𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓- 𝟓𝟎16!!!!

I TURN AWAY from Xavier's room to see Xander looking at me, skeptically. "What are you looking at Xandy?"

"Nothing!"

"Come on, tell Shakespeare."

He gives me a horrid look before walking out of the hall heading to his room, I follow behind him seemingly bored because Xavier's homeschool teacher is still around.

Xander enters his room and I follow with earger steps, "Xandy, Xandy, Xandy." I taunt poking him on his stomach causing him to let out a breathless laugh.

I stare fascinated with a smile on my lips as I continued to poke him, never have I seen him like this, the excitement riddled all over his face as he struggles to stay intact, groaning he lurches at me, gripping both my hands firmly and pinning it to the wall of his room.

I watch him with intent orbs, his squinted eyes and raised cheeks, signs of him still laughing and slowly it washes away into something else, something different as though spellbound, and then I see it, the way his eyes lurked back and forth over my lips, just the same way he looked at me before we kissed.

Noticing my slight discomfort Xander let's go of me, craning his full body till his back was against mine.

"Xandy," I call out, carefully, "are you okay."

"Yes." He breathes out, "I think Xavier is through you can leave."

"I don't want to."

"You should." He says straightforwardly, his back still turned to me.

Feebly, I walk past him to stand in front of him, and I watch as his eyes stared at everywhere but my face.

"Xander we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is." I inform blankly, "We kissed and no matter how much we don't want to dwell on it, the conversation is bound to happen."

"The kiss meant nothing."

"Then why does it feel like it did."

He finally avert his eyes to look at me, his eyes searching mine as though absorbed in a question that he himself doesn't want to hear.

"Do you even love Xavier? Or you're just here because he has been helping you and you want to repay the gesture just so you wouldn't hurt him?"

My mouth all of a sudden runs dry at the aggravation of his question, "I- "

"Answer me Mari!"

"I-"

▪️▪️▪️

"Have I told you how handsome you look because you look very handsome." Xavier hears this and chuckles again.

"You told me that three minutes ago Mari."

"Well," I drawl with a small pout, "I'm telling you again."

He finally rounds up bringing the plate of chocolate chip cookies towards my sat form on the counter top.

He drops the plate down beside me encircling me with his arms as his face nuzzles around my clothed chest.

"Tell me whats wrong Mari, you've been complementing me for straight twenty minutes now."

I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him back, my face buried in his honey smelled hair.

Xander had asked me a question I never imagined asking my self, he was right about the fact that my likeness for Xavier grew mainly because I found out all he had been doing for me and I on the other hand felt showing him as much care will payoff my debts towards him.

But that wasn't the only reason I liked Xavier, there were so many other reasons, some I couldn't explain, some I didn't understand.

"I just want you to know that I appreciate you, more than you can imagine."

He gently pulls away from me, my hand still wrapped around him as he picks a cookie from the plate.

"And I want you to know that I appreciate you too Mari," he nuzzles his face around mine, pecking the corner of my cheek before pulling away, "Here try it." He blows the steam off only because he just removed it from the oven before placing a small piece inside my mouth.

I chew carefully, my mind instantly blown away, "It taste so good, I can't believe you made this, can your brothers bake and cook as well?."

He snorts, "Just Chance and I do more of the cooking, Xander is more of a pre cooked food kinda guy, he knows how to use the microwave more than anyone I've seen and Zach prefers us doing the work but he knows how to cook."

"Can I borrow my homo sapien for a second." We both hear as Chance rushly yell as he made his way to us inside the kitchen.

We're yet to reply when he pushes Xavier aside and pulls me away from the counter himself.

"I need her chemical's free." I hear Xavier warn.

"I'm not keeping any promises." Chance yells back dragging me through the halls of his house.

"Chance calm down, what's wrong." I question anxiously.

He doesn't look at me as he leads me up the stairs, "The algorithms have detached in a very unprecedented prejudice."

"Chance?" I call and he finally stares at me eyes roamingly.

"Yeah."

"You do know that it's me you're talking to right, MARIA." I give him a pointed look and he heaves a sigh rolling his eyes and looking straight ahead.

"Fine! I need your help."

"You know, That's what any normal person would have said."

