~Dedicated to delicious Italian food~

Chapter Nineteen

I was going to Venice and I wasn’t sure whether to be happy or sad. Paris had been great, I mean I got to see the Eiffel Tower, spend time with Dave and figure out that my arch enemy was just as insecure as I was and now I was leaving it behind. If I had my choice, I probably would have spent a few extra days in Paris. It was everything you could have dreamed of. Tall buildings, romance always in the air and that whole atmosphere of just ease and wanting to have fun. All in all, I was sad that we were finally leaving.

The three buses that had originally taken us from school to the airports had now depleted to two. One bus was taking the load of students that didn’t take Mr Berkley’s Social Studies class. Everything had been packed and put into the buses and it was finally time to leave for Venice. I pushed away my blonde hair and cast a glance over my shoulder to the already loaded bus, which was where Dave was currently sitting. I bit my lower lip and sighed. Ever since the game of truth or dare back at the hotel pool, and the really, really inappropriate dare with Sean, Dave had started acting a bit…distant.

Call me paranoid, but I was starting to think that maybe Dave really did want to break up with me. But by morning, he was fine, although still a bit distant by not doing anything a boyfriend would do but I mean that was better than nothing…right? Shaking away my thoughts, I climbed up the steps to the giant red bus and scanned the seats, searching for Juliet. My blue eyes finally landed on her, but instead of finding an empty seat next to her, I noticed Chris sitting there looking pretty cuddly with Juliet. I couldn’t help the grin that took over my lips. If my love life wasn’t working out, at least my best friend’s was.

“She so has it bad for him,” a voice interrupted from behind me.

I jumped slightly in shock before turning to face Sean who had his signature smirk plastered against his lips. Thinking about his lips instantly took me back to truth or dare and the way Sean had kissed me longer than he had to. A slow blush creeped up onto my cheeks and I turned my attention back to Juliet and Chris to hide it from Sean who seemed to have noticed despite my efforts.

“So why aren’t you kissing Davey boy goodbye?” Sean asked, tugging me towards the back of the bus.

I frowned, but allowed myself to follow him and answered simply, “How do you know we haven’t already?”

Sean cast a glance over his shoulder and grinned, “Well mainly because you’re sulking like a lost puppy.”

I scoffed, “Am not!”

“Yeah right,” Sean replied before adding, “Did you guys have a fight or something?”

I sighed before sitting on the material seats and speaking, “Yeah I wish we had a fight.”

Sean raised an eyebrow before sitting next to me and leaning back, somehow reminding me of a therapist. A small smile took hold of my lips before I elaborated, “Well he’s been acting totally distant with me.”

Sean nodded, “I see, I see.”

I narrowed my eyes up at Sean before asking, “You don’t see at all, do you?”

“Not in the least bit,” Sean replied with a genuine smile, “but hey, the first thing I learnt about relationship troubles is that you have to voice out your thoughts before you suddenly become depressed and unable to talk about your emotions.”

My eyes widened, “Since when did you become so…I don’t know, deep?”

Sean shrugged, replying smugly, “Well you know, that’s just me. Sean Gregory, hottest guy at Redwood and equally as sensitive and deep.”

Rolling my eyes in amusement I turned my attention to out of the window and said, “Well I wouldn’t have taken you for being deep.”

Sean leaned closer, before asking, “And now?”

I turned to look at him and found my eyes locking with his. His eyes were warm and hazel, filled with question as I stared at him silently. I swallowed, before licking my lower lip feeling the tension slowly building up between us. Sucking in a calming breath, I let my eyes flicker down to his lips momentarily before I mentally chastised myself. No Viv, you will not fantasise about kissing Sean! This whole kissing thing with him and you is over, especially since you have a boyfriend…who is now currently going back home and-No! You will not fall for anyone but Dave.

“And now,” I finally began, “you’re probably one of the most sensitive people I’ve ever met.”

Sean grinned, “Glad to hear you think so.”

I couldn’t help but grin, “You’ve seriously got an ego.”

“Don’t you want to tame it then Lanter?” Sean asked with a smirk.

And for the second time in less than ten minutes, I felt my cheeks heating up with a fierce blush all because of Sean Gregory.

“Hey Lanter,” a deep voice called.

I scrunched my nose before swatting away the hand that was shaking my shoulder slightly, “Go away,” I muttered, “Mr Wiggles and me are married.”

There was a soft chuckle before I felt myself being shaken again. With an irritable groan, I forced my eyes open and frowned when they came into contact with dark hazel ones that were filled with laughter. Instantly I sat up, pulling away and realising that I had fallen asleep on Sean on the bus trip from the airport, after arriving in the wonderful Venice. Shaking away the last traces of sleep away, I pulled away from Sean and gave him a small smile to cover up my embarrassment.

