DISCLAIMER: I actually own these characters!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Full Of It
By Vanessa Riverton
CHAPTER 3 - VICTORIA
I was thirteen years old, starting my first day of going to a real school – a middle school to be precise. Only one year here and then I'm ready to move onto high school... apparently. I walked into my classroom, a forced smile plastered on my face and a boy came up to me, sizing me up with his ugly brown eyes.
"I'm Joseph Getty. Who're you?" With a cocked eyebrow, I scoffed and walked past the boy and to an empty seat nearby.
Apparently, Joseph didn't understand the message of my non-verbal 'leave me alone', because he followed me to my seat and sat behind me, obnoxiously chewing on a piece of green chewing gum. I ignored him, but still he persisted.
"Well you're either Montgomery or Louwrens." I looked over the boy, dark hair, tinted with some reds – he probably spent a lot of time in the sun – his skin was a little sunburnt, confirming my previous suspicions and he looked a little ragged to be honest.
He still didn't leave me alone.
"Why does it matter to you who I am...Getty?" He grinned, seemingly elated that he had finally managed to elicit a response from me. He shrugged,
"I heard Montgomery's loaded... gotta know who to make friends with, right?" I scoffed inwardly but glared at the boy.
"So you want to make friends with Montgomery?" The boy nodded and spoke candidly. I expected nothing less of an idiot like this.
"I don't want to be friends with trash." Pop. That gum is going to get on my last nerve.
Did that ass really think I would be so gullible as to be friends with some socially retarded fuckwit who only wanted to know me for my money? He was still grinning, so clearly yes... he did.
It was in that instance I decided that this boy and any other like him were not worth my time or my effort. He wanted to be my friend because I was rich? No doubt his parents told him that. Usually, people cry and moan about how there's more to them and that they're people of character and that they're not just money! That they're really people of substance! I'm not one of those people... but I don't like being used. End of.
I opened my mouth to speak but my attention was dragged away by the very embodiment of beauty walking over to my desk. She stood adjacent to me and the boy I now decided to christen 'Ass-hat Getty'. She smiled as she looked from him to me.
"I'm Victoria. You must be Joseph. Your friends over there said you were looking for a Montgomery or Louwrens."
This Joseph boy is an idiot; he's only nodding in response. I sigh and turn my attention back to staring at the nothingness that is this dull classroom. Then she speaks again.
"Well, I'm Victoria Louwrens, pleasure to meet you... and you are?" Joseph stutters over saying his name and it gets a melodic giggle from Victoria.
I sighed... she had so much potential with her beauty – but she's just an airhead laughing with him. Suddenly, my sight is blocked by someone standing in front of me. Scowling, I look up and I am instantly captivated by clear blue eyes with a tinge of sea green around the edges.
"He's not that bright, is he?" Victoria looks over my shoulder, I turn, and see Joseph talking to his friends, blushing and pointing without shame to Victoria. She looks back down to me.
"You must be Devon." I say nothing and I don't move a muscle. I don't acknowledge blatantly obvious statements. On the list outside is everyone's name in the class, so by process of elimination by talking to everyone else, the only person left must be a one 'Devon Montgomery'.
And I'm the only person left... clearly.
"Well, pleasure talking to you Devon, catch you at lunch."
Lunch rolled around quicker than I would have liked. The entire establishment made me laugh. The design is poor and the decorations are mediocre at best.
From the floor to the middle of the wall is wood. Light oak flooring with wood panelling; all adorned with plaques that the school was more than happy to gloat about to anyone passing in the halls. From where the panelling ended upwards, was an off-white magnolia that met the faux Georgian-esque cornicing that was liberally embellishing the ceiling and the corners of every room.
How wearisome and stereotypical.
A school for rich children that looks like every stereotype from any film that featured a location like it.
I miss my home schooling, with the teacher who would teach me then leave me to my own devices. I don't like talking to people, or socialising... or people in general.
So this school is a nightmare. At lunch, we are all rolled into one general area to grab some lunch and sit and talk about things no-one cares around. I decide to sit outside however.
I spent a good few minutes selecting the right tree in the large garden-like area (I chose a modest beech), then sitting in just the right amount of shade before I laid back into the tree and opened up my lunchbox, and took out the lunch my own mother had made me. A tuna and sweet-corn sandwich, a red apple, granola bar and a pomegranate juice.
