Lea goes to school the following morning,wondering the wish the ghost wants her to fulfil is.''Anyway,whatever it is,I have to find true love as soon as possible and break this curse,''she thought to herself.
She arrives at school,everyone is calling her Doggy Lea,laughing at her.Lea has always craved for attention,but not this way.
''How will l ever meet true love when everyone looks at me like that?''she thought to herself.
Her heart sank,but then she noticed Theo Ashford walking through the hallway.Theo was the kind of guy that made hearts race.He was very tall.His chestnut brown hair,tidy and precise was combed back and upward ,framing his fair skin and drawing attention to his striking blue eyes.A well-defined jawline,straight nose,and a balanced facial proportions contributed to a classically handsome appearance.Fresh gentleman with reputation to match,he was the classrep,always on top of the class and both students and teachers adored him.Lea had a crush on him ever since senior year started.He was probably the only person who once greeted Lea,noticing her-of cause,before the doggy incident.
Lea sat at her desk,surrounded by the cacophony of her classmates.The air was filled with the buzzing of animated conversations,the occational laughter ringing out,and the shuffle of feet as students moved about.The clatter of books being opened and closed added to the hum of activity.Suddenly,Theo approaches her.
''Hi Lea,''he sits next to Lea.''It's okay,don't worry about what everyone is saying.Just focus on your studies,okay?''
Lea blinked,caught off guard by his kindness,but she couldn't bring herself to speak.Intead,she simply blushed
and muttered a soft,''Thanks.''Theo smiles and went back to his seat.
For a moment,Lea dared to hope that maybe-just maybe she could find true love and break the curse.But then, a cold reminder crushed that fleeting hope.
Lea turned and saw Chloe,with her usual smug expression,walking toward Theo.Lea's heart sank as she watched Chloe effortlessly flirting with Theo,her voice soft and sugary,throwing playful glances his way.It was clear she was trying to capture his attention.
''Leaky Lea,''Chloe sneered,''or should I say Doggy Lea?''Who do you think you are looking at?Got a little crush on Theo,huh?''Probably fantasizing about all those doggy jokes too,aren't you?"
The whole class erupted into laughter.Lea's face burned with humiliation.But then,she notices something,even though the whole class was laughing,Theo doesn't laugh…he seemed annoyed with the joke.Before Lea could digest this act of kindness,the siren rang signalling the beginning of class.
The class teacher,Mr lawrence entered the classroom with a new student.Lea eventually remembers him.They had met the previous day at the mall when she went shopping with her mom.''What is he doing here?''Lea murmured to herself as if she couldn't believe her own eyes.
QUICK FLASHBACK AT THE MALL
Lea's fingers hovered over the glass case before finally lifting a beautiful necklace, its delicate chain glinting beneath the shop's dim lights. She traced the charm with her thumb, lost in the rare thought of how beautiful it looked-how beautiful she might look wearing it.
Then, another hand brushed against hers.
Max.
His fingers closed around the same necklace, their touch colliding in the space between them.
"I saw it first," Lea said quickly, clutching it tighter.
Max's sharp grin spread, cutting across his face like a blade. "I touched it first." His voice was smooth, but cold enough to sting.Lea's chest tightened. "It doesn't matter. It's mine."
He leaned in, his shadow falling over her and added with cruel ease, "Why bother buying it? It's not like it'll make you any less ugly."
How rude…
This angered Lea,but before she could say anything back,the shop attendant came and politely asked Lea to wait for a new order from Italy in three months.Though it was unfair,Lea had to let go of the necklace as the shop
attendant was now looking at her hoping she could let go.
Max then winked, a low chuckle slipping from his lips, before turning away. Two men in black suits-his bodyguards, silent and watchful fell in step behind him as he strode out of the shop with the necklace.
Lea remained frozen.Words caught in her throat, but none came. She was left with nothing to say.
BACK TO CLASSROOM
''Hello guys,this is Max Thornton,most of you already knew him…he will be joining us from today.''Max had once studied at Montclair Academy, but only in the primary
section, he then transferred to go and study in USA so most students who were studying at Montclair then already knew him.
Lea noticed that Max was already popular with the way other students were looking at him.Max was tall and his features were striking,sharp and meticulously sculpted
giving him an almost impossibly perfect
appearance,highlighted by a tanned complexion,prominently deep double eyelids and a sharp,chiseled jawline.When he smiled,deep dimples carved into his cheeks,adding an unexpected softness to
his otherwise dangerous look.His hair,black and curly,wild yet controlled completed the look.
Max's prowess on the basketball court had elevated him to a near-celebrity status among students,his popularity further amplified by a massive Instagram following.His father,a prominent hotel magnate in London,commanded respect from faculty,which naturally extended to Max.
As Max walked to his seat,Lea's heart raced.She prayed that he wouldn't recognize her.
Mr Lawrence carried on with the History lesson.Midway through the lesson,a subtle nudge against her foot jolted Lea from concentration.She turned,only to find Max learning back,his lips curved into a mischievous smirk.Then he whispered,''Nice to meet you
again…Petite voleuse''…meaning nice to meet you again 'little thief'he said his eyes twinkling with playful intend as he cast a flirtatious wink her way.