“So Mr Wiggles?” Sean started with an amused tone, “I didn’t know you two were the secret couple?”

I blushed before defending, “We are not a couple! He’s just…just you know, my uh…”

“Husband,” Sean offered with a grin.

I scowled but couldn’t help the laughter that burst through my lips. Pulling away from Sean, I couldn’t help but shiver slightly from the lack of warmth from him. Glancing towards the rest of the bus, I was glad to see that I hadn’t been the only one who had fallen asleep on the ride to the small villa along the channels. Rubbing my eyes, I peeped out of the window and couldn’t stop a gasp from leaving my lips. Venice was beautiful. Breathtakingly so, with bright lights and the small waterways along the edges of the bricked walkways, looked absolutely magical.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed out.

“It is,” Sean whispered, but when I glanced at him, I noticed that he was staring directly at me.

I felt my eyes lowering to his lips once again and wondered what would happen if I kissed him first? For a moment, I let my mind focus on the thought, but it was interrupted when I heard a familiar voice belonging to my best friend. I turned my attention to Juliet who was yawning in an unladylike manner, while smoothing down her red hair which had come loose on the way to Venice. Her plain, beige shorts and white blouse seemed crumpled and her body looked tired.

“God, that was the longest drive ever,” Juliet groaned.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Sean replied.

Juliet’s eyes instantly widened slightly at the closeness of Sean and me, and instantly I shifted away. Forcing a smile onto my lips and trying to push away any of the suggestive thoughts I knew for a fact that Juliet was having, I stood up and began my way out of the bus. Juliet nudged me in the ribs before she turned to catch up with me, her arm linking through mine as she dragged me towards our luggage.

As soon as we were out of earshot, Juliet grinned widely at me and asked, “Okay, so what was that?”

I bit my lower lip and glanced away before answering, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Juliet rolled her green eyes and stated, “Don’t play dumb Viv; I totally saw the whole cuddly stuff that you were doing with our sexy bad boy.”

My cheeks warmed up at her bluntness before I retorted, “It was just friends.”

“Yeah friends who almost kiss at every second they get,” Juliet replied with a smirk.

I sighed, “Fine, so maybe there was something happening or maybe there wasn’t, I don’t know…it’s just all so urgh!”

Juliet smiled at me, the kind of smile that said, ‘You’re finally growing up’ before replying, “Just remember what I told you Viv, Paris was with Dave and Venice,” she glanced towards Sean who was unloading his suitcases, “well who knows?”

I narrowed my eyes and hissed out, “Jules!”

She giggled before speaking, “What?”

Before I could reply, Mr Berkley interrupted.

“Okay ladies and gentlemen,” his voice boomed loudly, “grab a partner because that is going to be your roommate for the rest of the week.”

A beefy jock, Kevin grabbed onto Jessica’s arm and declared loudly, “I found my roommate.”

Mr Berkley narrowed his eyes before replying, “And no, you are not allowed to room with your opposite gender.”

Kevin groaned before mumbling, “This is why he’s still not married,” earning a few laughs from the students.

Juliet rolled her eyes before turning to me and asked, “Roomies?”

I faked surprise, “I thought you’d never ask!”

“Oh my God, Viv, guess what!” Juliet exclaimed loudly, entering the bathroom filled with steam.

I frowned, glad that my body was covered in a towel and that the only thing I was guilty of doing was shaving my legs. Juliet’s nose wrinkled when she noticed the steam in the room and she stepped back. I rolled my eyes in amusement before turning my attention back to my hairy legs and asked, “What?”

“Mr Berkley just told us the best thing that could ever happen to us,” Juliet beamed.

I narrowed my eyes and glanced at her, “We’re all going to get a pet cat?”

“Ha-ha,” Juliet scoffed, “Stop with your cat cravings and be serious Viv!”

I couldn’t help but smile as I asked, “Okay, what is it?”

“We get to go to the Carnival of Venice!” Juliet shouted in joy.

My eyes widened, “As in, masks and costumes and dancing with music?”

“Yes!” Juliet replied enthusiastically.

“This is the best thing ever!” I enthused.

Juliet nodded, “I told you so.”

With that one line, I couldn’t help but forget Dave. Maybe I was acting too rashly about this and everything would be fine. I mean if I had to watch Dave being facially attacked by some hot girl, then I would totally be distant with him too. Yes Vivienne, you are just overreacting like always. Everything will be fine, you’ll see. Now just breathe, calming breaths and get on with your life. Go and get dressed, go to dinner and then get Mr Wiggles and sleep and then you’ll go to the Carnival of Venice and everything will peachy perfect!