Though incredibly rich when it came to my dietary wants and needs, simplicity was all I desired.
As I savoured the first bite of my sandwich I closed my eyes and moaned into my mouth. This sandwich reminded me of home – where I should have been, not this hellhole.
A throat clears beside me. I stop chewing, and snap my eyes open, glaring at whatever fool decided to come and bother me.
It's her.
Victoria sits down opposite me, covered by the shade of the tree and begins to eat her sandwich too. I narrow my eyes at her,
"What do you want?" She giggles as she hears my completely expressionless voice.
"Me? God, I'd kill for a pony."
Is this girl for real? She actually answers me like that? I feel a smile trying to creep onto my face and I fight it. I look over Victoria in great detail as she starts blabbering on about a horse she saw when she went on vacation to Mexico with her parents last year.
She had dark blonde hair that reached her mid-back, with slight waves in it and every time she giggled, her hair bounced delightfully against her back.
Her skin is only slightly tanned, an indication that she travels a bit but maybe does not jsut spend all her time tanning like the other bimbos at this school most likely do.
Her eyes stand out to me; Remarkable blue-green mixture that caught me off-guard earlier. But not now, I'm looking into her eyes. My own green fixated on hers. She stops talking and looks at me.
"Do I have something on my face?"
"Why are you here?" She tilts her head to the side and pouts at me.
"You don't want me here?"
I shrug my shoulders. It's not that I don't want her here, but I it's not like I want her here either. She puts her sandwich back down, and looks at me. She's pouting still and her head is still tilted.
"You know, I was told by some of the class that you were rude before I came over and talked to you... I don't know how they could know that because no-one came and spoke to you. But some of them reckon they know you from some fundraisers your parents run." She stops and looks at me; I can only assume she's waiting for a response.
I lift my sandwich to my mouth and take a languid bite, my eyes leaving the form of Victoria in front of me. From the corner of my eye, I can see her smirking at me.
"So, I thought I'd come and see if there was any big mystery to Devon Montgomery... like, why are you only starting school now?"
I place my sandwich back in my lunchbox and decide to knit my hands together behind my head, and lean back onto the tree I sought refuge in. I close my eyes and hear her sigh. I take in a deep breath, and I enjoy the aroma of freshly cut grass invading my olfactory senses.
"I was home schooled. My parents decided that they want me to have some sort of normal teenage upbringing so I'm here for one year. Though, they're debating about sending me to a public high school next year." I open my eyes and reach for my sandwich again. I take a big bite and eat nearly half of it in that one mouthful.
"Cool. I'm here on scholarship... been here since I was ten. My parents are hoping that one year here will set the way for me at high school and college." She looks over at me and shows me the toothiest grin I have ever seen.
"So how'd you like it here so far, Devon?" I sigh; I'm getting a little frustrated with all these questions. It's a good thing she's good to look at or I would most probably have told her to fuck off as soon as she sat down.
"I covered all of these topics in my home schooling already. So I find being here pointless." She giggles once more at me and I can't resist but glare at her. She holds her hands up in surrender.
"Hey, you're funny Devon, don't blame me for you making me laugh." She giggles again as I raise an eyebrow, somewhat amusedly.
"So, the bell's about to go, I'll catch you in class. Bye Dev."
She gathered her things and left me.
I was confused.
I usually dislike all people and wish for them to leave me be... but her? I wouldn't mind if she came and bothered me every single day.
And bother me is exactly what she did.
From the second I arrived at school to the moment I left.
It's been three weeks since that lunch-time by the tree. And I hate to admit it but I don't dislike having her around me. She's the complete opposite to me in every possible way.
Where she is happy, friendly and pleasant to people I am miserable, moody and snappy to everyone. Victoria is often chastising me for being so rude but I tell her it is just the way I am. I don't understand why she is still my friend – in fact, I don't think anyone understands.
When she has realised I need a break from her, I found that the boys in my year were more than willing to let me 'hang' with them. I initially rejected them but Victoria convinced me. She said she was worried I had no other friends but her.
So, now I am sitting at a lunch table with Joseph Getty and about ten of his friends.