"Well I'm not normal, okay." He whines out like a little kid and I can't help but smile.

That washes away the moment we reach his room, leaving me utterly dazed. Chance's originally spotless and well arranged room is now a shadow of it self.

His clothes is everywhere, with a very pungent smell whiffing over the place.

"What died in here."

"It's hydrogen sulphide, but that's not what I need you here for, if i needed a smell detector i could easily construct one myself." He says lamely and i roll my eyes at him.

"Soooo, what made you aquaint my aquaintances." I question wriggling my brows at him, in return he gives me a disgusted look, the one that says I'm not following, the same one he gave me weeks ago when I spoke with my British accent.

"Please Mari, leave the smart verbage to me." I nod understandably.

"So," he starts, itching the bridge of his neck nervously, his eyes dilating as he swallows hard, and that's when I noticed it, the discomfort, his bated breath, his crimson cheek and the beads of sweat dotting his forehead.

"Who's the girl Chance?" I say excitedly, elbowing his shoulders and he gives me a lame overexaggerated sigh falling to his bed.

"I think I'm pregnant homo sapien." He says dreamingly and I chuckle falling next to him on the bed.

"Me too." He turns his head to me, eyes bulged open.

"You guys did it already, wow that was fudging fast, I thought it would have at least taken two dates or maybe three-"

My face turns pale, "Nooooo! Oh my gosh Chance! So it's a joke when you say it and when I do it it's not."

"Well look at the both of you, it's going to happen pretty soon, you guys are already acting like husband and wife," he scrunch his face as he continues battling his lashes and puckering his lips, "have I told you how handsome you look, because because you look handsome, oh Xavy, my Xavy, hmm hmmm." He says in a very girly tune leaving me embarrassed and shocked.

"Have you been eavesdropping!"

"No, you were just being extremely loud now back to me."

I sucked in my breath, trying my best to erase whatever I just saw and heard, "yes, go on."

"So last week my chemistry teacher, Madame Eiderdown took her annual leave, normally it's supposed to be our substitute teacher sir Lancelot who takes over but I'm dead wrong, she looked really pretty in her knee length sunflower dress and her neatly tied bun when she walked into the class, the soft smell of vanilla hovering around her."

"So you're in love with your chemistry teacher?" I go straight and he frowns.

"Well she isn't a teacher, she's an intern and she's really young, from what I got when I hacked into the school's system she's just twenty."

I try to ignore his confession, focusing on the problem at hand, "Three years your senior."

"Yeah," he says depressingly, "I don't know Mari, I think I'll die if I see her tomorrow, those big beautiful angelic smile, bubbles of wrapped blue eyes, silk skin as smooth as a quantum stabilised atom mirror , smart and funny with the most facinating laugh and the most lovable heart."

Bro is whipped

"Have you tried telling her how you feel." I probe.

"She knows." He simply replies.

"What, how."

"I might have mistakenly sent her a video of me professing my love."

"And what did she say."

"Lasco hotel, eight pm sharp."

My jaw drops, Chance sees this and closes it for me.

"I know, that's exactly why I need you and I did a research on the hotel they have a really nice restaurant at the side of their building."

"I am no woman expert but to me that kind of message means three things , one, maybe she wants to advise you on why this is all shades of not teacher friendly in a very romantic way or two, maybe she wants to go on a date with you and three being that she wants to you know, play house with you in a very sensual way, I heard hotel sex are a lot more intimate." I point out as though I was actually right about my poor excuse of an answer.

"I don't want to play house, well I want to but not yet and and the date is tonight, I don't know what to wear."

"So that's why your clothes are littered everywhere."

"Affirmative, and when I was looking for my black and white stripes tie I accidentally spill a diluted acid on my floor. I'm a mess homo sapien."

I sit up and he follows suit, shoulders drooping as though he had lost all hope.

I grab hold of his face, bringing it closer till his full attention was angled on mine.

"You might be a mess Chance but you're my mess and thats why I, your favorite homo sapien will help you get through with this, now give me does beautiful smile of yours so we can get you ready for your date.

His eyes gleam and he smiles wholeheartedly. "Thanks Mari."

