Chapter 132: I Really Like You

NOVA

After writing my chemistry test, I felt happy because I knew I was going to ace it. I could tell that Ella did not do well from how she seemed sad and uncomfortable. Nothing would make me happier than to see her come in last place.

She was too full of herself and thought she was better than me. She may have beaten me a few times but I was determined to show her that I was better and more intelligent than her.

My victory would be complete though if I could get Aiden to be mine. He was so hot and I had liked him from the moment I saw him. At first, it was just a crush but eventually, I fell in love.

In my second year, I had been so lovesick that I had to leave hints for him. I cried about it to my dad who was my best friend but he asked me to forget about Aiden, saying he wasn't worthy of me. It was so hard, seeing him every day and not being able to get close to him.

When I threw subtle hints at him, he initially acted as though he was going to ask me out but he suddenly stopped even looking at me, my grades became affected and Ella topped me by a wide margin, that bitch.

At first, I thought Aiden was dating her since they were always together but eventually, I realized they were best of friends. I was so pained because I knew that as long as she was friends with Aiden, I would not stand a chance with him.

I decided to give up on him and face my studies but it did not mean my feelings for him had disappeared. Perhaps sometime in the future when Ella was dead or no longer in the picture, Aiden and I would meet again and begin a sweet relationship.

For now, I had to beat Ella. I could not get Aiden because of her so I needed to graduate as the valedictorian, no matter what.

I had just a few classes today and when I was done my friends invited me to a party at a bar. It sounded tempting but I did not have the time for such things. I had less than two years left before graduation, so this was not the time for me to party. I knew my time would be better spent studying in the library and that's where I was headed when he called my name.

I could recognize Aiden's voice even in my dreams. He hadn't said a word to me in forever so hearing him say my name made my heart skip a beat.

I turned, wanting to smile but I had to remind myself that he was Ella's ally and could have bad intentions toward me.

He flashed me his million-dollar smile and this time, I could not help but smile back.

"Hi," he said.

"Hey," I replied.

"Are you busy right now?" He asked.

I thought about telling him that I wanted to go to the library and study so I could beat Ella but, on second thoughts, I shook my head, "I'm not busy."

I couldn't take the risk of saying otherwise and watching him apologize and walk away. The way he stared at me made me wonder if he liked me.

Other than Ella, I hadn't seen him get close to any girl so I was hopeful. Or could it be that he had feelings for Ella?

Just the thought of it made me feel sick and color began to drain from my face. I was more beautiful than Ella, that I was sure of. I was taller than her, redheaded, curvy, and had a round face. I couldn't understand why Aiden would love her instead of me.

"Are you okay?" He asked and reached out his hand to touch my forehead. I let him and the feel of his skin against mine only made my heart beat faster.

"I'm just tired," I lied.

He suddenly wore an apologetic expression and said, "Sorry about that, in that case, I'll just talk to you when you are up for it, next time."

"I am up for it right now," I replied, cursing myself inwardly for saying I was tired.

He scratched his head briefly, "You know the bar which is closer to our school, can we sit there and talk?"

I couldn't help but feel like he was asking me out on a date. I smiled and said, "Sure, let's go."

When we arrived at the bar, Aiden took a seat and I sat opposite him. He asked me what I would like and I said nothing. I just wanted to hear what he had to say.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally said, "I want to apologize to you, Nova. To be honest, I've always liked you as a person and wanted to be your friend but then Ella and I have been best friends since childhood and you two seemed to be enemies, which was something I could never understand.

You are both beautiful, intelligent, well mannered and you come from good families. All the qualities you both need to be good friends are there but..... Well, I guess that's how girls are.

I didn't want to be in the middle of the enmity between you and Ella so I just distanced myself from you but I always looked at you, secretly though. With just sixteen months left until we graduate, I was worried that if I did not come clean, I may never get the chance to tell you that I really like you.

I didn't want to hurt Ella's feelings though. I knew she had no idea about my feelings so I told her the truth that I've always liked you and wanted to be friends with you. I was expecting the worst from her but she said it was okay.

She also wished she could be friends with you but she was scared that you wouldn't want anything to do with her.

I was short of words as I got to realize that I had misunderstood Ella all this time. I don't know how you feel about all that I've said but I just wanted to tell you the truth and ask, is it too late for us to be friends?"

I stared at Aiden as though I did not understand what he was saying. How was it possible for Ella to want to be friends with me? We always threw subtle shades at each other and tried to sabotage each other's progress, so what did that all mean?

What mattered though was Aiden feelings. Did he really like me? But what kind of friends was he talking about?

Perhaps I shouldn't get ahead of myself. It was best for me to wait for him to make himself clear.

I cleared my throat, "Well, this is coming as a surprise, Aiden. I never knew you liked me and frankly, I think you're not so bad. I'd be happy to be friends with you, but Ella? Not so much."

He smiled, "Thanks for agreeing to be my friend. Just give it time and I'm sure that soon, you and Ella will become the best of friends and I will be the happiest guy in the world."

I smiled as I admired Aiden's handsome features. He went on talking and telling me about himself and his family. It seemed he really did like me. He asked me about my family and I told him everything as well.

After a while, he asked if I would like to dance and I said yes. I felt shy at first but when I noticed that other couples were dancing as well, I let him hold my hand and we danced together to the music.

I was so happy that even when we walked back to school and said goodbye to each other, I stayed in my car for almost thirty minutes replaying the scene of Aiden and I dancing.

Although he did not say if he wanted us to be just friends or if he wanted me to be his girlfriend, I was still happy because this was a good start. Now that we had each other's phone numbers, I knew we would become more than friends in just a little while.

As I drove back home, another thought suddenly slipped into my mind. What if this was all Ella's plot to make Aiden keep me busy and distracted so she would graduate as the valedictorian?

Aiden did not strike me as someone who would stoop so low just for Ella to be happy but nothing was impossible.

The happiness I initially felt suddenly changed into a different emotion as I now felt like throwing up. I shook my head as I thought, "If this is all planned by you, I will bury you, Ella."