You'd think I'd feel odd being the only girl and all, but really I'm not. Gender has never really played a part when it came to people. People were who they were, not what appendages they had.
"So, Dev," I glare as Joseph addresses me – I don't know why but I only like it when Victoria calls me that, "You and Vicky are pretty close." He wiggles his eyebrows up and down suggestively and good God I am fighting the urge to punch him in the nose. Instead, I settle for shrugging my shoulders.
He grins and leans in closer to me, stopping about a foot from me, his voice's tone lowered considerably.
"So... does she have a boyfriend?"
I drop my sandwich onto the plate in front of me and stare dubiously at Joseph. My eyes narrow and my nostrils flare. He shuffles backwards, holding his hands up by his head.
"Okay, sheesh, Jesus, Devon, calm down! I was only asking."
I turned my attention over to Victoria. She was sitting with the group of girls I dubbed 'the Barbies'.
She was talking animatedly; using her hands to emphasise every word she said. She laughed whole-heartedly and when she was asked a question, she pouted adorably. I smiled slightly to myself.
I had grown to like Victoria in fact.
An awful lot.
She was candid and authentic and she made me feel different. I no longer felt like I was empty.
She looked up in that moment and smiled warmly to me, sending a brief wave my way. I don't wave back – I'm not that sappy. Her Barbie friends send a glare my way and I ignore them, keeping my eyes solely on Victoria.
As soon as I turn around to my lunch again I take a bite and look up, only to see Joseph's features contorted into an expression of astonishment.
"Dude!" I turn to him and cock an eyebrow. He sighs and slumps down into the table, the other ten boys on the table slumping too, some of them even pouting like idiots. I say nothing but keep looking at Joseph curiously. He raises his head after a few seconds.
"Man, why didn't you tell us, Devon?! She's so hot!" I think for the first time in my life I'm confused.
I process every word the idiot is saying and the way he's saying it... she? Does he mean Victoria? Why didn't I tell them what?
"What are you talking about, you idiot?" Joseph grins and raises his hands.
"Oh! I see... it's a secret, don't worry man, I won't tell anyone about you and her man. You're secret is safe with me," He looks around the table," Er, us."
"What secret?" Now it's Joseph who has a confused look on his face. He points to Victoria, who notices and cocks her head curiously, then points to me. He whispers,
"Dude, you and Victoria aren't together?" As soon as he finishes the sentence, I nearly drop my sandwich.
What. The. Fuck?
I look at him, surely sending my most heated glare his way – Joseph is cowering in his chair a little. He raises his hands and begins stuttering as he tries to save himself from this situation.
"I-I-I j-just meant... y-you guys h-h-have been like joined at the hip man! I thought that m-maybe – "
"You thought wrong, you ass-hat!" I grab my lunch and began storming my way out of the lunch hall, no doubt leaving a relieved but soaked Joseph behind.
Why did I ever leave the safety of this tree?
I am lying on my back and the sun's gentle rays are caressing my skin. I close my eyes and enjoy the simple pleasure it gives me. I take in a deep breath and can smell the grass again.
A second later, another fragrance hits my nose. I frown in concentration as I try to remember where I've smelt the scent before... it's a light fruity perfume. More citrus than anything. I sniff twice more and I smile as I figure out who the stranger is.
"Victoria."
She giggles once more and I hear the rustling as she lays beside me in the grass, I open the eye nearest eye and see she has her head lounging backwards, one hand playing with strands of her long hair and the other hand lying lazily over her stomach. Her eyes are closed and she is baking in the light.
I keep my hands locked behind my head and stare straight up again, closing my eyes.
A moment of silence passes between us.
"So... what happened?" I open my eyes as I hear another rustling. I turn my head and see she has rolled over onto her side, I assume so she has a perfect view of me and my reactions – if there will be any – to anything she asks me.
"What happened when?" I smirk smugly as I see her pout in frustration.
"Just now, in the lunch hall. You stormed out, and Joe Getty ran to me, asking me to get you to forgive him." I scoff loudly.
"He's a pathetic sack of shit."
"Language!" I look at her as she scolds me. I hate people telling me off but with her it seems almost... right? Like she's concerned for me, and she lets me know by telling me off for certain inappropriate things. I shrug lazily.