“I’m having an affair with this pizza,” Juliet breathed out, taking another large bit of the cheesy slice.

I raised an eyebrow at her before commenting, “Seriously Jules, it’s like you don’t have a father who just so happens to own an Italian restaurant.”

Juliet stuck a tongue out at me but put it back into her mouth when she shoved another bite of the pizza down her throat. Juliet was my best friend and I loved her to pieces, but sometimes the girl ate more food than a starving child in Somalia. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re born into a family that owns a well-known Italian restaurant and a father who seemed to love cooking extravagantly every night for dinner.

“This seat taken?” a familiar voice asked.

I glanced up and felt my lips curving into a smile when my eyes fell onto Sean, and I responded, “Yeah it is.”

“Really,” Sean asked, looking around as though he was searching for someone, “I don’t see anyone next to you.”

“Mr Wiggles is back in our room,” Juliet interjected.

I scoffed, “Whose side are you on?”

Sean smirked, plonking down next to me, “Definitely mine,” he replied, before adding, “You brought your teddy to a school trip?”

My eyes travelled to my bowl of pasta before I mumbled, “Uh…he would…uhm…get lonely at home?”

“Clearly,” Sean replied, a wide grin against his lips.

Juliet piped in, “Is there still pizza at the kitchen?”

Sean glanced at Juliet, then at her clean plate before answering, “Well yeah, but you better hurry up before Chris gets to it first.”

Juliet narrowed her eyes, muttering, “Over my dead body,” before she grabbed her plate and made a beeline towards the kitchen.

I sighed, “She’s like an endless vacuum.”

“And your appetite is non-existent,” Sean commented, taking a bite of his seafood pasta.

I twirled my fork around the seashell shaped pasta before speaking, “Well, I don’t exactly feel all that hungry.”

“Ah,” Sean replied, “Davey boy’s been giving your heart some trouble then has he?”

I frowned, but shrugged slightly, “Maybe.”

Sean leaned closer, “Tell Doctor Feel-Good what’s he done this time?”

“Feel-Good,” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Sean wiggled his eyebrows, “because whenever you’re with me, I make you Feel-Good.”

My cheeks reddened before I groaned, “Sean!”

He chuckled lightly before adding in a more serious tone, “Okay, seriously, are you still bummed about Davey acting all distant?”

I shrugged, “Sort of…maybe…yeah?”

“I’m taking that as a yes,” Sean replied, stuffing another bite of his pasta into his mouth. He chewed in thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with an idea and he asked, “Well what are you afraid of Davey doing?”

I licked my lips before answering honestly, “I’m afraid that Dave’s going to realise that I’m not worth his time.”

Sean stiffened next to me and he narrowed his eyes down at me, “Don’t say that Lanter, you’re perfect just the way you are.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” Sean replied, his eyes filled with so much care that I felt my heart warming instantly.

“Thanks Sean,” I finally breathed out.

Sean managed a half-hearted shrug before continuing, “Look, I know how much you struggle with the whole relationship stuff so I thought we could get you a lesson on guys.”

“A lesson on guys?” I asked.

“Yeah, you know, I help you out with how to react to anything your boyfriend’s said or done,” Sean explained.

I swallowed as my mind took in the offer. This whole deal with Sean was for him to get me popular and that meant handling guys and being confident with them, so it wasn’t exactly wrong if Sean was practically offering to be my ‘boyfriend’ just to teach me how to act around Dave so I didn’t make a fool out of myself and then get all depressed about it. I mean, I wasn’t cheating on Dave by accepting this offer since it was a deal that Sean was to get me popular and I’d be wrong to not accept it right?

“Fine, but there’s one condition,” I finally replied.

“Name it,” Sean asked.

“No matter what, there’s no feelings, okay?” I spoke uncertainly.

Sean smiled, taking my hand in his and shook, “Deal.”

I felt my fingers tingling as soon as Sean’s skin had touched my hand and suddenly wondered that maybe this whole lesson on guys wasn’t such a good idea after all.

A/N Hey there Geeklings! How are you all wonderful people? Okay, so first thing's first; if you haven't already watched the trailer for BP, please do since it would mean so much to me :) Secondly is that Venice takes up three chapters (including this one) and well, while this one isn't the most eventful, I can assure you that the following two will be. Remember to vote, comment and spread the word!

xoxo

Mona-Mae

PS: Does anyone love Diamonds by Rihanna like I do?