"Homo sapien." I corrected and he nods, giving me a mischievous smile as he lunges towards me peppering kisses on my face.

"I get it Chance, you're welcome!!!" I croak out in between laughs and he stops to get up on his feet.

"Let's do this homo sapien."

▪️▪️▪️

After successfully getting Chance ready for his dinner, I went home to get ready for mine.

I wrap the towel around my hair putting on my knee length velvety gown when the screech of a car captures my attention.

I walk towards my window peeping to see the person only to be let out of breath, I squint my eyes to see a suited Xavier inside his car parking just outside my house.

I instantly take two maybe three glances at the clock on my wall, he was an hour too early.

Without hesitancy, I rush down the stairs to the door, waiting patiently for him to knock, mother sees me and she shakes her head as she laughs.

"You don't get this excited when I come home from work." She counters from the dinning and I pull my scorching eyes from the door to frown at her.

A knock resonant around the door before me and I yelp in shock, taking leisure amount of breaths before opening it.

My heart skipped a beat, maybe two or three, Xavier looks breathtaking has always his hair is packed in a bun, his dark suit hugging on his body with a black tie affix to his sparkling white dress shirt.

His eyes drove through my body and I watch as he takes a sharp deep breath before talking, "Mari, you you are not ready."

I smile leaning towards him for a hug, his arms wrap around me nudging me closer to him, "Did you maybe check the time."

I could feel his nose on my hair as he answers, "I needed to see you."

I withdrew away from him seemingly worried, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I get really bored when you're not around." He says so easily handing me the bouquet of flowers on his hand.

"Thanks for the flowers Xavy." I appreciate placing the bouquet of roses inside the vase pulling the withered one's originally on the vase away and tossing it to the trash bin.

Xavier takes in the scenery, that was still in progress, "Am I too early."

"Of course not!" Mother yells from over the kitchen.

"Good day Mrs Shakespeare, thank you for inviting me over."

"Call me Rose, Xavier."

"You're doing a great job, the setting is really beautiful and the food smells terrific Mrs- Rose."

And there it is again, Mom's blush as she mutters, "well, thank you Xavier."

The thump of a loud footstep could be heard from over the stairs and I instantly grip hard against the thick material of my gown.

"Xavier Adonis." Dad tsks the moment he reaches us, Xavier outstretch his arm to dad for a shake.

"Good day Mr Shakespeare, I really appreciate the invitation." Dad stares at his arm for seconds causing me to purse my lips, inwardly praying that he wouldn't cause a scene, in a sudden haste he pulls Xavier into a tight hug patting him by the back.

I release a shaky breath, freeing my grip from my gown.

"The thirty two to my bright smiles." Dad mocks iterating one of Xavier's lines from the letter he used to give me when we were younger.

"Dad!" I exclaim.

"Come on kiddo, it was a little bit funny." Dad chuckles and so does Xavier, but his came out a lot more nervous.

"It was." He concur.

"Alright," I say carefully capturing Xavier's hand in mine, "I'll just take Xavier up the stairs to my room." I break the precluding silence as myself and Xavier begin the short trek to my room.

"I don't want to hear any foul noises!" Dad yell after us and I grit my teeth as we entered into my room.

"I'm sorry about my dad." I apologize lamely.

"He's cool." Xavier assures.

"So your parents," I finally ask and he takes a sit on my bed before going ahead to talk.

"Mom's in London with her boyfriend for a meeting proposal and dad, well dad was never in the picture, Mom said he died from heart attack when she had us."

"I'm so sorry Xav, I didn't know." I apologize feeling terrible for not knowing about his father's demise.

"No, no, it's not like that, he's probably still alive, he was just shocked when he found out that mother was pregnant with not one but four kids at once and he was probably still the same age as Mom, Mom was eighteen when she had us, so he ran away, everything we have today is as a result of mom's sweat and dedication."

"That's one woman I'll love to meet."

"And she'll love to meet you too Mari." Xavier assures and I nod taking my sit on the stool opposite my mirror, pulling my towel off my hair revealing the tangled mess. I reach for my hair conditioner but a hand beats me to it.

Xavier's features appears on the mirror before me, and I watch how concentrated he is pressing the gel like substance in his hand.

