Sacred Heart Academy’s bell rang at exactly ten-fifteen in the morning. It was finally recess, and although the break only lasted for fifteen minutes, Aya never tired of racing down four flights of stairs – and dragging her friends with her if possible – just to get to the cafeteria so she could…
“Don’t look now, but I just saw your Prince Charming heading this way,” Raven whispered with a naughty wink.
Aaaaaaaah. Aya’s inner sigh, if she could ever find the courage to let it out, would’ve scored her a fortune from any of the soda companies. It was so hard not to swoon whenever he was nearby, and it was even harder not to let all the other girls that she, ordinary Aya, was actually crushing on the Academy’s most popular heartthrob.
Aya had liked Minato since her first day in school. Just one look, and her heart hadn’t stopped going doki-doki whenever he was around. Love at first sight wasn’t real. Or so most people thought. But for Aya, it was real, and it had been what she felt for Minato ever since she first saw him. However, she also knew that hers was fated to be eternally one-sided. He was totally out of her league, and all the other girls wanted him. The most she could hope for was all these stolen, cherished glimpses –
In the corner of her eye, Aya saw Minato buy a can of soda from the vendo before heading out of the cafeteria. Most of the other girls actually sighed as he left, and Aya sighed with them – silently, of course.
“You’re so hopelessly in love with him,” Raven teased.
“Keep your tone down,” Aya hissed, looking around fearfully.
Her best friend simply shook her head. “You’re too paranoid.”
“I’m just being practical,” Aya argued.
“What you are is someone who needs more amour de soi and less amour propre.”
“Err…” Aya gave her friend a sheepish look. “English, please?”
“I’m saying you’re insecure because you pay too much attention to silly people’s opinions.”
Oh. Okay. “I get what you’re saying, but…I still think he’s way out of my league. Also---” Aya flashed Raven a grin. “How long do you think would it take for the whole school to realize that you’re the bigger nerd between us?” Aya only looked the part, unfortunately, but Raven was actually the brainy one between them.
“Mm…” Raven pretended to mull it over. “Maybe as long as it would take Minato to notice you?”
“Raven!” Aya nervously started looking over her shoulder again.
Raven rolled her eyes. “Oh for God’s sake, relax. No one’s going to know your little secret, okay?”
I hope so, Aya thought. Because things were going to be seriously bad if anyone else in school found out that a nerd like her would be foolish enough to like someone like Minato.
****
One hour later, and Aya’s head was literally buzzing with pain. Any subject that had to do with science always had that effect on her, and the pounding on her head only worsened as she stared down at her notes. How was it that she had written so much without understanding a single word of it?
The noise level inside the classroom picked up as soon as their science teacher stepped out. In this sense, the Academy operated differently from most other American schools, with each class of students occupying a single room for the duration of the year.
Raven peeked at Aya’s hastily written notes and burst out laughing. “Is that Arabic?”
“Might as well be,” Aya mumbled. How in the world was she going to pass Thursday’s quiz when she couldn’t understand her own notes?
While waiting for their teacher for the next period to arrive, Aya absently turned her gaze towards the windows, which faced the other half of the school. Sacred Heart Academy was divided into two buildings. “Regular” students were housed in Building B (which was where she was) while Advance students were in Building A.
If only I had super vision, Aya thought wistfully. She’d be able to see Minato then, which was what she so badly needed right now. One look at Minato, and she was pretty sure all her worries would fly away –
Raven’s elbow nudging into her side broke Aya out of her reveries. “Stop daydreaming about him.”
“I’m not,” Aya automatically denied even as her cheeks turned red.
“Yes, you are, and you need to stop it.” Raven pointed at her friend’s notebook. “You need to figure out how to pass Thursday’s quiz if you don’t want to get extra classes.” And just to be sure her friend understood what that meant, Raven added emphatically, “Extra classes mean you’ll get to see even less of Minato. You don’t want that, do you?”
A slightly shrill voice interrupted them before Aya could answer. “Raaaaaven!”
Cissy came up to them with a big smile. She was the typical mean girl: rich, pretty, cruel – and proud of it. “I have a party this Saturday.” She handed Raven a crisp white envelope like it was an invitation to Buckingham Palace. “I hope you can come.”
“Thanks for the invite, but I’m afraid Aya and I have plans that day.”
Cissy reluctantly turned to Aya. “You could both come.”
“That’s sooooo generous of you---” Raven’s voice was sweet and icy cold at the same time. “But like I said, we have plans.”
Raven pointedly turned her back on the other girl after that, and Aya tried not to wince as Cissy let out a forced giggle. “You’re so mean!”
Raven noticed the look on Aya’s face. “It’s her fault,” she grumbled defensively as soon as Cissy was out of earshot.
“She’s never going to be in the running for sainthood,” Aya allowed, “but you have to admit – she’s been nothing but nice to you.”
“Mi casa, tu casa, your enemy, my enemy,” Raven dismissed. “Now, enough about whatever-her-name-is---”
Aya choked back a laugh.
“---and let’s talk about where we’re going after school.”
“Don’t look now, but I just saw your Prince Charming heading this way,” Raven whispered with a naughty wink.
Aaaaaaaah. Aya’s inner sigh, if she could ever find the courage to let it out, would’ve scored her a fortune from any of the soda companies. It was so hard not to swoon whenever he was nearby, and it was even harder not to let all the other girls that she, ordinary Aya, was actually crushing on the Academy’s most popular heartthrob.
