"Baby, can you meet me tonight in detention? I can feel your blood pressure rise, fuck this tension. Let me crawl up into your mind, did I mention? Pretending everything's alright is detention."—Melanie Martinez.

••

"She won't be leaving with you, so don't even dream of it."

Nikolai comes to a stop next to Kelly and in front of the young vocalist, whose head is tilted to the side, his grey eyes swirling in bewilderment.

"Um...and you are?" Jagger stuffs his palms into his tight jeans, lifting his broad shoulders.

"Her teacher." Mr. Todd answers composedly, a flat expression stamped on his face while his hands are still embedded in his trousers.

His chin is lifted, his brows slightly scrunched together as he calmly blinks. His stance screams arrogance and confidence, and it leaves the younger boy feeling less dominant.

"Oh. I am sorry. I didn't know." Jagger removes his hands from his clothes as a sign of respect.

"Well, you're on a school campus, and this is an office." Nikolai looks around. "I'm sure I don't look below twenty either. So, what'd you expect kid?"

Kelly detects the strong iciness within his tone as she lifts her gaze to him. Last night he had that same look of contempt when she gave Jagger her number. What on earth is his problem?

She opens her mouth. "Sir—"

Nik lifts a palm to stop her. "What business do you have with her, you say?"

"I want to take her out on a date...sir," Jagger replies immediately, dubious as to why he must report that to him. "My sister goes to this school. I know it ends at 2:30, that's why I came by. She should be leaving now, shouldn't she?"

"No, she has tutoring sessions with me after school."

Not today. Nikolai had told her that they wouldn't have class this afternoon since she has some assignments to catch up on.

She peers up at him, confused. "N-no, I don't."

He looks down at her. His mouth opens, then closes.

"I don't have a study session with you today, Mr. Todd. Have you forgotten?"

He briefly shuts his eyes. This girl is too naive for her own good. He sighs and looks back at the boy.

"Regardless of that. She's under my custody at this moment, so allowing her to leave with you is just not right. A date on a school night is also not appropriate, seeing that she has exams coming around soon. Furthermore, why should I trust you? I don't even know you."

"He's Jagger." Kelly continues. "You saw him at the concert that night. He was the lead singer that called me up on stage."

Nikolai internally shakes his head. How oblivious is she? Christ.

"I'll be fine, sir. I can take care of myself. I will see you tomorrow." She looks back at the singer. "I'll come; where do you have in mind?"

Jagger smiles. "Wherever you want to go. Do you like Japanese?"

"Ooh yes, Konnichiwa." She grins, and he laughs.

Nikolai curses internally, and as she's about to walk out, he impulsively grabs onto her wrist, causing her to jolt. She stops in her tracks, her eyes bright with disbelief as she looks back at him.

Jagger drops his gaze to the action, and his brows crumple slightly.

His touch is gentle, eliciting jolts of static throughout her entire body. Why does he keep touching her this way? It's causing her hormones to act up.

"W-what is it, sir?" Kelly's innocent and oblivious eyes cause Nik's heart to tremor in his chest.

What is it? I want you, that's what it fucking is.

"Remember your final assignments." He lets out before he releases her hand. He swallows. Shit.

"I will..." She smiles a little, pulling it back to her side. Her skin tingles from his touch, and she uses her opposite palm to wrap around the area. Butterflies gather in her stomach, promising to stay a while.

And that is the problem. She keeps desiring her teacher in a way that she shouldn't. Perhaps hanging out with Jagger would erase those thoughts. Those forbidden thoughts that will only lead her down a path of self-destruction.

Besides, Nikolai could never have amatory feelings for her. She has seen the type of women he interacts with. They are far more mature and womanlier than she could ever be.

She stares at him, a little longer than she should.

"Is everything alright?" Ikaya then comes onto the scene, sauntering up to them with a curious look on her face. Her brown, wavy hair is unconfined against her shoulders, her makeup beautifully done. She is adorned in a red dress that hugs her body.

Kelly's heart plummets in her chest as the familiar tide of insecurities meanders its way back into her mind.