"So what happened? What did he say? Or do? It must have been pretty bad if it forced you to come out here... and to lose that infamous cool of yours." My interest is piqued at the end of her sentence.
"I'm infamous?" I ask, a ghostly glimpse of my ego peering out from my mask of nonchalant behaviour. She snorts loudly.
"You are so vain, Dev, I swear... but yes, your... attitude is renown... Which is why I want to know what happened." Her eyes are staring into me and I know I can't lie to her. Perhaps a half-truth?
"He just pissed me off, is all." I thought that would do... I was wrong.
"How?"
I shrug, "He just did." Victoria half sits up and looks at me disappointed. I prop myself up on my elbows and look at her.
"You know what? Fine, don't tell me, I'm heading back in."
She stands up and I feel my heart race... for the first time. I grab her wrist as she stands and is about to walk off.
"Wait." I'm shocked I don't sound as pathetic as I thought I sounded in my head. Victoria tilts her head to the side and her blonde hair falls over her shoulder, gently cascading down and the sun hits her hair, giving her an almost ethereal glow.
I am almost breathless... but she brings me out of my reverie with an annoyed grunt. I sigh and look away from her.
"He... said something about you and I didn't like it." She looked at me, waiting for me to go on, I sighed again and sat up on the grass, "He said you were hot." I pouted and looked at Victoria who seemed confused.
"So, you didn't like that he called me hot or you don't like him thinking I'm hot?" I listened to her tone and I immediately felt a little foolish. Damn it. I didn't mean she wasn't h – beautiful. Not hot. She is beautiful. Very. I shake my head and I hear her giggle, I lift my eyes to meet hers. She flops down on the grass beside me and smiles so warmly at me.
"Devon, it's adorable you're so protective of me, but you don't have to worry, he can think I'm hot all he wants... Joseph Getty is not my type." I'm elated at her admission and then I blush when I realise that she has a type... a type? Who? What kind of boy? I need to know so I know who to watch out for.
"So, was that all? You got all annoyed because Joe thought I was hot." I look away and nod and I know she knows I'm lying.
We've only known each other a few weeks and adorable she knows me almost better than I know myself. Ugh, I really don't like it... but I love it at the same time.
"Devon." Her tone is warning and I look at her. I reach my right hand around and bring it to the base of my neck and rub at it, hoping it will alleviate some of my stress. I close my eyes and release my hand.
"He... he thought you and me were... dating." There is silence.
I open my eyes and look at Victoria. She isn't pouting and she doesn't look confused or angry... shouldn't she be?
She's just staring at me, with her beautiful blue-green eyes and she has a small smile on her face, the corner of her lips barely turned but it has its effect on me.
"It doesn't bother you?" After a moment, she shrugs and she stands up... she brushes down her skirt and stretches.
"Not really... I could do worse than you, Dev." She winks at me, and walks away, making her way back into school, her strides are long and confident and...
And it is in this moment, that my mind goes into overload.
I had thought since I hit puberty almost fifteen months ago, that because I was not attracted to any boys and found them more annoying than 'cute' that perhaps I was asexual. It had never occurred to me that in fact, I maybe... maybe... was more attracted to girls.
I look at Victoria as she is walking into the school.
Her hips swing side-to-side.
Okay... there is only one maybe.
Maybe... I am just attracted to her.
She turns to me as she reaches the door and smirks to me, nodding her head, gesturing me to come inside.
I stay where I am. Still in shock over the fact that I might just maybe have a crush on Victoria Louwrens.
PRESENT
"That's real sweet, Devon, but fucking spare me the Hallmark moment." I smirk at Ash's reaction.
"I thought you wanted to know why?" She rolls her eyes a little and shifts in her chair, no doubt trying to get comfortable.
"I do... do you just think you could skip the pre-pubescent confusion?" I smirk at Ashley – how she is keeping her cool when I know she wants to rip my head off is beyond me.
Good show, Prince.
"Fine, I'll skip pre-pubescent confusion and take you to an important time." She raises her eyebrows, only slightly intrigued. I smirk and speak lowly,
"The first time I ever killed."
Her eyes snap to attention at me.
Ah, much better, Ashley.