Aya had liked Minato since her first day in school. Just one look, and her heart hadn’t stopped going doki-doki whenever he was around. Love at first sight wasn’t real. Or so most people thought. But for Aya, it was real, and it had been what she felt for Minato ever since she first saw him. However, she also knew that hers was fated to be eternally one-sided. He was totally out of her league, and all the other girls wanted him. The most she could hope for was all these stolen, cherished glimpses –
In the corner of her eye, Aya saw Minato buy a can of soda from the vendo before heading out of the cafeteria. Most of the other girls actually sighed as he left, and Aya sighed with them – silently, of course.
“You’re so hopelessly in love with him,” Raven teased.
“Keep your tone down,” Aya hissed, looking around fearfully.
Her best friend simply shook her head. “You’re too paranoid.”
“I’m just being practical,” Aya argued.
“What you are is someone who needs more amour de soi and less amour propre.”
“Err…” Aya gave her friend a sheepish look. “English, please?”
“I’m saying you’re insecure because you pay too much attention to silly people’s opinions.”
Oh. Okay. “I get what you’re saying, but…I still think he’s way out of my league. Also---” Aya flashed Raven a grin. “How long do you think would it take for the whole school to realize that you’re the bigger nerd between us?” Aya only looked the part, unfortunately, but Raven was actually the brainy one between them.
“Mm…” Raven pretended to mull it over. “Maybe as long as it would take Minato to notice you?”
“Raven!” Aya nervously started looking over her shoulder again.
Raven rolled her eyes. “Oh for God’s sake, relax. No one’s going to know your little secret, okay?”
I hope so, Aya thought. Because things were going to be seriously bad if anyone else in school found out that a nerd like her would be foolish enough to like someone like Minato.
****
One hour later, and Aya’s head was literally buzzing with pain. Any subject that had to do with science always had that effect on her, and the pounding on her head only worsened as she stared down at her notes. How was it that she had written so much without understanding a single word of it?
The noise level inside the classroom picked up as soon as their science teacher stepped out. In this sense, the Academy operated differently from most other American schools, with each class of students occupying a single room for the duration of the year.
Raven peeked at Aya’s hastily written notes and burst out laughing. “Is that Arabic?”
“Might as well be,” Aya mumbled. How in the world was she going to pass Thursday’s quiz when she couldn’t understand her own notes?
While waiting for their teacher for the next period to arrive, Aya absently turned her gaze towards the windows, which faced the other half of the school. Sacred Heart Academy was divided into two buildings. “Regular” students were housed in Building B (which was where she was) while Advance students were in Building A.
If only I had super vision, Aya thought wistfully. She’d be able to see Minato then, which was what she so badly needed right now. One look at Minato, and she was pretty sure all her worries would fly away –
Raven’s elbow nudging into her side broke Aya out of her reveries. “Stop daydreaming about him.”
“I’m not,” Aya automatically denied even as her cheeks turned red.
“Yes, you are, and you need to stop it.” Raven pointed at her friend’s notebook. “You need to figure out how to pass Thursday’s quiz if you don’t want to get extra classes.” And just to be sure her friend understood what that meant, Raven added emphatically, “Extra classes mean you’ll get to see even less of Minato. You don’t want that, do you?”
A slightly shrill voice interrupted them before Aya could answer. “Raaaaaven!”
Cissy came up to them with a big smile. She was the typical mean girl: rich, pretty, cruel – and proud of it. “I have a party this Saturday.” She handed Raven a crisp white envelope like it was an invitation to Buckingham Palace. “I hope you can come.”
“Thanks for the invite, but I’m afraid Aya and I have plans that day.”
Cissy reluctantly turned to Aya. “You could both come.”
“That’s sooooo generous of you---” Raven’s voice was sweet and icy cold at the same time. “But like I said, we have plans.”
Raven pointedly turned her back on the other girl after that, and Aya tried not to wince as Cissy let out a forced giggle. “You’re so mean!”
Raven noticed the look on Aya’s face. “It’s her fault,” she grumbled defensively as soon as Cissy was out of earshot.
“She’s never going to be in the running for sainthood,” Aya allowed, “but you have to admit – she’s been nothing but nice to you.”
“Mi casa, tu casa, your enemy, my enemy,” Raven dismissed. “Now, enough about whatever-her-name-is---”
Aya choked back a laugh.
“---and let’s talk about where we’re going after school.”
Meanwhile at Building A…
“It’s a girl, isn’t it?”
Minato glanced away from the window, startled. “Excuse me?”
“You think I never notice you staring all the time at Building B?” Darren smirked. “And like I said - it's a girl. Right?”
Minato’s face became expressionless. “Of course not.”
“Ha! That poker face says everything, dude.” And before Minato could say another word, Darren turned away to address the rest of the class, yelling, “Listen up, everyone. Minato’s got a crush at someone from Building B. Any guesses?”
“It’s a girl, isn’t it?”
Minato glanced away from the window, startled. “Excuse me?”
“You think I never notice you staring all the time at Building B?” Darren smirked. “And like I said - it's a girl. Right?”
Minato’s face became expressionless. “Of course not.”
“Ha! That poker face says everything, dude.” And before Minato could say another word, Darren turned away to address the rest of the class, yelling, “Listen up, everyone. Minato’s got a crush at someone from Building B. Any guesses?”
Hiya! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Aya and Minato's story. I wrote (and finished) their three-book series back in 2007 (I was 25 years old then), which means you won't have to worry about loooooong waiting periods.
This book is similar to Drawn, Love You Again, and My Celebrity Boss in the sense that it's heavily influenced by my love for shoujo manga and all things Japanese.
Secondly, I wrote this back when I had ZERO experience writing steamy. Let's see if I can properly "tweak" the story in that sense. (P.S. All characters here are 18 and above)
Thirdly, I'm sharing this as a THANK YOU for staying with me all this time. Seriously - thank you!!! Next chapter out tomorrow. ;)
And that's it - feel free to comment your thoughts below. I love hearing from you guys! <3
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