"Everything is alright," Nikolai speaks, and Jagger runs a hand through his dark hair.

"Well, let's go then, Princess." He nods toward Nik before taking hold of Kelly's hand, whose face saddens the second she turns around.

Nikolai stares at her back as she walks away.

"Isn't that Jagger?" Ikaya asks him, pointing a thumb behind her.

Without responding, he tears his eyes away from his favorite girl, a jerk appearing in his jaw as he plods toward his desk. Ikaya follows him further into the room, her stilettos clicking against the tiles.

"It's him, right?" She closes the door behind her.

Nikolai takes a deep breath and settles into his seat, hauling it toward his desk. "Yeah." He presses his lips together, hoping the discomfort within his chest will leave soon. He has never been the type to brood over the opposite sex. But Kelly? She's affecting him a lot more than he'd like to admit.

"Why was he here?" Ikaya sits on a chair across from his, crossing a smooth leg over the other. "Oh. He came to see your student?"

He nods, organizing some files on his desk.

"I see. He seems to really like her. The other night he asked for her number, and today he came all the way here to see her. Woah, talk about persistence."

Nikolai rests a book down, a bit too loud, almost startling her.

"Is everything okay?"

"What brings you here?" He leans back in his chair, crossing his ankle over his thigh.

"Oh." She straightens her spine. "Your dad. He wanted me to inform you of a dinner we're having this evening."

"What kind of dinner?" He sighs, already planning on rejecting.

"With our parents. Yours and mine."

"I'll be busy this evening. I have some grades to tally for my classes." He tells her, and she frowns.

"Come on, Nik. You work all year round and we haven't had dinner together since I left." She lets out a breath when he twists the side of his face. "Okay, okay, I don't want to force you." She lifts her palms in defeat, knowing Nikolai is not the best person to convince.

The guy has had a stubborn tendency since they were little. Her unreciprocated feelings for him being dire proof of how hard he is to persuade, to sway. Despite that, she cannot find it within her to give up. She loves him, and she believes that one day he'll come to love her back. She just needs to be patient.

His cellphone rings from the table, and he uncrosses his leg to reach for it. His chest lifts in an exhale when he finds his mother's name on the Caller ID. He knows what this is about.

"Mom."

"Sweetie, is Kaya there yet?"

He looks up at her, and she smiles tightly, able to hear the lady's voice from where she sits.

"Yes."

"We'll be having a family dinner tonight. You should be there."

Nikolai rubs the corner of his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Sorry, I can't make it. I have work."

"Oh, Niko, come on. You know that we haven't spent much time together in a long while." His mother speaks in a doleful voice—the voice she knows softens his heart. "You're always so busy with your job. And you know your father; he'll be upset if you're not there."

He presses a palm against his forehead, listening while she carries on with her infamous guilt-trip.

"He keeps prattling on and on about how unhappy he is because you chose not to be a soldier. At least do this one thing for us. Just this once, I miss you, dear. It's been so long since we all came together as a family. Nathan will be there too. You know how hard it is to catch hold of him."

Nathan is Nikolai's older brother. A tall, handsome lawyer who looks exactly like Nik. He's also Mia's father and owns several clubhouses in the country. An unhealthy habit of gambling and womanizing makes him the troublemaker of the family. He is usually busy with his jobs, often using his occupations as an excuse not to attend family gatherings—just like Nikolai.

"Fine." He finally agrees, just for his mother. "I'll be there."

She had been right. They haven't been spending much time together anymore. Unlike his father, his mother supports his dreams and has never once criticized his choice of profession. He owes her some 'together' time and meeting up for dinner would eliminate them coming to his house again anytime soon.

"Okay, love you, baby." She kisses him through the phone before adding, "put Kaya on the phone."

He passes it to Ikaya, who places it to her ear with a grin. "Hi, Mom."

She would call his mother this from time to time—a habit of hers since college. It makes Nik cringe sometimes, being a man who's somewhat fearful of commitment.

He returns to his tasks while she speaks on the line.

