laia tilted her head upwards to look into his blue eyes. "Why are you asking that question like Paris is just a few towns away?"
He laughs. "It only takes a few hours to reach it, princess,"
The girl rolls her eyes. "Not everyone knows how long flights take, especially those who have never been in a plane all her life,"
When Samuel doesn't say anything, Laia continues. "I just," She sighs, reluctant to continue the topic but decided to voice her thoughts anyway. "What will your family say?"
It was Samuel's turn to look confused. "What do they care?"
She turns to him with an irritated look. "I don't know, maybe because they're still your family and they'll think that I am a gold digger for starters?"
He frowns. "Laia--"
"I just don't want your family to think I'm only after your money," She scoffs at the words that came out of her mouth. It was almost as if she suddenly became the poor protagonist of those teen dramas that fell in love with a rich boy that she happened to watch before. "Ugh, saying it out loud ended up being more cringy than I thought,"
Samuel laughs and squeezes her in the shoulder. It was almost as if he was trying to distract her from the thoughts that continued to linger in her head. "Laia,"
"What?"
"If you don't want to go it's alright," It was obvious that he was trying to calm the girl's anxiety about his proposition. "We don't want to stir up rumors of you getting my gold bars, don't we?"
He even wiggled his eyebrows playfully making Laia roll her eyes. She smacks him in the side. "You're an idiot,"
After a few minutes, she decides to ask a stupid question. "But do you really have gold bars?"
Samuel doesn't restrain himself from laughing out loud at what the girl just asked. "I don't have those, unfortunately,"
"Such a shame," Laia pretends to be disappointed. "And here I thought that we would have decorations of gold when we get married--"
Laia covers her mouth with her hands upon realizing what she just said.
Did she seriously just say out loud that they would be married soon?! Did she seriously say it to the boy's face a word regarding marriage?!
"Fuck," Laia tried to hide her face with her hands from the boy who had a teasing grin on his face. "Don't look at me like that,"
"Look at you like what?"
She pushes him roughly and was about to return back inside when she felt the boy grab her wrist. "Let me leave!"
"I didn't know you were already making plans about our wedding," He pulls her towards his chest, grinning down at her without any sort of mischief that he had earlier. "Do you really want decorations with gold, though?"
"You're a piece of shit,"
"But you like me,"
She gave him a deadpanned stare. "I'm honestly regretting my decision right now,"
"Ouch," He feigned crying which effectively made Laia roll her eyes without malice at his childish antics. "I don't regret mine, though,"
His tone suddenly became serious as he said those words, his eyes never leaving Laia, almost as if he was memorizing every feature that the girl had.
Laia felt her cheeks flush at the intensity of the boy's stare but she tried to regain composure, clearing her throat, and opted to change the topic. "Let's go inside?"
The boy chuckled at how Laia obviously changed the topic but doesn't say anything about it and instead followed the girl inside. "Alright, princess."
When they returned to the living room everyone was on the floor, eating from a new box of pizza which was pepperoni.
Brie was the first to notice them, her head now on Jake's shoulder instead of his lap. "Hey, we got a new pizza,"
Shane was the one only who sat away from them. It was almost as if the girl was disgusted by the sight of Laia's favorite meal.
Laia immediately reaches out for a slice and relished the delicious flavors of the pizza. "This is so good,"
Vivi opened her mouth, showing off the pizza that was still on her mouth which made Jake elbow her to keep her mouth shut. She moans in delight. "If only I can eat this forever,"
Jake bites into his slice. "If only this didn't mean that I'd have to go to the gym again this weekend,"
Samuel doesn't seem to be very concerned about the possibility of going to the gym as he ate two slices in one-go and had another one in his hand at the moment. "Gym?"
"Fuck you," Jake scowls at his best friend who was already on his third pizza slice for that day. "You're making everyone jealous of your quick metabolism,"
Laia glanced at the boy's flat stomach which was evident in the tight black shirt that he was wearing.
Unfortunately, he caught her and smirked at her. "You like the view, princess?"
The girl was quick to look away. "Gross,"
"I don't think that was what you were thinking just now,"
Laia glared at him. "I will choke you with the pizza slice that you're holding,"
"I'd always welcome your hands around my neck,"
Brie fakes to barf and turned to Jake who was stifling laughter at the banter between the new couple. "I didn't expect you to be this cheesy,"
Samuel glances at Laia who was still in the middle of eating a pizza slice with her eyes already on one of the pizza slices, deaf to his next words. "It's okay to change for the people you like,"
Everyone gagged and pretended to vomit except Laia who pretended to not hear the boy but she did.
And despite how cringy those words were, she still felt her cheeks and even her ears warm at the boy's words.