"Xavier you-"

"I know I don't have to but I want to now let me do it or I'll just have to help Mrs Sarah instead." He says with an annoying tone mimicking me from yesterday.

"Really smart." I offer and he chuckles lightly, placing both his hands on my hair and massaging the conditioner over it.

Once he's certain that the texture was smooth enough he picks up my brush from the table opposite us as he gently brush the tangled mess down.

A few minutes pass and he places the brush on the table, tying my hair into a very very messy bun, with strands of hair hovering over my face, none the less I smile at his work.

Contented with how I look Xavier leans down wrapping his arms around me and merging his cheek with mine while staring at the mirror reflecting both our faces.

"My beautiful baby." He mutters satisfaction laced in the small sigh he lets out and I'm left out of words, small stains of red could be seen dotting my cheek in the reflecting mirror.

"T-thanks Xavy."

He pulls away from me with a smile on his face, pulling out his phone from his pocket and I put on my black flats, tying the shoe lace around my leg. Slowly I hear the sound of a song playing and I see Xavier's arms outstretched as he stares at me nervously.

"Will you have this dance with me Marianna Rosalie Shakespeare."

Blushing, I take his hand standing on my feet, he twirls me around till I'm plastered against his chest, "well of course, Xavier Estevan Adonis." I say with bated breath.

"You remembered my middle name."

"As you did mine."

He pulls me closer securing his arms around my waist, I wrap my arms around his neck resting my head on his chest as we gently followed the strident beat.

The soft voice of Lana Del Rey playing from his phone.

I pull my head away from his chest, lifting my eyes to get lost in his, slowly i cup my hands around his face, stroking his chin as I ogle at his beautiful face the smile on my face increasing.

"You make me happy Xavy." I whisper truthfully and his eyes glints.

"I know saying this over again will make it loose it's meaning but fuck it Mari, I love you so much, so much it hurts." He leans on to my face, placing his fallen head over mine, his lips grazing mine.

"I lov-"

"Maria!" Mom yells and as usual she doesn't knock as she barges into the room.

Xavier and I suddenly pull apart from each other, I try my best to ignore mom's blush.

"I just came to inform you that Mrs Sarah and Mr George are here."

"We'll be down in a minute." she hums before walking off.

As if we both held our breaths Xavier holds on to his chest releasing a shaky chortle, "I think she saw us."

I fall on my bed laughing hard, "she'll remind me about protection later on."

"We better start going." I apprise and he agrees with a small nod.

As soon as we get down the stairs I take in Mrs Sarah's appearance, the elderly woman had worn a red wig which brought out her slightly brown eyes, a dark body hugged gown gracing her body and a black heels.

It bothers me how even in her age she wore and walked with heels graciously.

"Maria you look so gorgeous," she smiles hugging me tightly before pulling away.

"You too Mrs Sarah."

"Mr George." I smile towards the elderly man beside Mrs Sarah and he smiles back at me, a small figure comes out from behind him hiding behind the elderly man's legs, I crotch down gently patting the hair of his grand daughter Harley who hands me a box of cupcakes.

"Thank you." I appreciate both her and her grandpa getting up on my feet and making my way into the kitchen placing the cupcake on the counter top.

"Who's the young lad." Mrs Sarah finally acknowledges Xavier's presence, pinching on to his cheeks, "Rose darling you never told me that Maria is married."

I choked, Mrs Sarah!!!

Mum giggles before answering, "No Sarah, this is Maria's friend Xavier she isn't married and if she is going to get married you'll be the first person she invites."

"I better be." Mrs Sarah insist, holding Xavier in her arms, "why don't you sit next to me handsome."

I try not to throw up at the sound of her voice, Xavier oblige and i seat next to him with Mr George who's carry Harley on his lap sitting beside me.

I look around the table taking in the two empty sits that Mom had arranged and just in time the door bell rings.

Dad instinctively gets up to answer the door and I look up at Mom through my lashes, "we're expecting someone else?"

"Yes," she nods in assurance, "Mr Manuel and his wife." I give Mom a strangled smile as the stickiness of my palm on my thigh becomes obvious to me.

A strong hand envelopes mine and I turn to see Xavier's persuading smile, "I'm here Mari, nothing