Love Aint Always Pretty novel Chapter 12

Tsundere (ツンデレ)

- describes a person who is initially cold, combative and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time

Origin: Japanese

12

"Sorry about the inconvenience last night Savannah." Billy says while he takes a drink from the coffee.

"It's alright. You really don't have to be sorry Billy." I said to him.

He stared at his fingers. "I'm quite embarrassed by what happened last night."

"Anybody who gets drunk makes stupid mistakes and becomes not themselves. It's okay. Really."

I could see how embarrassed he is and I actually don't know how to make him okay right now.

"How's your bum?" I asked, so he won't feel a little ashamed of me.

"Killing me. It feels like my ass have been gunshot thousand times."

I smiled. "You need to put ice packs on that. I'm sure it'll be a very big purplish-bluish bruise."

"I know but it's okay. Nick said I'm an official brother now. And thank you so much for saving me. Nick told me you came and saved my sorry ass." He shied.

I smiled at him.

Nick already left early. Billy said he left when I was still asleep and he didn't want to wake me up cos there was no reason to. And I still have a problem with this book that needed to be returned to the library. I never tend to forget things and this is actually the first time I returned a book late. But on the bright side, Billy looks a little better now even though he still looks embarrassed for what happened last night, aside from his stinging with pain on his bum from all the hazing last night. I was glad that he just collapsed cos he was drunk and not from all the beating and he didn't get asthma attack. And, I'm glad he didn't throw up last night unlike Nick.

"I really owe Nick too." Billy blurted.

"Why?" I asked. Not really sure why he owes Nick. I mean for what?

He pulled his head up and smiled at me. "Right before he was about to haze me, he actually whispered something to my ear."

Right. I almost forgot about that. Nick did say something to him.

"He said he won't hit me hard unlike the other hazers doing on the other recruits but I still have to endure it." Billy said.

"He said that?" I asked, disbelief. I never thought he'd actually be that thoughtful to him. I thought he hated Billy. I imagined Nick to be the one hurting the recruits harder than the others cos well he's insensitive and he's the president.

He nods. "It was painful but it didn't hurt much. I swear. I think he did that because of you Savannah. I think he felt sorry for calling your lucky coin stupid. And he knows we're friends."

I bursted into laughter. "Me? Because of me? Billy please Nick is the most heartless guy I know."

"If he was really a heartless guy as you say he is, why did he guard you all night here when he knows you're inside a room with a drunk man? Why did he help me? Why did he tell me ahead of time that he won't hit me that much?"

I paused cos Billy has a point.

"Nick isn't heartless Savannah. People just say that against him cos it's what they see and it's what he shows them. But Nick is really nice deep down inside that tough exterior and hard as rock expression on him." Billy added.

"Why do say that?" I asked.

"Cos he is. I see it behind his cold eyes. And he even got your lucky coin from Baxter." He brought it up.

"How'd you know that? Wait, how did he get it from Baxter anyways?"

"I really don't know the details but that's all I heard from the other recruits yesterday. They said Nick was going to see Baxter before the frat party to get something that doesn't belong to him so I was thinking it was your coin."

I showed him the coin and he smiled.

"See?" He says while smiling.

I'm smiling. Why am I smiling?

"Well he said last night that he got it back from Baxter by Fracas." I said.

His eyes dilated. "Fracas?"

I nod.

"You mean he actually had a fistfight with Baxter for your coin?" He asked.

I was shocked momentarily. "Fracas means fistfight?"

"Yeah." Billy answers.

Holy cow. He brawled with Baxter just to get me my coin back. That's unbelievable. That's totally unlike Nick. I thought Fracas was a person. But he did it... For me. Obviously for me cos it's my coin. Oh my god Nick. I even said some mean things to him last night. Well at least I thanked him. I think I thanked him last night.

"You see, he's not heartless. He's just very moody and he doesn't like answering a lot of questions. I even like Nick more than Harrison." He says to me.

"Harrison?" I asked.

"You know, Aries. He's a real womanizer Savannah. Don't fall for that charmer. He's acting all high of himself cos he's the Vice President."

Aries' name is Harrison?

Suddenly my phone started ringing and I quickly grabbed it. Crap, it's Cameron! I gazed at my watch, it's already 8:45AM!

"Where the hell are you? We've been waiting here for almost forty minutes now!" I hear Cameron speaking on the other line.

I totally forgot!

"I'm on my way down in a minute. Just a second." I hang up.

"I guess you gotta get going now. My brother and little sister is here to pick me up." I say.

Billy finishes his cup. "Thanks for this coffee and everything last night. I owe you one too. See ya around Savannah."

I walked Billy to the door and I quickly grabbed new sets of clothes on me. I wore a black body hugging shirt, pairing it with my favorite white shorts and a pair of flats on my feet. I perfumed myself so I won't smell smoke and drink from last night's party. I packed a few clothes with me since Cameron told me we'll be spending the weekend at a hotel and then the novel. As soon as I walked out of the room, I crossed path with Tracy and Clyde.

"Hey. Wow! It's the first time I see you in short shorts. Going somewhere?" She asked me.

"Yeah. My brother and little sister are here to pick me up." I answered.

"When will you be coming back? Are you out for the entire weekend? But you promised me about party tonight."

"I'll try to catch up." I said.

Tracy smiled. "You should. I heard from Alec that Nick invited you tonight."

I blushed. He did.

"And Clyde told me what you did last night. I'm glad Nick didn't do anything foolish when you stopped the initiation. I think my brother is under your spell, Savannah. Don't you think Clyde?"

I gaped.

Under my spell? More of like I'm under his spell every time he's near. What is she even talking about?

"Yeah. I guess so." Clyde smiles.

"There's no casting of spell here. And I really think your brother still loathes me a little." I answered them.

"I think he doesn't really loathe you cos he already invited you to their frat party twice. The first time you didn't show up and if you'll miss it the second time, your ass will be burned down." She says then bursts into laughter when she saw my expression and Clyde joined her

"I was kidding." She grabs my arm.

"Well I'll see if I can make it okay? I need to go, my brother is blowing up my phone." I say as my phone keeps on ringing.

Tracy hugged me quickly, "Take care."

I hurriedly rushed outside of the dorm. I ran towards Cameron's car and got inside the passenger seat.

"Annie!!" Ingrid chimed happily and quickly hugs me.

"I missed you!!" I said happily.

"You are such so slow person. Did you know that?" Cameron whined.

I gave Cameron a quick hug. "I missed you too brother. AND you better take me to some place where there's delicious foods. Cos. I am star-ving."

"We were planning on going to Cibo. Up for it?" Cameron asked.

I nod. "But I need to drop off this book to the library first." I said.

After dropping the book off, we headed straight to Cibo for breakfast. Our fave place to eat. Ingrid kept talking about her experience with mom and dad while they were away. Cameron kept teasing her that she was still a thumb sucker and I just laugh at them cos I've been terribly missing them. I missed this with my siblings. We arrived in Cibo and started eating up all the foods he ordered for us. The thing I liked about Cameron is that no matter how much he says he hates me, his actions are so different from it.

"Do you have new friends Annie?" Ingrid asked.

"Uhh, yeah. I've met a few people." I answered her.

"Have you been staying away from frat men?" Cameron asked seriously.