"Yes, Mom. Oh, please don't force him to go. He seems uncomfortable and I don't want him to be." Then she chuckles. "Oh, I know. Yes, of course. Mm, I can't wait to see you tonight. Me too...bye."

She ends the WhatsApp call with a smile, but instead of returning his cellphone, as a respectful person would do, her nosey eyes travel down to Kelly's chat.

Since Nikolai is engrossed in his computer, she discreetly clicks on the messages, her smile slowly fading into a grim line. She swallows as she reads their conversation, the ugly snake of envy reeling itself into her stomach.

Yeah...your new boyfriend seems nice too.

Hope it stays that way.

It's good that you do, Kelly.

Her heartbeat quickens as her face slowly twists in displeasure.

"What are you doing?"

She exits at the sound of his voice. Nikolai looks from his phone to her, confused.

Scrunching her nose, she puts it on his desk. "You are so boring, Nik. You have that screensaver for four months now. Gosh, put something else. I love Celia and all, but she isn't even that size anymore."

He takes his cell up and stuffs it into his shirt pocket. "You can leave now. I'll see you tonight."

She frowns, tilting her head with a grin. "Give me a ride home when you're through? I didn't drive."

Nikolai shakes his head as he fixes his attention on the screen in front of him. "I won't leave here until 4."

She leans back in her seat, folding her arms. "I can wait."

He looks over at her, and she beams brightly. "What?"

He shakes his head again before returning his focus to his monitor.

••

♡♡

"What was that, Princess?" Jagger smirks as they walk toward the parking lot. The sun is scorching hot, threatening to give her a headache. But it'd be unfair to put all the blame on the daystar when the main reason is seeing Ikaya and Nikolai together. That in itself triggers a migraine.

Kelly stares at her shoes as she gets lost in her drowning thoughts, not pay attention to the boy next to her.

"Hello?" He slides into her pathway, pushing his hands into his jeans and leaning down to her height. He smiles crookedly. "Are you there?"

She shakes her head back to earth and peers up at him. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"What's your teacher's deal?" He resumes his place next to her and throws a hand around her shoulder, whispering in her ear. "Is there something going on between you two?"

She tenses up, neatly unlatching his arm. "Woah. S-something as in?"

She recalls Nikolai's perfect fingers wrapping around her throat, and she gulps thickly. That meant nothing. When she was younger, Kevin tried to choke her when she had eaten his last pack of Oreos. It's okay. Nothing smutty there...

Jagger scratches his nose, the bracelets on his wrist jingling. "I mean, you're not one of those girls who fool with their professors for grades, right?" He squints his eyes playfully, and she widens hers.

"Excuse me?"

He laughs boyishly, throwing his head back. "It's okay if you are. I don't judge. A girl has to do what she has to do, right?"

"Could you not? I am not that type of person." She shakes her head. "If you keep this up, I won't come with you."

"I am kidding." He smiles a little as they stop by his motorcycle. "I am sorry, Princess. It's just that he was a bit...territorial."

"Want to see territorial?" A voice appears out of nowhere, a male figure hauling Kelly into a side hug. She allows herself to be enfolded into Derrick's arms, her mind somewhere else. "I am territorial when it comes to my bestie." He kisses her head, and Jagger lifts his eyebrows.

"Wait. Am I competing against two guys now?"

"Nah, I'm just her buddy." He laughs, but it dies when he sees the unamused look on Kelly's face. He clears his throat. "Anyway, where are you taking her? I can't allow her to just leave with you."

"A date."

"Ooh." Derrick rubs his chin. "What kind? You can't just take my friend anywhere. She's allergic to crayfish."

"Make that a double date."

All three heads snap in the direction to see Gabriella and Tiana strolling up to them.

"The fuck..." Derrick rubs his eyes dramatically. "Am I seeing things?"

"We would like to come along too." The redhead declares, looking up at Jagger with her lip between her teeth.

"Uh...who are you?" Jagger reels a finger in his ear.

"A goddess..." Derrick mumbles.

"How about a double date?" Tiana mentions. "Seeing that there are four of you guys. Kelly can go with Jagger, and Gabriella can go with Derrick."

"Wow! That's such a great idea!" Gabriella claps her hands, her tone sounding fake. "We can do that." She looks over at Derrick. "Would you like to go with me?"

He nods his head in a trance. "Yes...yes, of course."

"Good. Then I will need to head home and get thoroughly prepared. Keep me posted." She smiles at him but looks back to Jagger in short order, sending him a wink before she walks away.

Derrick's eyes widen as soon as the girls are out of sight. "Did you just see that?" He turns to Kelly. "She wants us to go out. Gabriella actually wants to go out with me."

"Um, yay," Kelly says unenthusiastically, and Jagger laughs.

"Pardon my manners; I should have asked. Can we come along with you guys?" Derrick asks the smiling Rockstar.

He nods his head. "Yup. As long as Kelly will be there, I don't care who else comes along." He winks at her.

"Awesome. Why don't we try a restaurant?"

"Yeah, I had that in mind. I know this place. It's expensive, but money is nothing for me." He shrugs cockily, and the two boys plan away while Kelly becomes absentminded once again.

••

♡♡

"This guy is a flipping Rockstar!" Caroline gushes, throwing herself back against Kelly's bed, sighing at the ceiling. "What am I not doing right?"

"That's my line..." Kelly breathes as she rummages through her drawers for something to wear to the restaurant. She decided to head home and get changed since they'll be eating at a posh place, as Jagger had said.

"You're doing everything right, apparently." Caroline sits up again as she continues to choose a suitable nail polish from Kelly's limited collection. "Let's do your nails in red. It means seduction."

"Should I wear jeans or a dress?"

"Dress." She answers. "What's up, though? You don't seem excited."

Kelly sinks into the bed next to her, and Caroline provides her undivided attention, tucking one of the pillows underneath her.

"The thing is...he's not the person I like." She stares at the furry mat beneath her feet. "I-I like someone who doesn't like me back. And probably never will. He's older than me and having feelings for him is inappropriate."

Caroline's face softens as she slumps her shoulders. "Who?"

Kelly sighs, hesitant in revealing her feelings.

"Who? Is he old?"

"No...he's older than me, but he's not old."

"How old are we talking about?" Caroline scoots closer. "Is he about forty?"

"No. He's twenty-five." She looks over at her.

"Ooh. Twenty-five is not too far from eighteen. Is he married?"

Kelly shakes her head.

"Kids?"

"No. But he has this friend. This female friend. She's older than me, and I just feel really insecure whenever she comes around." Kelly tells her. "She's beautiful."

"Pfft." Caroline flips her hair. "Who's more beautiful than you? You're the most adorable girl I know."

Kelly smiles. "Thank you, but I am far from adorable."

"Hey, listen. Tonight, just have fun, okay? Don't think about this man. Just think about you. If it is meant to happen, it will happen." Caroline shrugs. "But just enjoy your night."

Kelly beams and tucks her leg underneath her. "Thank you. Derrick would not have said that. It's nice having a girl to talk to."

"What would Derrick say?"

"Mm, something neutral like... 'that's just life, you naughty little rabbit.'" She tries to mimic his voice, and Caroline cracks up in laughter as Kelly joins her.

••

♡♡

"Still handsome as ever. Look at you." Mrs. Lopez smiles as she leans over to grace a kiss on Nikolai's cheek.

He smiles respectfully as the lady finds a spot around the long table, her husband shaking his hand with a bright smile on his face. "Long time no see, Niko. How are things?"

"Things are good. A lot of work."

"Aww, that's how it is, sweetie. But it surely doesn't take away from your flawless looks. Right, Kaya?" Mrs. Lopez nudges her older daughter, whose face colors pink from embarrassment.

"Mom, please."

Nikolai looks away in discomfort, spotting his older brother entering the restaurant with his phone pressed against his ear.

Dressed in a fitted, grey suit, Nathan holds his hand up as he walks over to the table, glancing back at a waitress' behind before quickly ending his phone call.